LONGEST I HAVE EVER GONE WITHOUT BLOGGING!!!!

 Holy Cannoli!!!!  Time to post!!! Starting Jan. 2021 I am endeavouring to post twice a week.  I might talk a wee tad more about Covid.  I have tried to not do that over this last year but when I am an old lady, an oldER lady and am reading back over my mundane life, I might want to remember more about this amazing life event.  But be prepared, I will not be very nice in general about people in general.  Humans in general really suck generally.  I am generally NOT impressed with our general society's behaviour and their incredible self centredness.  Of course it goes without saying that a large part of humanity is pretty good, but I am kind of shocked how awful so many are.

We had a lovely warm amazing Xmas this year.  I know it sucked not having family but I truly believe that Xmas is as wonderful or awful as you choose it to be.  If you had a horrible one, well, other than people that are all by themselves, or people that recently lost loved ones, you can only look at yourselves for that sorry state.

Christmas Eve was lovely.  We each picked music to share (I finally had to get the boys to stop play Elvis's Xmas album, much as I love Elvis, it was getting to be a little dirgey). We had delicious appies.  There is just something magical about spinach dip!  I think it's the onion soup base mix Knorr uses in their vegetable soup mix.  If you ever find that the store is out of it, which does happen around holiday time, just sub in onion soup mix.  We opened one present each and left the rest for xmas morning.  It really was wonderful!

The next day no one was up until early afternoon.  We opened presents, ate left over spinach dip for breakfast/lunch and lazed around.  I stuffed the turkey and Peter peeled the sweet potatoes, and Monte played gopher for me.  Dinner was delicious! I think I have some pics I will post later.

I think a lot of people traveled even though we have been ordered not to.  The neighbours on both sides of us were away for the duration.  And a lot of people we know were getting together with family.  It just seems like people do what they want no matter what.  It's sure not fair to all of us that don't do that.  The covid numbers were coming down...lets see how it is now that xmas is over.

I got a call from my doctor.  (shovel list).  I have to go get my lab work done and go in and see her first week in January.  My Xmas present from Monte this year are two vaccinations for shingles and pneumonia.  A great present!  And he is really happy to be getting them for me!  I got him a little chief smoker (a very self serving gift) and a ukulele.  Peter got loaded with a batch of new books.  

Now the turkey is boiling in the soup pot, about to make a batch of garbage soup.  Peter doesn't eat meat, so I am going to make tuna patties with the left over potatoes.  They are so good.  I remember mom or dad making potato patties with left over  mashed potatoes.  Soooo good.

Well its time to go make dinner.  I promise to not be so long before the next post.  I have a tendency to forget what's happened if I wait too long.  Something horribly major could have happened and I would forget.   Take care people, stay safe  and noodle if you can.  And I can add that with our awesome new perfect face masks that Myles made us it sure makes it easier and safer.  TTYL

HAPPY BOYS!

HAPPY ME!  MY AWESOME NIECE SENT ME A CANDY CANE FULL OF FIREBALL!!!!!

PETER PLAYING SANTA'S ELF

APRIL GAVE HIM SLIPPERS, FIRST PAIR HE HAS EVER HAD.  SHE FOUND SIZE 16!!!!

APRIL GAVE HIM PJ'S AND MYLES MADE THE MASK

DINNER!!!

DESSERT....BANOFFEE

A QUICK ONE

 Sharri:  Merry Xmas to you and Michael as well.  Last year is a fading memory and this year's anticipation is growing! I am really looking forward to watching Miracle on 34th Street.  I love Jimmy Stewart too...his voice!  So familiar.

Aryn:  Peter LOVED the movie!! I was so happy he did and to share it with him.  I am so hoping he can be with us every year possible to watch it with us.

And to everyone else that reads this silly blog, you loyal people, Merry Xmas to you all too.  I know it's a bit of a lonely year, missing being with family and all. But you never know...it might end up being....less work,  less stress,  no family angst,  less sheets to wash afterwards, the upside of downsize.  So enjoy your xmas best you can!  Love you all!  TTYL

COUNTDOWN IS ON...NOT TO XMAS BUT TO SEPTEMBER...WHEN WE MIGHT GET A VACCINE

 We went Xmas light gazing last night.  Our little wee town has blossomed into something magical and amazing.  I cannot believe how many homes went all out on the decorations, elaborate beautiful decorations you can see from outer space!  They were better than what we used to see in the British Properties, except for  Jimmy Pattison's house of course.  And I am not used to seeing the lights with no snow.  Not just no snow but pouring down rain.  I mean deluge.  I don't mind.  Beats snow!

When we got home we watched National Lampoon's Xmas Vacation.  Oh jeez!  It's a tradition to watch this movie, but I super missed Arnie.  I have usually watched it with her!  We have seen that movie so many times we can talk along with it!  

Each of my kids has a movie I associate with them cuz we watched them together so often.  With Monte its was Twister.  Man, we watched that movie every single time we hit Bamfield for the summer.  It's so cool to anticipate what comes next, because you've seen it a hundred times.  April hated that movie...I can still see and hear her in her corner at the big window at her messy art table, busy drawing and painting, griping and grumbling when we would put it on.

And April, we watched Nothing to Lose just about the same amount of times.  It was the funniest movie and April has a twisted sense of humour...so it was right up her alley.  I loved watching those movies with the kids.  I didn't have one with Kevin.  He didn't participate in things like that.

Peter had not seen Xmas Vacation before!  We couldn't believe it!  But he mentioned that we should watch A Miracle on some street with Jimmy Stewart.  So if we legally find it I think we will watch that next.

I am determined that our Xmas eve is going to be better this year.  Last year it was just Monte, Peter and me, like this year will be.  So I made up special snacks and food like usual.  We opened presents at 7 like usual.  Then the phone rang and it was one of the absent kids wishing us a Merry Xmas.  When I hung up a half hoursish later, the boys had gone downstairs to their rooms and DIDN'T COME BACK UP!!!!  I couldn't believe it!!!  I sat there, the xmas fire going on the tv, a half eaten spinach dip and hors d'oeuvres on the table, and felt very sorry for myself.  Not this year. BTW, just in case you didn't know, hors d'oeuvres means 'outside and work'.  So hors d'oeuvres is food made and served outside the main meal, or the main work.  I don't know.  In my book hors d'oeuvres are a pain in the ass and a lot of work.  Maybe they should be called 'aussie bien qua d'oeuvres'.  That means as well as the work.

There has been a request for spinach dip again.  I always make two and we eat the leftovers for breakfast xmas morning.  And this year I have suggested that each of us pick an album, a new to us one, to introduce to the other two.  It shall be a musical xmas!  And maybe we can watch Miracle on that street.  

I think I have everything we need for Xmas dinner.  Started to stock up early because the stores run out.  So lots of whipping cream for the banoffee, lots of cans of cranberry sauce (no homemade stuff in this house, I want can lines on the side of my roll of jelly), yams and brown sugar, peas and carrots, maybe some beets.  I do still need white bread for stuffing and the bananas.  Did you know what the difference is between stuffing and dressing?  Dressing is cooked outside the turkey (like in a crock pot) and stuffing is cooked stuffed into the turkey.  I just learned that!

Pat just came to the door with the most massive beautiful bunch of white poinsettias!  It is absolutely stunning!  What a sweetheart!  He really is such a good friend.  I sure will be glad when we can visit again.  But thats a long long way off.  We did the math and unless a miracle happens on 11th Avenue, we won't be getting our vaccine until September next year.

Anywhoo, gotta go clean off the table, clean the kitchen, clean my bedroom, clean the living room...well, you get the picture.  Stay safe, noodle and TTYL

BACHELOR.....DAMMIT

 The Bachelor is a big time waster!  And I would bet any amount of money that not one of you out there watch it.  Not one!  And I think I am very very brave to admit that I do.  But I have a good reason!

Blogspot just wiped out most of my post.  I effing hate rewriting...it never comes out the same.  I am MAD!!!!!   I hate this blogspot.  Shame on you google...you own the freaking world, I am pretty sure with little effort you could make this website a dam sight better!!!!  (BIG TIME SHOVEL LIST)

Anyway, as I was freaking saying, when I lived part time in Maui I met a fantastic lady, about fifty five years old and totally gorgeous, in the condo pool. We got talking (I am cutting a whole lot out here, which may not be a bad thing...sigh) and became good friends.

One day, just before Spod and I were to head home to North Van, or Langford, can't remember, Maria and I were standing in the pool visiting.  We happened to be talking about how we always watch the Bach, and it was our 'guilty pleasure'. (hate that term...another shovel list)  All of a sudden a chubby (read fat) woman strolled over to us and actually lit into us for watching such mindless drivel.  That type of show was the Devil's work.  Well we politely  argued with her, at first kindly and gently, ending up vigorous and loud.  We finally walked away from each other in disgust, different reasons for the disgust but disgust after all!

And since then we have never failed to watch the Bach and after each episode we email each other our critique!  And we keep up on each other's news.  Thats three American friends now that I met elsewhere and became facebook or email friends with and they are truly good friends.  Thats a pretty good excuse for watching that show don't you think?

Well on with my day.  I am once again going to try to clear off my dining table.  It is always piled high.  Oh!!!!!!  I forgot to mention!

I was half or more sleeping in the night the other night.  There must have been a decorating show on and it penetrated my brain.  When I awoke I had an epiphanist idea.  We have zero storage in the kitchen and I have things stacked in the dining room.  And I have a lot of kitchen appliances.  So I thought it would be great to have a lower buffet type piece of furniture where the old buffet is in the kitchen.  It's pretty useless.  Get rid of it, get a new piece that is more conducive to organization, and put my appliances there and get a power bar and plug them all in and use them there:  air fryer, deep fryer, mixer, toaster, bread machine etc....whatever will fit.  And I found exactly what I wanted at Wayfair and ordered it and it will be here Dec. 23rd.  I will put a picture below.  I love in the night ideas!!!  They are the best!!!  

Gotta bounce...stay safe and noodle.  TTYL

ITS MADE OF METAL...LIKE THOSE TOOL BOXES...EASY TO CLEAN AND NO STAINING

LOTS OF STORAGE...I AM GOING TO USE IT FOR MY POTS AND PANS WHICH FREES UP A REALLY POORLY ORGANIZED BIG CUPBOARD

A BIG BOX ARRIVED...YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT WAS IN IT!!!!!

 Yesterday there was a banging at the door.  A very large brown paper wrapped box was there.  And it wasn't from Amazon!  It was from Arnie and Bradley.  Now I knew they were sending us a package but I had no idea it was so large and heavy!!!  And...best of all, we were allowed to open it immediately, not wait for Christmas!

So we opened it immediately!  It was plum full of spices and herbs and four gorgeous bright red, you know, the red my old man burgundy chair is NOT, pot pie dishes with handles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited!!!!!!  I am going to make pot pies for the three of us.  One paleo, one vegetarian and one delicious.  I can't wait.  Pics below!

And OMG!!!  The spices, the herbs, the smells, all stuff we simply cannot get here in Port Alberni and now that we aren't allowed to travel, we can't go to Nanaimo and get them.

There was:  tandoori masala, fenugreek, corianders, onion flakes, both raw and fried, berberi (Ethiopian spice mix Aryn made), tarragon, paprika, chilis, cardamom, cinnamons....different kinds from different places, caraway seeds (now I can make proper rye bread...I have been saving all my pickle juice for that) and more and more.  I am so happy.

This morning at 8ish I was awakened by the most amazing odour.  I couldn't quite place it, then realized that Monte was up and cooking.  The aroma floating into my room was tantalizing  and unfamiliar.

I hopped out and went to investigate.  He had cooked a fry pan full of mushrooms and cream and added the berberi Ethiopian spice.  The predominant smell was mapley which  is due to the fenugreek.  It has a very strong maple oder.  It was delicious!!!!  I will have to make more, I have a feeling we are going to zip through the jar of homemade by Arnie in no time.  She has sent me all the spices needed and the recipe to make more.  And while I am at it I also bought a large thingy of pickling spice so I can grind it up and make masala.  Sigh.  I am happy.  Thank you thank you Arnie and Bradley.  That was a lot of work time invested. It is very very much appreciated by all three of us here!!!

Well Millie just left.  My house is super clean again. I am now going to go and make quinoa for the very first time.  Peter has suggested I use the rice cooker and I do believe I am going to do just that.

Tonight I will be making stuffed portobellos done in the toaster oven, air fryer eggplant and rice cooker quinoa.  I love my kitchen appliances.
For the paleo guy I shall also be frying up a couple of pork butt steaks.  Life is good!

Stay safe, noodle and stay sane.  Clearly spices and cooking is my sane place!  Lol!!!  TTYL

THERE ARE SOME MISSING FROM THIS PIC AS I HAD ALREADY PUT THEM AWAY.  THESE WERE STILL IN THE BOX SO EASY TO GET AT.  ISN'T THIS AMAZING????

FINALLY: STIR CRAZY, CABIN FEVER, BORED, GOING CRAZY, SAME OLD SAME OLD SAME OLD SAME OLD

I feel like all the vaccine talk is just teasing us.  It's still not going to be til next fall before we get our vaccines.  Especially here where we live.  They still don't have a decent covid testing site that we can access never mind vaccines.  And we have a huge indigenous population so we really are last on the Canadian list.  And it's finally getting to me.  I am beginning to HATE my chair.

Today I made umpteen shortbread cookies, a loaf of bread and cleaned the kitchen a zillion times.  I was making lettuce wraps for supper when someone suggested pizza.  So pizza was ordered and my wrap prep stuff was zip locked into the fridge.  Half done for tomorrow night.  See?  See how mundane my life has become? 

 And not to complain, I ordered a Hawaiian pizza.  Everybody was getting what they wanted and no one ever wants Hawaiian and its my fave.  So I got one.  I love the soft fluffy crust, tender ham, yummy not overcooked pineapple, melty cheese....yum!

But that is not what came.  The crust was so hard and chewy, like it was old or something, the cheese was grainy, like it was old or something, the ham was super dried and chewy, like it was old or something.  The whole thing was hard and shrivelled like it was old or something.  I think it WAS old...or at least had been sitting around for some time waiting for some sucker to order it.  I know when food isn't fresh.  Oh well.  It just meant I ate only one skinny piece instead of half a pizza!  And that can't be bad.

It's clean the house day.  Millie is coming tomorrow for sure this time and the house is a mess.  I wonder if Bonnie Henry would approve of that.  I think not.  Thank goodness Millie uses a heppa filter and we all go hide out in our rooms until she is gone.  Even then I wait a while before coming out.

Now that I am here I am going to do the thing for Aryn and Sharri.  Sorry for the horrible post.  Soon I am going to be reduced to talking about politics.  Just kidding.  That will never happen.  Stay safe, noodle and don't go crazy.  TTYL

Aryn and Sharri:

1.  Keep a food journal.  You know I understand the science behind this but it will be a cold day you know where before I actually do that.  I can't think of anything more tedious and impossible than keeping a food journal.  The closest to journaling I get is here and I am not good at that.

2.  Clean your house.  Well okay then.  Like we have a choice?  I have only 'cleaned a house' 1.2 million times in my life. I don't need to be told and neither do you guys.  Jeez!  (okay that one made me go and look to see if the author was male or female.  Guess which it is?)

3.  Avoid second hand smoke.  Okay there Captain Obvious...on it.

4.  Do Kiegal exercises.  Seriously?

5.  Be physically active.  How many different ways is this author going to say this?  Are we getting into filler suggestions?

I maybe should not have done this today.  I am feeling very sarcastic and cynical today.  I blame it on diabetes.  I mean, why not?

 

MY APOLOGIES FOR TAKING SO LONG

 It is amazing to me how fast time goes by when I am doing NOTHING!!!!  Seven days!!!!  As a blogger, that is shameful!

As it is, I really don't have anything to report.  You would think something would happen in a week, but it hasn't.

Monte is doing fairly well.  He has another problem, a very very painful one, cropped up.  I can't talk about it because it affects an embarrassing area but let me tell ya...he is going through hell with it.  The poor guy can't cut a break.  It's just not fair.  Plus he is on a pretty severe diet.  Unfortunately his meds make him abnormally hungry...all the time.  They are going to slowly wean him off of them but it's going to take time.

So the microwave installer is here installing.  Nice guy.  He just called me into the kitchen.  Boxes and styrofoam everywhere and bits and pieces and  racks everywhere.  He tells me that the microwave is really really low.  Shows me.  I won't be able to fit my really tall pot on the back burner....which I never use anyway.  Always something.  The thought of packing all that up and returning it to get another one is daunting.  Plus he told me that because the house is so old, the cupboards are lower than normal and no over the stove microwave will fit differently. Sigh.  I have decided to just not care.  The only alternative is to rebuild the kitchen....Arnie!!!!!

So that's it folks.  There aint no more.  Stay safe and keep noodling.  TTYL

ARYN AND SHARRI:

1.  Keep a well stocked cupboard so you can cook and eat at home.  Eating out leads to eating more fats and sugars than eating at home.  That will def not be a problem for you Arnie...you amazing cook you.

2.  Not only should you buy organic produce, but be sure to rinse it really well at home as well.  You never know whose fingers have done some nefarious walking and then handled your goodies.  Ewwww!!

3.  Eat fermented food.  Especially if you have higher cholesterol.  Plus fermented food intensifies vitamins and minerals and is full of probiotics.

4.  Switch out all lettuces with spinach.  Lettuce has basically no food value.  Spinach does.  When Anton was living with me he told me that in Russia, his home country, they do not eat lettuce.  Salads are vegetables, lots of cooked ones and mayonnaise.  Is that better?  My personal tastes say YES!!!

5.  When you eat.....just eat.  No phone.  No tv.  No laptop.  No working.  Studies have shown apparently that people that do other things whilst eating, eat more.  Those that are concentrating on their food become aware sooner that they are full.

HOME AND HAPPY

 Other than being booted out of the hospital with no warning, all has gone well.  Oh, and no diagnosis.  The day before I was telling April that he was scheduled for a thorough cat scan of his heart the next day at one o'clock, very much to all of our relief.  But I made an out loud prediction to her, kind of joking but not.  "you watch!  They are going to cancel the cat scan and discharge him with no warning or diagnosis."  And that is exactly what they did.  And to top it off boot him out with no one to pick him up til the next day and nowhere to go.

  They do this all the time to up island people.  An Elder from Port Hardy, six hours away at least, who had nobody to come get him...ever....and no wallet had the same thing happen to him.  Unbelievable.  I contacted an Island newspaper about it and they responded!  Looking into it.  Hopefully something will come of that.

Peter came home with us.  The three of us sat around the living room last night watching some tv and then the xmas fire.  It was so awesome and felt so right.  It is so so good to have him back!

Before we left Victoria, we went to the infamous Floyd's Diner in Langford for brunch.  The menu is online now, much to some oldsters chagrin.  The boys had bennies of one sort or another and I ordered the Mahoney.  The Mahoney is whatever the chef makes for you.  You have no clue what you are getting.

Well, I couldn't believe my eyes when they plopped that plate in front of me!  It was ridiculously massive!  Layer of potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausage pieces, crumbled bacon, onions and peppers, bbq sauce, mustard sauce, hollandaise sauce topped with deep fried onion strings.  And a load of toast.  20 bucks.  Which wasn't much more than the boys' bennies.

Well I ate about one sixteenth of it and asked for a box.  And.... get this.....apparently with the Mahoney, the chef flips a looney and I call it and if I lose I pay double for my meal, but if I win I get it for free.  I won.  hah!!!  And Monte just ate some of it for his breakfast right now!

Well time to go get my room done.  I am almost there with it!  I have a new little rug to put down and I am not allowing myself to do that until the room is properly clean.  I will take a pic when that happens!  Stay safe and noodle!

TTYL

DISGUSTINGLY HUGE

WARNING: THIS POST STARTS WITH A RANT

My rant today is this.....I read about four headline type news feeds, about ten articles per issue, daily.  I am getting very annoyed with all the articles about covid related disadvantages.  Like unhappy people that are mistreated because they medically can't wear masks, tourist industry whining because their hotels aren't full, businesses that are not making enough money, families can't get together for the sacred thanksgivings and xmases, people can't go on their three per year cruises etc....  The only one I would not include here is the inability to visit the older rellies in senior facilities.  That one I agree is totally miserable and heartbreaking.  Other than that one though I am annoyed with. Come on people!!!  It's a pandemic....crap is going to happen and trying to force the powers that be to let you open your churches, gyms, spin rooms, allow travel, no masks, turkey dinner gatherings etc...is just plain selfish and self interested.  Knock it off!!!!  We do what we have to do, and that means you too.  Quit whining.

There, rant over.  I just think about all those first liners, paramedics, firemen, police that deserve us to do what we have to do.  This isn't going to last forever and everybody's taking hits and doing their best.

Monte is still in the hospital without a definitive diagnosis.  The MRI machine was too small but he will be getting another cat scan.  Sigh.  He is getting impatient to come home.

I just went downstairs to do more laundry.  I went to go out the back door down there to put some bottles out.  The backdoor was UNLOCKED!!!!!  Holy Hannah!!!!  In this town one doesn't leave their doors unlocked, not even in the daytime when you are home, never mind at night!  The damned installers of those massive laundry machines took the old one out that door and one of the guys actually went over to be sure to lock said door.  Clearly doesn't know what he is doing.

Okay peeps...I need to do the healthy living thing now.  Stay safe and healthy and be sure to noodle!!!  That seems to work!  TTYL

ARYN AND SHARRI:

1.  Read food labels...starting with the ingredients.  Okay this is a no brainer and I am sure we all already do this.

2.  Beware of added sugar.  Yeah yeah yeah

3.  Choose food over supplements.  Well I totally agree with this one.  My sister sent me a link this morning that made this simple and understandable.  I can't put links on this site easily so I googled, The One Trick That Makes All Your Meals Healthy, Eat this Not that.  Super good site.

4.  Vitamin D.....yes yes yes....We were very fortunate to have a family doctor for years who really pushed D.  He even traveled to Italy once to give a lecture on this.  We take 6,000 units per day.

5.  Eat home cooked meals.  Say what???  You mean I can't order weenies and greek salad at a restaurant?  Or Balogna sammiches?

AH FER JEEZ!

 Thanks a whole bunch Sharri!!!!  Laugh away!!!  I'd like to see you, or any of you, be forced to do this.  I am not happy!!!

I went to the pet store the other day and they were out of frozen jumbo mice.  Figures.  So I am about to go right now to get them.  She said the freezer would be full by two today.  And it's a huge freezer.  Like how many snakes are in this freaking little town?  Thats a lot of snakes needing a lot of mice!

Monte was ambulanced down to Victoria to the cardiac unit in the hospital there last night.  He should have been shipped down two weeks ago in my opinion.  They have already given him an echo cardiogram and now they are giving him a cat scan.  They should be able to give us a diagnosis later today and a plan of action.

Monte told me yesterday that the ambulance and nurse were picking him up between four and four thirty.  So I went up there and waited.  At around five they brought him out, all hooked up to intravenouses and strapped onto a stretcher.  They not only let me go over to him to give him a kiss on his forehead but they let me climb into the ambulance with him and chat for ten minutes.  It was so heavenly for both of us.  Who knows...at the moment I was thinking that if anything happens to him down there three hours away, this would be the last time I would see him.  But he seems to be in amazingly good hands and they know what they are doing.

So I am off now to get freaking mice.  I will report back later, both about the feeding and Monte's diagnosis.  

They didn't have jumbo mice!!!  Only little baby fuzzy ones.  She eats two of those.  TWO!!!  I HAVE TO FEED HER TWICE IN A ROW.  OH NO!  ONCE WAS NOT ENOUGH.  NOW I HAVE TO FEED HER TWICE!  WAAAAHHHHH!  AND I HAVE TO FEED HER TONIGHT WHEN SHE POKES HER HEAD OUT.  AH MAN ALIVE!!!!!!

Okay.  First Monte.  He does NOT have a blood clot in his lungs.  He does NOT have a torn artery in his heart (they think).  And they aren't sure about artery disease, which is doubtful at his age.  So in other words, they don't know.  Typical doctors.  I am not really blaming them...if nothing shows up, nothing shows up.  But he is still all hooked up, on morphine and adivan, and blood thinners.  Today I do believe they will finally do an angiogram, which I do believe they were trying to avoid.  So, we are still in wait and see mode.

Now the snake.  Oh jeez!  I finally did it.  OMG!!!  And I don't ever want to again!!!  Those wee mice were so cute, dead and frozen.  I felt so bad for them.  But Smooch, the scary part, stays dead still and then when you dangle a mouse in front of her she freezes to the spot, and then suddenly, with no warning, leaps out and snatches the mouse and wraps herself around it and freezes to the spot again, mimicking killing it.  I almost had a heart attack!  I did take pictures which I will put below.  If you don't like snakes feel free to not look.  I did a video but I missed the whole thing. In my terror I forgot to look at the screen and make sure it was pointing in the right direction, but, you can hear me.  It was the second mouse I fed her.  But due to blogspot the video may not load.  Stupid blogspot.

Anyway its all done now and I have absolutely no intention of ever having to feed her ever again ever!  Stay safe and noodle.  TTYL (Aryn and Sharri I will do the next segment of good living  in the next post.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8998RkzP2EecQCMdA

this link for the video probably won't work

POOR LITTLE THINGS

HERE SHE IS 'KILLING' IT

LAYING IN WAIT.  WAAAAAAH!!!!!  MOMMY!!!

OMG OMG OMG...YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I HAVE TO DO....WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

 Sometimes life hands you lemons and they just stay lemons.  No lemonade in sight at all.  (SHOVEL LIST!!!!) 

Monte is STILL in the hospital.  It's been over a week now.  They have had to send him to Nanaimo for two tests to make sure his heart is okay.

This means medical transport.  So off he went this morning and when he gets there they see that the idiot that sent his particulars from Port to Nanaimo, put the wrong weight down.  Monte is considerably bigger than 130 kilos, which is the number they sent.  As a result they can't do it!  He has to go to Comox and its a two day test.

So now he is sitting in Nanaimo, with a nurse, waiting for transport back to Port.  They are now trying to arrange for his transport to Comox which apparently is going to take a couple of days.  Then he probably has to spend a night in the hospital there.  Jesus H!!!  And he is really at the end of his rope.  He really wants to be done with it all.

Now here is the bad part.  I HAVE TO FEED SMOOCH, HIS SNAKE.  I have to go to the pet store, buy three jumbo frozen dead mice, put one in a ziplock bag and submerge it in hot water til it thaws, then get these little inadequate plastic tongs Monte uses, grip the mouse by the tail, dangle it in front of the snake and wait until the snake violently, and I mean violently, snaps it up.  OMG!!!! I could cry.  The things one does for their kids!!!!!!

Over the years I have had ten dogs forced on me, four rabbits, one chinchilla, one rat, umpteen hamsters, two gerbils, several guinea pigs....I think that's it.  And I am NOT the proverbial animal lover.  Now I have to feed a snake.  I know! I am going to go get my kitchen tongs, much longer and more removed from the snake and give them a try.  Then I am throwing them out.  (SHOVEL LIST SHOVEL LIST SHOVEL LIST to the power of infinity plus one). Monte told me that the snake would be little and eat crickets.  Hah!!!

Wish me luck. Be safe and noodle.  TTYL 

WELL HOLY FREAKING HANNAH!!!

 I need to defrag right now.  What an explosive couple of days it's been.  

Firstly, Monte is in the hospital as most of you know.  He went in with a blood pressure of 250 over 150.  He would probably be mad at me for telling you.  It embarrasses him.  I think that is because he feels responsible.  And let me make it clear...he isn't.  The meds he is on create ravenous hunger, the kind you can't think when you are feeling that way.  As a result you eat.  You eat whatever is in your pathway. Consequently, you gain weight.

He hasn't been feeling well for a long time.  And he gets terrible headaches and then he throws up.  This has been going on for two or three months.  Finally he felt that bad that he took himself to emergency.  And..... they hooked him up, started tests and x-rays, blood work etc...  The upshot is there were a lot of markers to start with and now there is one pesky one that won't go away.  Its enough to make them worry about his heart.  With bp that high, damage to the heart is almost inevitable.  Because of his weight and size he can't get angiograms, cat scans or any other testing to check out his heart.  So they are sending him to Nanaimo hospital (where there was just a covid outbreak thank you very much) for some other kind of imaging testing. 

 Poor guy is scared stiff which doesn't help. But on the good side, they would have moved him out of icu to a regular ward but there wasn't room, so he stays in the icu, just not hooked up.  I don't think they would have done that if they were super worried.  I wish I could see him.  I know how poor Clare felt when he couldn't see his lovely Tish.  It makes the whole thing worse.  At least this will not be too long...not months like Tish and Clare had to go through.

Today the washer and dryer came with the installers. They had a hell of a time getting them into this old house with its little doors.  And then...they accidentally broke the tap off the wall, sheered it right off.  It was old and brittle.  And by the time I got down there, the water, a shooting fountain, had completely flooded the whole huge laundry room.  Holy crap!!!!  Fortunately I knew where the turn off was.  OMG!!!  What a mess.  I found a zillion towels and threw them all over.  Now I have a zillion soaked dripping towels to deal with.  A plumber has to come to put new taps in and eventually the installers need to come back to hook up the new laundry units.  Until then I have filthy soaking towels on the floor, no laundry and no water.  And there is still an inch of water everywhere.  Waaaaaaaah!!!!!

And I decided to just come up and take a moment and have a coffee and suddenly I remembered I had bread rising, or should I say super over rising.  Its a really expensive ground flax mix, low carb, high fibre, not a dough I want to waste.  So I flew into the kitchen and punched it down.  It was huge!!!!  Hopefully it will recover!  This is definitely an off kilter day for sure.

Actually that was a nice distraction for a while.  But one never gets rid of that lump of dread in the bottom of the tummy. It's not going away methinks until Monte isn't in danger of having a stroke or heart attack.  I'm sure he isn't, or they would have kept him near and hooked up.  But you know...I am not my mother who wouldn't worry until it was super worryible.  

Well I am going to go check up on my bread.  It smells funny.  I am not sure about it.  Stay safe and remember to noodle (they are six feet, I checked!). TTYL

MONEYBAGS

 Dishwasher. Check. Microwave. Check.  Washer.  Check.  Dryer. Check.  Sigh.

I made a new friend at the Brick, over the phone.  His name was Greg.  He was awesome.  I picked out what I wanted afore hand and phoned the Brick.  And one by one I bought all those things.  I knew when I bought the house that other than the furnace and heat pump and water tank, I would have to be buying new appliances.  The microwave didn't even have a turn around thingy.  So the laundry stuff and the microwave arrive next Thursday and my new dishwasher comes on Dec. 31st.  

 I bought extra big everything.  With a six foot nine person's jeans one needs an extra big laundry pair.  Plus my duvets are desperately needing washing.  The dinky stupid thing down there can hardly wash a pair of Monte's jeans.

I bought a dishwasher that has a 'tall tub'.  I googled that and somehow, without raising the counter, the tub is taller and accommodates bigger stuff.  And it was a simple one...no wifi (shovel list) no special anything, not too noisy...the way I like it.  Same with the washer.  No wifi, no special anything...just a washer with a speedy cycle.  Can you imagine being able to run your appliances from your smart phone?  No, me neither.  Trying to break that phone habit, not increase my need for it.

I just heard about Alex Trebeck's death today.  He was such an amazing trooper.  After watching how the same disease took my big strapping husband down, I can totally sympathize with Alex.  What a fine fine person he was.

This truly is an interesting year.  Between the elections, covid, significant deaths, isolation, no travel....  I must admit though that having Monte under my nose is a true blessing.  After losing him for that year I don't think I will ever take him for granted again.  So no matter how horrible the general population seems to be behaving, no matter how difficult isolation is, no matter how horrific Trump became, no matter how scary catching covid is, there is a large part of me that is just plain happy.

I talked to Aryn today.  She was baking!!!  Baking cookies.  She doesn't bake.  At least that is what she says.  But she sent me a pic of her cookies she was making and her Yorkshire puddings.  Dorothy is going over for a roast dinner and an evening of Monopoly.  She was going on and on about how she can't bake but...I will show you pics.  SHE CAN TOO!!!

So tonite is the Clan Zoom.  Now and then we have a Fam Zoom...jus me and my kids.  The Clan Zoom is everybody...cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, kids, oldsters....its really fun!  David organizes it bless him and we all get on there and share our latest news.  I think we are 'seeing' each other more in the pandemic than when there isn't one.

Well my bread is ready to come out of the oven.  I can tell by the smell!  Baloney sammiches for supper!!!!  Stay safe and healthy and remember to noodle!  TTYL

AREN'T THEY PRETTY?

OMG!!!  YUMMY YORKIES!!

SADLY NO VANCOUVER

 Monte has been sick over the last week.  I am pretty sure it isn't covid but I just can't take any chances with April and Myles's health.  He gets the most awful headaches and is extremely fatigued.  So no visiting anybody.  I am sad but I don't want Monte to feel bad.

Halloween was its usual silly self.  So many awful fireworks.  It's so hard on the dogs around.  There weren't many families and children out.  I turned out all the lights and hid out.  I really dislike halloween. No let me reword that.  I really effing hate halloween, always have.  (big time shovel list). I can't think of one redeeming thing about it and I had four kids.  Poor kids.  They survived.

I bought a rolling clothes rack.  I plan to put it right beside the washer and dryer so I can hang all my shirts etc...  It arrived from Amazon right on time.

Well shit!!!!!!!  It is in a hundred unmarked pieces and the instructions are like...put A in B and tighten with included (not) Allan wrench, stand the pieces up and put the c over top of d...none of them marked.  Grrrrr.  Tomorrow morning Pat is coming over to organize all the cans out there (he takes them) and he has offered to organize our mountains of recycling (Toonykoot we need you!!!). I remember from Monte's clean out, he loves to organize recycling.  I will pay him.  And I am going to ask him if he feels like building the stupid rack.  I will pay him to do that too.  Monte and I tried tonight and we both ran screaming from it!  If he can't or doesn't want to, I am boxing it up and sending it back with a bad review.

So Monte and I have come to the conclusion that we will be alone this Christmas.  A certain person is moving in soon and he may be here for Xmas.  Turkey time!!!!!!!  We are going to buy our fave booze and fave hors d'ourves and I am going to buy everything, except the gravy and stuffing, already made and just need heating.  No work this year.  Maybe I will get paper dishes too!  I will be on a severe budget this xmas so I think there will be no presents except for thoughtful littler ones.

Speaking of budget, I now can include a broken washer and dryer, well actually dryer but its stacked so both go.  It takes over 100 minutes to get the clothes dry enough to put away.  My over the stove microwave is busted.  We are using Monte's tiny inexpensive old old old one.  It barely pops corn. I have to make a giant instalment payment to rev can. It never ends dammit!!!!

Well enough with the complaining.  I am still more happy than sad.  Covid just suits me.  I wake up whenever in the morning and go.....'ahhhhh...nothing scheduled today.....'.  Then I wander out to the living room in a terrible outfit I have been wearing night and day for a week now and it just doesn't matter cuz absolutely not one person will be dropping in.  I sit in my chair and watch crap tv, Bitch Judy, Scrapping 90 day Fiance Marryers, Pimple popping doctors, Plastic surgery mistakes, Really bad Tattoo Correctors, endless cooking competitions etc.....Then we eat when we want to....mostly baloney sammiches or TV dinners.  What more wonderfulness can life offer I ask!  Oh and left over Halloween candy (the only good thing about Halloween) that we can dig into now that no stray little kid had the audacity to come to a darkened blacked out house.

Stay safe and noodle!!  TTYL

some totally random pics I found on fb as I was closing my account out:

WINTER TIME UP CYPRESS

A NORMAL DAY IN THE LOG HOUSE AT BAMFIELD

 A FAVE STEP SON (BRAD) WITH BARNABY

FENTON PICKING HIS PUMKIN

GOOD OLD PARKER IN LANGFORD

SPOD CLEANING FISH

TOTALLY JEALOUS

 I have unwisely been perusing facebook pics of my sister and my bff and their activities.  They are up to their elbows with their grandchildren, baking, sightseeing, halloweening, pumpkin carving etc.  I am so jealous.  I can't even see my grandkids, haven't seen them for almost two years now.  I hate this effing covid.  I would be busting right out and going to see them anyway but then I put them, and myself at risk and you can't do that. So I am going to just frigging sit here and whine and pout and feel sorry for myself.  Hmmmph!

I went downstairs to call Monte yesterday.  Halfway down the stairs I  could smell this horrible smell.  My first thought was that Wrangler had an accident in the night and had gone downstairs to do it.  So I took a cruise all around the basement and he hadn't.  So I then headed into his bathroom, which is super clean because I have put it on Millie's roster.  The smell was awful but I couldn't visually spot where it was coming from.

Monte hunted too and the only thing we could come up with is something has happened to the sewer pipes under the house and the smell was coming up the drain in the shower.  Fuckadoodle!!!!!!!  Have to call the plumber, wait for them to come, and because the house is older I can see a big bill coming down the pipe.  I started my research immediately and found a plumber to call this morning.

Fairly late last night Monte couldn't stand the smell and I suggested he double check if the smell was coming up the drain.  We could cover it.  Well about ten minutes later he hollers up the stairs "FOUND IT!!"  He had been rooting through the freezer weeks ago and set some vegetarian burgers in the kind of plastic pack that bologna comes in, on top of the fridge and forgot to put them back.  I guess it spoiled of course and the gases built up and built up until the plastic exploded and a ghastly rotten terrible smell emitted!  I don't know what the heck was in those veggie burgers but it was really bad.  

And I have to say here that those veggie burgers, plus a lot of other veggie packs of things, came to our house and freezer in a tricky way.  Peter, bless him, was out for one of his walks.  As he walked past a bus bench near Quality Foods he noticed a box (or bag) of veggie packs on that bench.  So he picked them up and brought them home. Now I know some people would freak at the thought of eating bus bench food but not this house.  We ate some of it and didn't die!  Some poor dude forgot his bag on the bench.  Hope he didn't go back for it and it was gone!!!

Well I am starving.  I baked a couple loaves of bread yesterday and I can hear a fresh package of bologna calling my name!  Baloney sammich time!!!  Stay safe and noodle!!!  TTYL

ARYN:

1.  Improve your grip.  Apparently your grip is an indication of your over all strength.  Your grip is important for opening jars, gripping weights etc...I found this one interesting.  There are three kinds of grip.  Crush.  Get a wide lidded jar and just put your hand over it and squeeze and hold for a minute.  A few times a day will quickly improve your strength. Support grip.  Pick up a kettle bell or a bag of stuff and carry it around several times a day. Pinch Grip.  Carry the same thing you used for support grip but between your thumb and fingers.  Stand still, hold it for one minute.  Repeat.  Such a good idea.

2. This is an old one we already know.  Lift with your legs.  Cookie told me a long time ago that you need to keep your legs strong.  They are the first thing to go and if you don't have leg strength you become very limited.  It pays to do leg strengthening exercises.

3.  Use over the counter painkillers sparingly,  well we already do that.  I just want to add here...ibuprofen, that magic painkiller, also kills your kidneys.  My kidneys are at 50% and the dr. made it very clear that my ibuprofen use played a large part in that.

4.  Stay hydrated.  Not a problem for you!  He did super warn agains obsessive hydration.  People that pack water bottles everywhere are because the manufacturers have convinced everyone they need to be drinking constantly.  He said you need to balance between not being thirsty and not running to the John constantly.  And guess what?  The new research shows that tea, coffee, anything you drink hydrates you, not dehydrate.  They count towards your water drinking.  Ha!  I have been saying this for years.  I know if I were marooned on a desert island and I only had coffee to drink, I would not die of dehydration.

5.  No sports drinks....unless you are a football player in Florida who does hours of gruelling practice under the hot hot sun.  They are loaded with sugar and stuff you don't need.  Drink water when you are thirsty.

 

 

NOISE NOISE NOISE

I have been very fortunate over the years to live in dead quiet neighbourhoods.  After ten o'clock you would think we were the only people left on earth.  Well boy has that changed!  

Now, between 4:30 am and five, the Quality Foods trucks start going by.  The loading dock for the store is three houses up and they can only do one truck at a time.  A big semi loaded with food will grind its way by, brakes hissing and gears changing.  Then when it gets to QF, it slowly backs into the bay, beep beep beep beep beep.  Then the next truck comes and parks in front of the house closest to QF and idles, then the next one then the next one until there is one parked in front of our house.  Meanwhile there is an awful lot of metal banging and men shouting as they get their ramps properly placed etc...  That goes on til about noon, but slowing down around 9.

And we have a number of people that go to work around 6 am.  They drive pickups...which heavy objects have to be thrown into the back....crash bang slam.  They start their vehicles at least five minutes before they load them.  So the engine starts by remote fob, runs, and then beep beep...locks the truck while they let it warm up.

And there is a constant barking Rottweiler two doors down.  He is pretty good in the night now but the minute there is movement on the street, he starts barking.  

More often than not too unfortunately, we are right under the medical flight helicopter flight path.  And its really loud!  I am pretty sure its a Sikorsky and they thunder!

But I truly love it here.  Covid, and the fear of it, has been penetrating my dreams of late. And here on our tiny corner of Vancouver Island we are pretty safe.  The numbers of active cases are so low on the Island.  Although two of our schools have had an infected person in them.  

And I can see that this covid thing is going to be the new normal (I hate that expression)(shovel list) for a long time...too long to sit at home, cowering in the corner.  Now I don't mean one should go crazy, rip their clothes off and run down main street screaming.  (we have already had that happen here twice in the last couple of months).  But time to take a risk or two.

That being said, I am going to do two things next week.  I am going to Vancouver to April's for a week and I am going to go get my hair done.  I can't wait! I have so missed seeing my girls in Vancouver and they are super careful. I shall put a mask on and ride the ferry upstairs outside.  I am pretty excited at the prospect of going somewhere, and seeing people!  Its time to carefully start living with this covid thing.

Well, gotta bounce.  Stay healthy and noodling.  TTYL

 

OH NO!!!!!

I just came across an article in one of my news feeds.  It's an article titled "Outdated Fashion Choices Older Women Still Make".  So being pretty sure I wasn't doing any of them, with great smug self confidence, I decided to read it and see what other old ladies were doing wrong.

Well jeez!  The very first one was labelled "Poofy Big Hairdo."  Well what the hell?  Have they never heard of pin head...thats what happens when you cut your hair into the predictable 'helmet hair'.  I remember going into the senior home to visit my mother and seriously! I couldn't find her in that sea of identical helmet headed old ladies.  Plus, when your hair is short you fall prey to bed head, every morning.  When you have a poof like mine all you have to do in the morning is give your poof a tightening yank or two and your done!

Another one was wearing matchy matchy clothes.  Sigh.  Apparently mixing patterns and colours is the in thing.  I refuse to wear brown with blue, red with pink and paisley with plaid.  If that makes me an old lady mistake, well so be it!

A few more just in case some older ladies are reading this:

High waters!  If you want to see why I would not ever be caught dead in those take a look at our current provincial Green Party leader.  She wears them and they look ridiculous and awful.  I noticed too the other day she had a brown high water pant suit on with a BLUE blouse!!!

Long sleeves only.  Now come on!  This is just mean.  Some of us have floppy upper arms that look like oatmeal.  I feel we are doing the world a favour covering that mess up.

Wearing nylons or pantyhose.  Who does that?  You can't even find them in the stores except for Walmart and seriously, who fashion shops at Walmart!  I think the authors are stretching it here! No old lady I know wears nylons anymore.

Keeping the same hairdo forever.  Whats old or wrong with that?  When you hit the one you like, then solder it!!!  Speaking of which, I have a friend that shall remain nameless, who wore her hair short, always.  And in my opinion it made her look unnecessarily matronly and way too much like her lovely mom.  So I convinced her to let it grow out a bit, a little longer.  She has the most beautiful curly hair.  She did and it took ten years off of her.  I totally envy her hair!

To quote the authors, "Chunky jewelry screams old" or as I say, screams old lady real estate lady.

Chunky white velcro runners.  Well come on.  Now you are talking about OOOOOOOLD women, not older ladies.  Really old women need easy dressing sometimes.  I think this one was another stretch by the authors.

No wearing your jacket or sweater around your waist.  Well I haven't been able to stretch the arms of my jackets around my waist for about thirty years.

No heavy black eye makeup...raccoon eyes....I have never seen anyone older than 17 or out of New Jersey wear raccoon eyes.  Never.

Short silk scarves tied around your neck.  Apparently you aren't fooling anyone.

Haha!  I love this one....pearls.  No pearls.  No pearls at any age not just older women.  Pearls are OUT!!

Clunky, squared off, short handled, beige, black or dark blue hand bags.  I totally agree with that.  I stick my phone in my left side bra and a small wallet in the right side.  Who needs a purse anyway.

Gloves.  Oh come on!  Who the hell wears dress gloves anymore?  They don't even make them.  The authors are sliding back into OLD lady area, the ones that dig around in the back of their underwear drawers and find gloves from the fifties.

Okay, this one is ridiculous.  No wearing high socks and short shorts!  What?  Again, knee socks are NOT sold anymore.  And short shorts?  Old ladies don't even wear shorts never mind a daisy duke!

Now here is another one I totally am on board with.  No elastic waisted trousers!  Especially tan ones.  With a blue long sleeved blouse with a very high neck.  hahahaha!!!  Velcro shoes, pearls, poofy hair and a boxy purse.  Egads!

I have added a few visual aids below to help with the article's points.  Stay safe, noodle and DO NOT WEAR PEARLS!!!!  TTYL

NEVER WEAR ANYTHING WITH CATS ON IT!!!  (THATS MY PERSONAL ADDITION)

LONG HAIR, SILK SCARF, DENIM....HMMMM SEVERAL INFRACTIONS HERE

POOFY HAIR, LONG SLEEVES, BLACK (THEY HAD ALSO SAID NO BLACK), ALMOST RACCOON EYES, DANGLY EARRINGS AND PEARLS...WRONG ON ALL LEVELS HERE

SOME THINGS WERE SO OBVIOUS THEY DIDN'T NEED TO MENTION THEM

WELL THEY DID SAY NO POOFY HAIR OR GLOVES OR BIG HIGH HEELS.  JEEZ!  ALL THATS MISSING IS A WHIP

 

SAD AND AWESOME DAY YESTERDAY

 It was an emotional day yesterday.  It was the sixth anniversary of Spod's death.  It's hard to believe six years has passed already.  And I think, to tell the truth, it gets harder as time goes by.  I really miss him.  You know, I knew that I would end my life without him.  He was twenty years my senior after all and I definitely gave that some serious thought at the beginning of our relationship.  But my feelings for him were that strong that the end did not affect the means. 

I was awakened with a definite bolt of something at exactly 3:47 a.m.  out of a dead dead dead sleep.  I was pretty confused and blurry headed then realized that that was the exact time Bill died six years ago...to the dot.  Holy Hannah!!!  So weird!!!

Later that day Monte and I went to Save-on and I went in and bought the typical truck picnic Bill and I used to do..all the time actually.  So the two of us drove out to a park where we could sit in the truck and watch the water, the seals, the fish, the seagulls, people throwing sticks for their doggies.  We ate velveeta, applesauce, crusty bread, pasties and apple strudel.  We stopped in town before hand and picked up coffee from MacD's.  We did all this to the sounds of the Blues from our Serius radio.  I felt much better afterwards.  And it was good I think for Monte to see what his dad loved most.  We did this any chance we got and had a vehicle at our disposal. Maui, Squamish, Mt. Currie, Kamloops, Iceland, France and Europe and Britain.  It was hard to get him to stay still!

Now it's Tuesday.  I read your comment Arnie and yes, I definitely remember that particular episode.  I was rocking Monte in my wee den and the tv was randomly on her show.  You know, Monte and I were talking about that wire whisk and the spun sugar strands the cow made the other day and he actually remembers that!  He also remembers the sassy words I said when I thought he was asleep.  Apparently not.

I am in rough shape physically right now and its pissing me off.  I would like to say its cuz I am getting old and I don't move more than 50 steps per day, but both of these ailments, painful ones I might add, started when I was five.

I can't move my left arm.....again.  I have been through this many times.  Sometimes it's my right arm.  If I move it even slightly the wrong way its like a red hot poker stabbing into it and it doesn't go away for about five minutes.  And my left ankle/foot has gone for a dump as well.  I can hardly walk on it.  That should only last a few days, the arm could be more than a couple of months.  It's already been over a month.  Grrrrrrr....(shovel list)

Well I must go stir my pot.  Once in a blue moon Monte wants my spaghetti with the noodles cooked in the sauce.  It's so good but not like real Italians make.  In fact I have a suspicion I would be dealt with rather scathingly if one should happen upon my kitchen at the moment.  But....this gooey delicious mess is a large step up, in sophistication, not necessarily flavour, from the one I used to make when I was a teenager.  I would over boil the noodles then open a can of Campbell's tomato soup and dump it in.  Thats it.  No besmirching!!!  Just undiluted soup and noodles.  Yummmmm!  Almost as good as mushy bread and baloney!!!!  Methinks we are peasants!!!

Well that's it for today folks.  Gotta get that kid of mine motivated.  He has to go renew the parked insurance on his van.  Ran out a few days ago and that is NOT a good idea.  Stay safe, noodle and TTYL

THE GUEST OF HONOUR

YUM!

HIS EYES ARE CLOSED JUST LIKE HIS DAD.  I DON'T THINK I EVER REALLY GOT A PIC OF BILL WITH HIS EYES OPEN.

OUR VIEW