A PREDICTION AND SEMI RANT

 Have I mentioned I am truly not a fan of insurance.  I think insurance is at the base of a lot of fear mongering and over carefulness on the part of companies.  Cover your ass policies to the nth degree and the detriment of the general public.

As such, I just finished talking to the insurance guy about the wetness happening in the bedroom corner downstairs.  Like a dog on a bone he wants to know exactly when we first knew about it.  I told him I am not sure, it's a room I am never in, and Monte isn't sure when it started, but he wouldn't let it go.  My first prediction is they will find it has been going on too long for insurance to cover it, whether it has or not.

Then he listed all the ways, at my insistence, it won't be covered.  It pretty much covered everything.  I just got an email from him insisting on an 'exact date'.  Geez!!!!!

So I am now going through my finances planning on the thousands of dollars it's going to cost to fix it.  There does come a time when one starts considering the possibility of having to sell and start renting. My money does NOT come from a bottomless pit.

This has not been the best xmas...no doubt about that.  I think I will stop now.  It isn't going to get better here in this post!  Lol!!!  Sorry folks.  I promise the next post will be better.  TTYL

AN UNEXPECTED AND NOT SO NICE XMAS PRESENT

 I received awesome presents from people and a not so awesome one from Mother Nature.

I asked for only one thing this year and Monte got it for me!!!!  A black and decker electric grill!!!  I am cooking for three.  Three things like steaks or a pound of bacon (who am I kidding...a pound...lol!!  it's 350 grams) or pancakes etc...the cast irons are just not big enough and I want to cook once, not twice.  So I am ecstatic about it.

Ange gave me a beautiful table light that changes to different colours and shines through a filigree pattern.  I absolutely love it!!!  I am a sucker for anything to do with lights.

Now for the one from Mother Nature, the bitch!!!  (shovel list..big time).  We had a massive rain and wind storm last night and it has ripped part of the roof up.  Fuckadoodle!!!!  This is when you renters out there be grateful you rent.  God knows how much it is going to cost get it fixed.  And if insurance does cover it the deductible will be about two to three thousand.   I am not happy but that is the life and expense of being a homeowner.

Other than that it was a lovely xmas. Christmas Eve was wonderful.  We made food and right at 7 pm it was present opening time.  It was so much fun!  We played Abba and Boney M xmas albums and ate nummies and didn't drink anything alcohol.  Diet Pepsi.  Not even a rum and coke for heaven's sake!!!  Lol!!  I had cooked at rib eye roast to perfection, warmed up those PC yorkies, melted my frozen gravy I had made before, got out the horseradish and we made yorkie sliders.  Man were they ever good.  And Ange brought smoked oysters and mussels.  OMG...I had never had smoked mussels before and they were amazing!!!!

Then the storm hit and it was a doozy!!!  The racket of the roof flapping, it is a metal roof, was tremendous!!!!  The clouds of rain were blowing straight sideways!!!  And this was the first night in a long time that damned bear didn't harass us!!!!

We all did our part in the cleanup and then I like passed out in my chair.  (I said 'like'..shovel list).  I really fell asleep hard.  I hadn't slept much past 2 am, as usual, then got up at 6ish am and got to work.  Not making a turkey dinner turned out to be way more work in the end but a lot of fun.  But I gotta say, I was totally exhausted by eating and opening presents time.  It was a really good day.

And now it is Boxing Day.  Leftovers tonight.  I have untouched spin dip and seafood dip.  I am sending Monte over to the store to get some sourdough.  The buns I bought are just too soft and not appropriate!  Tomorrow I am cleaning and vacuuming a van, getting it ready to hand off to Bradley and Aryn on the second of January.

Now it is time to prod Monte into taking out the garbage, taking a gift basket of chocolate to the neighbour, thanking them for the amazing awesome Christmas light display they put up every year.  I have been binge watching Naked and Afraid, which makes me either too hot, too cold or definitely hungry!!!!  LOL!!!  Happy New Year everyone!!!  TTYL

BRADLEYBE SANTA

CHRISTMAS DINNER

CHRISTMAS EVE NUMMIES

OVER CROWDED LIVING ROOM ALL READY FOR XMAS

MY 2023 CHRISTMAS CAREFULLY CHOSEN OUTFIT

Adults can take a simple holiday for Children and screw it up. What began as a presentation of simple gifts to delight and surprise children around the Christmas tree has culminated in a woman  unwrapping six shrimp forks from her dog, who drew her name.

Erma Bombeck

IMPROMPTU NESS

 FRIDAY--Yesterday Monte said let's go to Coombs, I need the wee notebooks they have there.  I said sure why not?

So off we went and we hadn't even got to the Coombs turnoff when he happened to mention how next time we go to Nanaimo we should check out Superstore, or Stupid store as I call it.  I had just coincidentally read the PC (their brand) flyer and there were a couple things I would like.  So I said, 'Let's go now!  Why not?" and he said ALRIGHTY!!!  And that is how we ended up in Nanaimo...yet again.  If we were in Gladys we wouldn't have...too much gas.  But Smudge's gas needle doesn't even move on that trip.

Boy did we have fun.  We went to Stupid store and went through there like starving idiots.  That is what happens when you live in Butt F*** BC.  We truly are deprived here for the fine tune stuff.  And Costco doesn't stock those things.  So we went up and down the aisles and bought a few things with glee.  Mind you the one thing that prompted the impromptu trip they were out of.  16 butter layers croissants!!!  But we found other lovely things.  Now the only thing left to get are the buns for the xmas pick dinner.

Saturday--Yesterday I made baked beans in the crock pot!!!!  Man that was easy.  I soaked the beans over night and then you just throw everything into the crock pot, add some water, turn it on high and 7 hours later you have perfect beans. 

 I cooled them off and checked the weather app and it was going to go down to 0-3 degrees in the night.  So I buttoned up the lid on the crock pot and put the beans out on one of the freezers.  I love it when it's cold....it definitely increases my 'fridge' space.  I also had my cast iron dutch oven out there with a ham bone in it.

At exactly 3:25 am my phone rang...woke me up out of a light sleep.  It was Monte.  He tells me that either a robber or an animal is on the deck, he heard the crock pot hit the deck.  SHIT!!!!  I leapt out of bed and barrelled out to the sliding glass door to the deck.  We always leave a light on out there.  But before I actually got right to the door I skidded to a stop.  Right there on the other side was a great big black bear.  He was on his hind legs sniffing around the ham pot I had put on a small charcoal bbq on a small table.  He had knocked another pot off, that is what Monte heard, with half a banoffee pie in it and had licked it clean.  My crock pot was untouched  still on the freezer. He wasn't interested.  I am kind of offended.

  He rumbled around out there for at least another five minutes then took off.  Stupid bear.  His hormones must be broken.  When it gets cold enough their hormones make them hibernate.  This guy is obviously special.  And for some reason he has taken a shine to our house.

Every night practically he shows up and bashes our garbage wheelies around. He doesn't touch any of the neighbours' wheelies and he has never gotten into one.  Now he has discovered the buffet on the deck.  I will have to rope the gate shut and I am not sure he can get over it from the stairs.  Probably can.  Sigh.  There goes my extended fridge.

So today is getting stuff ready for Xmas eve.  I need to make a pot of chilli, get the Jonny cake ingredients ready to mix and bake tomorrow afternoon, get the charcuterie board stuff ready to put on the board, goodies arranged on pretty plates.  I think our drink of choice will be Cuba Libras.  And maybe some Avocat.  Love that stuff and I have half a bottle in the fridge. Plus, as per usual, I still have to wrap all the presents.  Sigh.  This is when I miss Billy the most.  He was such a good present wrapper.  

Plus Monte wants me to go with him on a trek to find good spots to film backgrounds for his new project.  I have agreed but first there are some, read a huge amount, of boxes on the deck that need to be flattened properly, not just by a bear.

The morning is half over so I best get busy.  I am hungry and there is a fat package of pig's head cheese in the fridge hollering out to be in a sammich!  Yummmmm.  I found a butcher that sells beef tongue. Another sammich fave.  Gonna get one in the new year and boil er up!  I shall connect back here on Boxing Day.  Have the happiest xmas possible people...or a Happy Hanukkah!!!!! TTYL

No quote today...they were either stupid bear/bare puns or portraying bears as cute and cuddly.  NOT!!!

I purloined the bear pictures from google images

PARDON THE FRENCH...

ENJOYING THE VIEW

SNOOZLES

BALANCING ACT

CHILLAXING I THINK THIS ONE IS A CARVING

WELL HELLO THERE...WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

YEAH, I THINK HE WILL GET OVER THE GATE OR CLIMB UP LIKE THIS ONE.  SIGH.  I THINK I WILL PUT SOME YUMMY FOOD OUT AND SET RAT TRAPS ON THE TOP.

BEST DAY EVER

 I was taking a gander over my last few posts and I am making the mistake again of getting preachy.  That is not what this blog is about.  This blog is about crap I see here and there, funny stuff that happens, events, not vents, in my day to day.  I write a lot of what I call vents and essays elsewhere.

  It's amazing how I can get wound up about something but I don't particularly want to step on anyone's toes so I write those rants elsewhere.  The last one was about massive furry coal black fake eyebrows some women are sporting these days...you know the Groucho Marx look but because I know some people that are doing that I refrained from commenting too much about it here.  But I sure blasted it elsewhere!!!!

So a happy post.  Monte and I went to Nanaimo yesterday.  We left earlier than normal and we had a fantastic day!!!!  When you sit at home day in and day out, never going out, looking out at constantly fogged in outside, going to town almost becomes culture shock...in a good way.  You need shaking up now and again.

What prompted the trip was that I needed horseradish.  And I only use horseradish, the real kind, not watered down wussy creamed stuff, from Coombs.  Coombs was going to be open til 6 so we decided to go to Indigo, Costco, Fairway and London Drugs first then stop at Coombs on the way home.  Indigo was pretty close to the fat lady store, which I never get to anymore. 

 I needed some new undies to replace some raggedy ugly ones, the kind your mother warned you about not being caught dead in. And let's face it, at my age that rainbow bridge ain't too far away and I want to get there wearing shiny new nethers. Monte kindly stopped for me.

I walk into the place and worked my way slowly to the undie section, trying to keep my blinkers on.  Now fat lady delicates are expensive.  Generally they are 3 for 25-30 bucks.  I get it.  They are big enough to make a tent so extra material, extra cost.  But the panty gods were smiling on me yesterday!!!  They were on sale for 3.99 each!!!!  I grabbed three polkadot ones and tried to walk away to the cashier.  But there was a massive, beautiful amazing thing that caught my eye.  It was hanging on the wall right there......I had to go look.

There hung a beautiful bright pink brassiere!!  You couldn't call it a bra... bra is reserved for cute little scraps that the skinny girls wear.  This thing on the wall was like a fancy horse blanket.  And that, my friends, full disclosure here, is appealing to fat broads that sport ugly fat hanging over any clothing border on your body.  It even happens at the top of your socks.  Overhang is a real thing people, and us larger ladies battle it constantly.  And there was no question that this brassiere was made to contain the overhang!!!   Normally it would be in the 80 dollar range, but, I think because it was so massive and indelicate it was unappealing and had become the fullest rack in the nethers department, no one was attracted to it, except me.  Thus....wait for it....29 bucks!!!!  And it had my massive necessary size.  I snatched that thing down and bought it instantly!!!!  Happy happy. 

Fairway provided us with all Asian condiments we needed and can't get in our teeny town.  I don't think I have ever seen an Asian here.  

By now we were hungry.  We went into a Whitespot and did the usual waiting and waiting and waiting.  OMG!!!  Half an hour before we ordered, half an hour before the food got to our table and twenty minutes after we were finished eating waiting for our check.  Seriously!!!!  But....I had the best hamburger I have ever eaten.  Monty Mushroom.  Unbelievably delicious!!!  But we are renaming the place to Waitspot.  In the past we have actually walked out of one because they took sooooooo long.

And then Costco.  Busy busy busy Costco.  So much fun.  I had a list so it was pretty easy and for once we didn't eat our usual.  The tables were full as I figured they would be and I won't eat standing up.  That was kind of why we went to Waitspot first.

On the way home we went to Coombs.  Oh jeez!!!  It truly is the most tempting market one can go into.  So we bought stuff...other than the horseradish all very unnecessary stuff believe me!!!  I am too ashamed to list it here.

We got home exhausted and happy.  Later we heard thumping outside and sure enough.  A big mentally damaged bear, the only one left in town was out there throwing our garbage wheely bin around again.  I was going to go out and kick his butt but he took off, defeated.

A perfect end to a perfect day.  TTYL

'There needs to be disposable, flammable bras.  Like everyday you get home and rip it off, and then set it on fire.  And cry FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!!!!!'  I couldn't find the author to that quote.

'That thing where you covertly put your hands in your bra and scoop your titties up in public.'  Emily McCombs.       (tmi?)

THERE SHE IS IN ALL HER GLORY!!! THE BRASSERIE.

BIG ENOUGH TO WARRANT A NAME.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN'T BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

 There is a person we know. This person super protects themself from all news or sad stories.  As such all of us that are aware of this do try very very hard to keep the conversation banal and free of salty language.

But we that are aware of this have had conversation about how appropriate that is, or conversely, when is sticking your head in the sand cowardly, no matter what your past is.  Some of us think that due to this person's past, it is forgivable.  Others of us think it's pretty self indulgent. (shovel list)  Life deals some pretty tough stuff at times.  And frankly, if there is any way the collective population is aware, there will be a much better chance of a solution.

And the other consideration is how much conversation in a group is detoured due to one person's likes and/or dislikes.  I am not talking about unnecessary bawdy convo.  I am speaking of current affairs, happenings, new events, politics etc...It can get pretty stilted and sticky tiptoeing around what suits one person's needs over the general group interests.

It reminds me of visiting a now long dead grandmother.  She was little and tiny and ruled with an iron fist. (literally sometimes).

A group of us decided to make an impromptu visit one day.  Off we went.  It was about two hours away.  On the way over we all laughed, told jokes, conversed and generally had a hoot all the way there.  We were a mixture of family and friends packed into a big old car.

But....the minute we got there, there was a distinct and amazing (and to me alarming) change of convo and behaviour, even tone of voice.  Now I understand one must mind their manners etc when in the presence of older rellies but this particular time it was extreme.  All of a sudden certain members of the group became simpering and sweet and anything but genuine.  Honestly!!!!  It was nauseating!!!!  That had better not happen around me!  I will make sure I drop the f-bomb right away and set the tone and pace of the visit.

Anyway, my point with all that is I really dislike false fronts.  Yes of course sometimes stories are difficult given your past.  But we all go through that now and then.  It's a choice to be delicate.  But you will never see the real person in front of you and you will never be part of a solution to the subject at hand.  If you are okay with that...then have at it.

On another note it's been a busy time prepping for xmas, getting the van to Vancouver for Aryn and Bradley to use for the next few months, taking care of longer term issues, like the insurance to deal with the mould and dampness in Monte's bedroom, all the cardboard boxes on the deck, mounds of laundry etc....  But when everything is done I get nervous.  And restless.  I like having a todo list on the fridge!  It grounds me.

Ten days to xmas!!! I must turn my attention to our menu we have planned.  A chilli charcuterie board for xmas eve and pick dinner, as Bill and I used to call it for xmas day.  As I said before I am NOT making a big xmas dinner this year.  I just did one for thanksgiving and due to circumstances ended up doing all the clean up.  Unless I am guaranteed help with the clean up right to the finish I won't be cooking a big one again.

On Boxing Day we head to Vancouver with both vehicles on the 7:30 am ferry.  We finally found out when the kids need the van so we could plan our trip over.  By this morning when I found out for sure, the whole day was full, except super early ferries.  Fortunately both Monte and I are perfectly okay with early risings.  I wake up every night at 3 and basically am awake from that point on.  

I should be super excited to see my kids that I don't see very often, and I certainly am, but I am extra excited to see Leeloo!  I am afraid she is going to forget me.  At least there isn't another gramma in the picture to compete with!!!!  I am going to try to talk the kids into letting me have her til middle of January when I plan to go back for a longer visit.  I have a feeling the answer will be no!

Well I have to bounce.  I am still sitting in my bed and it is 11:04 am.  Monte, bless him, went to McD's and brought me their burrito breakfast...my fave but not my pancreas's favourite.  I am now spelling it pancre ass.  I hate my pancre ass. (shovel list) Have a great day and feel the excitement of xmas the most you can.  It comes only once a year!!!!  TTYL

'Confrontation leads to action.  Avoidance leads to inaction.'  Colleen Hoover,  All Your Perfects

CHILLI CHARCUTERIE FOR XMAS EVE

ONE IDEA FOR THE PICK DINNER ON XMAS

PICK DINNER

I PUT THIS HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF A APPY I PLAN TO MAKE FOR THE PICK DINNER

DEFINITELY GOING TO BE ON THE PICK DINNER TABLE!!!!

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

That would be Stan and Antonia!  They come to town to visit three people.  Their accountant and dear friend and his wife.  Antonia's brother and family live in town.  And me and Monte and Ange!  Port Alberni is becoming a popular place to live!!!

So the big cleanup is happening.  I haven't had the housekeeper in for over a month now.  I don't have even one inch to put the vacuum away upstairs so I just don't use it.  I bought a carpet sweeper that is truly amazing!!!  The furniture is dusty but she doesn't dust anyway so that's not new.  But she is coming this next Monday.  In the meantime I am getting the place ready.

Monte has been using the guest room.  He dragged his twin mattress in from the van and its on the floor in the laundry room.  He still can't sleep in his wet mouldy bedroom.  So sheets washed, clean towels out and Ange bless her, is coming up at two to help me make that bed.  It is an atrocity to make and so hard on the back.  It is so much easier with two people doing it.

Antonia is bringing a shepherd's pie!!  Yum!!  I will be making a salad and yesterday I made Irish soda bread.  And right now I am in the process of prepping the base for banoffee!!  Yesterday I boiled the sweet condensed milk in cans in water for three hours...yummy caramel.  I cheated and bought two graham wafer pie crusts in the tin foil pie plates.  I didn't want any leftover makings which would happen if I did make them.  Monte bought me a massive batch of ripe bananas and I have whipping cream and instant espresso at the ready!  I look forward to visiting with them!

But now I am running around in short short pj shorts and a filthy shirt.  Best go dude up a bit.  I will check back here later after dinner and they have gone to bed!  I will try to remember to take some pics.

It is the next day.  Early early..still dark as ditch water outside.  Dinner was lovely.  Her shepherd's pie was delicious!  The banoffee was rich as hell.  But delicious.

The kitchen and table are a massive mess.  Sigh.  Caroline is coming to clean at 12:30 so I had best get at the cleaning.  I like to have the house completely picked up for when she comes.

Stan and Antonia are leaving to go meet her brother and wife for breakfast at a local joint.  They are meeting them at ten so that will give me a wee bit of time to visit with them.  Monte will be moving upstairs again.  He was up super early this morning.  I ran into him on my way to the loo at about five thirty.  He was on his way out to his fave restaurant to get a breakfast.  He gave me a big hug!!  That never happens!!!  His autism, Aspergers makes him not like being touched so that hug was pretty special.  Gotta bounce!  I hear some astirring in the bedroom!

Another lovely visit and they are on their way.  I have the kitchen and dining room all clean and ready for the housekeeper.  Time to do my emails!  Have a wonderful day!!!  TTYL

this quote is exactly how we grew up and I tried to emulate that with all of my children.

'We have dinner every single night, Monday through Friday, with the children.  We sit down around 6-6:30 and it's a family dinner - it's time to check in, just to be around each other.'  Mark Consuelos

IRISH SODA BREAD

THIS BLOGSPOT IS JUST THE FRIGGING LIMIT.  STUPIDEST WEBSITE ON THE PLANET.  THAT CANDLE WAS GIVEN TO ME MANY MANY YEARS AGO BY AUNTIE JOAN, BILL'S BROTHER'S WIFE.  I STILL USE IT ALL THE TIME.  I LOVE IT!!!!

INTERESTING TO WATCH

Now that times are tougher, less expendable money to go around, I find it interesting what households decide to cut first and maybe even more interesting what they don't.

I don't know for sure, I am not part of anyone else's household and I have discovered that people kinda fudge their personal facts.  But I sure am sure of what we are cutting in this house!

First thing I did when I made the conscious decision to cut back was decide on a budget.  That wasn't easy or fun.  The thing is there are still things one has to pay for, even if you can't eat anymore, or drive or buy necessities (and that term has had to be redefined).  One of those things is house insurance.  I think you are nuts if you own a house and don't have insurance.  If your house burns down you become everyone else's problem, my worst nightmare....not the fire but being a problem to everyone else.  So after deciding on that budget the next problem is sticking to it.  Jeez!!!

Back in the day when we had pigs, one of the foods we used to feed them was cabbage.  They love cabbage and cabbage is basically a garbage food.  Sooo cheap and you only ate it at the end of your pay period when you ran out of everything else.  At the end of winter our root cellar was relatively empty and one of the fuller bins was the cabbage bin.  I mean face it, other than cabbage rolls and coleslaw (which we all hated cutting it up for it) what do you do with it?  I know mom would whack wedges, boil them and serve it with butter, s&p and vinegar drizzle.  Then she would tell us kids it was special. Sure.

The reason I mention this is that in this house Ange, bless her heart, now and then makes vast huge pots of cabbage roll casserole.  Deeeelicious!!!!!  And cheap.  So I checked out the cabbages the other day thinking it was time to put some more of that delicious cheaper food in the freezer. I was shocked!!! What used to be a two dollar cabbage was nine dollars!!!  Nine!!!!  Pig food has become foofoo food!!!! 

 Potatoes is another one. That was another root cellar special at the end of the month.  Mom would make what she called 'mulligan stew'. She would get out the cast iron frying pan, fry a bit of bacon (from the same pigs we fed cabbages to so I guess we did get cabbage another way than boiled) and onions, pour in milk and add a whack of cut up potatoes.  Oh god I hated that stuff.  I can still taste it when I think about it too hard. But potatoes were cheap and in the light of disclosure, we never bought potatoes, we grew them.

  When I make a grocery order online for pickup  at the Walmart grocery site, they sell potatoes individually.  They are almost two bucks a pound.  I mean who the heck buys potatoes individually?  Let's see, Aunt Martha is good for 3 potatoes, she likes them a lot, Mable is low carbing so I don't have to buy her one, I need enough for mashed spuds so I think ten should do for that.  Jeez!  Have you ever just counted how many potatoes you peel and dump into a pot?  Who does that?  Just give me a freaking ten pound bag already!!!!  I don't want to know how many potatoes are actually in that bag and multiply by individual prices.

I think the biggest change in our house due to less money, budgets etc...was selling Gladys, my beloved violently red jeep truck.  I hate to admit it but I didn't just love the look and convenience of have that truck, but I will be honest and admit I loved the attention I got.  Sick, I know, at my age.  Jeez!  But holy canoly!  the money we have saved in gas is phenomenal.  I mean truly amazing.  She was a total gas guzzler!  Smudge, the corolla, that replaced her doesn't even use a quarter of what Gladys drank.  So I will put up with anonymity and being lost in parking lots.  Smudge looks like at least 20% of the cars out there.  In fact Ange and I headed to a car we thought was ours and it wasn't until I was right up to the door and noticed a very puzzled man sitting behind the wheel.  We blend in perfectly now.

So I am taking deep dives into one of my four freezers that are so full I can't shut them.  Two days ago I hauled out a bunch of frozen beef and made the most delicious stew.  We ate it two or three times in a row.  There is still some left over.  Cook once, eat three times.  From now on thats the motto, well I have always kind of done that but now it's serious.

  It's funny but the cheap hamburger chubs at Walmart were 4.95 at the beginning of the pandemic when I started to do online/pickup shopping.  And guess what?  It still is!  I bought five of them yesterday and they were still 4.95!

Anyway, long story short I guess we all are trying to find that extra money we don't have any more in weird but obvious places.  Gas, food, dining out no longer, extra ferry trips stopped, clothes, household extras, cheaper versions of things like toilet paper etc....Meanwhile property taxes, income taxes, utilities, insurances, house upkeep, car repairs...steadily climb.

I am not complaining.  I think 'hard times' are good for society.  I saw this happen in the beginning of the eighties when the interest rate shot up to 21-23% and stayed there for three years.  Banks ended up owning most the houses.  New cars were a thing of the past.  People had to pull up their britches, buckle down and work two or three jobs....if they could find them.  The unemployment rate shot up ridiculously.  Society took a huge smack and I was pretty impressed with how we all dealt with it.  We didn't have a Trudeau handing out billions of dollars to undeserving masses, causing the inflation rate to go up like we have now.  Thanks Pierre.  And if people have to give up some lux extras well boo hoo.  And from what I am also seeing people in general are truly being as generous as possible and helping the less, really less fortunate ones out.  Charity is booming.  Good things happen in tough times.

Well enough silly preaching.  If you are still reading, I am impressed!  Hahaha!!!  I am now about to figure out how to cut my tv bill in half.  My goal for the day.  TTYL

'Freedom (n):  To ask nothing. To expect nothing.  To depend on nothing.'  Ayn Rand, "The Fountainhead"

THIS IS TRULY MY MANTRA.  LOVE AYN RAND

 

APRIL DECIDED TO TRY TO DO HER HAIR THE WAY THIS MODEL HAS DONE HERS

THE RESULT.....HAHAHAHAHA!!!

APPRIL IS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE I KNOW.   ONLY SHE WOULD DO A PIC SET LIKE THIS.

 

A RANT: FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS

 I have a beef...a big beef and criticism of a certain group of people.  As this may include you, I can't say I am sorry.  I one hundred percent  own my opinion here.

If you are a cat owner and you let your cat outside on its own, you are, not meaning to or doing it intentionally, being negligent and ultimately cruel.   It boggles my mind how cat owners claim they love their cat like it's their kid, then every morning they chuck it out the door to go play somewhere for the day.  Seriously!!!  Well I feel you can't value that cat very much to put it in so much danger every day.

I have mentioned this before here.  I feel it bears mentioning again and if it gets through to even one cat owner I will be happy.

A dog in our neighbourhood just brutally tore a beloved cat to pieces.  That cat was in that dog's yard, a secure yard.  The dog did what dogs do and that cat lost.  Brutally.

  We have seen a cat get hit by a car and killed out front.  I know for a fact that people set nasty painful traps in their sandboxes and gardens to nail cats that crap in them.  People put out poison bait to kill them.  People catch them and drive them out into the bush and leave them.  People may not be right but when you get that fed up with neighbour's cats, well bad things happen and whose fault is it NOT?  The cat's!!!!!

In the US, cats, house cats and feral cats, kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds a year according to Peter Marra of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C.  Dozens of bird species have become extinct because of cats.  That fact alone should matter to cat owners.  

Many methods of control have been tried, to no avail.  Feral cats were rounded up and killed.  Sterilization campaigns haven't worked.  And now some municipalities are passing a by-law that cat owners have to keep their cats indoors and if going out they have to be kept on their property.  Like dog owners have to.  Plus they want pet owners to register their cat and apply for a special licence to NOT spay or neuter their animal.  If nothing else, once a few hefty fines are handed out, payable before you can get your cat back from the pound, the public may get the message.    And before adoption of a cat can happen, the potential adopter has to agree to keep the cat indoors, for the cat's, birds and small mammals' protection.

So my final word on this is keep your cat indoors and lobby your local government to pass a 'Safety for cats, birds and small Mammals Law'.

Love your kitty!!!!  TTYL

'I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.'  Jean Cocteau

TRUE LOVE, I KNOW FIVE PEOPLE PERSONALLY WHO KEEP THEIR CATS INDOORS, AND THOSE CATS ARE LOVED, HAPPY, CONTENT AND SAFE.

ACCOUNTABILITY

I think I have mentioned that I do 100% of my non grocery shopping on Amazon.  Amazon can be tricky dicks.  You really have to know your prices, check delivery dates, make sure they don't charge shipping if you are prime and know that if the item is coming from outside Canada, the two day shipping is completely out the window.

That being said, their prices are simply not consistent from one product to another.  I was looking at their large container Club House spices.  I needed taco seasoning and the only one I use or like is Club House.  I can get it at Costco for for about six dollars but I am sure not making a trip to Costco just for that and I had no idea when we were going to be going again.  So I happen to know that Amazon sells them.

Well what can I say.  I am perusing through the Club House seasonings and they ranged from 6 dollars to 11 dollars.  I finally get to taco and...37 bucks!!!!  Thirty seven!!!!  Amazon can really suck sometimes.

Anyhooo...I have a pretty good idea how much I spend at Amazon.  But...I decided to get the Amazon Master Card and only use it at Amazon.  I got a fifty dollar amazon gift card for signing up for that!  But holy Hannah!!!!  I just did that one statement ago and I know it's xmas and presents are being bought, but jeez!  My new years resolution this year is to STOP shopping at Amazon.  When I looked at the list of stuff though all of it was stuff I would have had to go buy in stores so I am not sure what to do to solve that particular problem.  None of it was fun stuff.  Plant bloom food, gallon jug, whisk, wreath door hanger, batteries, books etc...

I wish there was something obvious I could cut out, stuff I would have to go to the store for otherwise.  I have to stay out of Costco too.  I was going to get four things for under fifty bucks (like taco seasoning and turlett paper) and came out with a belly full of fries and gravy and hot dog and a receipt for 330 bucks.  SHIT!!!!!!

Starting in January I am going to see if I can exist on my pensions only.  Thats about 2014.00.  I am not sure I can pay my income tax instalments and utility bill that comes in every three months.  I think my reno list is getting way smaller and my wish list is growing pretty fast!  Lol!!  Funny thing is I am way more comfortable living on a budget.  It's what I am most used to and I know people that only get half that or less per month.  This is when renting makes more sense.

One thing I can do after Dec. is start selling stuff.  I need to sell my dining room set.  I will be getting the family table and buffet that we had in Bamfield and is now at April's, back.  I have lots of stuff I can sell off.  And I can put that money towards those lump sum pmts I need to make.  Utilities, income tax, property tax, hydro equalization supplement, car insurance, house insurance, handymen for fixing turrlets etc., hot water tank replacement, insurance deductibles, car maintenance, and on and on.  I will try to empty out my sheds and laundry room!!!!!

I was just scrolling through various family pictures and came across a picture of the family gathering at a local Kamloops restaurant the evening of Bill's funeral.  Every one of Bill's family was there, including a few he rarely saw, except for April and Monte.  The kids were shocked and frankly hurt the next day when they saw the pictures on Facebook.  Other than Uncle Frank's family, bless them, it's like that family forgets that not only did he have two other kids spawned by him, but that he was very very happily married to their mother for over 34 years.  Best 34 years of our lives.  I am so glad that April has connected with her cousin Russ and wife Lorraine.  And Auntie Joan is gold.  Monte?  Has never heard a word from a Heyman since Bill died.

Any how time to wrap this up and go wash my hair.  A most detested pass time I must say.  At least it's all brushed out and prepped, the hardest part!!!!  And it is time to start wrapping up the presents arriving on the doorstep pretty much daily!  Have I said I LOVE Christmas?  TTYL

'A personal budget is a manifestation of your decision to grab your finances by the balls'      The Money Tree Man           

 

AMAZON HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIVING ROOM

 

CHRISTMAS TREE....BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Finally got that wee tree up.  Normally I have the tree up by the end of the first weekend in November.  I am one of those people that LOVES all things Xmas!  And I love that the stores put xmas stuff out as soon as Thanksgiving is done.  It means I can spread the cost out over two and a half months.  Makes sense to me.

  I'm kind of liking having a three footer.  I have put it on a table in front of the front window so it looks Christmassy outside. We don't have a plug in out front so no decorations out there.  

Having a smaller tree cuts the cost of decorating way down.  Plus it is super fast to decorate, not my favourite pass time. In fact I have put 200 lights on that sucker so you can't see the decorations anyway.  I like tons of lights and I am leaving it up until at least the end of January.  I am a sucker for anything lights.  But you will see below I couldn't even get a decent pic of the tree due to lights.  I tried to tweek the picture but nothing helped.

It has not been a very eventful week.  Which is good, I guess.  We did have Monique, Ange's friend, over for coffee.  That was fun.  And we made one or two trips to Nanaimo, can't remember what for.  And guess what?  We have to go back again today.

I hate nagging.  And I really really hate being put in the position of 'nagging'.  Monte puts his glasses on the bed beside him when he sleeps.  Several times now he hasn't immediately been able to find them.  It was so so tempting to say 'put them on the bedside table just in case you roll on them or they fall off the bed and break.'  But I held back.  He is a man, not a kid.  But you guessed it.  He rolled on them and now they need to be professionally fixed.  And that means a trip to LensCrafters in Nanaimo.

Many many times I have tried to discern between micromanaging, nagging and just shutting up.  But when there is collateral damage inevitable, I am thinking one should speak up, especially if the consequeses involve you.  But I also know the futility of speaking up.  Monte wouldn't do it anyway.  It's just easier to put them on the bed so on the bed they go.  And now to Nanaimo we go, which fortunately for me I love doing!

Ange had an episode with someone knocking on her door around nine at night.  No one ever knocks on her door.  It's a basement door buried deep in a dark carport.  It was a massively upset female who according to Ange smelled like alcohol but wasn't drunk, who claimed that a car had been following her around. She was scared apparently. She was meeting someone over at QF but it was closed. Keep in mind that it is extremely lit up over there, read safe, and Cascade Liquor is attached to QF and is open til ten.  This just doesn't make sense.

She asked if she could wait in the carport.  But a few minutes later she asked Ange if she could come in.  And because she was so upset Ange let her in.  Ange said she didn't get bad vibes from her.  

 I have been remiss in not telling Ange that the policy in our house has always been you don't let anybody in, ever.  If someone is in trouble you call the police and frankly her story just doesn't add up.  She could be casing our place, figuring out who lives where etc...I haven't mentioned it to Ange yet but I will soon.  I don't want her to feel like she did something wrong. It's my fault for not telling her, how was she supposed to know?  Eventually the female got hold of someone to pick her up....back over at the store.  Go figure. 

 Twice in my life I have had what seemed like innocent types come to my door, I let them in and totally lived to regret it.  When you have been through that you kind of get hypersensitive.  I am still a bit worried about it.  Ange just came upstairs and I mentioned it to her.  And typical Ange she took it as I meant it and not as a criticism.  She is amazing!

Well this post is getting long.  I need to get my day going...like eat breakfast.  I am watching, while I type this, Naked and Afraid.  That show makes me both hungry and cold!  TTYL

'Rice is great when you are hungry and you want 2,000 of something.'  Anon

AFTER THE ADDITION OF 100 LIGHTS.  AS USUAL THIS STUPID SITE DIDN'T PUT THEM ON IN THE ORDER I WANTED.  GRRRRR

THE BEFORE THE ADDITION OF ANOTHER 100 LIGHTS

ANONYMOUS WROTE A COMMENT!!!!!! THANK YOU

I almost never get comments...which is completely okay with me.  This blogspot is so unbelievably difficult to leave comments on.  I have heard from so many people that read this thing that they can't comment.  And truthfully I am really okay with that. If they could leave them and didn't I might give it an extra thought but one thing I know.  The nasty sick heads that like to leave bad comments can't be bothered on blogspot.  It's just too damned difficult!

So I totally appreciated anonymous's comment today.  Whoever that is went to the work of getting one on here!  I was excited to see it!!!  And it was such a nice comment!

Well it's another trip to Nannymo today.  Monte is having trouble with his cpap mask and needs a new one.  And I need to make a quick stop at Costco.  There are just some things that if there is a choice, get it at Costco.  So much cheaper.  Tomatoes, eggs, bread, t.p., paper towels, etc...so it's a stop for ten things.  No more!

By the way I found my xmas tree!  It was in the box, out buried under the amazon boxes that are piled on the deck.  It is so hard to throw out those amazing boxes.  The deck is the one extra time to think about it before they get recycled.  Like planes versus boats.  There is no extra time to try to save your life when a plane crashes.  On a sinking boat, even if you don't swim well, you can at least dog paddle for a while.  Sometimes, very rarely, I do go out and get one of those boxes to use.

Yet again I digress.  I got the tree out and put it together and fluffed it and I love it.  I think it's going to be my forever tree.  It's only three feet and not hugely bushy so I can leave it all lighted and decorated year round and find somewhere to store it where it shan't get mouldy.  It still needs more lights and decorating so I won't put a pic here til it's done.

I made a rant on Facebook yesterday.  We have discovered mould and wetness in Monte's bedroom.  To tell you the truth I am not surprised given the ferocious rain and windstorm that had happened a few days earlier in the week.  But the mould that is growing indicated a longer period of dampness, the storm just took advantage of the weakness the earlier stuff had done.  It is either roof or foundation or old, no longer effective drain tiles around the foundation. My only hope at this time is insurance.

The rant yesterday was directed towards all the people that are super jonesing to buy a house.  I think some of them just aren't living in reality.  If you compare owning and renting there is no question that owning is way more expensive than even super high rent plus strata in some cases.  Between your mortgage pmt,  property taxes, city utilities, house insurance (1200 per year on my humble abode) general upkeep and then major fixes like my broken front door and surrounding glass with holes in it, cost me 5,000 dollars, renting becomes pretty appealing.  If you don't do your due diligence you lose either the equity in your home or your home itself.

That being said I made a list when I moved into this house of things needing doing.  Now four years later over half the list has turned into a wish list.  I need the money for the not dire stuff to fix the dire stuff.  Which with me is fine.  I can live with old lady pink carpet everywhere, foil flowers wall paper in the bathroom, green cracked laminate countertops, olive green barely working turlett and matching chipped bathtub!  I think some people wouldn't be happy with that!

So now I need to confirm insurance will help with the mould repairs and it will only cost the deductible, which can be considerable.

Wordle.  I have been hearing about Wordle for quite some time now.  I couldn't find it and couldn't figure out what all the hype was about.  But....I know now!!!  Kathy and Kerry play Wordle and showed me and now I am addicted.  Every morning the New York Times posts seven different puzzles, Wordle being one of them.  You basically get one shot at each one then you are done for the day.  It is so much fun!  I grab my phone when I wake up in the morning, always around 5 am, and do the puzzles.  I love it!!!!  I am def hooked!!! 

Gotta bounce!  I need to clean up my kitchen before bringing home more stuff.  TTYL

'A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.'  Anon

YOU DON'T NEED ENGLISH TO GET THIS ONE.  WE WERE IN A MCDONALDS IN JAPAN AND THIS WAS ON THE WALL.  SPOD WAS SO EXCITED...HE LOVED SPAM AND MCD'S!

G-DAMMIT!!!!!

 I put a G up there instead of God out of respect for those that attend church every Sunday.  I am not religious, spiritual, but not religious.  Even so I won't let my kids say 'my effing god' in front of me.  We could get struck  by lightening...you never know.  I find the expression offensive actually.

I think I have mentioned on occasion that I cannot find anything in this frigging house.  I am not sure if it's because I can't remember anything anymore or if it's the stupid house cuz there is no logical storage places or if it's a combination of both.  I just know I can NEVER find what I am looking for.  

I remember Bill telling me that his last wife was famous for the same thing and would just go buy another.  I remember arrogantly being quite critical about that, negatively I might add.  And because of him telling me that tidbit, and my negative judgy reaction, I refuse to do that, even when I am desperate.  And Kim, I am totally sorry for my judgement!!!!  Like she has any remote interest in my boring nothing blog and is actually reading it!  Hahaha...right!

Anyway, I digress, as usual.  You guys are lucky I am not dictating this thing.  I would be wandering all over my head, verbalizing silly unnecessary crap!  Like I just did now!! Dammit!!

Back to my G-dammit. I have lost my new Christmas tree.  Seriously!!!!  I replaced last years, oh just a minute, I didn't have one last year, at least not one to be proud of.  The year before I had quite a nice three footer but after spending a year in a bag, it came out absolutely mouldy and stinky.  Out it went and I didn't replace it.  I had a two foot warped badly made atrocity that I rammed a million lights onto and used that last year.  So this year I ordered from Amazon a nice little three footer.  It arrived in a perfect two foot box in a couple of pieces.  I have put that box somewhere and I cannot find it.  Since putting it somewhere I have completely cleaned my house for Kathy and Kerry's visit.  I even cleaned the storage/laundry room and I absolutely cannot find it. I am so fed up with not being able to find anything.

On another note I was not sleeping in the night as usual.  I got thinking about 'influencers', trying hard not to be scathing about them.  I have a hard time not thinking of them as societal parasites.  But I don't really know enough about their interests to be too judgemental...yet.  I know what basically they do.  I have seen them in movies.  They use their phones to show off either travel, clothes, make up, themselves, pets, cooking or what ever.  So I decided to lay there and waltz through my life in my head and decide that if I HAD to become an influencer, what talent or interest of mine would I choose.  The options were not plentiful.  It seems I have a modicum amount of interests and master of none.

I cook but a video of my cooking would be ludicrous.  Most the time I am looking for something I can't find.  My kitchen is too small to do cutesy  shots of me making the title of the video only to end up making something that doesn't even resemble what the title calls it....due to not finding what I need.

I play piano.  No.  Just no to that one.

Clothes for fat broads...hahaha!!!  Most of what I wear I bought after our house fire in 2003.  So a big NOT! to that one.

Hey now!!!!  One time around 2012 I wrote one hundred poems.  It was an internet project suggestion.  Write a poem a day for 100 days.  Well I wrote 99.  I wanted to just do it my way a little bit.

I could influence people to write poetry.  I could film myself reading one of my poems per session and put it on instagram and you tube.  The fact that they are particularly awful is irrelevant.  Have you ever read a Walt Whitman poem?  and he is famous. But with a little more consideration of this idea, I had to admit I am not really into serious humiliation.  It may seem like it but I do have a limit on the feeling.

Needless to say by morning I was feeling like a loser.  I don't do anything whatsoever that would be considered worth passing on to anyone ever.  Now I am feeling bad again just writing this.  I am going to quit this post right now.  TTYL

'Sometimes the amount of self control it takes to not say what's on my mind is so immense, I need to take a nap afterwards.'  Anon.

No pictures today but I am going to put one of my poems here just to prove my point.  Don't worry it won't be a particularly long one!  Hahahaha!!!

POEM 70 DEC. 2

WOE IS ME

I totally despise and hate my bra

it seems for women that this is a law

we must wear them, like it or not

but fighting this law, freedom we got

But hold on a minute I must say

I am still wearing one every day

I tried to discard them in the trash

but I yanked them back out in a flash

for its like this, you must see

if I don’t wear one they will hit my knee

they will swing and swag to and fro

different directions they will go

So I must keep my bras today

to rein them in and stop the sway

I need to anchor them and tie them down

to keep them from dragging on the ground 

BUSY BUSY BUSY

 Wow!  Once again time has flown by.  Lots happening.  

My sister and husband came for a visit!!!  I love it when people come to visit.  It almost never happens anymore due to my living in the boon docks that requires an expensive ferry trip.  As a result my house, especially my guest room, becomes extremely needy for a thorough cleaning.  When visitors were more frequent the house didn't get too bad.  So their visit was an awesome opportunity to gitter done!!!

I think I moved a mountain, the right way.  I found logical places for all that stuff that was stacked to the ceiling in the guest room!  And best part?  I found stuff I hadn't been able to find for ages and ages!  Plus I got an unusual amount of exercise!  Hahaha!!!

Our visit was awesome!  It was soooo good to see them.  I miss them.  We had the lamb dinner which turned out just okay.  I think I am losing my touch. 

 We went out each day for a tour of the Port area.  One of the trips involved the fish ladders again.  It is just so beautiful out there, especially in the fall.  I also drove them up to our new campground up at Loon Lake.  It is so beautiful up there as well.  We also had lots of just visit time.

  I had a broken drawer in the kitchen.  It would leave sawdust on the floor every time we tried to open it.  And KERRY FIXED IT!!!!  It literally took two days and two trips to the hardware store to get it fixed.  I am so grateful because not one of us in this house is capable of doing those sorts of fix-it things!!!!  They left on Sunday, heading up to see my brother.  Too short a visit!!!  I miss them, the downside of visits.

Later on Sunday Graeme was coming for a visit.  We drove down to Nanaimo to pick him up.  He came for two nights.  I love having him here.  We included a trip to Costco of course.  We were actually going to go out for dinner but we couldn't resist the poutine and hotdogs.  Dammit!!!!  It was so good to have Graeme here.  Then yesterday, Tuesday, we drove him back down.  That trip seems to be getting shorter and shorter!

Now back to current busy things.  First I shall be erecting a three foot fake Christmas tree.  I had to throw out pretty much all my xmas decorations and tree last year.  I stored them in a xmas tree bag under our indoor stairs....and when we hauled it all out it absolutely smelt terrible..mould we believe.  So this year I ordered two boxes of pretty ornaments from Amazon.  I ordered mini glass balls.  Now I know what mini balls are like, but the ones that came are so small you can hardly see them!!!!

When an Amazon package comes, just for fun I try to guess what it is before opening it.  Honing my guess the contents skills, practicing being blind cuz I know I will be one day if things keep going the way they seem to be right now. 

 So this package came, small, square, and I simply could not guess or remember.  A package had come the day before.  It was in a twelve by twelve box and I was pretty sure it was the balls.  Nope...it was a box of powdered dishwasher soap I had ordered. Then the next day this tiny package in a very small box came.  There was no way I was going to guess that one.  Like did I order a ring and just forgot? It was the teeny tiny xmas balls!  At least they are pretty.

I am super looking forward to Christmas!  Tonight I informed the household that I would not be making a xmas dinner this year.  And I went on to say that either of them should feel free to do the xmas dinner, they both know how to cook.  One grunted and the other one said she was going to eat a Hungry Man turkey dinner and stay downstairs and watch tv.  So I am going go out and buy myself unusual lovely food that does NOT need cooking and it will just be for me. They can go out and buy their own stuff.  Cooking that thanksgiving dinner all day then cleaning all the next day did me in.  

Well that's it for this round.  Sorry it's pretty boring.  Have fun getting ready for xmas....time to do xmas cards!  TTYL

'I think homes that are too tidy, neat and sparse look like nothing interesting is going on.'  Shelley Malec Vitale