skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Don't hate me because this is where I will live for 9 nights...or is is 8...? My sister, the wonderful, helpful, stupendous, Jessie!, arrived yesterday. Just waiting in the airport for her flight had me bursting into misty eys, threatening fukll blown tears,, from thexcitement and relief of seeing her again. Its been since January and I don't think I have ever gone so long without her in my entire life. Sure, we talk on the phone a couple times a week or more, but to have her in person....thats the stuff! When she was actually physically in my arms, I did break down. I admit it.
So, late night last night of gab and chinese food and TV and more gab.
Today its all about grocery store, drug store, packing and laundry for packing. "Why ?", you ask? BECAUSE! Its one more sleep until Hman and I leave for SPAIN!!! Spain, Spain, Spain, Spain, Spay-ayn! (You can't make friends with Sal-ad! song tune thanks to Kadi)
Of course when Jessie travelled here, she arrived bearing gifts! I have several new awesome blouses to takle away with me plus a nice melon colour pair of capris, a skort thats NOT short short short because with my thighs? Oh so scary. I will not be embarrassingly dressed while away. Thank you!!
Also, I will be listening to music on my very own, cost me nada, IPOD NANO!!! How you like THAT! Hman was at a conference at work and he won it...and gave it to ME!! He has an MP3 but I think mine's nicer...heh heh. So exciting!
Ok...so play nice and love one another while I'm away. Ciao!
Its been a quiet weekend, chez nous. Friday night I went out to Effiloche with Nathalie and we made it home before midnight. My car is fixed (picked it up before heading into Montreal) and works great so far. Turns out the problem was an air intake thingamabobble that wasn't working right so the fuel couldn't combust. Now we gots all kinds o'combustinatin'!!! Its awesome. The best part? It totally did not cost 2000 dollars. Yay!
I cleaned the refrigerator today and it was a scary experience. So much waste! So much dried on crud! Nasty nasty nasty. Much emptying of jars for the recycling(fondue sauces are now BANNED I swear). Must remember to do this chore more often. Looks awfully nice (and very very empty).
Later today Hman headed to a fancy schmancy hotel for a conference the company is hosting. The boys and I went with in order to partake of the mini bar, the pool facilities, and have supper that we didn't have to cook or clean up after. Ben had his usual naked pasta with cheese but Cameron impressed me with his selection of a chicken and sweet red pepper salad to start, followed by fancy chicken strips and fries. MY KID ATE SALAD!!! I almost cried.
I skipped the first appetiser of the table d'hote (just wasn't intrigued by the soup or the salad). My second appetiser selection was an interesting wild mushroom melange in a rich brown sauce, with puff pastry. My main course was unexpectedly hearty: Brome duck breast in a berry enhanced gravy with side veggies. This duck was unlike any I had before. we actually had to double check with the waiter that he gave me the right order because I swear to goodness that duck tasted and had the texture of lean beef. Weird, non? Maybe its because whenever I'd had duck before it wasn't the breast. Delicious but not the flavour I was expecting.
After dessert the boys and I headed for home in the dark and rain. The moon came out as we travelled and that was nicer but all the road construction crap everywhere helped me miss my exit to the 640 Est. Grrrrr. The guys fell asleep after that. Once home the went straight to their beds and passed out. Aaaawwwww.
Its changing out there. This morning there was a light frost on the grass and we could see our breath. Cam insisted he was not cold and went off to school in a tshirt. Ben at least wore sleeve. Brrrrr.
I love autumn. It has been my favourite time of yaer since childhood. The chill. The colours. The sense of the Earth getting ready to hunker down and have a rest. In Ns the Autumn lingers but here its a much quicker transition from heat to snow that I was ever used to. Gotta be quick to appreciate it here in the Qc.
The Election blah blah continues. May has now been included in the televised debate and its a great lesson in how public outcry can make a difference. Folk of all parties protested vociferously to the media, their MPs, and the leaders email inboxes had to have been overflowing! LOL Yesterday morning the news was sopund biting Harper as saying the discussion was closed. Last night the news was filled with the reports that Harper and Layton has backed down. Oh how we laughed.
So far my riding only has 2 candidates, a Bloc and a Conservative, neither of which I would vote for. I wait for an alternative to appear. The parties have until the 22nd I believe to fill the positions. There was a 20 something at Walmart last week with a petition in order to seek the Liberal candidacy. He required a now forgotten number of signatures of support in order to throw his hat into the ring. I signed and wished him luck regardless of his youth and inexperience.
Last night was knit night in Laval and we had and lovely time! I got to hold possibly the happiest baby I have ever met. What a delightful armful wee Albert (en francais s'il vous plait)is. I know some people think thumb sucking is to be discouraged but he's only very small and it was so precious. He was enjoying that tiny thumb and his wide eyes took in the world around him with aplomb. He was easy to coax into smiling and just looking into his eyes cooing to him was enjoyable. He didn't fuss all evening! I think we all fell in love with him. It was him mommy's first time to join us now that her schedule is less hectic and she was so much fun! Not shy and silent at all but immediately fit right in with the rest of us. Before we knew it the evening had flown by and it was 10 pm. I got all the gusset decreases on the 2nd Belle Maman done. I want the pair finished and soaked before Wednesday.
The car gets its examination today. Gods only know how much this is going to cost. >:oP
David Suzuki has a new book out! D. S.'s Green Guide. Oooohhhh. I love D.S. When I was a kid I thought he was very unattractive and borning. As an adult I find him very very attractive and a fascinating person for the strength of his convictions and incredible knowledge. Must check this book out!
Not anymore! This post has been EDITTED TO REMOVE ANGRY CONTENT!
Yesterday, Thing One was home sick for the morning. His tummy has been not good for a couple of days now and we have a doctor's appointment for tomorrow afternoon. He felt inclined to go to school in the afternoon though so he can't be that sick. Poor monkey. He has actually GROWN though. I had to dispose of several pair of jeans which meant, yay, shopping, and YAY my littlest sized picky eater kid has advanced in size!! I hit Children's Place (love love love) and got him 3 pairs of pants and two new shirts. I also got Thing Two a new pair of jeans and two shirts. Then I wandered into Old Navy...it was more like being pulled in by its gravitational pull... and checked out the liquidation racks. I got the cutest nighty for Spain and a pair of blue capris. I love Old Navy liquidation racks.
On my way home from the mall, my car started to act up. On the highway, in the center lane, during rush hour..I stalled out! Yes that was ME! Oh my Gods it was horrifying being THAT car. Feeling the hate and exasperation radiating from all the other drivers. I will never be so cruel in my thoughts towards the breakdowns again because, unlike some, my car is maintained with regular oil changes etc. Its not neglected! Yet, it still died in traffic.
Luckily, I got it to start again (thank you deities of cars)and limped onward with my poor sputtering vehicle to the nearest exit, got off the highway and into the closest parking lot where it totally conked out. And it stayed pretty much like that! I was close enough to home that I could easily walk but I was worried because the guys were due home from school and the house was locked up! Oh the angst and stress! Poor baby car is off to a garage today, via tow truck, and Audrey, lovely Audrey, is going to drive Nathalie and I to knit night. For Ben's doctor appointment Hman will have to get home early and take us rather than meet us there as planned.
Now, if this wasn't enough silliness my phone has gone all weird! I tried calling Momma today and she could not hear me at all. Same thing with Jessie but Jess has caller ID so she called back and the phone worked fine. It would appear that my outgoing long distance calls are behaing strangely. Incoming and local calls are fine. Whats up with that? Hman swears he paid the bill. LOL
So there are two things...where's the third?
I don't get politics really. Yes, if I wanted to I could bone up on issues etc beyond my own opinions but seriously, listen to most opionators and youi will see rather one sided arguments.
This is not about that however. Its about integrity and democracy in a free country. Apparently Stephen Harper has neither integrity nor maturity. He refuses to appear in televised debates if Green leader Elizabeth May is invited, which she has every right to attend if invited by the Nazi..I mean...media consortium that is "hosting' said televised debate. But since the Prime Moron won't attend if she does and then the other "cool' kids said that if PM isn't going then they won't...the consortium has omitted a leader who has candidates from her party nation wide, unlike the Bloc Quebecois who is ONLY REPRESENTED IN ONE PROVINCE!!!!! The consortium says "Its a journalistic exercise" which is complete and total bullshit. Do you really think that the PM would not show if the debate went on without him? That Layton and Duceppe wouldn't back down and change their minds if Dion and May were to carry on the televised debate..the only televised candidates debate in the country? Bullshit.
Ok...again I ask you where is the maturity and dignity here? The Conservative party had a website portraying Stephan Dion of the Liberals as "not a leader" and an animated puffin would fly by and shit on him. FOR REAL!!!! It was on Canada AM this morning!
Yes...we are governed by middle schoolers! The cool kid won't come to the debate/ party and has his minions denegrate his top oppositional target into looking like a complete dink. The entire Conservative platform has been "I'm a nice guy" and "Stepahne Dion is a poopy head dum dum". The website "not a leader" has been all over the news and now..NOW.. Harper has said, oh thats not nice, and the website images are no longer as they were. Just like a bully getting caught tormenting someone with his buddies. He had it stopped because of the out cry but seriously, the damage has been done.
I DO think Harper is a dictator and bully. He made a law about when elections can be called and then BROKE his own law. When Stronach left the Conservatives he threw a fit and said she should have to run in a by election to retain a seat, yet when someone came over to the Conservative side it was all hugs and kisses and smiles. Double standarding asshole. Why can't Chatelaine magazine get an interview with his wife? Huh? I hear its Because she has been told to keep her mouth shut. Controlling prick.
Yup..Election time in Canada! Completely junior high and I don't blame May if she came without a "You guys are so immature!!!" and Dion went in to the science lab to construct some sort of device to prove once and for all what I have always claimed. Stephen Harper is an alien android. What other explanation is there and his inability to grasp our Earthing ways like...uumm..being human??!
To me, E M and S D are the cool kids.
It
is 11 days to take off. My shrug cannot be ready for the trip because my knitting speed and skillz are officially stymied at the moment. I would cry but hey, I'm still going to Spain so......woohoo!
Hman had a buyer for the boat Saturday after only putting it on the market last week. Then he met with the buyers again yesterday, they all went for a sail so the buyers could get to know Lunasea. Hman wanted to be helpful and nice by doing that for them. They did the paper work and all was well until Hman was driving home and the buyers called saying they changed their minds. Apparently, while the sail was thrilling and fun for the husband, the wife was scared spitless (maybe when out there she realised she didn't want to sail with her inexperienced thrill seeking husband?).
So he had to go ALL the way back to give them back their cheque and get the paperwork etc. What a pain in the ass. He practically spent the weekend with these twits and took a thousand dollar drop in price, and then they call and say "We changed our mind!" AFTER the deal was DONE! As Kadi would say "F^cktards!". Seriously..how stupid is that?? Do you buy a house and an hour after the paperwork and all is DONE say you changed your mind and want your money back? Do you buy a car and pull that shit? The dealership would laugh at you! It cost them $400 to be so stupid, because Hman was somewhat annoyed.
Anyways, he called the person who had wanted to view the boat on Sunday (and he'd told them it was sold and cancelled the sunday viewing ), so now they are going to see the boat tomorrow. Hman asked them to be sure they knew the brand of boat and be sure that this is what they are looking for . In other words, please don't waste our time.
I went out knitting with Audrey yesterday. We went down into the old part of town here, and my goodness I love that part of our town. There are many cafes and bistros and an Irish pub and restaurants not to mention gift shops and boutiques. Audrey and I went to Brulerie Des Moulins, a cafe that roasts their own coffees. It was my first time to this cafe and I LOVED it!!!! Due to a chilly wind we moved in off the terrasse to the upstairs seating area and its bright and airy and in winter their is a fire place. I begged Audrey that we come back in winter and knit near the fireplace. How cozy! How quaint! They had awesome chocolate mousse cake and chocolate chip cookies and my iced tea and italian soda were yummy and refreshing.
We didn't go to the Irish pub ' Bar St. Patrick' because it doesn't open until 3 pm but we need to go there together sometime, with or without our significant others, for a beer. They serve Newcastle Brown! Yay!
So far thats it for today. Oh, and the late summer heat wave (can we call it that? maybe its a heat ripple?) is over. Yay! And Boo Hoo!
...enter a phase of your life and look at all the dots getting connected and say "Wow. This is excellent. My life is so flupping great!" ? This is how I feel lately.
First of all my European adventure is in 15 days. I got new sandals for the excursion and am wearing them everywhere to get them broken in. I'm very excited about this trip because until 2006 I'd never really BEEN anywhere. Then BAM I was in Hawaii, this year it was Virginia, now Europe! Wowsers.
Second,I have an awesome part time job this Fall at a yarn shop. How frakking awesome is that?? It starts in October and I am so excited. I will be with people I like alot, surrounded by yarn...its all good!
Rhinebeck is coming up and I am still stoked. Lots of knit pals are going, some staying at the same motel, and FUN WILL BE HAD. Knitterly, possibly alcohol infused, fun.
Hman pondered out loud the possibility of heading to NS for Christmas. Like, actual christmas, not just a weekend before christmas. Yes even though I am Pagan oriented, we still do Christmas (I call it Yule in my head). Why? Well I am not my whole family, and they like it. I do too and its not unreasonable to keep it since it coresponds with a Pagan festivity (the Winter Solstice/Yule). So, maybe going home for a holiday! Cool. Its not written in stone yet so I have NOT mentioned it to my Mom. It depends on some things and stuffs etc etc. The plan as it stands in all its unconfirmedness is that we would rent a house in the area of my parents home and host the christmas gathering of my family and also have Nanny and Grandpa for Christmas day for the first time ever. I warned Hman that we would need to make decission very soon and arrangements as well in order to start the ball rolling on the family gathering (gotta synchronise calendars etc). Like I said, there are some outside circumstances and what they may bring that influence the possibility so I'm hoping we have a yes or no by October sometime.
I have a project that Hman and I are going to start this Autumn. When its ready I will give details. Its a silly little bit of fun for me that he's going to A) finance and B) help me with. He's the best. You know, he even recorded the season Premier of BONES for me last night. How awesome is that?! Yup. The best. Today.
Anyways, said project which few people know about because its better that way, could be great or it could totally suck rancid billy goats balls, but I could never have entertained the idea before now so its another great point in my life right now and something to look forward too even with its steep learning curve.
Anyways, my point in all this is that right now, life just seems to be lining up really well and though experience teaches that this can be derailed at any point at Fate's whimsy, right now its pretty grand.
I mentioned the Secret Pal Swap that I am taking part in. My parcel was sent out and recieved last week by the person I was to spoil. I was so impatient for her to get the package and to find out whether or not I totally flubbed it. She was very pleased with her parcel and I was thrilled.
Today, it was MY turn to recieve! My Secret Spoiler had let me know that the parcel was sent and I figured it would arrive tomorrow or later. Not so! Canada Post was on the ball and rang my doorbell late this afternoon. SQUEEE!!!
It was such a mystery! Who had sent it? Inside was a letter explaining two avenues for me to explore...follow the clues 1 through 8 and try to figure it out or go straight to the package marked as holding the answer. Well of course I wanted to draw it out and guess and read clues! So fun!!!!! I wish i had thought of such a great way to "expose" myself.
Clue 5 proved to be the key. The clue mentioned conferences and medical supply folk that pass on swag. the wee package was the swag! A highlighter, a pad of 'testosterone gel' sticky notes, and a Post It pen. Coool!!! Very handy for colour work. I pondered a second or ten and the light went on. "Sharon??!" I guessed. I had 3 more clues to go and then the answer revealed that I was infact correct!
Sharon is a most awesome knitter (an secret pal) and is originally from New Zealand. She will be returning to her homeland when her job here is done and we will miss her very much at knit nights. She's very smart, very fit, very stylish,very funny, and her output knittingwise is astounding. She gifted me with gorgeous Mission Falls superwash in a lovely lovely green (mmmm greeen), some black alpaca blend from her stash, a handmade knitting notes book complete with Flight of The Conchords (New Zealands 4th most popular folk parody duo) and some patterns!!!She knit a cover for the front ...umm...cover...and personalised the flyleaf.
A tin was cunningly decorated decoupage style with a pic of my favorite needles and my initials. Inside were wee loops of yarn for use as stitch markers (just to illustrate the clue though). This is how Sharon more or less marks her places while the rest of us buy or make knitting bling. She's very refined and old school. :oD
NEEDLES! Squee! Harmony DPNS. So...love..them.. I forsee some casting on of socks. I will need them (more later).
Skittles because she had no idea what the sweets I'd mentioned in the questionnaire were. ROFL. I'd listed SKOR bars, Toffeefay, and something else like this as my favourite candy. Skittles are kind of the anti-caramel, toffee/nut chocolate sweets. Its hilarious and the kids are very covetous of my candy.
Oh my...it was a lovely lovely parcel and I feel like its my birthday!
PS: Socks: I got a pair of Birkenstocks today for all the walking I forsee in Spain. They need to be broken in but on the whole are great. I will of course be very crunchy granola and wear wool socks with my sandals come cool weather. Oh yes. I am that hippy chick, earth mama. Don't look away. I am not ashamed. LOL
Now with new needles for sock knitting, I should cast on a pair!
