WOW!! GREAT COMMENTS!!!

Okay Cookie....I have removed the key thingy from the box and its on a shelf in the garage waiting for you.  And Tanya!  I am so happy I inspired you!!  The schools are going to be so happy.  Years ago I ended up with two gramma's belongings in my house...a lot of yarn, sequins, buttons, material, popsicle sticks etc...and I took it all to the kid's school.  They were so happy!  And its  such an amazing cleansing feeling getting rid of stuff.  I love that walk down the stairs to purge some more from that room!  (and just for the record I sincerely wish you had been here for the game too!!!  Jeezus we laughed til we were sick!!!!)

Today, though, I took a picture of something and planned on putting it in the box.  And I couldn't.  So I still have to go downstairs for a replacement.  I will post it tomorrow with tomorrow's selection.  The one I picked for today I really do like, but the criteria I use to decide is a) am I using it (not do I like it) and b) would the kids ever want it.  And the answer was no to both those questions.  But I couldn't part with it.

Many many years ago, Joan, Bill's sister in law, held (I think) a candle party.  And she gave me this as a gift.  Now, I know that some of the things I am removing from the house were gifts at one time, and for that I am sorry.  But at 62, if I kept every single thing I was given, I would be buried.  But I really really like this item so I am not only going to keep it, I have moved it upstairs to my purple room and I am using it!  I shall put a pic here.  So tomorrow's post will hold two pictures of two things.  TTYL

SO PRETTY...I LOVE IT TOO MUCH TO GET RID OF IT

BUT THAT HAD BETTER NOT HAPPEN TOO OFTEN!  IT THROWS STARS AND MOONS ALL OVER WHEN IT HAS A WEE CANDLE IN IT.  I REALLY LOVE IT AND USED IT IN EVERY HOUSE I HAVE LIVED IN FOR YEARS NOW.

NO. 6,7 & 8 AND YET ANOTHER FANTABULOUS WEEKEND

Wow!  Another winner week end!!!  The only sad thing is that the crazy weather precluded any lake activities.  It was raining and windy and cold!!  

Friday night I made dinner for six.  Aryn and her lovely British (but been here a while, but has an awesome lingering accent) Liz, arrived from Van. shortly after Kathy, Kerry and Bill (Warner from Prince George) arrived.  And what a totally lovely evening.  I set two tables up in the kitchen and we all fit comfortably around.  Curried chicken, rice and caesar salad and plenty of wine.  And....

Speaking of wine....we all filled our glasses, filled our plates and we were about to start eating when Kerry, bless his heart, winged his glass of wine.  And holy moly! it went EVERYWHERE!!!  But most importantly it ended up all over poor Liz's white tank top!  And all over the floor and wall and table and....everywhere!!  Liz was an amazingly good sport about it all and poor Kerry got down on his knees, walking cast and all, and between Liz, Aryn and Kerry it was clean in no time, except for poor Liz's bazoom!  But like I said, she was a totally good sport about it.

The next morning it was clear that there would be no boating that day.  The weather was awful!  I took the girls down to Cora's for a delicious, but too huge, breakfast.  Mmmmmm...then we headed down to the game store.  I know my sister has three crokinole boards but she wasn't home so I bought one.  More about that later.  Dammit.  We also picked up yahtzee and two more card packs for that insanely inappropriate game 'crimes against humanity'.  We stopped at the liquor store and loaded up, went home and drank and played games.  

Then we ordered a whack of Chinese food.  Soooo good.  After dinner we were going to play Crokinole and set the board up etc, only to discover that the pegs were put on wrong!!!  Totally in the wrong place, even according to the picture on the outside of the box!  So back it must go:(  We played another round of yahtzee instead.  Earlier we played Crimes against Humanity and laughed ourselves sick.  What an awful game that is!!!  Hahahaha...

Today we ate leftovers, drank coffee, visited, sat on the deck, but only for a while.  Due to the power outages and wind storm in Van, they were anxious to get home and check things out.  I think poor Liz maybe needed a break from our crazy loud filterless family.  We can be pretty exhausting to be around.  But, on the other hand, she wasn't a shrinking violet!!!  I really enjoyed her and when she comes up to Kamloops for work I hope she will call.

I have put three pics of things I am getting rid of.  The kids convinced me (Tanya) to put the things in a box and thrift store.  Aryn came down to the hell hole and helped me pick stuff.  I would hate to have them have to do all the go through activities should I kick off any time soon.  You never know!!!  Oh it was just so good to have them all here.  We had so much fun!  April said, as she was leaving that she a had a lot of fun this weekend.  What more could you want!  TTYL

MY KEY HOLDER...HAD IT FOREVER BUT ITS TOO BIG FOR THIS HOUSE

OOPS!  PUT TWO ON HERE

BEAUTIFUL GLASS, BUT DON'T HAVE A DESK ANYMORE

AN UNUSED LEATHER JOURNAL OR SCHEDULER- I AM NEVER GOING TO USE IT

NO. 4 & 5.....FELL ASLEEP LAST NIGHT

Actually I have been having headaches for the last month or two.  I thought with the new meds they would stop, but last night I had a doozy.  At around nine oclock I just shut everything off, lights, tech stuff, tv (which I never have on anymore) everything.  Then I sat in my chair and didn't move.  It hurt so bad it made my nose run.  Eventually I fell asleep and when I woke up in the night I decided to do the post today.  I had already taken the pic for my project.

Today I will post two.  One for yesterday and one for today.

I went to Costco today.  I have a load of people coming this week end and I am making Oma and Kathy's curried chicken...so off to Costco.  Whilst I was there I ran into my sister and she and kerry and a friend are coming for dinner Friday night too!!  yay!!  So, I picked up four folding chairs, you know the kind, not the out door ones, the ones with a padded seat for using indoors.  They are very nice actually, not too small and flimsy like some, but big and skookum.  Which is great...until....

I forgot that I have a jeep now, not a truck or scion in which you can move a household.  Jeeps are not only tiny, but right across the back, between the window (that lifts) and back door (which swings open), runs the soft top bar.  So the back opening is cut right in half by this pretty good sized bar.  And not only had I bought four big chairs, but I also bought a huge amount of groceries.  Shit!!!

I fortunately had remembered to bring my bags.  I have five big bags full, plus potatoes and two onion bags and a delicate touchy dessert.  Oh! and a bag of three chickens.  I can't even explain how I managed to get those stupid chairs in.  Suffice it to say that I did get them in successfully, but not until I gave my self a punctured eye, (fortunately my bad eye) a severe charlie horse in my right rib cage, and bashed up my right hand.    All the groceries I had to pile up on the front seat and floor.  I'm tired.  But I have a house to clean and three chickens to hack up and cook.  Oh and I have to wash my hair.  (shovel list)  So off I go.  TTYL

NO. 4 FIRST CHICKEN'S BROTHER

NO. 5

NO. 3....AND NOT MUCH ELSE

Really, I have nothing to report.  I had the perfect day of very little housework and laundry, a little piano playing, lots of Orange is the New Black (kind of a gross show).  Lots of Wordfeud with Kathy and Kerry.  Monte headed down to Vancouver and made it this time.  Tomorrow Kathy is walking up for coffee and then I shall drive her home.  And thats it.  The only reason I am posting is to post number 3.  I did it before midnight, just didn't get it posted.  So here it is!  TTYL

GOODBYE MR. CHICKEN.....WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER A LONG LONG TIME

NUMBER 2 ITEM.....FUN IN THE WOODS

Just a quickie tonight.  The play out in the woods by Armstrong was funny and delightful.  Kerry couldn't go so Kathy called Deep, Cookie's cousin, and she came with us.  What an awesome fun person she is!!!  We went out in my jeep, stopped at a pub in Faulkland and had supper.  Gurdeep, or Deep as they all call her, and I shared a hamburger, and I do believe it was about the best burger I have had ever.  Unbelievably delish. (I hate people that use that abbreviation...shovel list)  The play was a wonderful surprise, funny and full of horses and music.  Very cool.

Today I went to the doctor.  My blood pressure is around 189 over 86.  So more drugs.  He said it is genetic, my brother has the same problem and so did our dad.  It gets treated a little differently than high blood pressure from fatness or stress.  Anyway I am on a bunch of meds now.  I go back in two weeks to get it checked.  And he said NO GYM until its under control.  oh darn

I bought a big soft collapsable dog cage.  I am so done with her peeing and  pooping everywhere.  She won't in a cage.  All she does is bark and sleep so she will be alright in there.  As compensation though I bought her a very very expensive zebra toy that she can shake the hell out of.  It has five squeaky thingies in it.  Maybe she will be able to hear them.  She used to like to bite on those squeaky bits.  But she is pretty deaf now.  Thing cost sixteen bucks.  I looked in the dollar store first and they had tons of dog toys but I didn't see anything that she would really really like.

I didn't do anything else today.  I was going to go out again and do a few more errands but I got home and put comfy stuff on and then that was it.  I just don't like going out of the house.

So here is another item I am chucking.  Its a really beautiful white frame but what the hell fits in a frame that is that shape?  Nothing.  So its gotta go.  I paid a whole three bucks for it at the thrift store so no grief here over it.  Just think...100 of these things.  Feels so good.  My bottom line...if I don't want it or use it, would my kids want it?  If the answer is no then into the dust bin she goes.  TTYL

PAIN IN THE ASS COMPUTER UPDATE

If I never had to update anything on my computer, I would be so happy.  I updated my os on this thing back in June.  Yosemite I think.  And ever since then at least once a day the whole thing freezes.  I then have to turn off the laptop and then back on.  So frigging annoying.  (shovel list).

The eating has been going fairly well.  I haven't weighed in a while but have been eating lots of good stuff.  We did go out for Chinese food the other day, spur of the moment.  It was super good. We avoided some of the obvious sweet dishes but you can't avoid the rice and the fat.  My fave dish was a hot pot...eggplant and shredded pork.  So damned good!

  Eggplant always reminds me of Cookie's youngest,  Kevin.  In Bamfield one time I made eggplant...the way our Filipino nanny Luz used to.  Wok, onions, garlic, eggplant, sesame oil.  Delicious!  Poor Kevin.  He was a 'tween at the time I think or a bit older.  Cookie asked him to try at least one piece...he was NOT happy about this eggplant!  So he reluctantly popped one in his mouth and proceeded to gag and gag!  The poor guy!  I think it was kind of like eating a slug to him!

On Friday my friend Anne came over.  From here we hopped into my jeep and made a stop at Safeway for picnicking stuff.  We then drove way out past Westsyde, past Whispering Pines.  We parked in a grassy field beside an old old building and started our picnic.  It was so beautiful and fun.

  But, of course, just as we start tailgating it, along comes a big shiny pick up, and turns onto the dirt track that cuts through this field down to the river. Wouldn't you know it?  A million places out in the wilderness to go and they have to come along right behind us.

It was two women and a little kid.  In the back of the open pick up, chained to something, were the two biggest ugliest slobbering snapping and barking growling pit bulls.  Honestly? How a dog like those ugly slit eyed nasty beasts can be appealing to anybody is beyond my comprehension.  There is no doubt in my mind if they broke those chains, Anne and I would be dog food. 

 When the lady driving found out that we were just picnicking, she said she was taking the dogs for a run and then asked "You don't have a little dog with you do you?"  I asked her why.  And basically she told me that those two dogs can spot a small dog five miles away and would eat it in a New York second.  Lovely.  Why?  Why would you want something like that in your life?  And they were UGLY!!!  Especially when you can have a big goofy friendly happy lab!  Or if you really are a scaredy cat and need a protector, then get a german shepherd.  They guard you sensibly but they don't drool and eat little kids.

Yesterday I checked out two more furniture stores for dining room stuff.  No go.  But Kathy dropped by and had the most fantastic idea.  If we push the wall out in the dining room, or make a large arch, and add a solarium, the room would be so much more open and longer.  It would make that room big enough to hold my old dining room table...where I can sit 21 if its pulled out to the max!!!  I love the idea!  I just now need to get an estimate and see just how much it will cost.  It will certainly be an asset for resale..open up the sight lines a little.  Exciting idea!

Today is Sunday.  There is so much smoke outside I can't see downtown or the mountains.  It must have moved in early early this morning.  I was awake at 1:30 and the northern lights were spectacular!  This time they were very green, a lot like my morning eyes are!  And they were spiking and swirling.  Its always exciting to see them.

Tonight Kathy and I are going to an outdoor theatre near Armstrong.  We went a few years ago, taking Mom and all the kids, stopping along the way for dinner.  The play that time was MacBeth. (is there an 'a' in there?) And my advice to you is if you have to see MacBeth, this is the way to see it.  When the horses were ridden down through the trees on the hill right beside us, carrying lanterns, it was so exciting!  I am not sure what the play is tonight.  So I am totally looking forward to this again!

Last thing...its time to do a 100 project, something once a day for 100 days.  Last time I wrote really bad poetry for 100 days.  But the poetry wasn't the point...it was doing something 100 times that it was all about.  This, for some stupid reason, just really appeals to me.  Its a discipline I can embrace!!!  And as you know by now if you read this regularily (or even once or twice) I am NOT into disciplines...of any sort.  Especially those 'do something that scares you' or 'think outside your box'!  No.  I am quite content and happy as I am thank you very much.  I feel no obligation to challenge myself whatsoever!

So I read a ton of hundred day ideas.  There is a website that shows many many people's past projects.  A lot of them involve writing like I did, photography, crafts etc...  So after much thought I decided to combine two fave activities of mine. 

 One..a picture a day.  Two...an item in my storage room to throw out.  Now that might sound easy, and the picture part is.  But I am getting down to the 'I love this' nitty gritty stuff down there.  But I still have waaaay too much stuff.  And frankly, no one would ever want that crap.  So unless its something I know someone would really like (like the Indian art of Bill's) its being tossed.  And first I will take a picture.  And on Dec. 2 2015 (my gramma's birthday...she would be like 115 or something) I shall have thrown out 100 things and recorded every one of them!!!!  I will put the picture here.  Every day!  Sometimes I will do two or three at once, posting only one thing.  That way I will have a few extra to use when I am not home.

Now off to pick the first item and take a pic!  I won't post this til I put the pic on.  Plus a couple more pics I took.  TTYL

I AM CONTEMPLATING GETTING THIS WATERING HOLE ON MAUI MADE UP INTO A HANGABLE PIC

TAILGATING PICNIC TIME

MY NEW DINETTE SET

PIC NO. ONE.....TOSSING THIS WHOLE THING OUT!

JUST ABOVE MY HOUSE....MAKING ME SNEEZE!

THE WALL IN THE DINING ROOM I WANT TO KNOCK OUT AND MAKE THE SOLARIUM GO OUT AS FAR AS THOSE PATIO LIGHTS HANGING THERE

MONTE'S VAN

NEW VEHICLES ALL AROUND

Monte announced that now they have his work schedule settled, he gets four days off in a row sometimes.  This week was one of them.  During the rest of the week, he can take up shifts, covering for other people.  Basically he can almost work as much as he wants.

He decided he was going to go to Vancouver for a few days.  He has friends down there that will let him stay at their place.  I wasn't too happy because sure as hell he will get half way there and something will happen to his car or whatever.  And solving whatever the problem ends up being will surely involve me leaving my house.  Something I only do reluctantly unless its to go visit one of MY friends or rellies.

So off he goes and sure as heck, I get a call from him, parked at a gas station in Merritt.  His car engine is overheating, and not from lack of water but something to do with the oil.   Dammit!!!

I text Cookie and ask for her brother in law Ken's number.  He is a heavy equipment mechanic and they live in Merritt and he could maybe recommend someone.  I eventually did talk with him and he did recommend someone.  I passed the info on to Monte.  That mechanic was busy til the end of next week.  By now I was so ticked off I told Monte to use his phone and call around.  It was nearly five o'clock so good luck with that I told him.

But he found some guy that actually came to Monte and looked at the car and had him drive it to the shop...even though they were closed.  They ran a diagnostic and really couldn't find anything,  The guy told him to just drive it slowly back to Kamloops.  Which Monte did with no troubles.  So I don't know what the heck that was all about.

But, that being all well and good, I suggested Monte look at getting a new vehicle.  He has the money and he could trade the jeep in.  The jeep needed a new alternator last week.  We could see where this was going.

  Long story short, he found a 2014 Grand Dodge Caravan with only 10,000 kilometres on it.  And it was cheap, at the Nissan dealership.  Not only that they gave him a fantastic price for the jeep.  The van is basically new!  And, now there is a vehicle that can haul stuff around back in the family.  This will save a bunch on those hundred dollar deliveries from furniture stores.  And he can haul his band equipment around.  A win win all the way around.  Its navy blue...old man colour.  Oh well....

Well lots of picky little things to take care of today. (shovel list)  For example:  I have two credit cards in my life.  One I use and one I just have in case.  They are both renewable right now.  So one has arrived, but no pin info, which was supposed to arrive separately.  The other one the info arrived but the card didn't.  Things like this drive me nuts.

Plus, at 11 this morning my dinette set arrives for the kitchen.  And whilst the boys are here I shall have them fix my rocking chair they put together wrong.  One good thing about getting it delivered is they put it together and take away the packaging.  Finally, we will have proper chairs to sit on.  At least we will have four of them.

I just took a tour around the house.  I counted seven places Molly has peed and two where she has pooped.  Thats it.  I am done with this.  She is never left home longer than maybe four hours and we let her out all the time.  She is doing this when we are out.  Plus she barks non stop when home alone. 

 I am going to go to the pet store today and buy a medium sized kennel.  And that is where she is going to go every time we have to go anywhere.  Plus I am going to put it in the laundry room with the door shut.  There are no windows or outside walls.  That way the neighbours won't be hearing her bark.  I can put a radio in there to keep her company.  I have babies on this floor.  Constant crap and pee is not going to cut it.  If anyone out there has a better idea please let me know.  When it gets to a safe temp outdoors, she can come with me and wait in the car.  Right now its too hot.

Well, I am going to go get at it.  TTYL

A HAPPY SAD MOMENT OR TWO

Well, I gotta say, I have it all now.  There really isn't much else on my 'to buy' list, except a dining room table and chairs.

I knew I was getting my jeep today.  And yesterday around noon, instead of feeling excited, I started to feel a familiar feeling.  It was the same feeling I got before flying to Maui, a real strong feeling of dread.  And, like then, I put it down to the wrong thing.  Back then I thought it was because I hadn't flown for a while and I had backslipped to a little uneasiness about getting on a plane.  I don't like flying. And I was wrong.  Yesterday I put it down to just having to take care of insurance and going and getting my new jeep all by myself for the first time.  Seemed pretty silly but what else could it be.

This morning the feeling was even stronger.  I finally left the house, armed with cheque book and insurance papers, in a very empty vehicle.  As I headed down the road I felt worse and worse and sad.  Finally, I parked in the insurance place parking lot and much to my total chagrin and horror, started crying.  It was then I realized that this little car was the very last thing I shared with Bill.  I don't have a house we shared.  I don't have any chairs we shared.  I don't have the bed we shared.  Jeez!  I had no idea whatsoever that parting with that little car we shared would be so damned difficult.

I sat there in that parking lot totally unable to quit crying.  It pissed me off.  Finally I put really bad music on the radio...that brought it under control pretty quickly!  Finally I was able to get out of the car and head into the place.  And then something magical happened.  And it would only happen here in Kamloops.

The place the dealership sent me to is a small mom/pop shop...auto glass and car wash.  I stepped into the wee office and there, standing right in front of me was a lady that I recognized.  She is part of a family that our family basically grew up with from the time we were in Smithers when we were tiny kids.  They belonged to that very strict quakerish religion we had belonged to when we were very young.  Belonging to that religion creates an unbreakable bond, even if you no longer belong.

She is about the sweetest loveliest person you could ever come across...very much like her mother used to be.  Her husband and son (24) worked there with her.  And she was just so excited to see me and by the time we were through catching up and visiting, I was completely fine and over it.  Its like Bill or my mom channelled down through her and just comforted me.  Sounds silly but thats what it felt like.

I sallied forth from there and got me my new jeep!!!  And its a beaut!!!  The steering is insanely sensitive and I have to be careful, but I am getting used to it fast.  I have it parked in the garage with the inside door open so I can see it as I walk down the hall.  Its a little surreal, I have thought about getting that jeep right from the moment I decided I would be moving here to Kamloops.  Happy!!

Monte and I took it for a spin up Lac Le Jeune road.  First we took the roof off.  It drove well, noisy, but huge fun.  I think I am going to enjoy this one!  And it comes with bluetooth, a huge screen which is totally voice activated, one year subscription to serius radio, and a dvd player.  The seat goes way back so I can sleep in it if necessary, and I hope it will be somewhere along the line!

Well, I am exhausted.  I came home today to a dog that spread garbage everywhere, a garbage I didn't think she could reach, and dog poop on the floor.  She was NOT home that long.  And she probably barked the whole freaking time.  This is getting old really fast.  Oh well, could be a lot worse.  My house has not burned down in a wild fire.  My heart goes out to those in Rock Creek tonight.  TTYL (sorry to my face book friends...same pics)

THROUGH MY OPEN HOUSE DOOR TO THE GARAGE

GUILT: A DESTROYER

I woke up this morning with an amazing rush of happy.  Firstly, again, the whole world through my eyelids, just as I open them, is completely lime green.  I don't know why, I shall just accept this little colourful gift.  What a great way to wake up!!  For all I know it could be because of a brain tumour, but, you know, right now I don't actually 'know' that, so whilst I am still in ignorance I shall enjoy the green moments.

Secondly, I had a buzz of happy anticipation running through me.  It took a few moments to pinpoint its origin.  And then I remembered...Cousin Dorothy and Dan are taking me out for dinner tonight and spending the night!!!  I have missed them so much since moving here. And not only that, they are taking me to Harold's, my mom and Bob's fave place to eat.  I went with them many times and the place is pretty special.  

Thirdly, I have an amazing sound system set up in my living room, calling to me.  My personal roadie, Monte, set it all up.  I have an amazing 88 key keyboard, Korg, two incredible monitor speakers and a module Roland Integra 7 sound synth...it makes over 6,000 different sounds.  I can play Hallelujah and Amazing Grace with a grand piano, a massive church organ, a whole symphony of strings and a deep many voiced choir all  together.  Honestly, its like God is sitting on the bench right beside me.  And I can play picaninny banjo music with something that sounds just like a banjo.  And I can play Scottish Soldier with a bagpipe.  What an incredible musical experience!!!

Fourthly:  My jeep....I am preparing my silly old dirty Scion out there for trade in.  I am so excited to be picking up my Jeep on Monday morning!!!!  I have my khaki outfit and Bear Grylls binoculars all ready.  I told the guy not to wash it.  I so have to remember to take my "I Love My Granddog" magnetic bumper sticker off the scion and put it on the back of "Tank".  So so exciting.  But.....

Not too long after all those wonderful feelings a negative started to creep in.  I started to think about my kids that are financially struggling right now, some of my friends are too, starving kids, unhappy abused animals,  and, not to sound overly  righteous or noble, began to feel guilty...and spoiled.

  I don't know why it is, but it seems us humans just need to always spoil things for ourselves.  Its stupid.  Oh, it won't stop me from enjoying every minute of enjoyment of all that, but you know what?  I am going to blame my mom for this!  Hahaha....she operated from feeling a lot of guilt...I think it stemmed back to the religion we were brought up in.  Humility at all costs.  Oh Oh!!  I think I just heard my swear jar rattle a little.  (I keep her in my swear jar)

Well I now have to go deal with a tremendous amount of packaging.  I also received a huge huge package holding  a photograph canvas I ordered.  So between the keyboard, speakers, Roland synth, picture, Monte's keyboard, and many smaller packages holding giant shoes, piano books etc...my garage is looking too full.  I have managed to keep that garage pretty empty!

  I was in a line up at Surplus Herbies with Kathy the other day and I mentioned to her that my garage was pretty much empty and the guy ahead of her whipped around and shook his head in envy and disbelief!!!  Made me laugh.  So I gotta keep it like that!

MY GIANT 3' X 3' CANVAS...I TOOK THIS PIC THROUGH A CASTLE STAINED WINDOW

I STILL HAVEN'T GOT A COFFEE TABLE

MY FANTASTIC SOUND SYSTEM...MESSING UP THE CORNER (BUT SO WORTH IT)

MY FRILLY FOOFOO PURPLE ROOM...STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

LIKE MY PRETTY 29 DOLLAR LAMP ON THERE?

Add caption

SUBZI, ROTI AND GOOD COMPANY

I love making a dinner.  A couple of days ago, as the day progressed, the dinner guest list grew from two to ten.  My fave thing!!  And Indian food was the request...another of my fave things.

So first thing day before yesterday I spent a most pleasurable two hours in the morning perusing Indian food recipes.  There is no way I actually follow the recipes, but I get fantastic ideas.  Two meat and two vegetarian dishes were needed.  

First I made the menu list (its amazing how I can never remember what I am making), then I made the shopping list and then I headed to the store.  Due to the fact that Kamloops has a fairly large East Indian community, Superstore offers pretty much everything (except balti, can't find that anywhere).

Off to Superstore where I found pretty much everything.  I never seem to go to that store though without some kind of unpleasant encounter, screaming kid, fighting partners, old deaf men in tan pants with suspicious underwear outlines blocking the aisle, cranky rude menopausal women, and this time a nasty horrible cashier.  He was incredibly rude to the woman ahead of me.  And he was incredibly rude to me.

I like to cut cashiers a break usually.  You never know what is going on in their life...obviously something to be that nasty.  But there is a line and yesterday he crossed it.  He was black as the ace of spades and accented...so probably pretty new here.  He was tossing my groceries around and being pretty aggressive.  When he yanked up my bag of yams the bag broke and yams spilled everywhere. Instead of bagging them with a new bag, he just shoved and threw the potatoes down the belt.  I yelled, 'Hey!!  You broke the bag!  They need a new bag.'  'I don't have produce bags.' he answered,without looking at me and continued to ring in and toss groceries down after the spuds.  I almost said something to him, but I restrained myself.

  But when I was leaving the store I popped over to the customer service counter and reported him.  It will be interesting to see if he is there when I go back. Probably will be...thats one of the reasons we call this store Stupidstore.

Yesterday morning as soon as I was awake I was itching to get into the kitchen.  One of the items on the menu was curried chicken, not the traditional dish that Cookie's mom taught me to make, but the sweet delicious fave curried chicken recipe that Kathy and Mom invented.  I had to text Kathy for tips!

I was going to originally buy chicken thighs, skin on, but traditionally Mom and Kathy would cut up a whole chicken and use that.  So I bought a bag of three chicken fryers.  I got everything ready, cutting board, sharpened knife, bowl of flour and masala for throwing the parts into.  Now, I am going to toot my own horn here.  I can cut a chicken up into its proper parts, including deboning the breast, really really fast.  I have had years of practice.  Back in the day you couldn't buy chicken parts, it was always whole chickens.  I decided to time myself.  And guess what?  I can dissect a chicken, properly, mind you with a really good very sharp heavy knife in 48 seconds!  Deboning the breast took the longest.  I dissected all three and made that delicious crazy sweet curried chicken.  It is so damned good!

One little note:  my sister is a pre dinner picker and it really really bugs me.  This little tug o war between us goes way way back.  She's the one that, when the turkey comes out of the oven, there she is picking at the skin and the pope/parson's nose (our favourite part of the whole bird).  I would yell at her and chase her out of the kitchen. Well, with this in mind, I put the backs, skin, and pope's nose (tail) and all in a separate pan.  And when she came over I showed her that pan,which I had already raided, but saved her a couple of pope's noses, for picking.  And we both stood there for a few minutes poking around those chicken parts, eating.  Our very own picking pan!

I also made curried ground beef with yams, broccoli and cauliflower and mushroom subzi, carrot/pea/potato subzi and rice and roti.  I can't make roti.  So I bought really fresh whole wheat flour tortillas.  I heated them one by one in a frying pan and they puffed right up then I buttered them and stacked them and wrapped them just like Mamma Sidhu and Cookie do.  

Marisa, Peter, Levi, Emily, Our Em, Kathy Kerry, Craig, Jo, Ainsley, Elena (Craig's awesome cousin), Monte and myself, all for dinner.  We dished up in the kitchen and trundled downstairs to the family room and spread out on the couch, chairs and floor.  It was cooler down there too and Ainsley's toys are down there.  Later we all sat out on the deck and watched the falling stars.  A perfect end to a perfect day.

LOST POSTS

Occasionally I write a whole long post and something happens and it disappears...never to be found again.  I don't know where they go and no matter how hard you try, you can't re write it.  It just doesn't come out right.

That happened about a week ago.  I wrote this whole diatribe about something and poof! it disappeared.  I swear I have an invisible lappy moderator...keeping me from making a fool of myself ...  some of the time.

The one that went missing last was about awful people.  If you are one of those bleeding heart goodies that think people are wonderful and a blessing in your lives...well just read the comments on any news article you come across on the internet.  Within three comments it turns right ugly.  It is truly amazing how many horrible people there are out there, trolling through stories, just looking for one where they can stir up crap and shock people.  And there are always way more ugly awful comments than good ones.  This just reinforces my dislike of people in general.

Monte went into the lab to get some bloodwork done.  It was approximately three in the afternoon.  He had been up late late the night before, so when he got up late in the day, he had not eaten or drunk anything long enough to go the lab.  The first thing the lab tech did was give him shit for not eating or drinking anything until so late in the day.  He told her that he had been working late, got to bed late, and had just awakened.  She says "I can tell" then jabbed him and wouldn't talk to him anymore.  WTF?  Why?  How can one look you straight in the eye and be rude?

Speaking of Monte, he is loving his job and making a fair amount of money.  But tonite some idiot slashed one of his tires where he was parked right beside Panago.  He sat on the phone waiting for BCAA to answer, which never did happen, til  I told him in a text that they were locked out and wouldn't be coming any time soon.  (shovel list...I want my ninety bucks back).  It didn't occur to him to try to change the tire himself.  So I refused to help him and told him to figure it out...he had never changed one before.  I seriously fell down on my parental job there!

But he figured it out, after a couple of phone calls for some input.  The sad thing is now he has to spend about three or four days worth of earnings getting a new tire.  That one is toast.  Who would do that?  Do you just walk around with a knife in your pocket and slash random tires?

Hmmmm...upon re reading this post I am sounding a little cynical and not happy.  Its true I am cynical but I am super happy.  I absolutely love living here again.  There is no doubt that this is where I belong.  And I love my house.  Its perfect.  And as I empty it out it just gets better and better.  Today Monte took all the cardboard and styrofoam  out of the garage.  My storage room is getting emptier by the day.  Perfect!

Now I await my keyboard.  Oh and my jeep.  I also ordered a bunch of new music books.  I love parcels coming to the house.  I always forget what I ordered and its like a little mini xmas.  There are some size 16 black runners coming on Wed. for Monte.  Oh and a mandolin (the kitchen kind) from Stokes.  I have needed one for a long time. 

 I think I would like to make some bread and butter pickles.  I really like them in sandwiches and you can't make those pickles without something that slices and dices!  I don't even know if its cucumber time yet or if its over.  And thanks to Bill's impulsive buying habits I have approximately six gallons of vinegar somewhere in this house.  About six years ago I bought a giant bag of sugar and it's been dragged along from house to house...we hardly ever use sugar.  So I can put it to good use along with the vinegar and make pickles.

Once again I have concluded that I should not write posts after one in the morning.  They are rambley and stupid.  Sorry.  I will stop now.  TTYL

ON THE TRAIL AGAIN...THE DIET TRAIL

My apologies in advance, once again I am going to attempt some weight loss.  So I am pretty sure that talk about fat people and dieting is pretty mundane and boring to a lot of you.  So just don't read this post.  Skip it.  I will truly understand.

Monday is coming.  I have a spiral notebook at the ready.  I have a plan.  I have new batteries in Old Dusty, the scale.  (I call it dusty because there is always bath powder on it.  It looks like a cocaine party gone wrong)  And I have a whole day of final eating bad stuff before the games begin.  All of these things are the diet ducks all lined up and ready to go.

Moving to Kamloops has undermined my motivation a tad.  There are actually a fair amount of actual fat women in this town.  I am not used to this!  In North Van I was definitely the fattest one there, or at least it seemed so.  On the cruise ships I was the fattest one.  Back in 2008, when we first started to cruise, it wasn't so.  But as the years went by the cruisers got thinner and healthier.  The gyms got bigger, not the people.  Even in Victoria I was still usually the chunkiest person in the room.

Not so here in Kamloops.  There are fat ladies everywhere, fatter than me even.  I watched a lady come out of Cora's this morning as I sat in my car waiting for Kathy and crew to arrive.  Her lower half was so massive and moving as though it had a life of its own.  I couldn't take my eyes off her.  Everywhere I go in this town there are big fat women.  I love it!!!  I don't feel so out of place here.  When I go to the fat lady store its full...of fat ladies!  Not just one or two pleasantly plump women, like the store in Vancouver and in Victoria.  And the store here is loaded with 6X clothes...down south? not so much.

So if blending in was of huge importance to me, I would feel comfy here with my hugeness and forget about dieting.  But unfortunately blending in is the last thing on my list.  What IS important to me is to try to get my blood pressure down.  I'm pretty sure losing weight isn't going to make one whit of difference though.  Back when I tried dr. Bernstein diet (the most difficult evil diet I have ever tried) I did lose a lot of weight.  A LOT!  They take your blood pressure every day and every day they freaked out.  And no matter how much I lost it never went down.  But I have to try again.

And I guess the biggest issue I am not looking forward to is having to watch every frigging bite I take.  Right now the weight I am never really changes.  For some reason I got really heavy just before going to Maui last time.  But when we got back from there I dropped about twelve pounds and no matter what I eat I just stay the same.  I like that!  250 pounds is obviously my body's comfy zone.

Lets pretend for a minute that I actually lose a hundred pounds.  What do I have to look forward to with all that weight loss.  Let's see.....

First of all clothes will be easier to buy but...how good are they going to look on an old broad dragging her skin on the ground behind her...for sure I can tell you that the snap crackle pop in my outer epidermis has long given up the ghost.  No snap there!  My deflated chins will allow skin to sag down and flow over my turkey neck...its already doing that whilst I am still fat!  My bazooms will deflate and look like a golf ball dropped into a nylon stocking!  I will always have a cushion tucked under my arm for sitting on...skinny asses hurt, I remember.  And speaking of arms, oh boy!  They will be like deflated bat wings!  I will have to roll up the underbelly of those upper arms before putting on a sweater.  Well you get the picture.  Something to really look forward to right?!!

But, its gotta be done.  Blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks....all become a lot more real when you are 62 and overweight.  I am presuming I would be a lot healthier...if a lot uglier.  Sigh  (shovel list).  I'm not sure exactly when that happened...when weight loss became more about health and less about looks.  Its funny...looks was a much stronger motivator!!

So wish me luck and I promise not to dwell on it too much here.  Tomorrow I will post a catch up post on all the doings that have been going on.  Its been busy and lots of fun.  TTYL

HMMMMMM....POLITICS AND OPINIONS

I remember the days when elections were riveting conversation argument makers.  We would all sit around the kitchen table, coffee in hand, cigarettes burning, out shouting each other, passionately trying to be heard.  At the end of the evening we would all agree to disagree and start over the next time we were all together around that table.

That just doesn't seem to happen anymore.  I see on facebook its beginning to ramp up a little, Evil Harper, Baby Trudeau, Hopeless Mulcair, Pointless May.  There simply is no one to passionately stand behind in this election.  Kind of sad.  And now I find at the ripe old age of 62, especially provincially, I just don't give a crap.  I feel bad for my kids if the province tanks again, but it won't effect me even remotely.  I will still vote but it's pretty pointless for me.

Today is Wed....garbage day.  Last night, full of snotty attitude, I rolled the garbage can down to the curb, a full six hours before I was 'allowed' to. I will show them, I was thinking.  Go ahead, give me a frigging ticket.  If you are going to come a half hour before the posted time, then I am putting my can out the night before.

This morning, around 6:45 I started to listen for the garbage truck, just waiting for it to go by too early again.  No sound.  Nothing.  And about quarter past seven it dawned on me we had a holiday.  Garbage day is tomorrow.  Jeez!!!!  Well I am leaving it out there til tomorrow!

Last night Emmy, Marisa, Peter and Monte were here.  Spaghetti dinner and convo.  Can't get any better.  Living in this town is amazing.  I love to cook and here there are people I can feed.  Jo popped in around six thirty on her way to the hospital (work) for a quick bite and a wee visit.  I love it.  If I can't have all my kids here I will happily take my sister's and their awesome friends!!

So today is more clear out day.  Down to that storage room and empty more boxes and fill more garbage bags.  Soon I will be down to just a few cupboards of excess stuff.  You hear about those old grammas that start throwing things out, much to the family's chagrin...well thats definitely going to be me!

So I am going to push off.  Lots to do today.  TTYL

SURPRISES AND FAMILY

A great weekend was had by all!  On Friday, my wonderful brother came all the way from Campbell River to Kamloops to help surprise my sister and her husband.  I can write about this now cuz she reads this blog and it was to be a giant surprise...Emily was coming all the way from Germany to stay for a couple of weeks and Kathy and Kerry didn't know!!!  We were all sworn to secrecy and boy it was hard not to show excitement Friday.

Monte and I headed down to Kathy's right about one thirty in the afternoon.  We all managed to sit downstairs outside on their patio and we kept the visiting going...talk talk talk, to keep Kathy downstairs until after her three girls and grandbaby arrived.  I could hardly contain my excitement.  I kept getting update texts on where they were...30 minutes away, then 20, then 10.  I kept saying the texts were from April.  And we kept talking and talking...hoping she wouldn't go upstairs for any reason.  Kerry couldn't as he is on crutches at the moment.

Finally they arrived through the back door right there and of course, instant shock then tears and happy happy!  It was awesome!  And it was so good to see Emmy.  I have missed her.  I am hoping she can come up soon and visit.  I am anxious to hear how certain things are going in her world.  What a wonderful afternoon!  

We then had a delish dinner....chilli hotdogs, sweet sweet gorgeous Chilly corn on the cob (thank you Stan..best I have ever eaten), salad and strawberry cream cake.  And it was a lot of fun!

Saturday I cleaned the house a bit then Stan and his daughter Jeni came for a visit.  At one point we set out a snack lunch...olives, cheese, salami, crackers, pickles, liverwurst, beets, borsin cheese, etc.....on the patio table.  Three minutes into the feasting we were suddenly swarmed by a million wasps!  It was crazy and scary!  So we grabbed the table, lifted the whole thing and whipped it into the kitchen!  I think when the neighbour dislodged them from their nest in his eaves, they re located to my house.  Little bastards!!

April and Myles arrived about six thirty and we headed down to Original Joe's for dinner.  It was so good to see them!  Its always so good to have them visit.  The only trouble was it was so very hot in this house.  I have a fan so I survive but they didn't and their room gets cursed hot.  And it didn't cool down at all that night and the next.

On Sunday I was going to go to the Pow wow, its the big annual one.  But we got invited out to Jo and Craig's...which includes a spectacular pool, a beautiful lake, a snazzy boat, wakeboard surfing, dinner, beer and lots of awesome rellies.  How can one turn that down?  So no Pow wow this year but what a fantastic day we had!  The kids went surfing behind the boat for the afternoon.  Stan and I held down the fort and had a wonderful time dipping in the pool and visiting.

After dinner, April, Myles, Stan, Emily and I went out on the boat with Craig and four of his friends.  It sounds like a lot of people, and I have to admit I was a tad worried at first about 11 people in not a large boat, and being a hefty person can throw the balance off.  But, and this is awesome, when wakeboard surfing, apparently, the heavier the load in the boat, the bigger the wake, the better the surfing.  So we all piled in and off we went for the best couple of hours ever.  The sunset was beautiful, the water so calm and glassy, and everyone had so much fun.  Beautiful.

Today we got up fairly late and lazed around a bit. Then we went out and found a soso place for breakfast.  Later we went for a long explore in Myles truck up above my house in the hills.  Eventually we got completely lost, or at least we lost the road we were looking for and had to turn around and come back the way we went.  I have put a couple pics below that shows the kind of scenery we were going through.  I loved it.  I really miss exploring new territory with Bill.  Picture hunting.  What a great afternoon.

We then went down to Kathy's to visit for an hour and for the kids to say goodbye.  We did a lot of sitting around watching Ainsley...as April says its like sitting around watching a campfire...it never gets old!  Plus she is on the verge of walking so there was a lot of breath holding and cheering.  So fun.

The kids got away by seven and its been awfully quiet since.  Monte is working, as usual, he is getting a lot of hours, so the place is empty.  The only time I 'feel' it is after my kids are gone.  I love having April and Myles.  I miss living with them.

So that was a long point form post.  My apologies.  Like I said before, I have a tendency to write with dementia in mind.  I may need this accounting down the road to remind me of my life and who I am!!!  You never know!!  Gotta be prepared I say.  TTYL

FROM THE LEFT:  CRAIG KATHY JO HOLDING AINSLEY, EMMY, DOROTHY AND KERRY

OFF TO GO BOATING, MYLES, APRIL AND AINSLEY

PIPELINE

I LOVE THISTLES

ROSSMOORE LAKE