Christmas When Your Mother Visits

This time I was the mother spending Christmas with her daughter in her own place she shares with her boyfriend. I have nearly bitten my tongue off so many times, wanting to keep my mouth shut...hearing my own mother's voice (and Thumper's, from Bambi) "if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all"...and realizing I did not want to be a meddling mother who visits. However, as anyone who knows me, that isn't easy and things slipped out...and I was swiftly reminded that it's her house...heh heh.

Not wanting to having people over for dinner tomorrow in a messy place, I shut my face and got to work, hearing someone else's voice "if you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem". I cleaned the floors, did my laundry(and some of theirs), cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, vacuumed and tidied up the rooms of junk, Christmas stocking stuff that has spread all over, bits of trash like candy wrappings, wrapping paper, gift tags, ribbon, or twist ties from some random gift...you know, the usual, bagging it up with the emptied wastebins from all the rooms. And I started packing my suitcase. Not because I am ready to leave, but because I am going to be busy over the remaining days so thought I should get a little organized.

Now I can relax and dive back into Stephen King's Lisey's Story while waiting for my darling daughter to come home from work and head out grocery shopping with her and the other.

Slothful Christmas Vacation

highlights...

• board games - Trivial Pursuit (Pop Culture DVD edition); Scene It; Family Guy Monopoly; Pictionary
• video games - Family Guy for PS2 and some Nintendo Wii games.
• chocolate, lots of chocolate
• deep, delicious naps
• snuggling with kitties, mostly Squirrel, the kitten, because McGee won't cuddle with anyone, and Irelyn is a bitch most of the time
• movies, movies, movies on DVD and digital cable
• prowling the net, mostly Crackbook (Facebook)
• more eating
• novel reading indulgence

and some of the usual holiday chores...putting up and taking down the tree, cooking and cleaning up the mess that goes with it, laundry, tidying up the candy wrappers and wrapping paper...

Oh what a glorious slothful Christmas Vacation...and I don't return to work until January 7, 2008.

Some Light Reading With The Kiddies

My First Pottery

This is what came out of the kiln this past week...I started with bigger pieces but they ended up being tiny bowls...I have some much better pieces coming out next week I hope!

First Night

T'was our first night in the new apartment last night. Here is a snapshot of the move...part one...

the cable internet guy did not show up for his 4:15 appt. when I called them they told me there were bigger problems all over and he can't come. and then I made another appointment for Monday.

the satellite receiver won't work, as I think it is the wrong cable in the wall. so have to sort that out on Monday as well. I do have internet access though...I'm borrowing from a neighbor...

the phone works - yahoo! now I am waiting to see if the buzzer works too, as my friend K. is coming over to help me with the last two bins of heavy stuff in the car. Then we are going shopping.

the boys have settled right in, and love playing all through the apartment. They are passed out on the bed here last evening. Now they are wrestling on the floor...

I ordered pizza last night but because my buzzer wasn't hooked up until today, I had to go downstairs and meet him. I didn't care at that point, as I was damned hungry!

I had to SCRUB the brown stained kitchen sink. The former tenant did not clean it at all. It took me two different cleaners - Vim with bleache and CLR (which did nothing) and an hour's worth of elbow grease to get it glimmering again, as it should be. I hate a dirty sink. Clearly someone left old dirty water in there for a length of time, according to the ring around the sink.

the sun shines in my aparment during the day, which is going to be nice for my plants when I bring them home from the office. I can even see the stars from my living room window and balcony. I am hoping to also see the northern lights once we get a clear night. There are no lights behind my apartment building as it faces the woods and a hill.

I love my new apartment and cannot wait to get settled once the movers bring my stuff on Monday afternoon. It will be a piece of work alright, but I will plug away at it, and hopefully be unpacked by the weekend.

the carpets were cleaned either the yesterday or the day before and the apartment was like a Roman steam bath...so I opened the windows and the dry air outside wasn't long claiming the moisture. The windows all open, and have screens on them, so when I need to cool off the apartment, I can easily do so. I also have a door to the balcony, not patio doors either. The cats have discovered the wide window sills too, to sit on. I may have to get a bird feeder to see what we can attract for them to watch.

the baseboard heaters are covered in a wooden casing, which is nicer than the ugly metal. The blinds are metal slats, narrow ones, and in excellent shape. I have curtains for that window, green ones. Good thing I brought my own curtain rod as there is no sign of one ever having been there. They must have plastered over the holes the last time they painted.

Time to get back to unpacking...

In Living Kitty

The Bed Boys

Henry and Stormy, hanging out together, watching my every move in our quarters. I'm the excitement for the day...and in one shot, Henry is curled up on my suitcase in the closet.

What The HELL?

So my friend K. and I were heading to pottery class the other night in my car, and we were talking and I was somewhat distracted, and pulled up to the lights, stopping after realizing that they were still green. As soon as I started to comment that I could have gone through, the light went from green to amber to red in split seconds. I had been driving carefully because of all the snow and ice on the roads. I no sooner made the comment, and then a pickup truck went ROARING THROUGH THE RED LIGHT past me, LONG after the light had turned to red...not a little red, like when you try to make the amber light, but it was red, he was nowhere in sight, and then he charged through like a frieght train. My comment was barely out of my mouth, the truck roared through and my friend K. added to my comment with "unlike this guy" as he tore through the intersection. We both lost it then and dissolved into a good old fashioned belly laugh, all the way to pottery class....clearly one of those 'had to be there' moments...

Oh Henry

He is sitting here in front of me, looking cute. He wasn't looking so cute 2 hours ago when he decided it was time for everyone to be up at 5:30am...little bastard. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be in a dead sleep when two animals race over your head? One weighs just a couple of pounds, and the other 17 pounds. Scared the hell right outta me. Henry is the instigator, the shit disturber. Stormy would quite willingly sleep on the bed with me, or head out to the living room to flop on the floor. Henry has other plans. He is also somewhat destructive. My bedroom curtains used to have tassels to hold them open. They don't anymore. My roomie (I am temporarily staying with a friend) had the cord to her keyboard nibbled off. He has destroyed parts of the kitchen mini-blind. He has nibbled on my mp3 player case, a box of Q-tips, my cd case, and just about anything that tastes interesting (to him).

I know he is in kitten stage...I just don't remember Stormy being such a little bastard. Oh Henry...

Busy Social Calendar

My social calendar has been hopping lately...that's what city life will do for you. After playing hermit in a rural northern community for nearly a year, I have moved on to city life...small city, but busy nonetheless. I just flew in from a conference in a neighboring city, where I was out socializing 3 of the 4 nights I spent there. I have pottery class tomorrow night, and then on Thursday I fly to a much larger city for the day, medical appointment. Busy, busy, busy! As tiring as socializing can sometimes be, I am still rejuvenated by spending time with good friends. I can still play the hermit by staying in occasionally...

Henry In The Big City

The boys and I have recently moved and are staying with a friend until my own apartment is ready to move into. Here is Henry, hanging out in my bedroom, lounging on the windowsill. Cute!

Sugar High

so locals suggested I prepare for 100 kids or so, as that was their usual count...I saw about 25...so now I have a lot of leftover candy...I've been snacking...

this is my fella I carved last night.

Happy Halloween

I'm expecting about 100 kiddies tonight for trick or treating. There is snow on the ground (enough that they are using snowmobiles) so I hope they dress warmly!

Gingerbread In Da House

This is the result of my labours today. I made the dough up at lunchtime to chill and then baked and decorated tonight. I think it turned out pretty good. I'm bringing it to my craft club with the kids on Saturday as a surprise for them...then I will let them demolish it before they go...

Henry's Growth

Henry is growing by the day, I'm sure. While he is still a very fluffy kitten, he is growing larger and more capable of holding his own with Stormy. He is also still the cutest thing...and a little shit. Loves to shred toilet paper and tissues, attacking them with a vengeance. He has also had a nibble on my mp3 player's leather case, but other than that, not too bad. He does love my plants but I just put them up for now.

Of course, a growing tom also means more presents in the litter box...ugh.

Lazy and Uninspired

It's been too long since I posted...I know...for shame. I had a lot of great ideas to blog while driving back from a business trip...and promptly forgot them all. The only thing on my mind today is those damn dogs next door, and the fact that they barked at 3:30am for nearly half an hour. What in the hell were they barking at? I have no idea. I was envisioning a bear coming and eating them up...then I was able to get back to sleep.

There are many other things on my mind, but not much to say about them here. Worried about my dad's health and trying to figure out what I can do about it, if anything, to help.

Oh, and I am somewhat disturbed by my male kitten suckling on my tomcat's nipples...

Henry - The Cutest Thing

I might be biased, but isn't he the cutest thing?

Nervous As A Cat

Oh yeah....the phone rang and Henry jumped about a foot high...unfortunately it was while he was trying to drive his head down into my half full glass of beer...it managed to spray all over the white sofa, the blanket on the sofa, the carpet, the wall, the desk, the wooden box next to the sofa, and not a drop on Henry...

The Scotsman

A man was hiking through the hills in Scotland and stopped for a drink at a mountain stream.An old shepherd, rather tattered and worn shouted to him:

"Dinna take a draught oot o the riffle laddie, 'tis poorly wi' the dregs o ma cattle"(Translates to: don't drink the water sir, it's full of cow shit)

The hiker said, "I say old man, I'll have you know I'm an English gentleman. Please address me in the proper English language, you heathen."

The shepherd replied, "I said ....use both hands.You will be able to get more in your mouth."

this cracked me up...the British can be so very boorish sometimes...

Chip Off The Old Block

Well holy shit...I finally got my broken tooth fixed. It's only been about 30 years or so...I remember when I broke it too, I was flying a kite near the school. My kite string tangled in a fence post, which was simply short steel posts set in concrete, with chain running from one to the next. The post was knocked over, so I grabbed it to pull it upright again and it swung back towards me as I knelt down and hit me in the teeth, breaking my right incisor tooth off. It didn't break enough off to get to the nerve or pulp or whatever, so it has never caused me any trouble, but while visiting the torture chamber today for a couple of tiny cavities, he asked me if I wanted it fixed. I had talked to many dentists over the years who all told me it could be repaired only with a crown, an expensive one - at least $800...and being broke for most of my life, it was not a priority, particularly ahead of my laser surgery for my vision.

But today, mr dentist informed me he could repair it with a simple filling and before I knew it, it was done, as were the two tiny fillings. Interesting...AND it is all covered by my dental plan. SWEET!

Of course, now I feel like I have this huge fang in my mouth, having been without most of my right incisor for 3/4 of my life, and I think I will have a fat lip before long, from it banging on my lip. I did talk to him about that, but he said it will just take my mouth time to get used to the difference in shape. My bite was off a bit first, but he kept filing, smoke flying, and before long, my teeth fit together just as they did before the fang went in...

(note - this is not my mouth)

DUI or DUMB?

What is it with celebrities who clearly can afford a limo or at least a damn taxi but still insist on driving their own car while drinking? Along with the Paris Hiltons of the world, and all those other collective rehab queens, I read in the news today that Keifer Sutherland has now been charged with a DUI. Dammit people, take a fucking taxi! Clearly fame and fortune has clouded their judgment, either that or they were dumb asses before their DUI's...

The Best of Friends

Henry and Stormy have become the best of friends, it appears. They play together for hours sometimes, they sleep together, eat together, and Stormy has become surprisingly paternalistic towards Henry, constantly cleaning him. He will pin him down and lick him from head to toe. As I've mentioned before, Henry LOVES milk, and so when he drips it all down his chin and neck, Stormy obligingly will clean all that milk off, heh heh. What a pair. They run after one another from one end of the trailer to the other, scattering my floor rugs as they go. Often Henry will make a flying LEAP after Stormy, landing on his head, his back, his rear end. I think they have become the best of friends.

Henry Demands Milk

Henry Has An Addiction

Henry has a monkey on his back. Yup, a full blown addiction. I had been giving him regular milk with some hot water in it since bringing him home a few weeks ago, and that has always gone over fairly well, with Stormy willingly cleaning up the leftovers. But with the price of fresh milk and lack of availability in my town sometimes, I thought I might change him to canned milk instead, which is what I had typically given kittens over the years. I know, I know, many would argue that kittens don't need milk, just water...but I WANT to give him milk, I just didn't know how strung out he'd become on canned milk (with hot water added).

When the bowl is empty, such as in the first of the morning, Henry begins with a panicked meowing, and will come stomping over to me, demanding the milk. If I ignore his pleas and head into another room, he will follow me and meow very demandingly until I do something. He runs back and forth to his bowl, and then back to me, meowing very loudly the entire time. I've attempted to capture it on video because he just cracks me up, however he is FAST and the video is blurry.

When I do give in and give him some milk, he beats me to the feeding mat, and drives his face down into the bowl of milk immediately, with it frothing and running down his chin, all over his neck fur. He tears into it like a crack addict lighting up a fresh rock...FUNNY AS SHIT!

1977 vs 2007

this was sent to me by an old school friend...I did not write this but I did think it was pause for thought...

Scenario # 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.

1977 - Vice principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his own shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lockdown, the RCMP are called, Jack is hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors are called in to assist traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario # 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1977 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. They are charged with assault and both are expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario # 3: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1977 - Jeffrey is sent to the principal?s office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra provincial funding because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario # 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbour's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1977 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario # 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some Aspirin to school.
1977 - Mark shares Aspirin with the school principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario # 6: Pedro fails high-school English.
1977 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. Canadian Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against provincial school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario # 7: Johnny takes apart leftover Canada Day firecrackers, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1977 - Ants die.
2007 - Canadian Firearms Centre and the RCMP are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. CSIS investigates parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario # 8: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1977 - Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in federal prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy.

Multitasking

Many of us have become skilled at it, I know I am. While it looks good on a resume, I'm not sure if I like where we are going with it. How many of you can honestly say that when you sit down to read this, you're not doing at least one other thing? Doing a load of laundry? Cooking supper? Surfing the web? Checking your email? We all do it of course. Often times I am doing several things at a time, such as:

1. reading through my emails
2. surfing the net for at least one topic
3. refreshing my facebook homepage
4. chatting on msn to at least one if not two or three people
5. uploading photos
6. watching television or listening to music
7. talking on the phone
8. baking or cooking
9. running the laundry through
10. playing an online game
11. making a shopping list or other memos

No wonder my mother thinks I am not giving her my full attention when we communicate...

When we multitask at work, we are expected to do so...making it difficult to make that transition back into homelife, where we should be relaxing and enjoying each task/activity as we move through it. Instead we attempt to stuff as much as we can into the day, fearing we'll miss out on something. Or are we simply living every day to the fullest?

Ooops, I Put Your Money In The Wrong Account

I frequently travel for work, and from time to time have a hefty travel claim. Given I the nearest bank (that I deal with) is a 6 hour drive away, I mail my cheques in along with a deposit slip. Should be a simple task...people in remote areas do it all the time. I banked this way while I lived back east on the coast for 12 years. Then "Doris" (not her real name) came across my path...or should I say the path of my money...

I had mailed the last hefty cheque to the bank in late August. As of this morning it still had not shown up in my account. Hmmm...nearly 4 weeks ago since it was mailed...how did it travel? by raft across the lake? On a beaver tail? Carrier pigeon? In search of answers, I began making calls today. First call was to the bank - where the hell is my cheque? Of course, no one can actually make a call to a bank and ACTUALLY talk to someone when the phone is picked up...so I had to leave a voicemail. sigh...

Shortly after leaving the message, I get a call. Missy on the other end says "Sorry miss, have not seen it, it must be lost in the mail, you will have to get a stop payment on it." Hmmm...I'm going to call my employer and find out if the cheque had been cashed before I do that. 6 people later, I had been passed around like a bowl of peanuts at the bar...when I finally got to speak to someone who could ACTUALLY help me. Of course, all the previous folks were insistent that while they could not help me, the person they were passing me off to could, and in fact, was awaiting my call since they just checked to see if they are at their desk...yeah, right...I'm less than convinced. Finally the 6th person can help. Oh yeah, she could help.

Turns out that my bank had not only received my cheque, they had also CASHED it on August 30th. Their cancel stamps and coding were all over the back of it. So she faxed me a copy of it and sure enough, there in grey and white was my cashed cheque. I call my bank back...voicemail...sigh. Smug message left on voicemail...no response. It's after 3:00pm and I want this resolved NOW. so I call back and missy on the other end tells me that she had already returned my call today. Um, yeah, new information honey. I proceed to tell her about my proof...a shocked voice on the other end asks if I would please fax the page to her. No problemo senorita...my PLEASURE.

Then I get a call from "Doris". She apologizes profusely and tells me that it was her fault, that she had overlooked my transit number (it is not from that branch) and mistakenly put their transit number on the back of the cheque and deposited into someone else's account. ooops.

Lucky for her I was on the other end of a phone and not in the bank...she didn't have to see me ROLL my eyes back in my head. sigh...so I politely accepted her apology and asked her when my money would be returned to me. Her reply was that she would process it immediately after ending our call. I agreed, and informed her that I would be checking my account in 5 minutes and it had best be there. She assured me it would, and ended the call, still apologizing...yeah, whatever.

So I checked my account 5 minutes later and the money was there. It's about fucking time.

This particular bank has been so incompetent to deal with over the years, though I reckon incompetence hides in every bank, somewhere. I can easily understand why some people prefer to hide their money in the mattress...

The Cutest Thing

No need for words...he is simply adorable.

Cohesion Within The Pride

So the boys have been slowly getting it together and Stormy even permitted Henry to lie on his back. Now he has progressed to licking him, but getting a little nip in when he can, just to remind him who is boss. Henry has tried a few times to "feed" from Stormy - about which Stormy is totally confused, and allows him to root around at his belly until those needlelike teeth sink in...then he jumps up in surprise, and takes off.

Henry slept well in the bathroom last night - a few mewls and then off to sleep he went. I heated one of those bean bag things and put it in a basket with a lambskin kitty blanket, and it must have worked because that's where I found him this morning. He was up early, the furnace kicking in startled him awake.

We've been playing all day, it's been a blast...they are coming together within the "pride".

Henry VIII

Here he is, the newest addition of the household - Henry VIII, or just Henry for short. I was able to adopt him locally, and he looks to be about 5 weeks old, maybe more. I'll find out soon enough.

He comes with a story, an interesting one, mostly because I believe in fate and how things all happen. I've been looking for a kitten for about a month or so now, as a new friend for Stormy, as we lost Via back in the spring. I was particularly looking for an orange male, like REALLY orange male, and of course, being the pet lover I am, look to the SPCA or the vet for pet rescue animals, not a breeder or pet store. I've been watching the adoption list for the local ones and nothing had come up, and so I finally decided in the end that when I next go to the city, I'm coming home with a kitten, one way or the other, regardless of color. And then today came...

I was over at a neighbor's house, visiting with the family after a recent death (yesterday) and the granddaughter of the lady who passed on was telling me all about her grampa's kittens and how they need to give some of them away still, and so I asked her how old they were. She said she thought about a couple of weeks, maybe older. So off we traipsed, me and a trail of children (4 of them) to Grandpa's house to check out these kittens. Turns out they appear to be about 5-6 weeks old and of course were cute as hell. The one I was instantly drawn to was a solid grey one, but was a female, which I was not looking for - there's only room in the house for one bitch in heat, and that's me.

Then I saw Henry. He was cowering in the corner, looking slightly smaller than his male siblings, cutest face ever. I held them all, but eventually picked him out of the litter and brought him home. Unable to shake my posse, they followed me home to see my other cat (ONCE) and then I sent them on their way. Too easy to set a dangerous precedent whereby I have children knocking on my door at all hours of the day and night, wanting to play with my cats. Been there, done THAT. Had nothing to do with who the children are, and I simply explained to them that I need to have time to myself after working with people all weeklong, them included. And they were fine with that.

And you think the story ends there. I received a parcel from my mother today...and along with a bunch of Come Home Year stuff, was Via's ashes in the wooden box the vet put them in before shipping them out. I had to put Via to sleep last spring and was unable to get her cremated for several weeks due to the crematorium being out of commission. The day before I left on vacation in June, the vet called to say the ashes were ready, what did I want them to do with them. Since they are in the city, I asked them to mail them out Xpresspost to Newfoundland where I was going to visit my parents, thinking I would just sprinkle them over the brook bridge there, since Via was born in Newfoundland. Only they didn't arrive before I had to leave to come home, and they sat on my mother's desk for the summer, until now when they finally arrived home.

So there I was, looking for a kitty, find one today, on the day Via's ashes return, and find her through a young girl I was comforting after losing her grandma, and hearing that her mother was worried she wouldn't find homes for the last few because no one was looking for kittens, and it occurred to me that this was a kitten I was meant to have, and I could help out the mistress by taking a kitten home with me.

Stormy was less than impressed but has settled down now and is ignoring Henry, who is curled into a ball next to me between my side and the pillow on the sofa next to me, sleeping. Awww...cute as he is, he has to sleep in the bathroom tonight as I don't trust Stormy to leave him alone, and I am afraid of losing him in the house.

His name I came up with after realizing he was small, and that Stormy was HUGE next to him, he would need a strong name, so thought of Henry VIII.

My Cat Has Trichotillomania

Described by Miriam-Webster as: noun; Etymology: New Latin, from trich- + Greek tillein to pull, pluck + New Latin mania: an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair.

He spend quite a bit of time grooming, which is normal for a kitty, but this white patch on his belly gets an inordinate amount of time, and I'm not sure if he is pulling the hair out, or has prevented hair from growing in...not sure...

It might be a stress thing, though I can't imagine his life is THAT stressful...

Dating Advice

Not that I have anything to say, but my friend K. was in need of some good advice earlier today and she thought of our friend, G. and her sage advice, handed down to her from her mother. I had to call G. to get the whole story, but that's ok, nice to take a chance to chat with an good friend.

There are 3 essential dating questions you should ask when on a first date. The first one is "What are you reading these days?" and not "Do you read books" because if he can't read, don't bother asking questions 2, and 3, and just walk away. Question 2 is how is your mother, and listen to how he speaks of his mother, a good indication of how he will treat a woman he's dating. Question 3 is "How are things at -insert local raunchy bar- ? This would be a good indicator if he drinks too much, or hangs out with a rougher crowd, drug users, etc. For my friend K., it would be "How are things down at the Gold Range"...she knows what I mean...

Her mother also believed that you can tell a lot about a man by his 5 best friends. If he doesn't have 5, no problem, but if he doesn't have any at all, maybe a problem. Similar types are often drawn to each other, so take a look at that too.

The last piece of wisdom considers the chin of a man. "If he has a weak chin, he might not have much courage". Interesting, I see what she means.

So there you have it. Wisdom from the generations. Take from it what you may, and wish my friend K. good luck on her date this week. I hope he can read.

The Many Faces of Stormy

Slow Night

So it's a slow night and I am uninspired for more...here is a link to a wordsearch I generated about summer life here in the north. Click PUZZLE to get there.

enjoy...

Too Funny

Five women were driving across the country. Each one was from a different place, Ontario, P. E. I, BC, Alberta, and Cape Breton. Shortly after the trip began, the woman from P. E. I started pulling potatoes from her bag and throwing them out the window.

"What the heck are you doing?" demanded the girl from B. C. "We have so many of these darn things in PEI, I'm Just sick of looking at them!"

A moment later, the girl from Ontario began pulling apples from her bag and tossing them from the window. "What are you doing that for?" asked the girl from BC.

"We have so many of these things in Ontario, I am just sick of looking at them!" Inspired, the gal from Alberta opened the car door and pushed the Cape Bretoner out.

HAHAHAHAHA! TOO FUNNY~!~ nothing personal to any of my many friends and family that have emigrated to Alberta...

I Have Survived

Just finished a visit with my three nephews, aged 3, 5 and 6.5 yrs...they are delightful creatures, for sure, but sucked ALL of the energy out of me, lol. It was interesting to see their separate personalities emerge in front of me.

The three year old is very bold and strong minded - he is very impish in his ways, grinning from ear to ear most of the time, and when things aren't going well, a banshee wail that will strip the enamel off your teeth. He's gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up, for sure.

The five year old is very different. He is quite soft spoken and timid at times. He is sensitive, and his feelings are easily bruised. He loves things that stimulate his senses. I gave him a crystal ornament that has prism qualities and he was TICKLED to get it, loving the rainbows it casts in the sunrays. He loved flying kites with me, and when I gave my sister the electric turntable for the crystal ornament, I just knew it would please him. We won't tell my mother that I gave away the crystal she gave me, lol. I felt it had found a new home with a young boy who will treasure it. The five year old loves to wrestle his brothers...they are often dogpiled like kittens...strange reference I know - the dogpiles often include scratching one another up like rabid cats. He's going to break some hearts too I reckon - some women go for that thoughtful sensitive type.

The 6.5 year old is also different from his brothers. He is very vocal, and will contraidict you at any opportunity if in the mood, with a scowl to go with it that says "what are you taking about????!!. He is very inquisitive though, and as my sister describes it "detail oriented". Already a skilled fisherman and ball player, he is slowly emerging out of his shell. He tends to trail along the periphery when in crowds, but his mind is always turning, as he watches, and interacts when ready. He's going to run his own business someday I'll reckon, either that or a politician, as he lies his ass off is very creative with the truth when implicated in the latest upset among the trio. He's smart as a whip and figures things out quickly.

And they left this morning with my sister heading for home. I think they enjoyed their visit. I'll admit it was chaotic sometimes, with three voices demanding attention...5 if you count my sister and I, 6 if you count Stormy - he can also be very demanding. I don't think he left any teethmarks on them though, so that was good.

I have spent the day (outside of work) rearranging things back the way they were, and making some changes. Every now and then I find something they left behind...a dinky car, the Playstation (and games, all in the same damn box I mailed it to her in last winter...left behind by mistake - she brought it for them to play with), and so on. There is still some bedding to wash, and the floor to scrub, but all in due time. I am relaxing for the rest of the night, will finish off the laundry, and worry about the floor tomorrow. I already washed off the sticky chairs and table.

I have survived the first visit from my nephews. I have visited their place several times before but this was the first time they visited me on my turf. I kept my OCD tendencies in check for the most part, and since most of the tornado left with them (books, toys, little boy clothes, blankets, cuppies, snacks (yogurt, fruit cups, fruit leather, goldfish, gummie fruits...the list goes on)

When are they coming again? I miss them...

Busy

Been busy with my sis and her boys who are visiting - will catch up with posts after they have gone...want to spend as much time visiting as I can...I am still alive...

Kids and Kites

Went to the beach today with my nephews and we flew kites - this was their first time ever and they had a blast. We lost two of the kites...but they all flew for a while before flying off over the lake into the sun.

No Wonder Men Are Happy

Men Are Just Happier People -- 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 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

Flooding in Dunville

A friend sent me the link to this long slideshow of photos from the recent flooding in Dunville, Newfoundland. What a mess!

What A DUMBASS

Bizzare is one word for it...this guy chained himself to a tree in the woods to commit suicide. What a dumb way to go...it would take weeks at this time of year. Clearly he has some psychiatric issues...

Growing Old Together

Watching "All in the Family" today on Dejaview, I was suddenly struck by what I miss most about being in a relationship - growing old together. I'm content to be alone most of the time, but when I see a couple on television, eating breakfast together, or getting ready for bed at night, I miss that. Travelling together, making decisions about where to eat, what to see...miss that too. Sitting out on the porch at night in the warmth of summer, reviewing each other's day. Having someone to hug you after a hard day at work, someone to rub your feet while you watch a movie together, someone to look after you when you're sick.

It can be lonely to be alone.

Yard Sale!

Yup, having a yard sale on Saturday from 9am-1pm. Skeptics seem to think that is too early for this crowd as many of them don't go to bed until 5am...I'm optimistic and I don't want to take the whole day up. I don't have tons of stuff, but enough I think to warrant a yard sale and I am hoping that most of it goes. I've got movies, books, knicknacks, kitchenware, and all sorts of odds and ends...I hope it doesn't rain.

Just Me And The Boys

So I was informed this week by a health professional that I need to make some major changes in my lifestyle or I shall be risking development of diabetes - that I was pre-diabetic. I didn't know you could be pre-diabetic, but apparently you can. Hmmm...that was troubling. My bad habits have finally caught up wth me.

I have slowly been trying to integrate changes in my diet for months now, with some success. I switched from white bread to whole grain, switched from regular tortilla chips to whole grain (they are actually not bad at all), have all but given up soda, have committed to buying more fruit and veggies, and choose a fruit snack at least once a day, have been drinking much more water, etc. Now I have to begin to exercise. I have been SUPER LAZY for many months now...driving everywhere, or not going at all. Sheesh...

In anticipation of wanting to go out walking, I had ordered an mp3 player from eBay, a nice SanDisk Sansa 250. I looked at the iPods, decided they were over rated and not worth the big bucks, and went for something more than half the price. Sweet little unit arrived today and I spent the evening loading songs onto it. Then me and the boys (John, Jimi, James, Jack, and Jim) went for a walk about town. What a difference it makes to have music along. The last time I had gone walking with music was with a clunky disc man that skipped, and I always got sick of the one or two cds I brought along. Now I have about 300 songs loaded on, with plenty of room for more. Who'd a thunk it...

This is my second night out walking at 10pm and so far, so good. I'm not winded by the time I return, though I know I am walking briskly enough to break a good sweat. And no one has thrown beer cans at me, or tried to run me down - yet. There are a number of cripples here from being hit by cars locally, and plenty of drunk/cracked out drivers...it's a risk...but for now I'll take it and see what happens. For the most part, everyone I've seen has either given me a nod, a hello, or a wave. Good start for me and the boys...

Oh, The Carwash...

Took my car into a car wash in Yellowknife last week while visiting...that was interesting. It was formerly a coin carwash, but the immigrants who run it found a way to make even more money from me by computerizing the water use, but still offer a shitty car wash. The "soap" function had no soap, and the hose was covered in tar...as was the floor. Some dirty bastard had obviously brought his truck in there and made a fine mess of it. I managed to get it all over both hands, arms, legs, sandals, the pedals of my car, the mat on the driver's seat...you name it. And when I attempted to complain about it to the Asian lady taking my money, her response was "twelve dollah!". Um, what? Your hose is full of grease and I need something to clean it off. "twelve dollah!". Ok lady, LOOK at the grease all over my hands. I am NOT getting back into my car with grease all over me. So she hands me dry paper towels. Like that is gonna work on tar. I couldn't get through to her that it was all over the hose and that she needed to get some cleaner to get the tar off it, and should clean the floor with something. I had tried the spray from the hose, but it didn't do a damn thing to get tar off. Sigh...I miss English.

I went to the carwash to clean my car and came out filthy. Great. I tried everything from wet naps to glass cleaner to armorall to dish liquid to hand soap and finally what took it off was one of my friend K.'s wax remover pads - real oily. Dammit.

Newfies

Just in case you don't know, I have only respect for Newfies - my father is one, my daughter is one, I have a house on the rock, and my parents live there. I was even screeched in as one decades ago...so I don't mind using the term Newfies. I love 'em! My dad sent me this one...