The sun is shining!!!! Holy moly what a difference it makes to ones inner bounce. I spent yesterday morning at an appointment and in the afternoon doing some more in depth cleaning and today it all needs finishing off. Now, thank you Mr. Sun, I feel way more like actually doing it!!
I got a call from the doctor's office...he wants me to come in. Thank you very much lab tests. (shovel list). Obviously he has found something. If I am dying I am going to be pissed off. I was busy both Thursday and Friday so I made the appointment for Monday. Grrrrr...
On Thursday morning Kathy and I headed overtown to clean books. Its kind of fun. You get to check out lots of books, get them sparkly and labelled. There were lots of people there that day, way more than that first time I went. But, what I hadn't been told was that the local news station came. And filmed. (really really big time shovel list). So I basically ignored them and all the stuff they were doing. But this morning I went on their website and watched the news clip that hit the air. And jeez!!! they got me from the back, got me from the front, got me in a facial closeup...what the hell!!! There were way better looking skinnier people they could have filmed. I clearly hadn't even combed my hair and I was wearing my jeep wear. I looked like those fat old cranky ladies on Hoarders. What little self pride I may have had has now been beaten out of me for good.
Thursday night Kerry, Kathy and I went to a play at the Sagebrush. It was opening night for a play called "I'll Be Home Before Midnight". I will never miss a play. Unless its Shakespeare, so done. But I must say I wouldn't go to this one again and I am not even sure I would recommend it. The brother and sister in the play have a "thing" for each other...which completely creeped us out. And it just ran too long and the story wasn't very good. I still don't know what being back by midnight meant in the story. The ending was pretty good....and the acting was really good. I'm glad I went though. We saw peeps we knew and its good to get out and its so easy and cheap to do here in Kamloops. Especially cheap. Hahaha...Kathy and Kerry have provided my ticket each time!
I am really excited for tomorrow. Maureen, Chris, her daughter Faith and Leanne are coming for coffee. Even though we haven't seen each other for quite some time, it makes no difference. These people mean as much to me as my own family. We have huge history. I cannot wait to see them. I think I will make some brownies and I think I will even wash my hair!!!! Its going to be so awesome!
I will report back Monday after I go to the doctor at 11:30 and let you know if I am dying or not. I have always said that doctors are like mechanics. They always find something more, just to keep you coming back. TTYL
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
BANK BANK BANKITY BANK
For the last year I have been going back and forth on a decision on whether I should sell the Maui condo or not. I think I have mentioned this before. With the Canadian dollar where it is it makes this decision tougher.
Our family, extended family and friends have enjoyed the place so much. Going to the condo is not like just going for a vacation someplace you rent, a different place each time. This is like going to the family cabin...predictable, easy and relaxing. I love it. But....
I had to have the kitchen tap replaced and two valves under the sink. The final bill was 550.00!!!! US bucks. To change the tap it cost 775 Canadian. Thats crazy! And today I just went and got a US money order to pay the property taxes for half of 2014 (they do everything by six months over there...taxes, insurance, car registration etc), all of 2015 and the first half of 2016. 3,500 US. So, five thousand dollars later....and now in my head I am calculating the conversion of the strata and utilities. Ayayayay!
And...if I sell it it would sell for around 360,000 US. And that converts to 448,000. I am not sure what the capital gains would be. All I know is that the government will have its filthy grubby hands out to take a chunk...one which I don't think it deserves, not this time. It did nothing to earn it.
Anyway I went down to the bank and got a money order in US funds to send off. It would have been sent but I stood in line at the post office, only one person being waited on ahead of me, and at the twenty minute mark, after listening to the dumb as a bag of hammers broad working there, trying and not succeeding to help the person in front, I stomped off. Along with a few others not willing to wait. Now I will have to go back. Dammit!!!
Now I am at home contemplating having a nap. Willie kept me up half the night. I woke up around two am. I could hear Molly's toe nails (shovel list) clicking on the floor, coming back from the kitchen where her water is. And she must have startled Willie as she walked past his bedroom door, which was open. He started to thump. And unless you have had an indoor rabbit you have no idea how loud a rabbit thump is. And he wouldn't stop! I fed him. I watered him. I patted him. Nope. He just kept thumping. I finally went back to bed but no way could I sleep. He thumped til about four. Dumb rabbit!
Now I am sleepy. I think I will have a little snooze then do some house cleaning. I HAVE to get these floors washed. TTYL
Our family, extended family and friends have enjoyed the place so much. Going to the condo is not like just going for a vacation someplace you rent, a different place each time. This is like going to the family cabin...predictable, easy and relaxing. I love it. But....
I had to have the kitchen tap replaced and two valves under the sink. The final bill was 550.00!!!! US bucks. To change the tap it cost 775 Canadian. Thats crazy! And today I just went and got a US money order to pay the property taxes for half of 2014 (they do everything by six months over there...taxes, insurance, car registration etc), all of 2015 and the first half of 2016. 3,500 US. So, five thousand dollars later....and now in my head I am calculating the conversion of the strata and utilities. Ayayayay!
And...if I sell it it would sell for around 360,000 US. And that converts to 448,000. I am not sure what the capital gains would be. All I know is that the government will have its filthy grubby hands out to take a chunk...one which I don't think it deserves, not this time. It did nothing to earn it.
Anyway I went down to the bank and got a money order in US funds to send off. It would have been sent but I stood in line at the post office, only one person being waited on ahead of me, and at the twenty minute mark, after listening to the dumb as a bag of hammers broad working there, trying and not succeeding to help the person in front, I stomped off. Along with a few others not willing to wait. Now I will have to go back. Dammit!!!
Now I am at home contemplating having a nap. Willie kept me up half the night. I woke up around two am. I could hear Molly's toe nails (shovel list) clicking on the floor, coming back from the kitchen where her water is. And she must have startled Willie as she walked past his bedroom door, which was open. He started to thump. And unless you have had an indoor rabbit you have no idea how loud a rabbit thump is. And he wouldn't stop! I fed him. I watered him. I patted him. Nope. He just kept thumping. I finally went back to bed but no way could I sleep. He thumped til about four. Dumb rabbit!
Now I am sleepy. I think I will have a little snooze then do some house cleaning. I HAVE to get these floors washed. TTYL
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
TURKEY IT IS
I am getting old. No doubt about it. I spent Saturday and Sunday cooking. I love this. I think I purposely drag the whole affair out just because I love cooking a big meal. But...I am finding that by the time its ready for the table, I am totally whacked! I am definitely going to have to shorten the process. (shovel list) I do not know how to do that.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, candied yams, green beans, brussels sprouts, stuffed squash, tofurkey, mushroom gravy, corn casserole (blech!!! too sweet and eggy...gross) and banana trifle, using home made banana bread. And the dishes!! Oh my god...groan....!!!! I cleaned up the basics, put away food and went to purple room and passed out. My body was so sore I almost couldn't get comfortable. But the next morning I hopped up and felt awesome. No lasting effects!
Yesterday morning I was still in chair, pj's, reading news on my lappy and I knew I had to go out to drop things off at the lab. So I texted Kathy and asked if she was babysitting Ainsley that day. No she wasn't. So I asked if she would like to go for coffee up at Chapters (and I had to think awhile to come up with that idea) and she answered back, that sure, but when? as she was still in her pj's too. Hahaha!!! The joys of being retired!
So I ended up picking her up, dropping things at the lab then going up to Costco. She needed to do things photo related. We sat there for a half hour while the photo thingy was being done and had coffee and talked to half the town as it walked by. She knows more people than God! thus I am getting to know more people than God!!
This morning it was her that texted me. She was babysitting and wondered if I would like to go there first for coffee before we headed down to the Kiwanis meeting. And so I did! I had a wonderful couple of hours playing with a very clever little girl, drinking awesome coffee and having wonderful conversation! The Kiwanis meeting was a good one too.
Jeez you guys must get sick and tired of the same old thing everyday here. I apologize. It was so much better when I had poor old Spod to complain about and we travelled to wonderful places to write about. Now my life is so humdrum. I thought about writing about current affairs or controversial topics...but no...I think that would be worse. So I will just stick to whining about my stupid half blind dog, my harsh and erratic jeep, my inability to get my floors looking clean without water streaks (shovel list), get my rabbit to stop stinking, get my blood pressure below explosive blah blah blah. Sorry. TTYL
Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, candied yams, green beans, brussels sprouts, stuffed squash, tofurkey, mushroom gravy, corn casserole (blech!!! too sweet and eggy...gross) and banana trifle, using home made banana bread. And the dishes!! Oh my god...groan....!!!! I cleaned up the basics, put away food and went to purple room and passed out. My body was so sore I almost couldn't get comfortable. But the next morning I hopped up and felt awesome. No lasting effects!
Yesterday morning I was still in chair, pj's, reading news on my lappy and I knew I had to go out to drop things off at the lab. So I texted Kathy and asked if she was babysitting Ainsley that day. No she wasn't. So I asked if she would like to go for coffee up at Chapters (and I had to think awhile to come up with that idea) and she answered back, that sure, but when? as she was still in her pj's too. Hahaha!!! The joys of being retired!
So I ended up picking her up, dropping things at the lab then going up to Costco. She needed to do things photo related. We sat there for a half hour while the photo thingy was being done and had coffee and talked to half the town as it walked by. She knows more people than God! thus I am getting to know more people than God!!
This morning it was her that texted me. She was babysitting and wondered if I would like to go there first for coffee before we headed down to the Kiwanis meeting. And so I did! I had a wonderful couple of hours playing with a very clever little girl, drinking awesome coffee and having wonderful conversation! The Kiwanis meeting was a good one too.
Jeez you guys must get sick and tired of the same old thing everyday here. I apologize. It was so much better when I had poor old Spod to complain about and we travelled to wonderful places to write about. Now my life is so humdrum. I thought about writing about current affairs or controversial topics...but no...I think that would be worse. So I will just stick to whining about my stupid half blind dog, my harsh and erratic jeep, my inability to get my floors looking clean without water streaks (shovel list), get my rabbit to stop stinking, get my blood pressure below explosive blah blah blah. Sorry. TTYL
Saturday, January 23, 2016
BETTER THAN I THOUGHT
First I will respond to comments. Brad...yes that is Iris!! She truly is a gem. Not only have I become friends with her through Kiwanis, but she and her husband are very good friends of Kathy and Kerry's...so lucky me, I get to see her now and again socially. I have met so many awesome people through that organization and through Kathy.
Sharri....Keep an eye on your pressures!!! I hate to preach but I sure wish I had paid better attention earlier. In the end its possible mine may not come down and I will have some decisions to make, but you! need to stay on top of it right from the jump. Don't be like me! End of sermon!
Shannon, not to nag but, where are you? We all miss you. I am getting emails from people asking about you. You don't have to be clever or funny (although you always are) but we would love to hear from you. End of nag! As I finished typing this my email pinged and it was a lovely missal from her! She has been deadly sick and once she is back on her feet 100% I am sure she will be back to commenting. I am trying to encourage her to write her own blog...we would all read it so she would start off with a pretty strong readership!
I spent Thursday in an awesome way. Aryn and Bradley, on their way back to Vancouver, stopped in for coffee and a little visit. I haven't seen Aryn in forever! It was so good to see her! They got stuck in my driveway. Every time Monte shovels, the snow plough comes along and makes a big mountain again. But some shovelling and cardboard, place on the RIGHT side of the front tires did the trick!
Speaking of shovelling...snow removal is new to Monte and I. And next year it will be different. I can see that if its not dealt with immediately, you end up with packed down icy snow that isn't shovellable. (shovel list hahahaha!!!!) And, to make matters worse, I feel judged. Very very judged by all my anal snow shovelling neighbours. I swear to God all those men (I have never seen a woman out there shovelling) stand out there in the opposite cul de sac and survey the surrounding driveways. And, of course, their driveways are totally sans snow, not even a whiff of snow on them. And there is no big pile of snow at the bottom of their driveways either. I hate them. We are definitely the losers in this neighbourhood.
Its the same with the garbage cans. By the time I get up at seven thirty and look out the window, everybodys', and I mean everybodys' cans have been taken in. You would never know it had been garbage day! Meanwhile, there's ours, tipped over or standing all wonky in the snow like drunken old men. Sometimes they end up way out in the street! How the hell does that happen? Sigh. I then walk the walk of shame and retrieve them, drag them back up the icy lumpy driveway, righting them every time they fall over.
I didn't get to the lab Thursday. I was busy here at the house. Business seems to be endless. But I did go on Friday. I had to fast for twelve hours. So I quit drinking and eating at ten Thurs. night. I aimed to go to the lab at 12. I got there right on time...and it was closed until one. So, smart me, I had finished my detailed shopping list for Sun. nights turkey dinner for Monte's friends, and brought it with me. So I spent a fairly pleasant hour at Superstore. I don't like going to labs, especially when so many tests are being done. At 63, at fat diabetic, high blood pressure, 63, I am sure they will find something to poke at. The only test that I want to come out clean and okay is my kidney test. After talking to my brother and hearing what he went through with his kidney tests, I live in fear! But they were awesome and made the whole event fun.
Monte unloaded my jeep when I got home and I have all my stuff lined up ready to go. Today I am going to make the stuffing, bake the banana oatmeal cake for the trifle, set the table for eight, line up which pots I shall use for cooking everything. We have two vegetarians so, besides the tofurkey, I am making extra vegetables. Baked cauliflower, brussel sprouts, french green beans with almonds, candied sweet potatoes, stuffed baked butternut squash and scalloped corn...if I can find corn muffin mix. I need to make a run to Safeway. Busy day today! At least the house is clean (ish). TTYL
Sharri....Keep an eye on your pressures!!! I hate to preach but I sure wish I had paid better attention earlier. In the end its possible mine may not come down and I will have some decisions to make, but you! need to stay on top of it right from the jump. Don't be like me! End of sermon!
Shannon, not to nag but, where are you? We all miss you. I am getting emails from people asking about you. You don't have to be clever or funny (although you always are) but we would love to hear from you. End of nag! As I finished typing this my email pinged and it was a lovely missal from her! She has been deadly sick and once she is back on her feet 100% I am sure she will be back to commenting. I am trying to encourage her to write her own blog...we would all read it so she would start off with a pretty strong readership!
I spent Thursday in an awesome way. Aryn and Bradley, on their way back to Vancouver, stopped in for coffee and a little visit. I haven't seen Aryn in forever! It was so good to see her! They got stuck in my driveway. Every time Monte shovels, the snow plough comes along and makes a big mountain again. But some shovelling and cardboard, place on the RIGHT side of the front tires did the trick!
Speaking of shovelling...snow removal is new to Monte and I. And next year it will be different. I can see that if its not dealt with immediately, you end up with packed down icy snow that isn't shovellable. (shovel list hahahaha!!!!) And, to make matters worse, I feel judged. Very very judged by all my anal snow shovelling neighbours. I swear to God all those men (I have never seen a woman out there shovelling) stand out there in the opposite cul de sac and survey the surrounding driveways. And, of course, their driveways are totally sans snow, not even a whiff of snow on them. And there is no big pile of snow at the bottom of their driveways either. I hate them. We are definitely the losers in this neighbourhood.
Its the same with the garbage cans. By the time I get up at seven thirty and look out the window, everybodys', and I mean everybodys' cans have been taken in. You would never know it had been garbage day! Meanwhile, there's ours, tipped over or standing all wonky in the snow like drunken old men. Sometimes they end up way out in the street! How the hell does that happen? Sigh. I then walk the walk of shame and retrieve them, drag them back up the icy lumpy driveway, righting them every time they fall over.
I didn't get to the lab Thursday. I was busy here at the house. Business seems to be endless. But I did go on Friday. I had to fast for twelve hours. So I quit drinking and eating at ten Thurs. night. I aimed to go to the lab at 12. I got there right on time...and it was closed until one. So, smart me, I had finished my detailed shopping list for Sun. nights turkey dinner for Monte's friends, and brought it with me. So I spent a fairly pleasant hour at Superstore. I don't like going to labs, especially when so many tests are being done. At 63, at fat diabetic, high blood pressure, 63, I am sure they will find something to poke at. The only test that I want to come out clean and okay is my kidney test. After talking to my brother and hearing what he went through with his kidney tests, I live in fear! But they were awesome and made the whole event fun.
Monte unloaded my jeep when I got home and I have all my stuff lined up ready to go. Today I am going to make the stuffing, bake the banana oatmeal cake for the trifle, set the table for eight, line up which pots I shall use for cooking everything. We have two vegetarians so, besides the tofurkey, I am making extra vegetables. Baked cauliflower, brussel sprouts, french green beans with almonds, candied sweet potatoes, stuffed baked butternut squash and scalloped corn...if I can find corn muffin mix. I need to make a run to Safeway. Busy day today! At least the house is clean (ish). TTYL
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER RIGHT NOW
I actually hauled ass down to the doctor at eight this morning and made an appointment for noon. I went in with great hopes that my blood pressure had come down. Nope. Not one bit. 185 over 110. And while its that high he told me I cannot do anything strenuous, can't travel, can't have hot showers or baths, can't go to the gym. I am getting terrific headaches and can't take ibuprofen. Nothing else works for me. No salt. No caffeine. And he has sent me to the lab to get a zillion tests, including the diabetes A1C. So after tomorrow there will be no sugar, no flour (less than I do now). I am having an ecg, as well as checking every body fluid possible. This is why I hate going to doctors. They always find something new. You watch. I will report back on that. I have to go back to see him next thursday. There will be something more they find, I just know it.
I had a great day yesterday. I picked up Kathy and we went down to the Kiwanis meeting. Had a fantastic Reuben sandwich and there was a good turnout. Its not a big club, maybe only about twenty members and there were about fourteen people there. After the meeting we went to Bed Bath and Beyond and spent a lovely hour scouring the store for good buys. Kathy managed to find the best buy of them all...rolls of Xmas wrap, 100 sq feet, for 14 cents a roll!!!! You can't beat that! And I found three for five bucks good sized hand soap with pump in Lavender! Three of them!! Five bucks! We had a hoot in there!
Now I am off to pick up Kathy and head off to the Fox and Hounds then the bus to the game. Everett Washington is playing our team tonight. Its just so much fun!!! TTYL
I had a great day yesterday. I picked up Kathy and we went down to the Kiwanis meeting. Had a fantastic Reuben sandwich and there was a good turnout. Its not a big club, maybe only about twenty members and there were about fourteen people there. After the meeting we went to Bed Bath and Beyond and spent a lovely hour scouring the store for good buys. Kathy managed to find the best buy of them all...rolls of Xmas wrap, 100 sq feet, for 14 cents a roll!!!! You can't beat that! And I found three for five bucks good sized hand soap with pump in Lavender! Three of them!! Five bucks! We had a hoot in there!
Now I am off to pick up Kathy and head off to the Fox and Hounds then the bus to the game. Everett Washington is playing our team tonight. Its just so much fun!!! TTYL
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| KIWANIS PEEPS |
Monday, January 18, 2016
EMBARRASSED
Yesterday my garage door broke...again. The big spring at the top sprung apart. Seriously, I am beginning to think I should have rented. But to get a house this size it would have cost me about four grand a month here in Kamloops. People in the lower mainland think they have it bad. Not only is our rent here outrageous (and there is nothing available anyway) but our property taxes are completely outrageous. So renting wouldn't have worked out anyway. But constant little things going wrong is really annoying. First it was the broken drain pipe that flooded the basement, then it was the fireplace downstairs, then it was the electrical for the outside, then it was the garage door, and now its the garage door again.
Now, for the reason this post is called embarrassed. I called the garage door people early this morning. They told me that they would come out this afternoon and their technician would call first. Today is hair washing day so I figured I better get at it so I can be all dressed and coifed before they come.
The first in this step is to brush out my curly locks, which of course makes me look like a homeless freak off the street. I did that. Then I put on my size five (huge huge huge...) polka dotted duster housecoat. As I was about to hop into the shower, the doorbell rings. WTF???!!! I had no choice but to answer the door...horrible hair, huge hanging housecoat and no teeth. And, of course, there stood a fairly good looking older man, all set to do the garage door!!! JEEZ!!! I was honestly embarrassed! I apologized for my awful appearance, mentioned the fact that I didn't expect him until this afternoon and brought him through my smelly (thank you very much Willie) house out to the garage. 'sigh' And now I can't go shower etc...just in case he needs me. Oh well, No Pride Nellie...thats me.
Well, today is dining room day. I asked Monte to get me a couple of large rubbermaids. I can't do the dining room until I have something to pack the xmas stuff away in. And, there is no way I can put two giant rubbermaids into my jeep. I finally got them late last night. So today is finish the room day. Its such a pretty room when there is nothing in there.
Later on today Monte has a psychiatrist appointment. And apparently they want me to attend with him. Hopefully this is the day they finally take him off the last antipsychotic drug. He will always be on lithium but they can take him off the other stuff. And then he will keep losing weight. I think it will be interesting. I know they think he is pretty manic...he gets very intense and talky, which they interpret as manic. Little do they know that from the age of three, that is exactly what he has always been like. He isn't really manic, he is just talky and intense. I am looking forward to it though. We will see.
I got the oddest and wacky text from a phone number that wasn't in my phonedress. So I had no clue who it was from. After doing a little sleuthing I figured out that it was my handyman, Sue. She is awesome. And she wants me to make a list!!! Oh yeah!!! Two light fixtures, hang a tv, hook the water up to the fridge, make a baby gate, hang two mirrors. Thats about it. So come Feb. 1st some things will be done around here! I guess this is when I am glad I own this place. Oh, and I am going to get her to measure up my purple room bathroom for painting and wall paper. I used to wall paper all the time. Now I am sure Monte, a very tall Monte, will help me out!
Well I gotta bounce. The guy is finished out there in the garage and I can go wash my hair! TTYL
Now, for the reason this post is called embarrassed. I called the garage door people early this morning. They told me that they would come out this afternoon and their technician would call first. Today is hair washing day so I figured I better get at it so I can be all dressed and coifed before they come.
The first in this step is to brush out my curly locks, which of course makes me look like a homeless freak off the street. I did that. Then I put on my size five (huge huge huge...) polka dotted duster housecoat. As I was about to hop into the shower, the doorbell rings. WTF???!!! I had no choice but to answer the door...horrible hair, huge hanging housecoat and no teeth. And, of course, there stood a fairly good looking older man, all set to do the garage door!!! JEEZ!!! I was honestly embarrassed! I apologized for my awful appearance, mentioned the fact that I didn't expect him until this afternoon and brought him through my smelly (thank you very much Willie) house out to the garage. 'sigh' And now I can't go shower etc...just in case he needs me. Oh well, No Pride Nellie...thats me.
Well, today is dining room day. I asked Monte to get me a couple of large rubbermaids. I can't do the dining room until I have something to pack the xmas stuff away in. And, there is no way I can put two giant rubbermaids into my jeep. I finally got them late last night. So today is finish the room day. Its such a pretty room when there is nothing in there.
Later on today Monte has a psychiatrist appointment. And apparently they want me to attend with him. Hopefully this is the day they finally take him off the last antipsychotic drug. He will always be on lithium but they can take him off the other stuff. And then he will keep losing weight. I think it will be interesting. I know they think he is pretty manic...he gets very intense and talky, which they interpret as manic. Little do they know that from the age of three, that is exactly what he has always been like. He isn't really manic, he is just talky and intense. I am looking forward to it though. We will see.
I got the oddest and wacky text from a phone number that wasn't in my phonedress. So I had no clue who it was from. After doing a little sleuthing I figured out that it was my handyman, Sue. She is awesome. And she wants me to make a list!!! Oh yeah!!! Two light fixtures, hang a tv, hook the water up to the fridge, make a baby gate, hang two mirrors. Thats about it. So come Feb. 1st some things will be done around here! I guess this is when I am glad I own this place. Oh, and I am going to get her to measure up my purple room bathroom for painting and wall paper. I used to wall paper all the time. Now I am sure Monte, a very tall Monte, will help me out!
Well I gotta bounce. The guy is finished out there in the garage and I can go wash my hair! TTYL
Saturday, January 16, 2016
FIFTY THOUSAND!!!!!!
Jeez I wish Spod could be here! I remember the very first post I did with him sitting there and waiting to hear it. I had been blogging for three years but I didn't tell anybody. Then I talked it over with Spod and decided to post about the trip we were on and hand out the blog title so people could read about the trip. I think it was a cruise from Dover to New York...via the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland etc. ending in New York. But mostly I blogged about the wretched people we met on the boat. He loved to hear the post before I posted it. About six months after that first post from a cruise ship I put the counter on the blog. He always asked 'How many now?'. And I remember when we finally reached ten thousand. He was so thrilled...it took quite a while. And now here we are at Fifty Thousand!!!!! He would be so excited.
Yesterday I finally got all the laundry finished and the living room looking splendiferous. But now my dining room is stacked to the ceiling with christmas stuff, extra dishes, rabbit etc.... So tomorrow I shall work on it. Its a beautiful room when there is nothing in there! My biggest problem is Willie. I simply have no where to put him. When its warm outside he just sits out on the deck but when its freezing I simply do not have any space anywhere for him. Plus he stinks. Now that I spend way more time out in the kitchen, nearer to him in the dining room, it has come to my attention that he is smelly, even when we change his cage constantly.
Speaking of animals.....Molly. I am so pissed off with her right now. She has been banished to the bad dog bed in the bedroom.
I was gone all day today. Monte came upstairs around noon (I left around ten), and she had spread garbage all over the kitchen. So Monte cleaned it up and gave her shit.
He left the house around three, putting her out again before he left. I got home about five thirty and she had crapped on the kitchen floor, pissed in the hallway and behind the rocking chair in the kitchen. There is absolutely no excuse for this. None. So I hollered at her and made her go to the bed in purple room. And she had to stay there. I let her out to feed her and to put her out for a pee but other than that she had to stay in there. Stupid dog. I could see it if she had been in the house all alone for eight hours like other dogs in the world do. I get to the point where I just start to tolerate her and even like her a little, then she does something like this. Man! I was just NOT meant to be a dog owner. (shovel list)
I had the most delightful day today. I spent the day with Kathy at Craig and Jo's, babysitting Ainsley. That kid is the most watchable little monkey! She is soooo mellydram and nuts. The faces she makes! and her reactions to things are so funny. Kathy and I had a great visit. At one point, while Ainsley was napping, Kathy had to pop down to her doctors. I fell sound asleep on the couch! Out cold! Being down at their house is a lot like being on a little holiday. Kathy and I were discussing this today...away from any work we may have at home, away from our daily routines, just sitting around watching a very entertaining eighteen month old play.
Well, its getting late. Off to bed. I have to try to get in a forgiving mood with Molly. She sleeps with me and I don't want to be angry all night. Sigh. TTYL
ps....Shannon....that is a loooong time to be sick. You poor thing. Was it that awful flu where you cough you brains out, can't eat, shiver, toilet seat is so cold you could cry etc...? I wish I could have been there to make you soup and plug in an electric blanket for you. I hope you really are on the mend. Email me!
Yesterday I finally got all the laundry finished and the living room looking splendiferous. But now my dining room is stacked to the ceiling with christmas stuff, extra dishes, rabbit etc.... So tomorrow I shall work on it. Its a beautiful room when there is nothing in there! My biggest problem is Willie. I simply have no where to put him. When its warm outside he just sits out on the deck but when its freezing I simply do not have any space anywhere for him. Plus he stinks. Now that I spend way more time out in the kitchen, nearer to him in the dining room, it has come to my attention that he is smelly, even when we change his cage constantly.
Speaking of animals.....Molly. I am so pissed off with her right now. She has been banished to the bad dog bed in the bedroom.
I was gone all day today. Monte came upstairs around noon (I left around ten), and she had spread garbage all over the kitchen. So Monte cleaned it up and gave her shit.
He left the house around three, putting her out again before he left. I got home about five thirty and she had crapped on the kitchen floor, pissed in the hallway and behind the rocking chair in the kitchen. There is absolutely no excuse for this. None. So I hollered at her and made her go to the bed in purple room. And she had to stay there. I let her out to feed her and to put her out for a pee but other than that she had to stay in there. Stupid dog. I could see it if she had been in the house all alone for eight hours like other dogs in the world do. I get to the point where I just start to tolerate her and even like her a little, then she does something like this. Man! I was just NOT meant to be a dog owner. (shovel list)
I had the most delightful day today. I spent the day with Kathy at Craig and Jo's, babysitting Ainsley. That kid is the most watchable little monkey! She is soooo mellydram and nuts. The faces she makes! and her reactions to things are so funny. Kathy and I had a great visit. At one point, while Ainsley was napping, Kathy had to pop down to her doctors. I fell sound asleep on the couch! Out cold! Being down at their house is a lot like being on a little holiday. Kathy and I were discussing this today...away from any work we may have at home, away from our daily routines, just sitting around watching a very entertaining eighteen month old play.
Well, its getting late. Off to bed. I have to try to get in a forgiving mood with Molly. She sleeps with me and I don't want to be angry all night. Sigh. TTYL
ps....Shannon....that is a loooong time to be sick. You poor thing. Was it that awful flu where you cough you brains out, can't eat, shiver, toilet seat is so cold you could cry etc...? I wish I could have been there to make you soup and plug in an electric blanket for you. I hope you really are on the mend. Email me!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
JEEZ LOUISE!!!!!
As if everything Molly does isn't enough already, she has developed a new annoying thing. Her bottom jaw shivers up and down, and her teeth clack. She does it all the time....clack clack clack at a hundred miles an hour. What the hell is that? It reminds me of what cats do when they see a bird. Its that fast, but her teeth, what's left of them, clack together. She does this FREQUENTLY through the night.
I got Purple Room all clean and organized. Now I have a bare wall due to the chairs having been moved out to the kitchen. So either another chair can go there or maybe a small vanity for my jewelry etc... and today at Winners that decision was made. I popped into Pier One first and they had lovely choices...but expensive. Before buying anything I decided to go to Winners. And am I ever glad I did. I found a lovely little loveseat, cheap. So I bought it and Monte is going down to pick it up in the next hour. I shall take pics.
I spent the morning this morning very oddly. The literacy group here in town run a program called the Little Red Bookshelf. There are several red bookshelves spread about the city. Each shelf is assigned a person to maintain it. It seems that Kiwanis takes care of the one at the Y downtown.
Over at a school across town there are thousands, and I mean thousands, of books. Some are used, some are new...all donated. All those books have to be checked for appropriateness, checked for bad words written on the pages, dirt, rips etc....Then when they have been checked and cleaned with handiwipes, a Bookshelf sticker is stuck on the back. Then they are sorted into categories (about forty categories from what I could tell), many shelves filled and the rest properly boxed and labelled.
This morning there was a massive influx of new books. So there was no cleaning or checking, just stickering. I emptied forty sheets of stickers. Each sheet has thirty stickers. You do the math!!!! Thats a lot of books all ready to be placed on bookshelves. Another lady from Kiwanis was there and did about the same amount. I have to be honest though, it was really fast and easy.
Well, Monte just arrived with the love seat. It looks fantiddelyastic!!! And its super duper comfy. I shall include some pics here.
A word to Shannon. Where are you? What happened finally with your car? We need updates!!!!! Peeps are asking for you! TTYL
I got Purple Room all clean and organized. Now I have a bare wall due to the chairs having been moved out to the kitchen. So either another chair can go there or maybe a small vanity for my jewelry etc... and today at Winners that decision was made. I popped into Pier One first and they had lovely choices...but expensive. Before buying anything I decided to go to Winners. And am I ever glad I did. I found a lovely little loveseat, cheap. So I bought it and Monte is going down to pick it up in the next hour. I shall take pics.
I spent the morning this morning very oddly. The literacy group here in town run a program called the Little Red Bookshelf. There are several red bookshelves spread about the city. Each shelf is assigned a person to maintain it. It seems that Kiwanis takes care of the one at the Y downtown.
Over at a school across town there are thousands, and I mean thousands, of books. Some are used, some are new...all donated. All those books have to be checked for appropriateness, checked for bad words written on the pages, dirt, rips etc....Then when they have been checked and cleaned with handiwipes, a Bookshelf sticker is stuck on the back. Then they are sorted into categories (about forty categories from what I could tell), many shelves filled and the rest properly boxed and labelled.
This morning there was a massive influx of new books. So there was no cleaning or checking, just stickering. I emptied forty sheets of stickers. Each sheet has thirty stickers. You do the math!!!! Thats a lot of books all ready to be placed on bookshelves. Another lady from Kiwanis was there and did about the same amount. I have to be honest though, it was really fast and easy.
Well, Monte just arrived with the love seat. It looks fantiddelyastic!!! And its super duper comfy. I shall include some pics here.
A word to Shannon. Where are you? What happened finally with your car? We need updates!!!!! Peeps are asking for you! TTYL
Monday, January 11, 2016
DIRTY SHIRTS
Yesterday, as I finally started sorting the three story high pile of clothes, that somehow clean and dirty clothes had intermingled, it yet again came to my attention that all, and I do mean all, my shirts, both clean and dirty, had permanent food stains down the front of them. It is kind of a joke in the family how I can't eat without spillage. Spod used to comment on how he liked having me around because I was a much dirtier eater than he. Nice Spod, thank you very much. Unfortunately he was right, as evidenced by all the food stained shirts I came across in my Purple Room.
I decided to try to figure out why. So I sat down with a nice bowl of soup and proceeded to unintentionally spill it down my shirt as I ate. I slowed down and carefully observed my movements and quite quickly discovered exactly what the reason was. Put simply....my giant stomach. When I leaned over towards the bowl to keep the spoonful way forward and not above my chest, it wouldn't work. My stomach stopped me short of my goal. The only way to eat that soup without spilling on me was to push my chair way back, spread my knees, drop said stomach down between them and crouch down and hover, chin just above the bowl. Yeah like I am going to do that every time. Not. Dirty shirts it shall be.
You know another thing I noticed recently, I have no new pictures. I always have new pictures! Upon thinking about it I realized that thanks to Spod and his incessant need to travel about, either across the seas or in our area at home, I always had new pictures. He was amazing at spotting good shots and stopping. I need to correct this. When the roads are okay I need to hop into Tank and go out and hunt for new pics. I bet my friend Anne would go with me! I shall have to ask her.
I just phoned her and she is all gung ho. So as soon as the back roads are safe to travel we shall go picture hunting and picnicking. She loves getting out and driving around. I think I will find a map that shows all the back roads and start making routes to travel!
Well I must bounce. I still have some work left in Purple room. So much freaking organizing. TTYL
I decided to try to figure out why. So I sat down with a nice bowl of soup and proceeded to unintentionally spill it down my shirt as I ate. I slowed down and carefully observed my movements and quite quickly discovered exactly what the reason was. Put simply....my giant stomach. When I leaned over towards the bowl to keep the spoonful way forward and not above my chest, it wouldn't work. My stomach stopped me short of my goal. The only way to eat that soup without spilling on me was to push my chair way back, spread my knees, drop said stomach down between them and crouch down and hover, chin just above the bowl. Yeah like I am going to do that every time. Not. Dirty shirts it shall be.
You know another thing I noticed recently, I have no new pictures. I always have new pictures! Upon thinking about it I realized that thanks to Spod and his incessant need to travel about, either across the seas or in our area at home, I always had new pictures. He was amazing at spotting good shots and stopping. I need to correct this. When the roads are okay I need to hop into Tank and go out and hunt for new pics. I bet my friend Anne would go with me! I shall have to ask her.
I just phoned her and she is all gung ho. So as soon as the back roads are safe to travel we shall go picture hunting and picnicking. She loves getting out and driving around. I think I will find a map that shows all the back roads and start making routes to travel!
Well I must bounce. I still have some work left in Purple room. So much freaking organizing. TTYL
Sunday, January 10, 2016
ECSTATIC
Such a simple thing as location can make me so happy!
I have made a firm decision. I actually had to sit for a while, no noise, no tv or music and make a decision. I LOVE MY CHAIR. And I spend a LOT of time in it. I run my whole life from my chair and laptop. I do go out and about and have wonderful times, but I am not truly comfortable and feeling 'right' until I am back in my chair. And I am NOT going to feel guilty or bad about it. I am going to enjoy my chair time, guilt free.
Also, I am noticing that here at home or at my sister's place, they are the only places I can eat comfortably. When I am anywhere else, I eat a few bites then start feeling icky and have to stop. That doesn't really happen here at home or at Kathy's. To tell you the truth, I think I would be a good candidate to become either a hermit (I have always felt that way since I was little) or agoraphobic. I was talking to Kathy about the hermit thing and we both are very attracted to the 'living off the grid up north' shows on tv! I absolutely love those shows to the point where I pvr them! Living in isolation, making it off the land is really appealing to both of us. (Jeez, that was an atrociously written paragraph...sorry)
So all that being said, as I mentioned before I was planning to get Shaw to put a connection in the kitchen. I called them Thursday morning and the guy told me they could come the next day!!! I hollered for Monte and we whipped up to Costco and I bought a 40" smart tv! Then we shovelled off the deck where he would have to walk, cleaned the new 'family room' area and spic and spanned the kitchen. They showed up Fri. right on time! And before you could say Bob's your uncle I had a hook up in the kitchen!!!
Monte helped me set up the tv. Smart tv's need some figuring out and a lot of button pushing! Thank goodness Monte was there...I would have pitched at least one of the clickers through the window!
I dragged my other comfy chair, the one I used in Langford, out from purple room and Voila! I am as happy as a pig in a poke!!! I can cook and clean and feel like part of this end of the house now!!! Kathy came over for coffee yesterday so I dragged out another rocking chair and we gave it a test run. She had some good suggestions (she always has a good suggestion every time she is up here!) and we settled back comfortably to visit and drink coffee! I absolutely love love it out here!
Bradley spent the night here Friday night on his way to Alberta. I really enjoy visiting with him. Its really easy. He is a talker so I can sit back, relax and listen. And he is always interesting and of course he has that awesome British East London accent we all love! I thawed out a bag of subjit and heated up cheat rotis (whole wheat tortillas), gave him a cold fat tug and he was a happy camper.
Yesterday (Saturday) I met an old school friend, Kathy McGregor (remember her Cookie? We are going to have her come for lunch when you are up here next time). I met her at 11:30 and we talked solidly until two thirty! We have an awful lot in common. She is such a lovely person!
Monte's friend from Kelowna came for a visit. His name is Colton and he is such an interesting fellow and just plain nice! Monte makes such good choices when he makes friends. This one is a keeper and is welcome anytime! I think he has to go home today. They are out for breakfast at the moment. He is a graphic artist and works for a sign designer. Last night they spent the evening listening to vinyl downstairs! Old school!
Today is clean the purple room day. Its a godawful mess in there. Clearly I haven't got rid of enough stuff yet. How the hell does that happen? And if one more person says to me (Cookie et al!) "We just put out one teensy tiny little bag of garbage once a month", whilst I am hauling giant black garbage bags out to an already full bin, and Monte is making supplemental runs to the dump, I shall smack them!! I don't believe them. I just don't.
Kathy told me just before Christmas that they had a fairly full bin that garbage day and when they looked out the window the bin was tipped over (this was before the garbage truck had come). She went out and the garbage was nowhere in site...completely gone. She looked and looked and the bag had completely disappeared. And then when she was heading back to the front door, she came across a huge pile of fresh bear poop! In December. Seriously, they should be sleeping. He must have been an inexperienced bear.
Well rambling on here ain't getting my room cleaned. Gotta bounce! TTYL
I have made a firm decision. I actually had to sit for a while, no noise, no tv or music and make a decision. I LOVE MY CHAIR. And I spend a LOT of time in it. I run my whole life from my chair and laptop. I do go out and about and have wonderful times, but I am not truly comfortable and feeling 'right' until I am back in my chair. And I am NOT going to feel guilty or bad about it. I am going to enjoy my chair time, guilt free.
Also, I am noticing that here at home or at my sister's place, they are the only places I can eat comfortably. When I am anywhere else, I eat a few bites then start feeling icky and have to stop. That doesn't really happen here at home or at Kathy's. To tell you the truth, I think I would be a good candidate to become either a hermit (I have always felt that way since I was little) or agoraphobic. I was talking to Kathy about the hermit thing and we both are very attracted to the 'living off the grid up north' shows on tv! I absolutely love those shows to the point where I pvr them! Living in isolation, making it off the land is really appealing to both of us. (Jeez, that was an atrociously written paragraph...sorry)
So all that being said, as I mentioned before I was planning to get Shaw to put a connection in the kitchen. I called them Thursday morning and the guy told me they could come the next day!!! I hollered for Monte and we whipped up to Costco and I bought a 40" smart tv! Then we shovelled off the deck where he would have to walk, cleaned the new 'family room' area and spic and spanned the kitchen. They showed up Fri. right on time! And before you could say Bob's your uncle I had a hook up in the kitchen!!!
Monte helped me set up the tv. Smart tv's need some figuring out and a lot of button pushing! Thank goodness Monte was there...I would have pitched at least one of the clickers through the window!
I dragged my other comfy chair, the one I used in Langford, out from purple room and Voila! I am as happy as a pig in a poke!!! I can cook and clean and feel like part of this end of the house now!!! Kathy came over for coffee yesterday so I dragged out another rocking chair and we gave it a test run. She had some good suggestions (she always has a good suggestion every time she is up here!) and we settled back comfortably to visit and drink coffee! I absolutely love love it out here!
Bradley spent the night here Friday night on his way to Alberta. I really enjoy visiting with him. Its really easy. He is a talker so I can sit back, relax and listen. And he is always interesting and of course he has that awesome British East London accent we all love! I thawed out a bag of subjit and heated up cheat rotis (whole wheat tortillas), gave him a cold fat tug and he was a happy camper.
Yesterday (Saturday) I met an old school friend, Kathy McGregor (remember her Cookie? We are going to have her come for lunch when you are up here next time). I met her at 11:30 and we talked solidly until two thirty! We have an awful lot in common. She is such a lovely person!
Monte's friend from Kelowna came for a visit. His name is Colton and he is such an interesting fellow and just plain nice! Monte makes such good choices when he makes friends. This one is a keeper and is welcome anytime! I think he has to go home today. They are out for breakfast at the moment. He is a graphic artist and works for a sign designer. Last night they spent the evening listening to vinyl downstairs! Old school!
Today is clean the purple room day. Its a godawful mess in there. Clearly I haven't got rid of enough stuff yet. How the hell does that happen? And if one more person says to me (Cookie et al!) "We just put out one teensy tiny little bag of garbage once a month", whilst I am hauling giant black garbage bags out to an already full bin, and Monte is making supplemental runs to the dump, I shall smack them!! I don't believe them. I just don't.
Kathy told me just before Christmas that they had a fairly full bin that garbage day and when they looked out the window the bin was tipped over (this was before the garbage truck had come). She went out and the garbage was nowhere in site...completely gone. She looked and looked and the bag had completely disappeared. And then when she was heading back to the front door, she came across a huge pile of fresh bear poop! In December. Seriously, they should be sleeping. He must have been an inexperienced bear.
Well rambling on here ain't getting my room cleaned. Gotta bounce! TTYL
Thursday, January 7, 2016
A BIG THANK YOU
Before I post today I want to say a quick thank you to all you readers out there. You have stuck with me through thick and thin, boring posts, whining posts, nasty posts and the good times. My blog is approaching fifty thousand hits!!!!
I remember very clearly my very first post. I was sitting in my garishly painted yellow laundry room in the big house, right after the fire. The blog was named The Laundry Room Shelf back then. I didn't post very often and certainly nothing interesting. I was into reading other people's blogs more than writing in my own. But as time passed I noticed something. Maybe one in a hundred kept up the posting. Almost everybody would post a while and then you never heard from them again. So I vowed not to do that.
When we moved up to the new house that used to be Aryn's, I took over the purple bedroom and made it my den. I LOVED it and renamed my blog to Purple Room vents. And now I am sitting in my third purple room!
As time passed, my blog became a friend to me. When I sit in my room, very late, in the dark, blogging...I feel all of you there with me. There is no way can I ever get lonely with all of you there. And that was truly tested last year while Spod was dying. Every night it was easy to drum up the energy to do the nightly report. All that love and support was utterly amazing. So as I approach that fifty thousand mark, I want to thank you all!
Last night Monte and I went to the hockey game and had a blast!!! We are getting to know the regulars that sit around us which makes it even better. Fortunately there was no one sitting in the row in front of us so Monte could put his legs over the top and down on the seats in front. He is just so damned tall. The people around us just look at him in amazement then laugh...not in a mean way but in incredulity. Its crazy how many people come up and ask how tall he is.
There were people on the bus I knew! A couple of men from Kiwanis and their wives...whom I got to know at the Christmas party. One of the women is starting up a knitting club. I am going to go and she has agreed to teach me how to knit! You can't be a genuine granny unless you either quilt or knit and I know quilting is just too much math for my old idiot brain!!!
Today Monte and I are going to home depot. I need to check out the price of dremels and wee chain saws. I have always had access to a little chain saw and I just may get one. We sure could have used it over the christmas season. Also I could have cut down my own tree out front and saved enough money to buy the darn thing. There is another tree out back I want down. I can do that myself. Plus right now I am signing off and I am going to phone Shaw to come and put in that connection in the kitchen. I can't wait! TTYL
I remember very clearly my very first post. I was sitting in my garishly painted yellow laundry room in the big house, right after the fire. The blog was named The Laundry Room Shelf back then. I didn't post very often and certainly nothing interesting. I was into reading other people's blogs more than writing in my own. But as time passed I noticed something. Maybe one in a hundred kept up the posting. Almost everybody would post a while and then you never heard from them again. So I vowed not to do that.
When we moved up to the new house that used to be Aryn's, I took over the purple bedroom and made it my den. I LOVED it and renamed my blog to Purple Room vents. And now I am sitting in my third purple room!
As time passed, my blog became a friend to me. When I sit in my room, very late, in the dark, blogging...I feel all of you there with me. There is no way can I ever get lonely with all of you there. And that was truly tested last year while Spod was dying. Every night it was easy to drum up the energy to do the nightly report. All that love and support was utterly amazing. So as I approach that fifty thousand mark, I want to thank you all!
Last night Monte and I went to the hockey game and had a blast!!! We are getting to know the regulars that sit around us which makes it even better. Fortunately there was no one sitting in the row in front of us so Monte could put his legs over the top and down on the seats in front. He is just so damned tall. The people around us just look at him in amazement then laugh...not in a mean way but in incredulity. Its crazy how many people come up and ask how tall he is.
There were people on the bus I knew! A couple of men from Kiwanis and their wives...whom I got to know at the Christmas party. One of the women is starting up a knitting club. I am going to go and she has agreed to teach me how to knit! You can't be a genuine granny unless you either quilt or knit and I know quilting is just too much math for my old idiot brain!!!
Today Monte and I are going to home depot. I need to check out the price of dremels and wee chain saws. I have always had access to a little chain saw and I just may get one. We sure could have used it over the christmas season. Also I could have cut down my own tree out front and saved enough money to buy the darn thing. There is another tree out back I want down. I can do that myself. Plus right now I am signing off and I am going to phone Shaw to come and put in that connection in the kitchen. I can't wait! TTYL
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
NOT MUCH TO REPORT
Other than doing a load of cooking, I have done very little since Sunday. Monte and I did manage to get the tree out the door. You know the tree died within a very short time of being put in the new big tree stand. We checked it daily and it seemed to have lots of water. So when we took it down and checked the well was full of water and the bottom of the stump of the tree was soaking wet. WTH??? I have no clue why that tree didn't suck up water and proceed to die. It still smells awesome too!
There was a fair amount of potatoes and carrots and hamburger etc...left from the week. So I spent the day taking care of the food. I rolled up a dozen tortillas with the subjit. Made my version of samosas. Made some mini meatloafs and some bread and pea soup. I love cooking days and now I have enough food to whip something up when necessary.
I also watched the entire two hours of the Bachelor last night. Either you are a bachelor fan or you are not. And I will jump to a conclusion here and figure most people are not...or won't admit that they are. Well, I am not proud. I love the show and PVR it just in case I am not home on a Monday night. No apologies!!!!LOL!!!
Well I must up and get dressed. Its still snowing out. So much snow! I am going to pick Kathy up for the Kiwanis meeting downtown and then we are off to Superstore. Veggie time! I am going to post the two pics of Monte. I miss his long hair:( TTYL
There was a fair amount of potatoes and carrots and hamburger etc...left from the week. So I spent the day taking care of the food. I rolled up a dozen tortillas with the subjit. Made my version of samosas. Made some mini meatloafs and some bread and pea soup. I love cooking days and now I have enough food to whip something up when necessary.
I also watched the entire two hours of the Bachelor last night. Either you are a bachelor fan or you are not. And I will jump to a conclusion here and figure most people are not...or won't admit that they are. Well, I am not proud. I love the show and PVR it just in case I am not home on a Monday night. No apologies!!!!LOL!!!
Well I must up and get dressed. Its still snowing out. So much snow! I am going to pick Kathy up for the Kiwanis meeting downtown and then we are off to Superstore. Veggie time! I am going to post the two pics of Monte. I miss his long hair:( TTYL
Sunday, January 3, 2016
DEAFENING SILENCE
Well, everyone is gone now. Whilst my favourite state of existence is being alone, the quiet and emptiness when everyone leaves can be hard. I miss Spod, so much. It seems to get worse instead of better. When he was here, that moment when the door shuts behind the last person, he and I would settle into our chairs and dissect the whole event that just happened. He really was a born gossiper and dissecting events was a lot of fun with him. I miss it.
My new years bargain with myself this 2016 is to be nicer. In my head. I had a really interesting convo with April about this. She is pretty observant of human behaviour and in her job, with the amount of humans she encounters, she can come to some unscientific conclusions about people. And one of them was the traits the various ages display. And....sixty somethings, until about seventy, tend to be smug about their accumulated knowledge from many years experiences and can be very opinionated and for sure don't listen. And I think she is right!!! She said that around the age of seventy though people seem to chill out, relax and just be free. In other words we get past the 'know it all and not afraid to express it' stage! So I am going to make a conscious effort to not be that way. In fact, she maybe said 'all' sixty year olds when she was really just talking about me...watering it down so to speak. Because she is totally right...I am smug about my experiential knowledge and very opinionated. This is going to be the hardest resolution I will have ever tried!
Emma has been a hoot to have. She is actually more of a garbage/food dog than Sadie, Aryn's dog. I didn't think that THAT was possible. Aryn's dog can sniff out food and garbage a mile away. But I knew this about Sadie and before she would come to stay I would food proof the house. I didn't really know this about Emma, til this week.
I don't leave food around but with the house plumb full of people, including little children, food is definitely going to end up sitting in places I don't see. But Emma did. Apparently someone left pizza crusts in the bottom of the garbage basket by my chair. She found those! after removing all the other garbage. She went into an orange box on the floor in my purple room, and spread the orange peels that were in there all over. I think she probably associated the smell of orange peels with food garbage. I keep a row of crackers beside my chair. I eat a few every morning so my stomach won't hurt. She found those! She ate the kids food off their plates on the kitchen table! And the real kicker?
I had taken the turkey carcass out of the freezer and put it at the back of the kitchen table to thaw. We caught her up on the table!!!!! chewing away on it!!!!! I couldn't believe it!! And that is something Sadie would never have done!!! My personal opinion is she is a hungry dog. She gets one scant cup of food in the morning and three dog biscuits. Thats it. While it keeps her skinny, which is good and healthy, it makes her a hungry dog. Other than that though she is such a good dog, smart. She sleeps in the bedroom with me every night and all you have to do is look at her and she does what she is supposed to. The kids had a lot of fun with her too. April packed her around lots which I don't think she is used to.
Yesterday was a really quiet awesome day. Kev and fam left by about ten in the morning. So April and Myles and I spent the day lazing downstairs by the fire and watched two awesome movies. The Second Best Marigold Hotel and The Imitation Game. Both movies were so good. We just had the most wonderful quiet peaceful lazy day. Monte went out til about four in the morning. He is making some real quality good friends. Apparently last night he spent the night playing charades with his new friends. I don't remember if I mentioned this, probably did but I have 'idiocy', not dementia according to the kids. Monte had all his hair cut off. And honestly, when he first came home I almost cried. It was probably the worst haircut I have ever seen. It was awful. It made him look like a retarded farm boy. I didn't say anything but I did try to get the hairdresser's name out of him. He said he couldn't remember. I wanted to go find her and wring her wretched neck, or at the least let her verbally have it, loud, in front of everyone. It wasn't new year's yet so my resolution wasn't in action yet!
The next day April and he went out for lunch and April got him to go to the barber he goes to to get beard trims. And lickety split the barber fixed it beautifully! Now he looks so much better...I guess. Between you and me though I preferred him with the long hair. But I kept my mouth shut and didn't say anything to him and he never ever reads this blog. So don't any of you tell him!!!! When I get a picture of him I will post my fave pic of him with his hair long and a current one. You tell me which is best. TTYL
My new years bargain with myself this 2016 is to be nicer. In my head. I had a really interesting convo with April about this. She is pretty observant of human behaviour and in her job, with the amount of humans she encounters, she can come to some unscientific conclusions about people. And one of them was the traits the various ages display. And....sixty somethings, until about seventy, tend to be smug about their accumulated knowledge from many years experiences and can be very opinionated and for sure don't listen. And I think she is right!!! She said that around the age of seventy though people seem to chill out, relax and just be free. In other words we get past the 'know it all and not afraid to express it' stage! So I am going to make a conscious effort to not be that way. In fact, she maybe said 'all' sixty year olds when she was really just talking about me...watering it down so to speak. Because she is totally right...I am smug about my experiential knowledge and very opinionated. This is going to be the hardest resolution I will have ever tried!
Emma has been a hoot to have. She is actually more of a garbage/food dog than Sadie, Aryn's dog. I didn't think that THAT was possible. Aryn's dog can sniff out food and garbage a mile away. But I knew this about Sadie and before she would come to stay I would food proof the house. I didn't really know this about Emma, til this week.
I don't leave food around but with the house plumb full of people, including little children, food is definitely going to end up sitting in places I don't see. But Emma did. Apparently someone left pizza crusts in the bottom of the garbage basket by my chair. She found those! after removing all the other garbage. She went into an orange box on the floor in my purple room, and spread the orange peels that were in there all over. I think she probably associated the smell of orange peels with food garbage. I keep a row of crackers beside my chair. I eat a few every morning so my stomach won't hurt. She found those! She ate the kids food off their plates on the kitchen table! And the real kicker?
I had taken the turkey carcass out of the freezer and put it at the back of the kitchen table to thaw. We caught her up on the table!!!!! chewing away on it!!!!! I couldn't believe it!! And that is something Sadie would never have done!!! My personal opinion is she is a hungry dog. She gets one scant cup of food in the morning and three dog biscuits. Thats it. While it keeps her skinny, which is good and healthy, it makes her a hungry dog. Other than that though she is such a good dog, smart. She sleeps in the bedroom with me every night and all you have to do is look at her and she does what she is supposed to. The kids had a lot of fun with her too. April packed her around lots which I don't think she is used to.
Yesterday was a really quiet awesome day. Kev and fam left by about ten in the morning. So April and Myles and I spent the day lazing downstairs by the fire and watched two awesome movies. The Second Best Marigold Hotel and The Imitation Game. Both movies were so good. We just had the most wonderful quiet peaceful lazy day. Monte went out til about four in the morning. He is making some real quality good friends. Apparently last night he spent the night playing charades with his new friends. I don't remember if I mentioned this, probably did but I have 'idiocy', not dementia according to the kids. Monte had all his hair cut off. And honestly, when he first came home I almost cried. It was probably the worst haircut I have ever seen. It was awful. It made him look like a retarded farm boy. I didn't say anything but I did try to get the hairdresser's name out of him. He said he couldn't remember. I wanted to go find her and wring her wretched neck, or at the least let her verbally have it, loud, in front of everyone. It wasn't new year's yet so my resolution wasn't in action yet!
The next day April and he went out for lunch and April got him to go to the barber he goes to to get beard trims. And lickety split the barber fixed it beautifully! Now he looks so much better...I guess. Between you and me though I preferred him with the long hair. But I kept my mouth shut and didn't say anything to him and he never ever reads this blog. So don't any of you tell him!!!! When I get a picture of him I will post my fave pic of him with his hair long and a current one. You tell me which is best. TTYL
Friday, January 1, 2016
A VERY TAME NEW YEAR
Dangit!! I have let four days go by and now I don't remember everything that has happened. So I shall just mention some stuff I recall.
Kevin et al arrived and it was so good to see the kids. They immediately spied the giant presents under the tree. At five and eight...size matters. So we opened presents almost immediately. There is nothing like watching kids faces light up when they get that paper off. Elise got a giant Frozen castle from us and I gave Fenton, amongst other fun stuff, his first ipad...with parents permission. They have a smaller older one that I figured Elise would use but I can see already that he is having to give her equal time with his new one. Good to share.
They gave me a soda stream!!!! And boy have we had fun with that thing! Kevin decided to carbonize apple juice and he literally had to wash down the kitchen after. It exploded everywhere!!! Monte went out and bought a plethora of flavours and a few more bottles. What a great present! I love love love bubbly water and this things makes the best!
Yesterday April and I went shopping for clothes for her. And, for the first time since I got fat I was not sorry I couldn't fit into anything. The clothes right now are butt ugly. I didn't see even one thing that I would have bought for myself. After hours of poor April trying to find tops to buy, we went down to Blenz and had a most delicious cup of Americano. We sat beside a first nations couple from Lilloette. They were delightful and we had a fabulous visit with them. We also hit Home Sense and I bought throw rugs, gorgeous mirror for the end of the hallway and a brand new not chipped trifle bowl. Its almost identical to the old one which makes me happy.
Cooking for a group of people that include allergies, vegetarianism and maybe pickiness, can be a challenge...one I love. Two nights ago I made a massive zubjit. Potato, carrot and cauliflower. It was sooooo good! Last night I made a massive pot of dahl. Everybody liked these two meals so that made it easy. And Monte, thank god, does ALL the shopping. We make out lists for him and he goes forth and executes. He has become the best shopper. And Tandy and Kevin do all the clean up! Thats amazing too. So I don't have to shop. I don't have to do clean up. All I have to do is the cooking...the best part!
The kids have gone tobogganing every single day over at the school. There are lots of kids there and many snow forts being built! Today, if they go over, I am going to go over and watch April snow skate. It sounds positively terrifying but apparently she is pretty good at it!
We have been playing games every night. Kevin is a board game freak and has brought a bunch of games with him. We have had so much fun! We have laughed so hard that at one point Kevin had to go outside and shut the door to try to quit laughing. April, when she gets tipsy, is beyond hilarious. She is so so funny! And last night, New Years Eve, we played the most complicated crazy fun game of them all. I think we are going to play it again tonight.
Anyway, this doesn't cover it all and I am sure you don't want to hear it all. But suffice it to say its been great. One thing I want to tell....the last time the kids were here I had bought some Robert Munsch books. I LOVE Robert Munsch. When the Kevin family went shopping for my xmas present, they were trying to decide what to get me. Fenton apparently said, "Let's get Gma a Robert Munsch book. She loves his books." They said no, they were looking at something a little bigger. So he finally got impatient, took his own money he saved from bottle returns, and went and bought me a brand new Robert Munsch book!!!! And I LOVE it and we have read it every night before bed! That was the best present ever. And Elise gave me a little bundle of red bead bracelets. She told me that she bought it at Value Village. I responded and told her that Value Village is a wonderful place to shop. And she immediately told me "Yes, but some of things in there are ratty. You have to look all around the ratty things to find a good one." Hahaha! I love those kids!
Now its time to get mobile. I need to make another pan of rice krispie squares and I think some butter tarts. I do believe we are going to Craig and Jo's for supper and games tonight. I am waiting to hear from her on what we should bring with us. I think we are going to have a whole lotta fun tonite. TTYL
Kevin et al arrived and it was so good to see the kids. They immediately spied the giant presents under the tree. At five and eight...size matters. So we opened presents almost immediately. There is nothing like watching kids faces light up when they get that paper off. Elise got a giant Frozen castle from us and I gave Fenton, amongst other fun stuff, his first ipad...with parents permission. They have a smaller older one that I figured Elise would use but I can see already that he is having to give her equal time with his new one. Good to share.
They gave me a soda stream!!!! And boy have we had fun with that thing! Kevin decided to carbonize apple juice and he literally had to wash down the kitchen after. It exploded everywhere!!! Monte went out and bought a plethora of flavours and a few more bottles. What a great present! I love love love bubbly water and this things makes the best!
Yesterday April and I went shopping for clothes for her. And, for the first time since I got fat I was not sorry I couldn't fit into anything. The clothes right now are butt ugly. I didn't see even one thing that I would have bought for myself. After hours of poor April trying to find tops to buy, we went down to Blenz and had a most delicious cup of Americano. We sat beside a first nations couple from Lilloette. They were delightful and we had a fabulous visit with them. We also hit Home Sense and I bought throw rugs, gorgeous mirror for the end of the hallway and a brand new not chipped trifle bowl. Its almost identical to the old one which makes me happy.
Cooking for a group of people that include allergies, vegetarianism and maybe pickiness, can be a challenge...one I love. Two nights ago I made a massive zubjit. Potato, carrot and cauliflower. It was sooooo good! Last night I made a massive pot of dahl. Everybody liked these two meals so that made it easy. And Monte, thank god, does ALL the shopping. We make out lists for him and he goes forth and executes. He has become the best shopper. And Tandy and Kevin do all the clean up! Thats amazing too. So I don't have to shop. I don't have to do clean up. All I have to do is the cooking...the best part!
The kids have gone tobogganing every single day over at the school. There are lots of kids there and many snow forts being built! Today, if they go over, I am going to go over and watch April snow skate. It sounds positively terrifying but apparently she is pretty good at it!
We have been playing games every night. Kevin is a board game freak and has brought a bunch of games with him. We have had so much fun! We have laughed so hard that at one point Kevin had to go outside and shut the door to try to quit laughing. April, when she gets tipsy, is beyond hilarious. She is so so funny! And last night, New Years Eve, we played the most complicated crazy fun game of them all. I think we are going to play it again tonight.
Anyway, this doesn't cover it all and I am sure you don't want to hear it all. But suffice it to say its been great. One thing I want to tell....the last time the kids were here I had bought some Robert Munsch books. I LOVE Robert Munsch. When the Kevin family went shopping for my xmas present, they were trying to decide what to get me. Fenton apparently said, "Let's get Gma a Robert Munsch book. She loves his books." They said no, they were looking at something a little bigger. So he finally got impatient, took his own money he saved from bottle returns, and went and bought me a brand new Robert Munsch book!!!! And I LOVE it and we have read it every night before bed! That was the best present ever. And Elise gave me a little bundle of red bead bracelets. She told me that she bought it at Value Village. I responded and told her that Value Village is a wonderful place to shop. And she immediately told me "Yes, but some of things in there are ratty. You have to look all around the ratty things to find a good one." Hahaha! I love those kids!
Now its time to get mobile. I need to make another pan of rice krispie squares and I think some butter tarts. I do believe we are going to Craig and Jo's for supper and games tonight. I am waiting to hear from her on what we should bring with us. I think we are going to have a whole lotta fun tonite. TTYL
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