Tuesday Night and the Race is Over

Well now what am I going to watch, the Amazing Race is over. Here I am on a Tuesday night with my regular show over...I guess it isn't that regular, it starts at Mark Burnett's will, whenever the taping is done and the show has been packaged to air. I hope there's another one for the winter season...this past one was quite interesting...love to watch those social interactions come into play, no matter how Mark's team has doctored it up. At least a worthy team won the race. I would have been pissed if that rotten jerk Colin and his stupid girlfriend Kristie won. I was rooting most for the bowling moms and they darn near had it. They sure played a good race though, and we're all proud (fellow moms :-)

The other show I love to rant over is another of Mark's, Survivor, the original reality show. Ever since it aired in 2000, I have been hooked. I missed part of the first season, and only discovered it about half way in, but luckily, they thought to replay the first season through shortly after it finished. Not all seasons have been great though...some have truly sucked, with rotten players, and even more rotten editing. I would have to say my favorite one is probably Survivor 2, Australian Outback. Who can forget Jerri, the rotten wench who everyone loved to hate? And Kimmi, who adored chickens and Alicia, who shook her finger in her face for it. And poor Michael, who fell into the fire...then there was Deb, who whined and wimpered about being voted out first...sore loser.

This season they're in Vanuatu, and its cooking up to be a good season. I don't like that they've separated the men from the women, but my guess is that it won't be for long. The dynamics are just BETTER when they have mixed tribes. I'm in the Survivor pool again at work (actually, I run it - which reminds me...many have not yet paid...if you're reading...you know who you are! :-) I think its the sociologist in me that just loves to watch human behaviour unfold. Many think the whole thing is rigged and staged, but I disagree. While it might be edited to tell a story, or to focus on a particular event, it is as close to reality as I think we're gonna get. Big Brother just makes me want to hurl...

Reality television seems to be running a strong course...there's one for every night of the week and there seem to be no shortage of ideas thus far. How about those wife swap and mommy swap ones...where the hell was that when I needed a swap???

Tomorrow night I'll be tuned in, as usual...can't wait! Who will be voted out next?

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor9/

The Crossroads of Life

There seem to be so many of them, I need a map. Why can't I just be happy with where I am and what I'm doing? I have been busy this past few months thinking about where I want to go next, what I want to do next. In the words of John Lennon, "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" and its true. I always seem to be planning for the next stage of life, looking for something else. A gal I visit from time to time to make sense of my life (YES, a THERAPIST) suggested that perhaps it is within the next opportunity that I will find the happiness and stability I seem to be searching for. I mean, there is no sensible reason why I need to go anywhere and do anything different. I have a decent job, where I work with people I like, doing something that I am not unhappy doing, live in a good house (I've rambled on about it before, remember?) and generally like my life...but somehow it doesn't feel like its enough. Like I'm missing out on other opportunities.

I one thing that would make me happy, and I've rambled about that before as well...to meet someone to share my life with. I put it off while Amber was living at home but now that she has moved out, I feel the need more urgently. Its just no fun going through this life alone. Not that I would ever choose to go back to my marriage...I spent far too long looking for a way out of that "blessed union". Although I often think about whether or not fate has only handed me just that one opportunity to be with someone and I blew it. The time has passed. What if that is true? Then I recall what my friend had to say earlier this summer when she read my cards. That there was a man in my future and only I would know when the time is right. She gave me some descriptors of the type of person he would be, and he sounded just right. So how do I know when the time is right? What if I leave where I am now and just miss him? It was almost easier to live when I had no choices...almost.

Some things I'm considering these days (yes, these days...Amber laughs at me because I have a new plan each week...so indecisive) are the following:

1. to move to Northern Ireland for a year or two and work as a social worker. They are recruiting for the UK and I might get lucky enough to get a posting in Northern Ireland. I haven't visited the north yet and am dying to go and spend quality time there.
   
2. to try again for work up north. I know I would get the job, they as much as hired me during this spring's job search/interview process. It sure would help to get ahead of my student loans
   
3. to return to university. I still don't feel like I have completed my academic goals by a long shot. I just truly enjoyed university. The conundrum is, I don't know for sure what I would like to master in - Social Work, Criminology, or Psychology.
   
4. To stay where I am, and work for a few more years, hoping something will present itself to me (which so far hasn't worked and I feel like I am wilting)
   
5. to move to SE Asia and teach English for a year or two, and really pay off my student loans quickly. Except I would hate the heat, language would be tough, and food even worse.
   
6. I have even thought of moving back to Ontario for a while. Don't know what the pull is, but there is one.
   
7. And how about moving to BC to be closer to my sister, like I had promised her for so many years. Now that I have gotten to know the boys, I would love to be Auntie Jude from closer by, like perhaps Prince George. Except I have no desire to live there
   

So what's a gal to do? My pull right now is to pay off student loans, and I think I will likely end up taking a job up north for a year just to give it a shot. I won't take much, just store most of my stuff, or better yet, have someone rent the house in my absence with my stuff in it, like my current roomie and another person. All I really do know is I need a change...but why?

Babysitting Again

I'm babysitting all three nephews tonight, the little tykes. I haven't done a whole lot of babysitting over the years since before I was married. The occasional time for a friend once in a blue moon. I used to do tons of babysitting when I was in high school. And some of those kids...well, they were a challenge. I remember one little "charm" who refused to go to bed until his mother came home..at 2am. She wanted me to lay down with him until he went to sleep and just when I thought he had finally dropped of, I'd sneak out of the room to go downstairs to do homework, I'd hear him up on the phone, talking to his mother at work. It was one of the worst...another was when a brother and sister played tricks on me all night, bratty ones too. Then there was the little gal named Reagan, who screamed for 3 hours each night. Her father was a dentist...I was thinking of asking him for some drugs to put her out for the night. She would rock in her crib and wiggle that thing right to the door, screaming blue murder the whole time.

So far, these boys have been quite well behaved. I've been here nearly a week, so they have gotten used to me, and listen fairly well to me. They are heading to be in about 10 minutes and we'll see what happens then. It is their parents worst time with them. It was always my best time with Amber. She would often come with her dolly and book in hand and tell me it was bedtime, could I please put her to bed. We would read a number of stories, and then she would either have tapes to listen to, or some books to look at until the half hour was up, then lights out. I never had a peep from her after that, unless she had a night terror. Remember those? You're in a dead sleep, probably dreaming of sunny summer days, lolling around the beach...and then AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH
comes out of the dark...you think someone has slipped in and murdered your child in her sleep until you get to her room to find her soaked in sweat, eyes glassed over like someone on speed, and panting like a dog. She doesn't know who you are and continues to scream. Finally, you break through, she settles down and goes off to sleep like nothing happend...too bad your own heart is still thundering away in your chest...who is going to settle you down?

So its been an adventure so far. My cold is relenting somewhat, and I have not been hiding out as much from the family. I know its likely they will all get my cold, but I don't have to rush it. They may just give it back to me before I go.

My days are numbered though...11 days to go...

My Girl

Well, she is well settled in university at Saint Mary's. She is loving the life. I am still trying to get her to blog but she claims she is too busy and she actually is busy...she works three days a week, she has classes on Monday to Thursday (only one on Tues-Thurs), she volunteers at the Women's Centre on campus, she joined the Psychology society, she joined the Food Committee (I'll explain below), she goes to the gym on campus twice a week, and she is participating in some Psych studies for credit...whew! I'm tired just listing it!

The Food Committee is something else...Amber loves to eat, and loves to critique food..so she found the perfect committee. She meets with the committee twice a month in a huge board room, where they have prepared tons of food they plan on serving in the cafeteria, and they get to eat all they want for free and critique it...cool huh? That's her kind of committee...heh heh.

I'm so proud of her, my girl!

Sickness is for the birds

I hate being sick. I don't get sick very often, but when I do, I hate it...as I'm sure everyone else does. I can't sleep, I can't breathe, I feel like I am choking all the time. And it happens every time I travel. I am off to the drug store this morning for some more drugs...ech. This is for the birds...I won't share the gory details with you.

Auntie Jude is Tired (and sick)

Well, I am very tired...partly from those exhausting boys, but I now have a cold...rats. I always seem to get sick when I travel. Too many germs...will have to take to wearing a mask when I travel I guess. Who cares what I look like. might even get me more room on the plane if no one wants to sit next to me...I could make up some exotic disease...heh heh.

The boys are a challenge...I haven't been around this much activity in a while, that's for sure. They haven't been too bad today, not much screaming...yet...bedtime is an interesting time. I think I will hide then.

Took my sister out for a beer and pub grub this afternoon...nice to get out without any children in tow! Alexander wasn't too bad today, and listened to me well enough, but not his mother. They are a going concern, thats for sure. Alexander loves to play computer games, while Simon loves to be outside. He will even just go outside, barefeet and all and take off to the back yard to explore...little mite...bolted from the house when the Jehovahs were here today, pestering.

I wrote to my mother today...hoping to mend fences...either that or burn them down...its a crap shoot...who knows how she'll take it. I simply tried to explain how I felt is all and we'll take it from there.

Survivor is on tonight! Yahoo! hopefully the boys can be settled in their little beds by then...

Auntie Jude is Tired (and sick)

Well, I am very tired...partly from those exhausting boys, but I now have a cold...rats. I always seem to get sick when I travel. Too many germs...will have to take to wearing a mask when I travel I guess. Who cares what I look like. might even get me more room on the plane if no one wants to sit next to me...I could make up some exotic disease...heh heh.

The boys are a challenge...I haven't been around this much activity in a while, that's for sure. They haven't been too bad today, not much screaming...yet...bedtime is an interesting time. I think I will hide then.

Took my sister out for a beer and pub grub this afternoon...nice to get out without any children in tow! Alexander wasn't too bad today, and listened to me well enough, but not his mother. They are a going concern, thats for sure. Alexander loves to play computer games, while Simon loves to be outside. He will even just go outside, barefeet and all and take off to the back yard to explore...little mite...bolted from the house when the Jehovahs were here today, pestering.

I wrote to my mother today...hoping to mend fences...either that or burn them down...its a crap shoot...who knows how she'll take it. I simply tried to explain how I felt is all and we'll take it from there.

Survivor is on tonight! Yahoo! hopefully the boys can be settled in their little beds by then...

Small Children

Aren't they sweet? I haven't been around small children much for many years. The last time I visited my sister was in 2000 and her son Alexander was just 10 weeks old. Now she has three sons, aged 3.5, 2.5, and 3 months. There is noise, that's for sure, but so far, I haven't wanted to jump off a bridge. The baby is adorable, and other than an aversion to his car seat, he seems to be an easy baby. Alexander had taken to me easily and will often just climb up on my lap, or curl up next to me when I watch tv. He can say my name easily, and its awesome! Simon (middle child) is slower to warm up to me. He will come around, and ask for things, but not quite the cuddler yet. He is definitely the strongest personality of the three. Watching them is the most fun I've had for years. I love watching children interact with others and figure out what's going on in their little minds. Alexander is very much the big brother, and knows it. When Simon does something he is told not to, he is quick to react and reprimand him for it, sometimes overdoing it by pushing or smucking him. When Simon gets reprimanded by anyone, Alexander included, he is quick to react as well and lash out at anyone and anything. Books, toys, arms and legs go flying in a rage. And if he is reprimanded a second time for the mess, he either cries or laughs at you.

Isn't it funny how their little personalities are emerging at such a tender young age? They are both rough-housing boys, no doubt learned from dad, who loves to wrestle with them. No momma's boys here, that's for sure. They have been listening fairly well to Auntie Jude, which is good...hope they keep it up as I have a few babysitting opportunities coming up...my sister has a wedding to attend on Saturday (didn't I tell you Jude, she says). Which is fine. I always wanted to parent boys and never got the chance, so here we are...three of them! And I miss not living close to these little gems, watching them grow up. Perhaps that will have to be remedied in the future as I go through those crossroads again next spring.

One thing is clear...as an Auntie who loves to spoil, I often wander aimlessly through children's clothing and toys in the stores, looking for the perfect gift for these tykes...um, they don't need it. They have tons of toys, tons of books, tons of clothing. I guess having a gramma who works at the local second hand store has proved very handy indeed! So I am considering doing something else for them, like perhaps put some money away for university for them. Sounds like a much more practical idea, I think.

So here we are, on day 3 of Auntie Jude's visit to BC...hope we get out for a walk today! It has been FREEZING but I think I brought enough clothes...heh heh...

Its a LONG LONG way to Houston

Well, I've landed...it took all day, but I got here. I set both alarm clocks and neither went off. Imagine that. So I slept in, waking just 15 mintues before we were to leave for the airport, so it was a mad dash to get everyone moving, and get out the door. I wasn't late, I just didn't have time to get a shower...ick. So I travelled all day without one, not a new experience, after my international travels, but was not what I had planned. At least I DID wake up...

All the flights were basically on time, a new first for my travel experiences. My major complaint was that they don't feed you on West Jet. Now, you do get a "snack" which consists of 14 pretzels, or 2 cookies (sometimes those yummy digestive biscuits) and a beverage...but that's IT! On one flight I took, they'll sell you a sandwich for $5. no condiments on it, just meat and cheese. So of course, I snacked on junk food the whole way, thankfully I had stocked up before I left. I still have half of it left...amazing how 14 pretzels can fill you up...after 5 flights...

The flights were uneventful themselves...I did however have the opportunity to sit next to a good looking man who talked about his family - wife, 2 kids, farm, etc. Doesn't matter...at least he smelled good. The plane is small and cramped enough without ending up sitting jammed up next to a smelly, sweaty guy...which has happened to me before. On my flight to London in 2001 I was sandwiched inbetween two large Sikhs who smelled very bad. It was a lovely flight.

So I got to the last airport in one piece, then had a 3 hour drive to Houston. She had only brought just the youngest, so it was fairly quiet on the drive, although her youngest has an aversion to his carseat. But he worked through it...lol

Thankfully there is another 2.5 weeks before I have to travel again...

Here I sit...

I'm at Amber and Brad's apartment, alone. They just went out cosmic bowling with another couple. I am flying out tomorrow morning, so opted to stay home and relax. I hooked Amber up with her AOL internet, since they are putting a hold on the high speed for now - too expensive to install with Eastlink for their budget. She got 3 months free with AOL with her new computer. Couldn't remember the login for the new blog I made for her, so had to make another one tonight - http://ambersdomain2004.blogspot.com/ . And this time, I e-mailed the login and password to both Amber and I...surely one of us will remember it!

Its pouring rain...guess I won't be sleeping in the hammock tonight...

Vacation Time

Well, my vacation got off to a good start today...leaving the courthouse after testifying, I tripped on a grass clump where the sidewalk had become overgrown and fell down, skinning most of my left shin and ankle over...and BOY does it burn! So then I had to fill out those pesky accident and WCB forms. Then I came home and my dryer had quit. Thankfully I had gotten most of my laundry done, and the neighbor was home for me to finish up at. The dryer is only 2 years old, so I don't know what's up with that. All I know is GET ME OUT OF HERE! I leave in just 90 minutes for an appointment in Guysborough, then head on for Halifax. I fly out early Sunday morning for BC and then I will feel like I'm on vacation. Hope the kitty makes out ok!

Stress - It'll get ya

Just when you think you're doing fine, stress jumps up and GETS you. Here I was, ticking merrily along, or so I thought when this feeling started coming over me last week. I recognized it allright, but tried to ignore it. I had felt it last fall, right before I went on sick leave for 3 weeks. I wasn't off for stress particularly, but I remember that feeling. I had gone off for that whole SSRI issue that I talked about earlier. My last day of work though, I was STRESSED OUT due to not sleeping properly for nearly 3 months, and being overworked.

So here I am, sleep is not terrible all the time, there are some half-decent nights but in the past week, I have lost a few as well. Saturday night was an example - went camping, slept in my hammock under the stars...well, lets rephrase that...laid in my hammock under the stars. Don't know if there was much sleep involved. Comfy enough, just no sleep. Then there was the following night - roomie's phone ringing at 1:40am and she's not even home. So lost that night.

Anyway...work has not been especially stressful...well, then there was an incident on Friday that was totally a non-incident, but I got stressed over it for no reason (at least I didn't think there was a good reason) and my workload is not terrible...I actually have most of my notes up to date and all my visits darn near done. I'm going away on vacation in two days, so its important to have it all done before I go, since I'm gone for 3 weeks.

I've been on call more than anyone has ever been - I think I've signed up for 19 weeks this year...insane, I know...but I need the money and I don't feel like I mind the work...but this past week, I have not wanted to be on-call. It hasn't even been that busy - no apprehensions (yet...shhhh) just a few phonecalls here and there. I'm known as the "duty queen" as the on-call shifts are called standby duty.

But right there in the centre of my chest is that stress...I can actually feel it. I was getting ready to leave work today and I felt it. A co-worker came in and asked me to take her to Tim Hortons before our big union meeting tonight and I told her no, because I was going home. Bye. and I left. I've never been that short with her before, but I told her I just needed to get out of there before I said something nasty at the union meeting. I just couldn't take spending another minute with anyone from work...and it's not them, its just WORK.

There's nothing remarkable going on at work that is bothering me though, so its weird. I'm not even that busy, and certainly not behind. So why does a person get stressed out? I was away this weekend, camping with friends and had a hell of a time...we laughed, ate, sat around and talked the weekend away. I don't understand it.

Then the non-resident teenager called me tonight, all stressed out herself. History is not going well and she wants to drop it and add another course. Instead of being the supportive parent, I barked at her first. Then I heard myself and got it together and we worked through it, finding her another course and sorting that part out easily. But I shouldn't have barked at her...why did I do that? Stress?

Now I leave on Sunday to go to my sister's house for 17 days. She has three children under the age of 4. I've gotten used to the quiet of my house. What in the hell am I going to do out there to control my stress level? My roommate had a good idea - initiate a brand-new walking program that gets me out of her house for at least 1 hour a day, ALONE. We'll see. I am delighted to spend time with my nephews, but I haven't really spent any time with small children in ages...I hope I don't SNAP.

I think it's time for some alcohol...darn it...I'm on call. Well, tomorrow night I am off, so there is a drink with my name on it.

The Many Travels of Mrs Pickles

I met my friend Phyllis in Ireland at a hostel in Galway in 2001. We were both staying at the Barnacles Quay and she spotted my Canadian Flag and I hers so we hit it off right away. Our room wasn't ready right away, so we headed across the street to the pub...any street in Ireland has a pub across the street. This one was an old chapel, and many of the seats were pews and a couple of areas around where the organ used to be, the choir, pulpit, etc...very interesting. I think it was called the Quays (pronounced Keys). We had a couple of pints there, then headed back to settle into our rooms. Over the next few days, we toured Galway together, along with a Dutch gal, Madeline, and had great fun, and went on a bus tour of Connemara together, including Kylemore Abbey. Phyllis left and headed elsewhere, while Madeline and I continued on to the Aran Islands, and then I met up with Phyllis again in Kilkenny, surprisingly and we hung out again for a couple of days, and even hitchhiked to Ballyhale. We had such a riot, and she was such good fun. She had met Matthew McConnaughey in Dublin, so of course I was jealous...anyhow, on with the story...

Phyllis is in her 60s and has been travelling for a number of years now. She goes home for a short time, and then heads out again as soon as she can. She often works for several weeks at a time to be able to move on to the next spot and often works in hostels or at horse farms (where her talent lies). She has travelled the globe and has always kept a sort of travel log of her experiences, e-mailing every so often. I offered to post her travel log onto a Blog that she could share with everyone, so posted below is a link to that. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do...she really knows how to have fun and I hope I have her energy when I get to be her age!

http://mrspickles.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

and now it has me thinking I should post my Ireland e-mails into a blog. I still have all of them...hmmm...

Why I Need to Go Camping

mainly because I had a little meltdown at work yesterday. The thing with stress is it kind of creeps up on you and before you know it, it has you in its grip. I had suspected it was coming all week, kind of like a dreaded aunt Edna coming to visit. You know she's coming, but you fight believing it all week. And then BAM there it is. I had gotten into a little bit of a pissing match with an RCMP officer, and when he called a coworker to talk about me after it happened, I just lost it. We work very closely with RCMP all the time in my field of work, so need a good relationship and I just wasn't feeling respected when I spoke to him earlier and things just went downhill. I conceded and agreed to do what he was asking, but apparently he felt I was too confontational to work with that day. WHAT, ME? I was pissed off, and had a little tantrum at work, which is totally not me. Then I started crying and had a very difficult time shutting it off. I tried to go out and do some home visits, and on the way there, all I could think about was going home and crawling in bed. I didn't, I fought it off, and ended up working my way through it, but I didn't work with that officer yesterday, and now I just feel stupid. We will have to sort it out another time as I will likely have to work with him again, but for now, that dog will have to lie asleep for a while.

So I am going camping today with a big group of friends, some from work, some not. We're going on a piece of private land belonging to a co-worker and there will be beach, hiking, bbq, junk food and lots of beer! I plan on sleeping in my hammock as it is much more comfy than sleeping on the ground. There is a little shack on the land, so I'll have to rig something up in there, otherwise I will be out under the stars, which sounds great, but the mosquitoes would have a feast on my face while the rest of me is wrapped in my sleeping bag.

Hopefully things will look brighter when I get back, and if not, I only have to make it through this week before I get to hop on a plane to BC to visit my sister...YAHOOOO! I haven't seen her in 3 years, so its quite exciting.

Texbooks 'R' Us

Its that time again...textbook shopping. I went with Amber to the university bookstore, only to discover that textbooks had not magically dropped in price now that I had a child in university. Drat. Turns out her books are going to cost her $415 for new. I tried to convince her that I could find them online somewhere for much cheaper, but she wasn't having any of that. Until she saw the price of her history book - $138 +tax. So she bought just four of the 5 books. I went shopping online last night and found the history book for $22US used, or $42US new, so bought the new one. Found her sociology book online for $19.95US (was$86.95CDN at bookstore) and couldn't find her psych book for any cheaper, unless she was willing to go for the 5th edition, instead of the 6th. Then I could get it for $1. yup, just a buck...US funds of course. Isn't that just crazy? Looks like the editors of the book update it every other year making each edition obsolete for most students. What a money grab. Anyhow, I have managed to save her a few hundred dollars, which is fine with both of us!

And then there was the book I found on e-bay for work. We have a standards manual that refers to it and we decided we wanted the source of information. I found that book at Chapters for $188CDN. I found it on e-bay for $2US. yup - 2 dollars. So I bid and won.

Many of my friends buy their textbooks online now...if you're lucky, you can even get brand new, like I did for a fraction of the cost. I wish I had been able to buy online when I was in school, but was not too adept at the time in online shopping. At least now I can save Amber some money.

My favorite site, besides www.ebay.ca is www.abebooks.com check them out!

Post 201

Well, we made it...my last post was what is called an audiopost, hosted by http://www.audioblogger.com Just click on the icon to hear my voice and my corny audiopost.

I'm going out of town for a few days, so no posts until I return...I think you'll manage.

Adios!

The Long Weekend

I can hardly believe its here...the last holiday weekend of the summer. Its seems we waited so long to even see summer weather, and then wham, it was over. September 2nd came in with a cool wind. The leaves have already begun to change color. Its like the first day of school had to mark the beginning of autumn. I'm not ready. I still have camping trips to go on, beaches to swim on, and sun to lay out in! How can it be over already? Its now September 4th and the cool weather is still with us. I don't really like it steaming hot, but I'm not ready for those cold winter nights either, that inevitably follow autumn.

So for my long weekend, I'm heading up to Halifax tomorrow to visit with Amber and Brad. I could have gone today, but they are both working and she wanted to go out on a "date" with Brad tonight since they have seen so little of each other lately with him working the night shift, and then last weekend she was here with me. So today I have spent doing laundry, packing up her new computer for transport, packing up things to take up with me for them, etc. She attends her first student orientation event tomorrow...YIKES! She is nervous and I am nervous for her. What an exciting time in her life! I'm glad I will be there to hear all about it when she gets home.

I'm in Halifax for a couple of nights...the first one at Amber's sleeping on the balcony in the hammock and the second one sleeping in a hotel room - I have a work meeting early in the morning the next day. We are hoping to get out on Monday to do something fun as she is busy all day Sunday.

and then, the long weekend will be over and it will be time to start Christmas shopping...

Kitties and FUR, and just Kitties in general

As you know, I have a kitty named Via, after the train. And as most kitty owners and non-kitty owners alike know, they come with a lot of fur. I think indoor cats come with more, either that or they don't have the opportunity to shed outdoors so I see it all.

Well, Via has a LOT OF FUR. It is everywhere. Of course, its all over my clothes, bedding, furniture, mats, rugs, etc. But it is also stuck to my keyboard, and monitor, on my phone, window ledges, and bookcases. And lets not forget the TUFTS of it flying around in the air. And then, it goes without saying, but I will here - it is in my food. And if it isn't I don't believe it and have to go looking for it until I find it. Sometimes I'm up into my elbows in pasta, looking for that cat fur.

The funny thing is, Via is a calico cat, the true kind with all colors and a white underbody. However, she only seems to shed white fur, and more white fur when she knows you are wearing black. And that's when she will rub up against you, again and again.

For the most part, I can't complain to much about my kitty, in the grand scheme of things. She is a good kitty. What makes a good kitty?

1. she doesn't use my house for a litter box and never misses the litter box
2. she doesn't miaow too much, and rarely at night
3. she doesn't ask to go outside, or make that mad dash when my friends come in
4. she rarely coughs up hairballs for me to step in at night when I creep to the bathroom
5. she LOVES to cuddle and understands when you don't want to
6. she knows when you are upset and will comfort you, listening inquisitively
7. she comes when she's called (at least, when she feels like it)
8. she eats dry cat food - and doesn't like that smelly, messy canned cat food
9. she likes my friends and will snuggle with them anytime
10. she can catch mice and bugs
11. she follows me from room to room, making sure I know where she is
12. she doesn't roam at night, at least, not too much - a couple of times a month
13. she has never had fleas, worms, or any other filthy animal disease (yet)
14. she keeps herself immaculate

I found a nice poem about kitties:

Those Crazy Cats
By Ron Fields

They come in black and white,
yellow, grey, and tiger stripes,
they love taking naps in laps
and little hands with gentle pats.

They grow-up with balls of string,
butterflies and birds of spring,
they wonder out into the night
lying by your door at first light.

This hunter sits on the windowsill
with instinctive dreams to be fulfilled,
now bathing in the warming sun,
purrs a loving song to someone.

Now onto your bed with natural grace
that flipping tail will find your face,
bite your toes and lie on your feet
and watch over children while they sleep.

A little scratch behind the ear
they’ll nuzzle away the saddest tear,
and so gently with soft calico…
touch upon your most inner soul.
…those crazy cats.

My Sister's Uncanny Ability

Yup, she's got one. She has the uncanny ability to know when I have gone to bed early and then phone about 30 minutes after I have gone to sleep. I am impressed too, by the way, because she lives in northern British Columbia, which is about 8000 or so kms away. She's real good. I know there is a 4 hour time difference and she often forgets about this, or thinks that, "oh, she's always up til midnight, I can call her" which is usually true, but once in a while, I happen to tire early so go to bed early. And she calls me.

Such was the case two nights ago. I had recently changed my room around following the evil blue paint episode. It was all about the feng shui. Sleeping has improved somewhat, but it had been so HOT and HUMID lately, I had brought in my big square fan and put it on a chair facing my bed. You know the kind - they belong on the floor, and they are two foot square or so. I bought it in Waterloo at the campus housing I was living in for $5. Because of the room being changed around, I didn't have a phone cord long enough to reach where my nightstand/desk was, so left it over on the dresser, thus I would have to get out of bed to answer the phone. Normally, the only time the phone rings when I am in bed is when I am on duty and get a duty call....except when my sister calls me on the nights I go to bed early.

So there I am, safely tucked in my newly arranged bed, the fan is not on because it is finally cool again but I haven't gotten around to moving it just yet, the lights are out - and I live in the country so when they are out...it is DARK. I have just drifted off to sleep, and that is what I call my "stupid time" - the first hour I am asleep I am usually very stunned if awoke during this time and confused.

BRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG! The phone rings! I grab towards my nightstand/desk and fumble for the phone, forgetting it is way over on the dresser, knocking everything onto the floor - glasses, book, tv remote...so then I leap out of bed, charging towards the dresser, forgetting about the fan. Now the chair is at a perfect height to slam both knees into, which I do, and then fall over the fan, knocking it over and off the chair onto the floor, tipping the chair over. I lunge for the phone, cursing and knock it off the dresser. I finally pick it up off the floor, and stumble to my bed, shouting a confused "hello?" into the phone, fully expecting it to be the answering service with a call for me.

Its not. Its my sister. Oh hi she says...were you gone to bed? Grrrrrrrrr. She talks for about 4 minutes while I nurse my wounds, and then announces that she forgot her friend was coming over and had to go. Bye. Oh, there were choice words for her...

My roommate didn't know what to make of it. She heard the phone ring and then the mighty crash, and thought we were at war. I think I need to get an extension cord for the phone.

Its Coming!

My 200th post is coming...stay tuned for an extra special message from the dreama zone!

sounds ominous, doesn't it? Well, my friend Shane thought he should have something special for his 200th post, so I am taking my cue from him. I can't believe I have had that much to say, but I have to say, I have enjoyed blogging thus far, even with the bumps in the pavement aka my mother.

I have managed to keep my workplace out of my blogs for the most part, unlike my friend Shane and managed to bore you all with tales of snow shovelling, and the resident teenager. I feel like the 200th post forward should begin a new chapter, but what could be next? The non-resident teenager now has her own blog and should be posting sometime in early September once she gets her computer and net hookup, so I will leave her to tell the tales of university and city life.

Perhaps it will move into being a relationship blog, with tales of my intimate relationships with men....HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...snort, laugh, choke, gasp...now THERE'S entertainment...

no, likely it will be a kind of everything blog...which is just the way I like it for now.

e-bay: the good, the bad, and the ugly

I began using e-bay nearly two years ago, not long after I moved here. I had been inspired by my friend Susan (macsusan2 on e-bay) as she had collected what appeared to be a pile of junk and sold it for US dollars...what could be better? So we have the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good: I bought several movies for pretty good prices, especially the hard to find ones. I have also sold many dozen sets of cod's ears, and cod's ears earrings. I was also quite excited to sell a Bob Dylan book for $35. For the most part, the sellers and buyers have been great to deal with. Good communication, A +++ sellers/buyers, as we e-bayers like to refer to them.

The Bad: I had several items that never sold, didn't even get a single bid or enquiry. I tried to sell my Sponge Bob Squarepants costume, as you might recall, but shipping costs were astronomical, so I let the guy off without buying it. I certainly wouldn't pay $50 to ship a cardboard box. I have also been outbid so many times on items I REALLY wanted, some right at the LAST seconds of the auction.

The Ugly: my experience this week. I had ordered a VHS tape - Something to Talk About and Julia Roberts is one of my very favorite actresses. Well, the tape finally arrived after 3 weeks in transit, which is not usual, even for tapes coming from the US. I had bought other items in this time and had them delivered. I should have known something was up when my envelope was stuffed into my mailbox in a plastic wrapper. The wrapper had a kindly notice on it from Canada Post - we're not sure if it was sent this way or if we trashed it, but either way we are really sorry, and are making every effort to improve our services. I'm paraphrasing, of course, but you get the picture. The video tape looked as though it had been hit smack in the centre with a 20lb sledgehammer, and then run over in a mack truck. I don't know where it had been, but someone did a number on it. The seller did not package it properly to begin with. It was simply stuffed into a plain manila envelope with no cardboard, bubblewrap or other protective materials. So, I thought even though I didn't purchase insurance from the seller, I would send along some pics of the item and appeal to her good side. Its not there. Or should I say, she's not there. When I tried to contact her, e-bay informed me that she is no longer a registered seller. When I checked out her past feedback, there were 6 negatives in the past 6 months. So who knows whats going on. All I know is that I am out the money and I have a bag full of shattered plastic and nowhere to leave negative feedback. If you want to know who she is, her e-bay userid, which is no longer registered, whatever that means...she must have consciously cancelled her account, or got booted, the gal is grandmasangelsbaby so stay away from that missy. I have had items that I sold show up shattered twice, so I simply replaced them for the buyer, at no cost, and made sure packaging was even better the second time around. This paid off because I have 100% positive feedback.

I still have a bunch of stuff to list there and it will be my project this fall to get somethings up and going again. I am running out of cod's ears, so have to fall back on my other items or go scouting for new.

so that was my version of the good, the bad, and the ugly...don't forget to check out Clint's version...The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Those Country Bugs

If I have learned one thing from living out in the country, its that there are MANY kinds of bugs. I was expecting the usual bugs - earwigs (tons of them), mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies, and gawd knows how many spiders, etc. What I was hoping to do without were EXTRA LARGE spiders, and unknown bugs. We were barbecuing on Saturday evening when I looked back beside the chair I had been sitting on, unsupsectingly only to discover the hugest spider I have ever seen. The body of it was that fat, it must have been the size of a ping pong ball, and white in color. It was HUGE! And it had a HUGE web designed to the side of my chair. Good thing I didn't know it at the time, or I would have fainted right here..and I don't faint easy. There were that many flying things around that night, I don't even know what they all were. We had the lights on because as you know, nights are getting longer...sigh..and we saw the standard millars flocking to the lights, but also some type of flying bug, bigger than an ant. And plenty of bats...yick...I was so jittery by the time the meat was done, I felt like I was crawling with bugs...turned out I was. When I went in the house, I had two different ones crawl up over my shoulder...SCREAM! Then when I changed my clothes into pyjamas, I had another one fall out of my tank top...SCREAM!!! Nothing like a good case of the willies...

And we had been watching Stephen King's The Langoliers which had us on edge enough as it was!

Kayaking Adventures with Amber

It was a glorius day...sunny, warm, just enough breeze to keep the flies off you. So we headed over to my friend's house in our bathing suits, shorts and sandals. My friend has a sit-in kayak, which I was going to use, and her friend had a sit-on kayak that Amber was to use. After some graceless minutes attempting to get INTO the kayaks, away we were...or so I thought. My child is a little out of shape...and somewhat uncoordinated. I was whipping along in my kayak, and she was far behind. So I waited for her as she spun circles in the kayak, complaining all the way. "I thought this was supposed to be relaxing!" "I'm not having fun!" "My hips hurt" "My hands are sore" "This stupid kayak keeps going in circles!" "There's too much wind!" yada, yada, yada. So I convinced her to try my kayak paddle, to see if that made any different...very little actually. We headed back in to shore and switched kayaks. Well, I can see her difficulty as this sit-on kayak did indeed have a tendency to spin in circles...very frustating. But I was able to get along fairly easy. And my body was not as comfortable, but I wasn't sore in any way. At least her getting to kayak in the better one restored her faith in herself and in kayaking! We weren't at it long though and came back in...she was finished with water sports for the day - "I didn't know it was going to be such a workout" Huh? I hadn't even broken a sweat and I am definitely out of shape. Hmmm...I was even thinking of buying a kayak for myself if I thought I could fit it on the top of my car! What an adventure...

Computer # 2

Amber's computer showed up at work yesterday. Its a beauty...flat panel display, usb memory key, 80 G hard drive, DVD burner, etc...sweet...and I want to keep it and give her my older one. I know, I know, its hers, but I am jealous! I thought I was ordering a flat-panel display when I bought 18 months ago, but I obviously didn't know what I was ordering...I bought a flat-screen monitor, which is just a regular sized monitor with a flat screen. Totally different. It is a beast and takes up half my desk. The flat screen is really nice though and my eyes notice it. Much clearer, sharper image, and my eyes do not get tired as quickly.

So I was thinking of just keeping it in the boxes, but wanted to take a peek, and then thought I might load some of my software on there that she wanted, and her games, and maybe burn some movies....if I could figure it out. Well, I got the software one, but couldn't load on her Sims games as my sister has the original game, which you need to load on first in order to put on the expansion packs...so I have to get her to mail that out to us. Then I drove into town and picked up some recordable DVD's and thought I was ready to rumble...NOT. I should have known it wouldn't be as easy as just copying movies, since it is against the law. (and I'm not really doing it...) Then it seems I bought the wrong DVD's, so I have to go back today and get the right ones.

It was fun setting it up though, Dell makes such nice computers. And I love that flat panel display, very nice and much more compact. It came in a box not much bigger than a shoebox. Now to get it all back in there again to take to Halifax next weekend.

Its Gonna Be A Great Weekend!

The sun is out, the weather is warm, and my daughter is coming to visit for the weekend!!! She should be on the bus about now, and will get here around 2:10pm this afternoon. I have cleaned the house, and can hardly wait to see her. Its only been a few weeks since she was here for a night, but this weekend is just me and her! Today we will go shopping and out for supper, then movies tonight. Tomorrow we are going out kayaking in River Bourgeois, and possibly swimming. On Monday we head out to the beach if it is still nice out. I am so excited. Its gonna be a great weekend! The only thing that can fool it up is if I get a call on duty that sends me out...I am crossing my fingers though...

Evil Blue Paint - part 2

Well, I got the furniture back in my room. And it actually looks pretty good, especially now that I have all the pewter type handles on the drawers. It was not an easy process though, putting my room to rights. I had planned on changing around the layout of my room this time, due to bad feng shui with the last arrangement. So I began with laying the bedrails on the floor while I shifted the mattress and boxspring around. You would think that 5 days for paint to dry would be enough. Apparently not. Those darn bedrails left some paint on the floor. They had not received a fresh coat from the night before. Then came moving my bookcase around the bed to the other side...RRRRRRRIIIIPPPPP goes the flooring...OH SHIT! It is a small rip, but a rip nonetheless and one that is not hidden under furniture. Ok, I have to get some glue or something to pin that down...dammit. So then I put the bed where I wanted it and realized that I wanted the desk on the right, not on the left, so had to shove the bookcase a different way and shove the bed over. Inbetween all this I am chasing dust bunnies...I am not accustomed to all of this FUR. When you have carpet, it mysteriously disappears, but now that I am in a carpetless house, there is TONS of bunnies.

So I have the bed together, after struggling to get the boxspring onto the frame, I accidentally scraped some evil blue paint off the bedframe with the boxspring...dammit. Then Cibele and I move the desk up and the corner of the desk rubs the wall...off comes some more evil blue paint. The desk just fits next to the bed. Now comes the dresser. My drawers seem to have a code to them and I feel like I am on The Price is Right trying to get them to fit into the appropriate slots as they are all different. No matter where I try this one drawer, it ain't going in all the way. Apparently there is just a little too much paint on it and now it won't slide in. Great. So my lovely dresser with evil blue paint and brand new pewterlike knobs has a bum drawer. Fine, whatever. Time to get the rest of the room settled in. Now for the tops of the desk and dresser, I had planned on putting on filet crochet mats that my Grandmother had made many years ago (she died in 1984) but I can only find one. WHAT? So I have to settle for one mat and one doily (made by my mother just a few years ago). Now the room is complete and I have to say, in spite of the evil blue paint, it looks pretty sharp. I do have to do a little touchup, but its just great. I have a mirror in there from my teenage days though...I am thinking it needs some help as well. It is presently a light blue, with several Garfield stickers on it. I don't know what I can do about the Garfield, but I do have a small bit of evil blue paint left...

Amber's Blog

I have finally convinced the youngun to maintain a blog. She has so many interesting tales from the city, that she agreed that she should share them. She won't have a computer for a week or so, but I have gone ahead and created one for her and you can find it here: www.ambersdomain.blogspot.com and the title of it is Crazy Life in the City.

I'm so proud...

evil blue paint

I have just cleaned up from painting YET ANOTHER COAT of that evil blue paint. The dresser looks fairly good for the most part, but needed a couple of touches, which I did. The desk needed an entire whole coat, which I did, and the bed was spotty all over, which I painted. Now if that darn paint looks like crap in the morning, I am putting the furniture back in my room no matter what it looks like. I have been sleeping on the floor (mattress on floor) for a week now, and my room is a mess, and if anyone knows me, I HATE CLUTTER AND MESS so I am a little stressed and just want the darn room back to rights again. So take THAT, evil blue paint.

stupid paint.

as you recall, I had recently refinished a few pieces of furniture. Well, the dresser has turned out pretty lovely, the bed, not so much and the desk looks like crap. How can the same can of navy blue paint look so very different on each piece of furniture??? I am more than disgusted. I am so sick of painting that crap. So now I have to put one more coat on the bed and desk, and possibly a thin coat on the top of the dresser. For blue semi-gloss oil based paint, it looks like its been on there for years and left out in the sun and rain. stupid paint.

Project Navy Blue

Well, I finally did it…I have had some older beaten up furniture for some years now and this week marked my disgust at not having refinished it…and my new resolve to get it DONE! So I actually went out and bought paint, brushes, rollers, new handles, etc. all the necessary “stuff”. And then I hauled it all to the basement, along with all the furniture and I got it STARTED.

To begin, I have an old iron bed that belonged to my maternal grandmother. You know the kind…iron rungs, flat panel behind your head and at your feet with that unmistakable decal of swans and flowers. And painted a gawd awful brown. Not even a nice brown, but a dog poop brown. I got it from my cousin who had taken it out of my grandmother’s house when the family sold it a few years ago. But I love the bed so much, and all the memories that come with it. It just didn’t match anything I owned. So I painted it navy blue and I must say, it looks sharp! This is the bed that used to have a bedspring, the kind we used to love to bounce on but got in deep trouble if we were caught. I don’t know where the spring ended up, but the rails are perfect for my Serta box spring and mattress, except it raises my bed to a new height, where I have to have a stool to climb into bed. No kidding, I actually have a stool at my bedside to climb in. Just like the royals.

The next piece of furniture is an old dresser I got from the student housing in Waterloo. Someone had left it behind and while it wasn’t in great shape – handles broken off, some water damage, and the varnish long since vanished, it is all solid wood. No real antique, but I like it well enough. My daughter hates it and I had been promising her since 1997 that I would refinish it and each time we move, she asks me if I am going to get rid of that old thing and my answer is always that I am planning on refinishing it…yeah right says she. Well now I have, and painted it navy blue. It took a little more work than the other pieces. It had single bolt handles that were half-moon shaped and when worked lose, people often spun them around, cutting a circular groove in the wood, so I had to put wood filler in that. As well, the top sheet of veneer (not wood product, but actual wood veneer) was lifting off in a few spots from water damage, so I had to glue that back down. And THEN I could paint it. I bought new handles too, nice polished steel/nickel knobs. I think they’ll look sharp enough.

The last piece of furniture is an old desk/table. I got this from student housing as well, but I think I did pay $20 for it. It is also solid wood, and has two drawers. I didn’t use it often as a desk as it has a sculptured front panel that kind of interferes with your legs sitting under the desk. I think is used to have a mirror or hutch on it as well, as you can see from the back where something had been screwed into it for the top. But who knows where that piece of it is. Anyhow, it had been in Amber’s room for years, being badly abused with candle wax, makeup and nail polish, so I have now painted it navy blue. It will take much more paint as it was originally white, but I think it will look sharp with the other pieces. They are all for my room, and will almost look like they match. I bought matching handles for the desk as well.

So that is my week, sanding, painting, cleaning paint off my body, painting some more. I have a first coat on everything and the final coat on the drawers, and on most of the bed. It is so humid here though that it is taking forever to dry, so I may be in a disorganized bedroom for a few more days yet, but it will be worth it to have it all freshly painted! I’ll be sure to post a pic when its done.

Now its time to relax a bit…

The Romance in My Life

or should I say, LACK OF. Time for a little cheese with my whine. Never in a million years (or maybe in that past 37 or so) did I ever think that once I left my husband, I would not find myself in another relationship for nearly 6 years. In September of 1998 I informed the ex that I was interested in a divorce, and we separated, with the divorce becoming final in November of 2000. It seems like an eternity ago. I have placed more profiles/ads on singles websites, and contacted so many guys, only to have blind dates with such losers, I am beginning to lose faith in men altogether. Here is a wrap-up of the few miserable blind dates I have gone on, just to recap...

in no particular order, because I can't recall who came when, just that they all sucked and I don't recall most of their names...quite the impression, you see

- there was the guy from Nepal who I met on a University of Waterloo on-line dating service. He was a masters engineering student who I chatted with via e-mail for a few months, then we decided to meet and go to a movie. Just before the movie we chat casually about past relationships and whether he had ever been married - "I'm married now. My wife and children are coming over from Nepal later this year"...goodbye loser.

- then there was the guy who looked like a teenager who never grew up and out of those worn blue jeans and torn denim jacket and spent the whole night talking about his three ex-wives and how he isn't allowed to see them or his children right now...goodbye loser

- and there was the fairly handsome African-Canadian guy who took me out for a lovely dinner and spent the whole night talking about his ex-wife and child and how much he missed them...goodbye loser

- lets not forget the guy who sat meekly on the other side of the table at the coffee shop, barely uttering a word other than to talk about how he still lives with his mother at the age of 35 and can't bear to part from her...goodbye loser

- and how about the guy that I chatted with online for months and months, finally met and ended up listening to some monologue about a video game he was developing for about 3 hours. he was the dullest guy I had met in a long time...goodbye loser

- and then there was the guy who seemed to be perfect, had a lovely date with here in Port Hawkesbury, and never heard from again, even though he told me over and over again that night what a wonderful time he was having and how much he liked me...goodbye loser

WHAT IS UP WITH MEN???

And the whole on-line experience has been less than satisfying...mostly disappointing, really. The only guys that I seem to snag are creeps, perverts and unfaithful men. give me a break, already. here is a sampling of some of those gems

- the guy who forgot to mention he was married, and then thought it was okay to continue because he was thinking about leaving her anyhow, but needed to work for enough money to send her back home to England...no thank-you

- how about the guy who I chatted with for months, and then finally made the break to a phonecall where he suddenly felt he was on a 1-900-BABE call...forget it mister...no free porn here

- and the guy who thought it was appropriate to ask to see my "tits" and then proceed to show me his penis...sure, that's my opening line when I meet someone

- and the guy who just plainly asked to see my tits after 3 minutes of chat

and it just goes downhill from there. What's a girl to do? Where does someone at my age (37) meet a nice guy? Or do I not deserve one because I gave up on my first relationship. Is that all there is? If I am not into the bar scene, where on earth does someone meet single men? Especially when you live in small town Cape Breton. I am so sick of singles websites...e-mailing guys and never hearing back from them, or when you do, they ask for your pic and then you never hear back from them. I search these sites and the guys there have such high expectations. They are all looking to date Pamela Lee. Just so they know - she ain't looking for YOU!

I don't think I am too picky - I am simply looking for a nice guy - someone who is single, independent, educated, gainfully employed, non-smoker, and has a sense of humour. Is that too much to ask? Where are ya, fellas?

Gawd its pathetic to be lonely and alone.

My Friggin' Long Quiz

General Info

Name:

Dreama (not telling)
Age:
37…but often feel like 90
Gender:
female
Height:
5’4”
Birthday:
December - Sagittarius
Hair Color:
Well, it was pink and purple…that faded, and I dyed over it with a honey brown, which now makes it a bit honey brown with an auburn highlight?
Describe yourself in one word:
lonely
Describe your personality in one word:
blunt

School Life

What grade are you in:

Grade of what? Gasoline?
What school do you go to:
Presently graduated
And where is that:
University of Waterloo x 3
Do you get good grades:
Good enough to graduate 3 times…some A’s…mostly B’s
Favorite Subject:
psychology

Love Life

Sexual Preference:
Straight as an arrow
Do you have a bf/gf:
Not at the present time, only in my imagination
If so, what is their name:
Matthew
How long have you been dating:
years
Do you consider yourself in love with them:
Not really…just I lust
If so, why:
See above
Have you had your first kiss:
But of course
If so, when:
Age 11 with Hughie O’Brien in grade 7 in the woods
Do you have a crush:
Oh yeah
If so, what is their name:
Matthew
Why do you like them:
Just a beautiful man, sexy smile, love that Texas drawl
Do they know you:
I wish
Do they know that you like them:
Not at all
How long have you known them:
Never met

Friends

Best Friend(s):

Natalie – but we hardly get together anymore
How long have you been friends:
Since 1997 when I met her outside the building she was moving into
Do you consider yourself a good friend:
For the most part
How many friends do you think you have:
Define friend – I know so many people
Most popular:
G. – just a super gal
Most conceited:
I try to stay away from those types
Friendliest:
C.
Meanest:
C. B. (from UW)
Prettiest:
N.
Craziest:
S.
Oldest:
G.
Youngest:
A.
Most recent:
M.
Smartest:
N. – the girl never stops learning

Favorites

Food:

Grilled beef steak
Person:
Princess Diana
Number:
7
Show:
Regular: ER; Reality: Survivor and Amazing Race
Letter:
B for beer
Song:
Your Song – Elton John and so many more
Band/Singer:
Band: Rush/ Singer: Elton John
Place in the world:
Ireland
Season:
Late summer

Your...

Dream Vacation:
A castle in Ireland with a handsome man
Dream House:
See castle in Ireland
Dream Room:
Sun room with a window seat facing the ocean
Location:
Ireland

Last Time You...

Watched T.V.:

Just a short while ago – watched 8 Simple Rules and cried like a baby
Went to the bathroom:
Its 8:28pm…probably 2 hours ago
Ate:
Snacked on some apples with caramel an hour ago – meal – last night while camping
Slept:
Well, got up at 7am – don’t know how much sleep I got this weekend though
Listened to music:
In my car driving back from camping – got home at 1pm
Used the phone:
Called my daughter earlier today – around 6pm
IMed someone/Got an IM:
Earlier today – chatted with Andrea
Went to school:
Finished my last class in June of 2002 for my BSW
Played a game:
Played dominoes last night
Took a shower:
2pm this afternoon
Hugged someone:
My daughter on Wednesday evening when I took her to the bus
Went on a date:
Last fall – Pierre something or other
Wrote a letter:
I think I wrote one this year to my sister
Cried:
Watching television tonight – since John Ritter left, its been a little weepy at times

Last Person You...

Hugged:

A., my daughter
Kissed:
A., my daughter - right in the ear
Laughed at:
M.
Cried over:
My daughter, A. – I just miss her so much
IMed/Got an IM from:
My niece, A.
Hurt:
Probably K. – I bruise her feelings easily, but not intentionally
Talked to:
My neighbor, M.
Spoke to on the phone:
S.
Ate with:
Gals I went camping with – D., M. and M.
Spent time with:
See above
Saw:
My neighbors
Missed:
My daughter…sniff
Heard:
Neighbors – they are out on the patio
Played with:
My kitty (not a person, but get over it)

Have You Ever...

Been out of the country:

Several times – most recently to Guatemala and Belize
Been out of state/province:
Yes, but not for some time except above
Done drugs:
Depends on which ones you want to know about – aspirin? Or others?
Done anything illegal:
See above
Slapped someone:
Its been years
Cut yourself:
Stepped on glass last night and cut my big toe open
Played an instrument:
I am not musically talented, but strummed a guitar not so long ago
Hurt someone for no reason:
Not that I can remember
Hurt someone:
I don’t like this question – I am pretty passive
Killed an insect/bug:
I kill earwigs all day long
Gotten stung by a bee:
Several years ago – on the finger while picking rhubarb
Lied to your parents:
I never lie to my parents…snicker…not in years anyhow
Stole Something:
Do office supplies count?
Kissed Someone:
But of course

This Or That

Rock or Rap:

Always rock, never rap crap
Singing or Songwriting:
I love to sing, but have no talent
Tennis Shoes or Sandals:
Always sandals…the least restrictive
Phone or Computer:
Love my ‘puter
Biking or Skating:
My bike is collecting dust in the barn, but I still love it
Analog or Digital:
Digital what?
Coke or Pepsi:
Hardly drink either, but always Coke
Sprite or Sierra Mist:
What is Sierra Mist??? So Sprite me
MTV or VH1:
Never watched either – try Video Hits on CBC…
R&B or Country:
yick
Cingular or T-Mobile:
dunno
Cats or Dogs:
Love my kitties
AIM or Yahoo:
msn by choice
Bzoink or Quizilla:
Don’t know either

Word Association

Birthday

:
suit
Peanut:
butter
Good Charlotte:
teenagers
Ravioli:
Chef Boyardee
President Bush:
Shit disturber
T.V.:
Flat-screen
Rock:
And roll
Rap:
Eminem
Chef:
Maurice
Boys:
suck
Girls:
Wanna have fun
Calendar:
fun
Fan:
heat
Evil:
Student loans

Right Now

Eating:

nuttin
Drinking:
nuttin
Watching:
nuttin
What is on your mousepad:
A lump of gel (it’s a gelpad)
What are you doing:
Wasting the night away doing this stupid quiz because my friend Shane did and it was something to post on my blog
What song are you listening to:
Peace and quiet by mother nature
What's in your CD player:
I don’t think I own one – just my dvd players that play them – then it would be a burned cd of the 70’s
Wearing:
Tank top, shorts, undies, sunburn
Time:
8:44pm
Month:
August
Day of the Month:
15th
Year:
2004
Day of the week:
Sunday
What website are you on:
www.blogger.com

Random Things

What color is your mousepad:
Black, if at all
What color is your keyboard:
Black
What is the phrase you use the most online:
oh, I see

Did you like this survey:
It’s a little long
Are you sad that it's over:
Not at all
What are you gonna do after this survey is over:
Go lie down – got a little hangover
Do you like pop-up ads:
They’re right up there with bamboo shoots under my nails and drilling holes in my head
How long have you been online:
just over an hour – only have dial-up and it sucks

where did summer go???

It was here, and it is going fast...we are moving towards the middle of August and I honestly don't know where the summer went. it just did. and I haven't even been camping yet! But hoping to remedy that this weekend...the gals and I heading down on the Cabot Trail to camp for a couple of nights and get to the beach at Black Brook...yahoo! Hopefully its a windy day and the waves are high enough for body surfing :-) The weather is hopeful - 20's during the day and teens during the nights. As long as it doesn't rain as my tent has lost its waterproofness after all these years.

it seems like we were waiting so long for it to come, and now I am afraid to get up one morning and see that the leaves have begun to turn...I am just not ready yet.

time to clean the bbq tomorrow...seems some people are more generous than others with the sauce and it is a complete mess...mind you, I am included in those people...but I want to take it camping and it is in quite a state.

just a little update - have been enjoying the hammock...was out a few days ago on a windy day so there were no flies and the wind propelled me back and forth nicely...I read for quite a while and it was very relaxing...ahhhhh...now to figure out where to hang it during the winter months...

The Ol' Swimming Hole

and that it was...a hole. Not far from here, just through the trees in the back of my house, about a 5 minute walk is a little swimming hole in the brook. not real deep, just about chest deep, and COLD but boy was it refreshing. and it pools there next to a small ripple in the brook, where there is a rock just right for sitting on, just below the surface of the water, next to the bubbling water of the ripple. Ahhhhh...

so the youngun and I, (she is home for a couple of days) walked back there today and sat in the brook at the ol' swimming hole...it was GREAT! Now we are both tuckered out (from that 5 minute walk of course) and she is napping in the living room while I blog.

I wish she didn't have to go back tonight.

My singing career

so I was at this party last night, and of course, guitars were brought out and singing commenced...I had researched a song for a friend and he didn't quite know the tune, so I sang it with him, along with another and there I was, at a party, singing and I wasn't even drunk. I was on-call, so had not been drinking, so was very pleased with myself that I even took that plunge in front of such a gathering of people. I have no talent of course, but I at least carried the tune somewhat respectably and I had the words in front of me, so didn't fool that up too much.

One of the songs I sang was the Rubber Boot Song, listed below:

Rubber Boot Song

I'm a hardy old sailor from Newfoundland's shore,
I've fished for me livin' on the wild Labrador;
Now the fishin's all over, me work is all done,
And I'm goin' out tonight with me rubber boots on.

So I ate up me supper and I shaved off me beard,
For courtin' indeed I was highly prepared;
With the day's work all over and the night comin' on,
I remember that night with me rubber boots on.

I knocked on her door and me knock it was low,
And out of her slumber my knock she did know;
She came to the door and said "Is that you, Tom?"
"It is, love," said I, "with me rubber boots on."

She opened the door and invited me in,
And into her bedroom she invited me in;
She jumped on the bed with the blankets rolled on,
And I hopped in beside her with me rubber boots on.

Well, daylight next mornin' with the sun in the sky,
I turned to me true love to say goodbye;
She said "Don't you leave me, don't you know you done wrong,
For you slept here all night with your rubber boots on."

I turned to me true love with a wink and a smile,
I said, "Nothing could happen in such a short while;
Whatever I did, love, I did it for fun."
And I hopped out of bed with me rubber boots on.

It being nine months later I was summoned to court,
Ten shillings a week I was fined for me sport;
Ten shillings a week from a fisherman's son,
I regretted that night with me rubber boots on.

Ah, but now I'm back fishin', I'm happy for sure,
I'll make them ten shillings on the wild Labrador;
And when he gets bigger I'll take 'long me son,
And he'll catch those codfish with his rubber boots on.

dontcha just love it?

The dumbest movie ever

okay, how do you know you have just watched the dumbest movie ever? When it makes so little sense, the writing is terrible, and the acting is even worse. That's how I feel after watching New Hampshire Hotel. And to make the best of it, it had some really good actors in it...but this was not their best performance. You would think that a movie with Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, Nastassja Kinski,

here are some of the dumb highlights - contains spoilers, although I would never recommend seeing this movie anyhow

- a dog called Sorrow that they have put down because he farts too much, but they miss him so the son gets him back from the vet and has him stuffed. He gets the dog wet, so tries to dry him out, catches him on fire so leaves him in the tub to soak. The dog even gets taken to Europe when they move there.

- there is an unnatural attraction between Jodie Foster and Rob Lowe who play brother and sister. She gets raped at one point by a bunch of lettermen from her school, but very little is made of it afterwards, except that she is in love with the lead rapist. and her brother is in love with her...very flowers in the attic

- one of the daughters is a self-proclaimed dwarf because she has stopped growing, but yet looks normal

- they are good friends with Freud, who looks suspiciously like Rick Moranis, but is actually Wallace Shawn (???)

- one of the sons is gay, and gets beat up all the time by the lettermen - this dude is played by Paul McCrane, aka Rocket Romano from the tv series ER.

- and then there was the sister of one of Rob Lowe's black friends who was all over Rob, and then took her teeth out to show him how to kiss "real deep", then was seen throughout the rest of the movie, gums showing

anyhow, do not bother to waste your time on this crappy movie. I am just sorry I wasted mine and my $6.88 at Wal-Mart.

Happy Birthday to Kitty

hard to say that without feeling a little like Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys...lol. But alas, she is 7 years old today, along with 2 of Amber's cousins wo are 24 today. As well, 7 years ago, I was still living in Newfoundland, about to leave for good and move to Ontario. I think I left just 5 days later, on the 12th. Where have those 7 years gone? I remember when she was born, and we still had her mother - Pretty. Now Pretty is gone (had to be put down a year after the move), living in Newfoundland is a distant memory, my university education is behind me, I am divorced, and my daughter has grown up and moved on. That's quite the wrap-up of the last 7 years. I wonder what the next 7 will hold?

The Hammock

Well, as previously posted, I bought a hammock. You would think it would be a FUN thing, but it has turned into my nemesis. I bought this beautiful parachute cloth hammock from Nomad's Land and thought I had the perfect hanging place for it. I have a pine tree not far from my house, and the clothesline pole is just the right distance from it that I could use those ends to hang the hammock from. So I get a ring bolt, nearly twist my arm off winding that into the clothesline pole; get some nylon rope that I had from camping and tie onto the tree (I didn't want to put anything INTO the tree). The rope stretches a bit, but I adjust it and its fine. Jump into the hammock...a little rocking of the clothesline pole, but nothing serious. Ahhhh...swinging in the hammock in the shade of the summer. Then PLOP. A big goober of tree sap. That's odd, I didn't know pine trees lost much sap, but as it turns out, I have been ignorant of this fact. another PLOP. Well, that's it for this spot. I don't want to have to shower off and wash the hammock each time I use it.

So then I scan the yard and wonder if the apple trees farther back are too far apart. Turns out I had just enough rope to hang from either end and string the hammock inbetween. Ahhhh...just right...I get into the hammock and the rope STRETCHES beyond belief and I am on the ground. in my hammock. So I tighten it up as much as I can, and have to climb into it at 4 feet high, and still it stretches onto the ground. Dammit. The rope is too stretchy. Time to scope out a shorter distance.

So I stroll about the yard, looking for a good spot and wonder about the ash tree in the front yard, next to the patio. hmmm...I wrestle the rope onto the trunk of the ash tree, and tie it also onto the patio. It works! Ahhh...just right. swinging in my hammock in the coolness of the evening, watching the sun set. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
mosquitoes...uh-oh, not enough bug spray apparently. So I douse again. They stay away from me, but swarm the hammock on the outside. So I gracelessly plunk out of the hammock yet again and get the citronella buckets. The mosquitoes begin to ease off and then SWOOOOSHHH! A bat flew over my head under the branches of the tree. Ok. I'm done. Stupid hammock.

My Weekend Getaway

Just what I needed after 2 weeks on-call! I headed out to Halifax shortly after I finished up some things at work and got to see my girl again! The non-resident teen and I took off for the grocery store to do her shopping, since it is such a drag to lug around groceries on the bus…I remember it well. It was great just seeing her, knowing I had the whole weekend to spend there. After grocery shopping, we picked up the boyfriend and went out for supper….first stop was Montana’s but it was so crowded with a waif of 45 minutes, we went elsewhere to East Side Mario’s, an old favorite from Waterloo. The food was quite good, and service just as good. We were so stuffed when we left. After that we headed over to the pet store where the cozy couple wanted to add to their “family” by buying a snake…that is until they saw how expensive they were and found out how big they get. So IXNAY on the snake, and some consideration for a leopard gecko, which was still out of budget range. I convinced them to at least wait through the weekend and see if they still want to spend that kind of money on a pet, especially one that they would have to truck to the pet store every week to buy crickets for. They reconsidered and decided no go for now.

Saturday we spent shopping around town for things for all of us…they bought a barbecue so we went back to the steaming apartment to make potato salad to go with the steaks we planned on grilling that night. I also bought the happy couple a beautiful print for their living room as a housewarming gift. My friend and her daughter were in from Waterloo for the week, so over they came, as well as Amber’s cousin, Belinda and we had a lovely dinner. After that, we headed over to her hotel to take a dunk in the pool to cool off and it was amazing. The younguns also went in the sauna and the hot tub, then cooled off again outside.

Sunday was all about touring – my friend and her daughter piled into my car and we drove along some of the south shore – Peggy’s Cove, Mahone Bay, and Lunenburg. It was fabulous weather and we saw a lot in a short time. We even went to the beach at Queensland, where it was wonderful to swim. When we got back that night, we rested up and then I drove down to the waterfront with the younguns again and watched the fireworks. They were awesome, but very short. There was one young kid there standing just behind me that cracked me up – he was obviously from Toronto – that TO accent is hard to miss, and he said partway through the display – “you’d never get THIS in Toronto, would you dad?” and then as they kept shooting them up into the air, he commented “how on earth do they afford this? They just keep going and going!” This kid was about 7 years old. It was hilarious! They had some fabulous fireworks that I hadn’t seen before, but it only lasted about 10 minutes or so.

This morning, I packed up the younguns again and took them out to breakfast at Smittys…we stuffed ourselves, AGAIN, and then I headed for home. It will be nice to sleep in a bed again tonight. I tried it on the leather loveseat at their place…which was comfy enough, but leather is noisy and HOT to sleep on in such weather, so I didn’t get much sleep the first night. The next day I headed out in search of a hammock and bought a cheap one at Canadian Tire and two hooks. I slept somewhat better the next night, but got a little chilled. Apparently you need just as much blankets underneath as you do above J . So last night I was prepared and actually had a pretty good nights sleep…except for the dumbass above us who played heavy metal at 3am and talked to himself all night…but the earplugs filtered out most of that.

I even bought a hammock for myself, a much nicer one made of parachute cloth. I had a little swing in it earlier today, but the horseflies were driving me mad, and it was too hot out. Tonight will be GREAT! Its hanging right under the tree next to the house…hope the birds don’t poop on me.