Friday, February 27, 2009

Is it Time to Go Home Yet ??!!

Actually it is 10:13 am ... so probably not. I can't even fake a spell ... there is no audience .
Oh, my, are there ever days that just crush you before you even get started ? I try REALLY hard to be positive, to suck things up, to keep moving on ... but WHOA NELLY !!! There are days !! And this whole week has had a bit of history & drama ... sounds like a cable package ... so there is a good basis to build on !! The damned sprayer was back last night despite the THICK layer of repellent I sprayed. So I had that to deal with again this morning. And there were other problems after that ... from which I will spare you ... Add an old cat who isn't doing as well with his medication as we had hoped ... and who is SUPER PICKY !!! It is a crap shoot every day to see if he will eat the food we have to offer ... do you know how many different kinds of cat food we have bought in the last few weeks ??? I'm surprised we can afford to eat ourselves ! So I am heating the outdoors again this morning so I can get some FRESH air blowing in here to get rid of that Mr Stud Cat smell and trying to appease a crotchety old cat. And the newest food ... which he seems to like ( shit !! ) is soooo gross that it made me get sick. Another nice part of the morning. So I am already looking at the clock thinking "Is it time to go hooooommmme ?"
Suck it up self ... there are children starving in Africa.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

HEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPP!! Any suggestions ??

Okay ... I have reached my limit ... I am declaring WAR !!!
Every morning, I arrive at work to find several big VISIBLE cat spray spots on my front door. This damn night-walker sprays my door, under the windows when there is no snow, the step, my back step ... everywhere !! Then he goes out back & performs the same ritual around the warehouse but not on the doors. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH !!!
So every morning, I dread the last few steps up to the store because I know I will be assaulted by that disgusting smell. And every morning I scrub the front door, scrub the step, spray repellent ( hah! like that works...) and then start trying to get rid of the smell. It is everywhere. I have used every repellent, get-rid-of-stink spray, air freshener, cleanser, baking soda, charcoal ... anything !! And none of it works that well. the only thing that works is a snow storm ... keeps the little bastard away.
Does anyone have any suggestions ??
Right now the only other thing we can do is use a live trap, catch him, and then call animal patrol. He will eventually go to the shelter. I feel badly because he may be someones cat ... but I guess if he was loved, he'd be home at night.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

HIGHLIGHTS ...

A good week ... and some happy highlights ...
BUT FIRST ... about Miss Ann . No, she was NOT my cat. She hosted Romper Room. She was a person. I had a friend call from BC to ask about my cat that had died... ah, no. I can't believe people don't remember Miss Ann ... thanks Taryn for restoring my faith in magical mystical childhood ! She remembered Miss Ann AND the bread bees ... but sadly Taryn, I don't remember the nativity scene. Maybe my Mom bought atheist bread ???
But here are some of the highlights from the past week or so ...
1. The Passionate Eye on CBC ... they had a documentary "ABBA to Mamma Mia". It showed how the band formed, the making of the musical, and then the natural progression to the movie. It was great. ABBA puts me in my happy place. I have an imaginary list in my head of bands/acts I want to see in my lifetime. On the "A" list is ABBA, Queen (with Freddie Mercury, not that new dude), and Leonard Cohen. So ... the list isn't too realistic as Freddie is dead and ABBA is done. BUT, Charlie & I were oh, so lucky and got to see "Mamma Mia" the musical in Toronto. Close enough for me ! It was FAB !!! The colours were breathtaking, the singing, the whirling & twirling ... sigh ... so beautiful. Then we went a few years later to see "We Will Rock You", the Queen musical. Again close enough for me. It had us on our feet, fists pumping in the air, tears running down the cheeks ( well, mine) , belting out We Will Rock You. An amazing experience. And then, in the perfect hat trick, I saw THE REAL Leonard Cohen in concert. I cried as soon as he sang. I swooned. I fell completely in love with him again.
Now the "B" list is a different story ... B-52s, The Go-Gos, and the Village People. Can you tell which era I am reliving ????
2. Spent the morning at E&R Glass with my friend Terrie. WOW ! We saw so much beautiful glass, learned a lot, got to use the grinder, and were invited back !! (That doesn't always happen ...!!!) It was beautiful inspiration. I bought a kick ass soldering iron with a RHEOSTAT and a stand. FLUX here I come !!!
3. Watched The Hour last night ... GORDON PINSENT was on !! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Gordon. His voice is sooooo beautiful and he is just plain adorable. I loved John & the Mrs. And one of my favourite movie lines comes from one of his movies ..."I'm not worth as much naked as I used to be. " Isn't that a great line ??? Anyway, I met him too !!! Gave him a tour & helped him do a little needlepoint years ago. Another wonderful experience !!
4. Made a super duper kick ass -if-I-do-say-so-myself coconut cream pie. It was amazing ... so coconutty piled high with meringue & lightly toasted coconut. YUMMO !! Tonight, the masterpiece will be a mega lasagna ! This is my version of solid tangible love for Charlie ... two of his favourites.
5. I have 2 big cartons here at work to unpack. One is full of paper & scrappin' stuff while the other is FULL of thousands (I don't kid !!) Swarovski crystals. Lucky me !!
Have a great week !!

Friday, February 20, 2009

oh ... A Childhood Memory ...

MISS ANN died . She was 80. I remember her well. She was a great childhood friend. I watched her when I was a kid. I always wanted her to see me at the end of the show in her mirror. Never did. But I know she knew I was there & was being good ... at home and play. I envied all those little kids who were on the show ... sitting on the floor, staring in awe at Miss Ann. And, at the end of the show, they all got LOAVES of BREAD to take home !!! Sunny Bee I think. And that makes me remember how fun bread was then ... not like now. Now the bag just tells us how the white bread is fooling us as it is actually whole wheat DISGUISED as white. And all that nutritional jabber. But ... back in the day ... the bags had these awesome BEES on them. They were all dressed as different characters and you cut them out & stuck them to the fridge. All the cool kids did it ...
Another cool thing about bread bags was that kids wore them in their boots to school. Now, to me , THAT WAS COOL !!! I always wanted to do it but my Mom wouldn't let me. I know now it was because their boots were leaky but back then it just seemed SOOOO cool !!
And now ... one more bread /childhood story. No . actually, there will be a little bread saying after this bread story. But the story. In elementary school , there was always a field trip at year end. Not to Egypt or Ottawa or any of the places kids go now. No, we went to the fire hall or a swimming pool ... something just as exciting to us. (We were such low maintenance kids ...) But one year, we HIT THE JACKPOT !!! We went to Berwick (yep, ALL the WAY to Berwick !!) and went to the ... oh sigh - such happy memories ... BEN'S BREAD FACTORY. We saw how they made the bread, watched it bake, and then ... almost like being on Miss Ann's show ... we WERE GIVEN A LOAF TO TAKE HOME !!!! It was THE best bread I have ever eaten !!! Never again has Ben's Bread tasted so good. Hmm ... Every time we go to Berwick I mention to Charlie - in a bragging, I-am-so-cool way - that I "was in that building ... the old Ben's factory. Even got a loaf of bread ..."
And now for the bread saying ... you know the saying "Better than sliced bread " ? Well my brother had his own interpretation. He was really mad at a girl one day whom he felt was showing off. He sputtered to my Mom "She thinks she's better than a loaf of bread !!". It's a standard in our house now.
And now in parting ... SING ALONG !! ... "Sunny Bee Bread is made with honey. Boys & girls, they think that's funny ..."
Rest in Peace Miss Ann. Thanks for all the great memories .

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Update on Recovery : Steps 2 and 3

I blog through blurry eyes today ... last night was a late one ! I had a meeting and then "deliveries" on the way home. Then casseroles to make & a ton of little things to take care of. As I put the casseroles in the fridge & turned off the lights at
2am I realized that I hadn't done laundry ... hoped the clean underwear fairy would come ...
But today ,she had come so I was lucky !!! And I still have the stretched-out bad-elastic pair that signifies that LAUNDRY MUST BE DONE , so I am good for another day !!
But, on to the recovery update ...
Saturday was not the day ... we did our usual Saturday ... groceries and then home to doze off ... seriously ! I have become a fall asleep reading person on Saturdays. Even though I stay home a day a week, I am still working ... doing kits or samples or bookkeeping ... so I still have a 6 day work week albeit that some of it is in more relaxed surroundings. But by the end of the 6th day, when I am locking the door at work Saturday afternoon , I am DONE !! POOPED !!! OUT_OF_ENERGY !! So Saturday was not a day of any greatness. As usual !
BUT SUNDAY ... oh yeah ... that was a sweet day. It was sunny & above wood-fire-frenzy temperature. So we came to town ... did all the cat chores ( like a farm almost !!) and set off. Detour for an emergency stop in New Minas & new windshield wipers & the blue stuff that you use with them ... and we were off !! Off to Halifax. Off to find the wonderful tea I have been searching for as well as silicone coated kitchen tongs (the pink ones !!), great books, some cool stamps, a few awesome tools, and anything else. Well we had 7 stops in mind and 4 hours so ... we scratched 2 ... had to ... it was GO GO GO HURRY HURRY HARD !!! But it was good. And I did get about half of my list which is far more than I have achieved around here. Add a great dinner at the Athens Restaurant and I would call the day a success !!
Step 2 : CHECK
So on to Step 3 ... the ALL-DAY-CRAFT-O-RAMA ... sort of ... I did finish off a FRIENDS album and cover a HOME album. I started a few pendants and planned another couple projects. So it wasn't the BIG session I had envisioned because it was squeezed in around work, heating challenges ( I suck at wet wood burning !!), and plumbing challenges ( I am good at not going to the bathroom ... a great skill I'm sure !) But it was satisfying ... and you have to be happy with what you can get so I would say ...
STep 3 : CHECK ... B-
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My FRIENDS album ...
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So hopefully the recovery is on and the slump/pity party is over !! Now to get back to all that laundry and other things ...

Saturday, February 14, 2009

We Interrupt this Recovery program for Valentine's Day ...

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So today is Valentine's Day ... it's a funny day ... it means the world to you if you are newly, freshly attached to someone... it means way too much if you aren't ... and when you have been happily attached for a significant period of time it is a day to get groceries ... funny. I feel the love everyday and could care or less about the red trappings of the 14th of Feb. Actually care less ... way less ... our cats are flower eaters so that is always just BAD ... and I SHOULD NOT be a chocolate eater and am usually at this point in the winter totally sworn off the little brown guys ... and I actually don't like roses or those icky truffley chocolates. So it is not a big thing for me. Now , let Hallowe'en or my birthday slip by and the proverbial fan has been hit with you-know-what !!
But I think Valentine's should be the chance to let EVERYONE and ANYONE that you love, know that you love them. I did buy a heart shaped box of chocolates ... for my brother. I will kiss my beloved husband and tell him I love him. I am right now telling all of my friends out there - YES ! YOU ! ... that I love you. I heart my cats. I heart my family. heart my customers. I heart the people I meet in my daily life. I heart myself ... and you should all heart yourselves too. A GREAT BIG PINK HEART TO YOU ALL !!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

THE FEBRUARY SLUMP RECOVERY PROGRAM - STEP 1.

I said I had a plan ... here it is ... in several steps ....
STEP 1. Take the "Shoulda List" and chuck it .
Last night I had a whole list of "need-tos" and "shouldas" but it was a nice night, warm, not needing so much wood in the furnace. STRIKE while the mercury is high !! SO we went home and had a great supper that I had cooked DOUBLE of a few nights ago
(another great sub-step in the recovery program !!). So with no effort we had lovely chicken cutlets in white wine & mushroom sauce and stuffed baked potatoes. A few days ago I had pounded, deglazed, baked, scooped, mashed, etc... and put half in the fridge so I was already ahead of the game last night. Then I took my list and CHUCKED IT !! We went to the late showing of the movie Coraline in New Minas.And because I did have a few errands that I couldn't chuck ... like lunch stuff ... we went to that icon of American consumerism, Walmart, because it was on the way and I could buy a rug, ink pads, bread, mayo, masa mix, and Old Bay seasoning all AT ONCE !! (Okay, the masa mix & Old Bay weren't on a MUST do list but I was excited to find them !!)And then, with smuggled Walmart movie candy, off we went to the movies ... it was great !! Felt like we were out on a school night, skipping out on studying for a math exam ...
The movie, by the way, was AMAZING !!! I love that Tim Burton animation. It was achingly beautiful ... too scary for kids but just exquisite for adults. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT !!!
Then home we went, happy, eyes filled with beautiful images, tummies with red licorice, and a night of NO CARES !! Then we watched TV until 2am and went off to bed. STEP 1 was successfully completed !!
This weekend will hopefully be STEP 2 - a FULL day of escape. And then STEP 3 will be a day of CRAFT-O-RAMA with a "who-cares" attitude about laundry, balanced meals, etc... Can't wait !!
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Here's a little picture of my favourite dolls.A bit Tim Burtonish ... "Damn Dollies" they are called and they are handmade in Toronto. I leave them by the CN Tower replica so they don't get homesick ...
And now a few pictures of some of the great help I get when I am working on samples for work ... How lucky am I ???
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Emma keeps my supplies warm ...
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Walter ... hmmm ... not sure what he does ....
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But here it is obvious ... Walter inspects !
Have a great day ... and I'll be back with Steps 2 & 3 soon !!!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I am hiding ... or wishing I was running away ...

Haven't blogged in a while ... afraid I might :
A. whine too much
b. vent my spleen
C. say things I shouldn't
D. wish a pox on someone, anyone. no one in particular.
Yes ... that's right ... I am in a somewhat pissy mood. Worn down by all the ass kicking that went on and still feeling the occasional boot to the butt. And wanting a day ... just one day ... when we can do something fun and not pay attention to the wood, the not-working-washer, the crappy frozen drain, all the stock maintenance at the store, planning ahead for new arrivals, parcels to wrangle to the mail, late delivery trucks, product not arriving, product to return, commitments, messed up schedules & routines, .... JUST ONE DAY OF FUN !!! OOPS, I may have completed [A] so far !! But really, we have had so many concerns - REAL LIFE concerns - as we run out of wood, have things freeze, freeze-thaw-and-break, track down wood, vet appointments all over , cream for ears at work, goo for eyes at home, ... oh so much. And none of it will kill us , I realize that. But add that to sleeping poorly & sinus sinus sinus ... ohh sinus ... and it feels mighty wearing. So ... I need to stop complaining ... but I can't seem to. Help ... I've fallen into complaining and I can't stop ....
So ... no point in JUST complaining ... I need a plan to fix all this . So I am doing a super duper mambo weather dance/wish/voodoo spell/fervent prayer that it will be reasonable weather this weekend and we can hop in the car , go somewhere, see some new faces, buy ourselves something FAB, eat a good meal, and just be "away from the poop" for a day. I think that's all it will take. And not because it's Valentine's day - I prefer to be loved all year NOT just on the 14th day of the 2nd month . Just because it is SAVE OUR SANITY day !! And then we will happily toddle home, parcels in tow, yummy tummies, happy faces... Ahhh , can't wait !
I will be a new girl/my old self after that. Hooray !

... a few of my favourite things ...