boredborredboredboredbored.........

Boredboredboredbored whats that smell? boredboredbored.......

Irritation.........

I signed on for my first ever knit along (KAL)which is also my first ever Mystery knit. The sweeties at Sweet Paprika Designs, Deborah in particular, are "hosting" this project. Deb designed a shrug and doles out the pattern "clues" one at a time until you end up with a finished object and go "Oh wow! So thats what I have been knitting!". All we know is that its a shrug, nothing else. (except i have seen the shrug and love it).
Friday I got my first "clue" and it was for working out how much DK weight yarn I will need to knit for my size. I did all the measuring and followed Deborah's brilliant formula and came up with a (large) number of how many yards of DK yarn I need.
The problem is that I am on a yarn fast and don't want to BUY yarn. I have made it a mission to knit FROM STASH ONLY until Rhinebeck..well Spain actually and then Rhinebeck. I thought that this KAL would be a great way to use up more stash!!
WRONG!!!! If I was (much)thinner it would be great but as it stands right now the only yarn that I have enough yardage of is an Aran weight that is much heavier and not at all complimentary to the project. Am I pissed off? Why yes I am thank you!!
Because of my shoddy yarn shopping skills ( a skein here, a skein there...) I can't knit this project from stash and will have to buy the yarn. ARGH!! I am so mad at myself!!!!!!!
I hereby vow that I will buy delicious yarns in larger more useable quantities from now on. I so vow!!!! No more "ooh its so pretty but pricey so I'll only buy one or two...enough for a hat maybe...". I won't get caught so short handed again.

Hair

I don't know WHAT possessed me and made me highlight my hair but the situation has been rectified. Brown I am and brown I'll stay...for now.
I got a hair cut at a place I have never been. My Nancy was too booked up and my alternative stylist as well. This meant someone new....sigh.
Its only hair and it grows back.

Friday

Wednesday night I went out knitting and scored a wicked cool green combination yarn. Thanks Josiane!!!!!!! Now if you could maybe remember what it is...? I could do a flame test I suppose, to check for wool fibers etc but i hate to waste an inch of such great yarn. I also cast on my second pair of xmas mittens and am almost done the second now. LOVING instant mittens. Very productive knitting.
This week has been pretty tame. I took the kids to Center de Nature in Laval on Tuesday and we had a really fun time exploring.
Tonight I took myself to the movies alone and saw Get Smart. Love Steve Carell. He's the best. The Rock was very funny in his role as Agent 23. LOVED the tech nerds Bruce and LLoyd...there is a dvd out of them and now I must rent it. A sequel with be sweet because Himie was introduced right at the end (Patrick Warburton...yum!).
Before going out I highlighted my hair. It looks ....okay.. I think.
I have done worse. Tomorrow I am getting a trim so that may help things and ease the bushyness from the damaged ends. I jusrt wanted a bit of a sun kissed look and I think its alright. We'll see if I get openly mocked when friend see it.

Dreams

You know yours are really good when you wake up your sleeping partner with your "sleep laughing".
And no, this is not the first time this has happened. I'm just lucky that way I guess. :oD
Unfortunately for Hman.......heh heh heh.

Oh they did have SOME fun.....

DETAILS: So....it was a beeeeeyooootiful Saturday afternoon. Seriously gorgeous with LOW humidity but HOT. We spent it in the pool goofing around and I also sat in the shade working on mitten #2 of red instant mitts. Then around 4 we decided to head for the boat and see what the wind was like.
It was good! Not too little a wind but we could have used a pinch more. Lac Deux Montagnes gets VERY choppy in big wind and its not a fun leisure sail. We had some chop both natural and asshole...I mean powerboat..sourced. Again thanks to over zealous large powerboats speeding by our wee sail boat I almost fell in. Grrr...
The breeze was heavenly on our hot selves and the sun was bright in the western sky when we started out. The moon had risen and appeared to be made of the same cirrus type high clouds that we were finding shapes in (rooster on an island, beautiful lady, laughing worm...). MANY boats on the water both sail and motor and big power boats. Lots of traffic.
I saw two huge pike jump. I am serious, these bastards were enormous for lake fish (to my eyes). At least the length of my arm for the smaller of the two and when they jumped it was clear out of the water, into the air, and back down sideways like when whales breach. Very cool but made me mildly nervous for the safety of our toes hanging over the bow to get splashed by waves. Pike are toothy bitey fishies.
The sun was going down when we turned back. I think we docked around 8 pm or so. Once we were back in our "parking spot" at the club we headed homeward, stopping at the Mike's on St Martin, Laval for supper because I had a massive craving for spaghetti and meatballs caused by repeatedly singing "On Top Of Spaghetti" with Cameron and Ben on the way back to shore. Mmmmspaghetti and meatballs....
Today, being Sunday, it is rainy and hot. Fitting non?

Sailing Sailing....Who Enjoys It More?

Friday recap

I had the bestest day. I really did. At 4 pm my fabulous babysitter arrived and I hit the road to St Hubert street. Plaza St Hubert is closed to traffic for a BIG sidewalk sale and boy was it a party! Music, sales, food, people...! It was fab. I bought high wedge heeled strappy sandals. Aerosoles so they are actually fairly comfortable.
But I had a mission...I was to meet Janet, Caroline, and Anna at Chaton Beads( http://www.chatonbeads.com/store/contactus.php )to pick out Swarovski crystal beads from their fantastic array of colours. Then we moseyed to C and M Textiles for some heavy silk fabric for Janet to line an lovely crochet bag.
THEN we sauntered south on St Hubert, back to the closed off portion (Plaza) and arrived at Effiloche. Ginette had one of the knit lounge sofas out on the sidewalk with some chairs and a table for snacks and drinks so knit night was a fresh air wonderful experience! Janet made my crystal pendant for me since I am all thumbs and will supply me with a pattern to make more. I LOVE it. So sparkly. Daniel sacrificed some heavy silver embroidery thread for me to wear it right away. Ginette was full of hugs and looked FABULOUS. She's been working out at the gym and running and good googly moogly ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liAQCXeTl-s) its paying off in spades and abs!!! I am way jealous and proud of her.
THEN I left and met Hman at the theater for a movie. You know the one...the one with my boyfriend AND my girlfriend. Oh to be the center of a sexy sandwich with James MmmMmmmMmmMcAvoy and Angelina Jolie. They were HOT and it was a very actiony movie (Wanted) with never a dull minute.
Altogether a fantastic and fun filled Friday!!!!

In which we are meellltiiinng

Its very humid Chez Nous. We had rain through the night that cooled the air imperceptibly but the humidity is stil high and makes for a very drippy me. Yesterdays hotness was very much improved by staying in the pool as much as my day allowed.
Blossom was beautified beyond recognition at the groomers yesterday. I really need to keep her shaved I think. She's so sleek and stink free and when you pet her you don't come away thinking you now need a shower to get all the dog hair and dogginess off. Now we can't stop petting her and she's in heaven. 45$ well spent. I asked the groomer to use the Natural Concepts oatmeal bodywash I brought for bathing Blossom. Its the only thing I have found that doesn't make her flaky doggy skin worse, including some pricy oatmeal dog shampoos. Its a buck a bottle at the Dollarama and is great (for people AND dogs!!!) and the groomer liked it too. Pictures will come when I get around to it.
Tonight is Laval Knits night and I am so looking forward to it. My night OFF!!! WooHooo. I'm going to cast on another pair of Instant Mittens, now for Christmas girly gifts so maybe there will be clown coloured mohair...or sparkly yarn....

Monday mania

Photo from Club Scott website.
It is the Monday after a weekend away and we all know what that means. LAUNDRY! Lots'n'lots of laundry. (I have NO clean shorts. >:o( )
And pool vacuuming. And house de-griming because it was mildly neglected during the pre weekend preparations. I did however strip off the couch and wash all the covers. Mmmmmmm fresh and clean.
Today I took Blossom, our shaggy deaf dog, to the groomers. Unfortunately her appointment is for tomorrow.
Why yes I am an idiot thank you very much. She remains shaggy for another day and counts herself lucky.
The fishing trip was lovely if not packed with fish. We came home with two wee trout that would have been better left in the lakes. Nice expensive trouts. We also saw beavers. I got a souvenir ball cap with the outfitter's logo on it as a momento of our first family fishing trip.
The weeds in the garden decided to go into growth overdrive over those two days but it is VERY hot today in my yard so I may wait until evening for pulling them. That and until I find my gloves because I keep getting a dermatitis from some of the weeds sap.
I did accomplish one thing while away. I finished a pair of Instant Mittens. Then I gave them away. Thus I have no proof so you just have to take my word for it. I am very pleased with myself. A whole functional pair of mittens. I will use the pattern again but it makes fairly small mittens so I need to up the cast on numbers by at least 4 OR increase by 4 after the wrist ribbing. The pattern designer must have slim hands.
Anyways,I am tired, hot, and hungry. Typical Monday afternoon, non?

Wednesday's Thoughts

I want...with a basket.

Discovered that mystery bug in house is a variety of assassin bug. Am now afraid for my life. Also afraid of bugs and so doubly afraid.
Does my fondness for funny/witty/profound bumper stickers make me tacky?
Mojitos are good.
Will I ever complete a pair of fully functional mittens?


Deep huh? Thats me. Deep waters run still. Because ,you see, to run actively makes me sore and sweaty.
Todays plans: take bike to repair shop because I can't get the bike I want SO BAD!!! Also buy more rum and some limes (see above Mojito comment). Tonight is knitting in NDG so I will get out of the house for awhile to chat with other humans of the non-male persuasion that actually sometimes find me and interesting conversationalist. And never do I have to order them to put on some friggin' pants.

HAPPY CANADA DAY

I am out by the pool in the low humidity sunshine, slathered with SPF 50. Possibly with something mildly alcoholic near by.
Hope your day is just a terriffic!!!!

Chores For Pay

In the world of parenting you eventually get to the point/ages where the rug rats are fully capable of doing things on tehir own. At this point, with some preparation and encouragement, chore charts were introduced to my family. They worked for a little while but then novelty wore off and I became forgetful about pay and replacing full charts. Now that school is out and the childrens are currently unemployed, per se, I have come up with a new system of Chores For Pay designed to keep bored and broke children busy and less work for me. Genius non?.
Listed on a fairly short list are things like Wiping Down The Bathroom. I love Lysol disinfecting wipes....very UNgreen of me I know but they are fast, easy, and kill germs. Wiping down the bathroom includes wiping out the sink, the counters, the taps and the toilet area. Since they are the ones who miss I think they should take responsibility for it. This job, which I hate, is worth 50 cents.
Putting Away Laundry is worth 50 cents a basket.
Cleaning the Yard (which is code for cleaning up dog poo) is worth a whole buck.
Vacuuming an entire level of the house is worth 25 cents because lets face it, the vacuum cleaner does all the work on this one but having fewer things stick to my bare feet is valuable to me. Plus with the pet hair issues in this house it is a job that needs doing frequently.
Cleaning Up Bedroom including making beds and vacuuming is worth 50 cents because they rarely do it.
Garbage Duty 25 cents. Recycling also 25 cents. The theory is that maybe they will notice when trashes need emptying instead of just piling more in until it over flows.
I think its a pretty good plan so far though the kids have only done a few of the chores despite frequent reminders like "Gee...wonder what chores on the list need doing TODAY?" However I did mention the addition of Yard Cleaning for a dollar and Cameron jumped at it. And he's the LAZY one!!!!! Swweeeet.
If you tried this method of getting kids to do work around the home, what would you have on the list? Dishes don't work here as a chore because we mostly use the dishwasher and the kids can't reach some of the cupboards and I dislike broken dishes.

Saturday

After Cameron telling me all week that daddy was taking him to the Rodger's Cup today I finally thought to ask Hman about it. "What time are you two leaving tomorrow?" I asked last night. He had no idea what I was referring to. I filled him in. Turns out the Rodger's Cup is later in July. This is why 9 year olds are not reliable sources of information or agenda keeping.
Its a good thing that they weren't sitting out watching major tennis matches because its been raining pretty much the whole day. Holy humidity, Batman! There are parts of the house that are getting decidely funky smelling from the heavy doses of moisture we've been having lately : ie the living room has a distinct dog like aroma thanks to, of course, the DOG. The basement has been a bone of contention since we moved in. While not a disgustingly damp icky place, it is damper than I'd like. Just right for mild cases of mildew. This is not a plus in a family room area where we tend to spend a lot of time. For 3 years I have been saying 'Need a Dehumidifier..." to be answered with the "Yeah yeah...." of the over burdened man of the house (snicker). Today I got my way!!!!!!!!!!!
There was no tantrumming....there was no pushing....there was no threatening of dire mildewy consequences.. I just said that it would be a good day to head to Sears and he said "OK!!!" GASP!
~~Digression: While there I totally got some new summer tshirts which were a point of wardrobe desperation at this point. The old ones were all either stained or too tight/short. It was becoming difficult to dress myself to leave the house. ~~
We are the proud operators of a Kenmore digital dehumidifier (with Energy Star sticker) now and I foresee the family room becomming a much less sticky/smelly place to hang out. Relative humidity is already down by 10%!!! Sweet. I thinks I'm in luuuuuv.

Heh heh but true 2

Heh heh but true

more cat pictures

Also,

I had a great idea this morning after much coffee and 3 hands of Uno with Ben.
Ben loves Uno. He gets me to play as often as I can tolerate but as games go, its one I enjoy. Now that its summer and days are lazy without lots of structure, the Uno will be played even more and thus the seed of a plan was planted.
The Family Summer Uno Championship! I will make up a chart for us to put in our points for the whole summer from every game we play this summer and at the end of the summer, the highest tally determines the Uno champion.
Yes it is mildly unfair for Cameron and Hman because they so rarely want to play but oh well sucks to be them. I think I will even invest in a trophy and do this each summer until it stops.
Heh heh...victory WILL be mine...heh heh heh

Fishin'

"Plz 'member the bug spray if you take me out in nature,'k?"

I only fished once in my childhood and that was when a friend and her family took me along to their cottage in the New Germany area of Nova Scotia. It was down a dirt road on a lake...no idea which one. This was my first time fishing and I couldn't get enough.
Later in my early teens my sister and her husband took myself and my nephew on a few fishing outtings in Spring. That was when I got my first very own fishing rod and it was a pale blue metallic Shakespeare which was very pretty and I loved it so. That rod was lost when I went fishing with a friend's boyfriend for my first fishing from a canoe. The rod got left in his trunk and I ne'er saw it again. It had a lot of sentimental value for me so I was VERY BITTER. You know how attached I get to my presciousses especially if they are A) shiny or B) yarny.
My next fishing excursions were with my country girlfriend Edith. I would wait anxiously for Hman to get home from work, foist the small kids into his hands and say "SEE YA!" throwing my limited gear into the back of her truck and ruunning away from my frustrations. We would suck on gobstoppers, talk and come home with junk fish ( bullnose, yellow perch) to put in the gardens (under roses or tomato plants. Excellent fertiliser). Sometimes I ACTUALLY crawled out of bed in the very early to fish in the lake behind the house. Saw a beaver one time! mackeral fishing off the docks of Mahone Bay and Indian Point were wicked good fun too. I actually caught things then.
Then the kids got older and E got busier, divorcing etc,and we had our business, and the fishing didn't happen so much. I missed it desperately. Then we moved here.
Quebec has AWESOME fishing and I have not been once. In the 3 years I have been here not once. We went ice fishing on vacation BEFORE the boys and I moved here but that its and may I say HELL YES I did enjoy the ice fishing. I hooked them and then pretended to be tired and passed the rod to a kid to discover he had a bite and reel it in. this is how they get addicted see? So when they are older I will have fishing buddies to suck Gobstoppers and chat with. I digress.
So while my life has not been FILLED with fishing I do enjoy it quite a bit. I like the peace that comes with the boredom of not catching anything, taking the time to admire nature and let my mind wander. I also love paddling for its quiet and reflective qualities and if Hman fulfills his promise of a kayak ( we had a canoe but we find them uncomfortable and tippy)I will be very happy. Can you fish from a kayak I wonder?? Yes I was never a huge catcher of fish BUT when I do catch them I am so happy and excited it makes it all worth while. Hman has never loved fishing like me because as I may have mentioned he NEVER catches anything and has been known to jinx a whole excursion groups prospects (In Hawaii). this weeekend seems to have broken his curse and now he is willing to book us a weekend at a fishing camp. SWEET!!!! http://www.clubscott.com/english/inedx2.htm This is the place he wants to go to because we can take Blossom with us. He doesn't know of any places where you can just go and fish from shore etc to kill a couple hours and whiolewe can fish Lac Deux Montagne from our sail boat, the sailing part makes it tricky. "I wanna fish!" "No we are sailing!!" See what I mean? Anyways, my bitching that we never do the things I want to do (paddling, hiking, fishing) has paid off big time. Now...if only they have a weekend free for us. Hoping....hoping.....

Sunday

So....
Yesterday I and my pal Dana took the guys to see Kung Fu Panda. It was great. Lots of fun!
Today Hman got home earlier than planned form his business fishing trip. He ACTUALLY CAUGHT FISH!!!!!! If there are any unexplained psychic and meteorological phenomena in this province, this would be why.
He called on the way home because he got my message about Ben's injury. The principal was supoosed to call me about it Friday afternoon and didn't so he is going to try the school tomorrow and talk to the vice who is the NEW principal. I foresee a change in our school with him at the helm instead of the Ice Queen. He's actually on the ball and CARES about the kids. Ice Queen stormed around on her stilettos and was an absolute beotch whenever you tried to discuss ANYTHING with her. I think the kid Francis was sent to a school counsellor or something for a time out for hurting Ben. Now, I have to say Ben is not a total angel in these happenings BUT this other kid just dogs him almost daily. Ben tries to keep away from him and tell him to leave him alone but francis just DOESN'T. It usually starts as teasing.."joking around"...but with Ben and his issues etc it usually escalates to fighting even though he tries (in his way) to keep his cool and avoid the whole thing. THIS is why we are pissed off. This other kid comes looking for the "fun" of agitating the problem child. Well this time, from what I understand, his actions scared him. I don't think he's ever caused an injury that drew blood and we know even minor head injuries bleed like a bastard. I hope he has a turn of heart about antagonising other kids after this. Hman wants to make sure they aren't in the same class next year and that ANY problems with Francis next year will not be tolerated at all by this family. he also wants to make sure the parents are aware of their brats hobbies. The vice principal and principal (Ice Queen) were aware of the problem all year from the beginning and not enough was done to diffuse the explosive problem. There was a change in teachers and the situation was not handled properly because the newbies didn't realise the history. They saw a bit of teasing and Ben overreacting. Anyways, Hman was way po'ed at the whole Friday incident and will deal with it en francaise ASAP.
The UP side to his being away on a fishing trip is that he will finally take us all for a weekend fishing trip here in la belle province. I am stoked. I have no idea when it'll happen but I am still stoked. I do enjoy me some fishing.

Too late

School called me to come get Ben because of an "accident". A Francis originating accident which has left Ben with a hole in the side of his head from the corner of a cabinet connecting with said head.
Urge to kill is very high.....