What day is it....?

Oh..right Wednesday! I gets confused. Easily. Shaddup.
Ok..weird dream...had this dream that someone was slagging the Yarn Harlot's blog for her us of grammar or something in THEIR blog and I phoned them and argued the case that grammar is not necessarily a law to be followed when it come to colloquialisms etc. Basically, the ideas presented are very thoroughly understood and if grammar rules are bent for the sake of funny, then shut your southern fried pie hole. Very weird. But note how my EngLit degree of yore and Yarn Harlot adoration merged to creat a very memorable dream experience. heh.
Other notes: Jessie's plain 3 +1 ribbed sock is coming along as I create the heel flap. You know, knitting is like magic. String and sticks makes clothes. How crazy is that?? But I digress. Heel flap was meant to be Eye Of Partridge because I have wanted to try it forever but I mis-remembered the instructions and am doing something else that I don't know what it is but looks very nice...LOL. If someone knows the name of this heel flap PLEASE comment. Its slip on knit one on the knit side, and slip one purl one on the purl side. Looks nice. No idea what its called but its the instructions that stuck in my head from somewhere I can't remember that I THOUGHT was Eye Of Partridge but quite clearly, is not. I should Google heel flap variations....
Uuuumm...what else...
Boys are still great. We have had a very positive school experience thus far but you know, it is only week two after all. And I am so well caught up with laundry I scare myself. Seriously! No mountains anywheres!!! No Clean Laundry Mountains...no dirty laundry mountains...Its TRUE! Non believer...I shun you! Shhuuuuuuuuunnnnn...
Cammie is having a buddy over night on Friday and I told Ben he should invite a buddy next weekend. Of course he wanted neighbor kid but I said, you know, you have school pals now that we know where they live and you have been to their homes (playdate and a birthday party) How about someone NEW! So i think he's considering it. See the thing with having neighbor kid over is taht things quickly deteriorate between the 3 kids. Maybe with a classmate it would stay fun and happy!
Aquariumwise, we still have 4 fish. I need to get my QuickFilter attachment's refill. Keep forgetting. Maybe today, because the bottom feeders need new food tablets. water keeps discolouring from the stupid log. and I had broken the top lamp so we just use a regular lamp on the side. Really gotta do something about that.
Dogwise: Blossom tried to make a break for it again. Silly bitch. She found a way out of our FENCED and hedged back yard. sigh. I know, maybe we should try ...oh..I dunno...TYING her out but thats just such a pain in the ass. You just know that, thickie that she is, she will tangle every ten seconds.
Kitteh wise: Miss Kitty continues to pine for neighbor lady but now comes HOME to eat on a regularish basis and can then be trapped INDOORS for the night which makes for lots of kittehsnuggles for me in bed. Flash is not a cat who needs a lot of love or affection. She'll let ya know ( Petpet scratch aaaaaaannnndd...we're done). Whereas Miss Kitty wants ever more chin and ear scratchings and body massage and if its not enough will bat at you with her paw to continue when you stop to rest your arms. Her fave position for cuddles is on top of my chest or lying on my side like Freckles used to do but note she is NOT a cat that can be held thus her snuggles are more of the "you a nice heated mattress" variety than the cuddled- in- for- affection variety. I had a cat that was AWESOME for that. L'il Lucifer. He was black. His position to go to sleep with me at night was held in my arm like a baby, head on shoulder, body held close to my side by my arm, front paw across my chest. EVERY night. He actually waited on the bed, grooming, while I performed my bedtime toilette (skin care, jammies etc) and then once I was between the sheets he'd take his place. He was a great snuggler but then I left him with my mom and dad when I went back to Uni and he never forgave me. Oh the guilt....
Tonight is a Knit-Night in NDG. I LOVE NDG. If I could live in an area of the city proper it would SO be NDG. I love the old brick townhouses and big detached places, and the big trees shading the streets, and amenities nearby like Monkland Avenue......sigh. I missed my Friday night at Effiloche because I was tired and we had to get up early on Saturday for Quebec City. that sucked...now this week is a sleepover...Dang. Although....I could leave HM with them.
Speaking of knitting, some of the girls go to La Bobineuse for crazy cheap cones of yarn. Am intrigued. Maybe on Saturday I can escape....

Heh heh heh

When i grow up, i wanna work at ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM.

Monday Monday

I awoke and wondered again "What time IS Cameron's dentist appointment?". Called dentist. Had 20 minutes to make it on time. Then we sat for 20 minutes waiting. Jeeeeezzzzzzz......
Today was his appointment for taking impressions of his teeth and mouth for retainers. His top retainer will be in place for maybe 3 months but the bottom can be taken out to clean and adjust. Then he will get a removable for the top too. Cost? $2400.00 . But it will be spread out over the coming 9 months. After that he will eventually need braces. His mouth breathing etc etc etc has resulted in a crossed bite and narrow palate. The retainers will redirect the bone growth of his jaws so that his teeth will have room when they come in. This child, at almost 9, still has mostly baby teeth after all.
Then we came home and I went back to bed cranky (its that time) and tired and just wanting space. Had a nightmare that someone kidnapped Ben by asking him if he wanted to see some kittens in the shed of the yard in my dream. Ugh. I got up. Got dressed again and have hugged and kissed my kids until they are all "Enough already!". My mood? Somber, cranky, outta sorts, headachey, neurotic.............
Maybe shoulda stayed in bed.

Sunday

It has been a peaceful day. Was gonna help HM clean the interior of Lunasea but he was snappy so I didn't and cleaned the kitchen countertops instead. That'll show him! Let him be blinded by my shiny counters and KNOW MY WRATH!
Yesterday was a way groovy day as we drove 3 hours to the family's ancestral home to partake in a cornboil with sweet corn straight from the field. Can you say YUM?? Oh sweet jiminy crickets such corny bliss has never been known...except last year when I said the same thing. Tres Yummy! The down side is that 98% of the attendees speak no English so i am semi lost in a sea of accented syllables that after awhile gives me a brain ache. Sheep, cows, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and geese were all admired and kittens eagerly sought by some of the young'ns. Apple trees climbed and relieved of some fruit. Ducks were traumatised by quacking children. It was really great. The weather was perfect. It was also HM's brother's birthday and he was surprised with candles in the dessert cakes. I took a few pictures but got taken away from that so I really only have a few and will post them eventually. Afterwards, we headed to brother's place for snacks and birthdays cake. O my stars...I love framboisee (fram-bwah-zay) cake and will be demanding some for my birthday.
Then the 3 hour trip home in which I was bored stiff because I hadn't the forethought to pack a head lamp so's I could knit in the dark. I got a sock cast on and 3 inches done in the car alone yesterday!!! Love car knitting. I can't get up and leave it so I get heaps done, I don't ask Are We There Yet? over and over, the trip goes faster....its all good.
Tonight for supper I whipped up homemade Sloppy Joes (Anglo Pain Viande). SO much better than the fake crap in cans and mixes. Try it, I dare's ya:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp pepper
1 5.5 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup or so water
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Cook onion, garlic, and beef in skillet until onions are soft and beef is browned. DRAIN fat. Add all other ingredients and simmer until sauce is reduced and thicker, stirring often. Serve in grilled hamburger or hot dog buns. Its messy and scrumptious!

Come To Candy Mountain Chaaaarrrrllliiieee

http://www.filmcow.com/charlietheunicorn.html

Shaun the non believer!!! Shuuuuuuunnnn.......Shhhhhhhhhuuuuuunnnnnnnaa

She Be Found!

I called the SPCA in Laval today to find out that they are not the shelter lost animals in my area go to if found. Hello BergerBlanc!!!!! http://www.bergerblanc.com/bergera.html
I called and was told that maybe I should come in because there was a dog brought in last night that might be Blossom.
This place is insanely busy!!! I drove in right away and waited while someone brought in a cat to be disposed of because its too much trouble now (Persian!!) then when the desk person was free to talk to me she directed me to another person to take me back where the Found dogs were. There were several! As we walked along, suddenly there was that sheepish face and scraggly fur I know so well. " Blossom!!" I exclaimed, "Oh poor baby! there's my girl!" and she look VERY relieved.
Problem : There was a miscommunication of recovery cost so I haven't all the cash on hand until tomorrow morning unless they take credit cards and then I have to wait until a certain cell phone NON answering husband can call me back. WHY have a effing cell phone if you are NOT gonna answer it! I coulda been dying...it coulda been a hospital calling to say that there is an emergency. I guess he doesn't MIND waiting until the golf game with the clients is over to find out and that just pisses me off. Not for the first time I might add.
So now I am home, waiting for HM to call or come home so I can go bail out my jailbird dog. At least she is safe and sound.
Small Rant Here: Last year we lost Freckles. I called the SPCA and was never told about Berger Blanc so she could have been in a shelter and I never knew. It breaks my heart. Plus while I was away and Monkey went missing Hm never called a shelter. They only keep them for 5 days though so would they have turned up at BB its hard to say. I think dogs are generally easier to catch. Back home I always knew where to call incase of a lost pet (S.H.A.I.D animal shelter) here I am at a loss...UNTIL NOW. Apparently there is some kind of bad blood between the BB shelter and SPCA...is that why I wasn't told last year??

So.....

I went out last night for a marvelous evening of knitting with the Montreal Knits crew. Love my times out with them so much. I tore out the Diagonal Rib Sock. The pattern was obscured by the colours so why bother. While there chatting, ripping and knitting, a storm blew in ferociously with wind, thunder and lightning, and lashings of rain. Then it blew over. That was in Montreal.
Back home, the rain poured in open windows thanks to the huge wind blowing it in and therwe was literally pools where bedroom and bathroom floors were. HM wiped these up with some towels The kids were wound up at this huge adventure of storm and indoor puddle jumping and ran to the neighbor boy's house to share storm tales. In the chaos, they let Blossom out. HM never noticed she was gone until later in the evening and met me at the door upon my return with the news. I drove around our area for an hour looking for her in and out of rain, calling her name where I could (by now it was midnight...neighbors HATE when you drive around YELLING at midnight). No Blossom.
So HM's track record for pets when I am out: 1 cat (Monkey) and 1 dog (Blossom) gone.
Yeah.

Ok....

So I was all itchy to start a new project so I wound Jessie's Collinette Jitterbug (Jewel colourway) into a yarn cake and cast on Ann Budd's Diagonal Rib Sock from Knitting Daily. On round four I had to rip it all out and cast on again, and again, again....and yet again. I just wasn't leaving enough tail for all 65 stitches(3 times!!!). DUH!! So, we're all casted on again and I slogged through round one..catching my mistakes as I go..round two...3...oooh round 4... HOLY SHIT! A full pattern repeat DONE. I just stopped after round 6 cuz I felt woozy what with the concentration and all. Poor poor brain.

At this rate of 3 hours per 6 rows the socks should be done intime for the next millenium. Hopefully I will speed up. The Collinette is frigging awesome to work with I must say. Nicely springy in my hands, not too fine. It called for a 3.5 MM needle but I took it down to a 3. Stll seems a tad loose to me but that maybe because of the pattern. The colours are lush and juicy if colours can be called that. No mamby pamby pastels, neutrals, or muddied colours here. The picture doesn't do it justice at all. Its much more vibrant in person. I will DEFINITELY buy Jitterbug again. Well...I didn't buy it this time so not again..I will DEFINITELY buy some. There.

Success

The boys made it home after their first morning of school safe and sound and seemingly pleased with life. I was relieved when the front door openned and they thundered in after walking home all by themselves. I'm so proud.
The search for a "special" sock pattern with which to knit my sister's socks in Collinette Jitterbug sock yarn is over. I have settled on Ann Budd's diagonal rib sock in Knitting Daily. It looks easy enough for me and not too plain, Following a pattern will slow me down but the other two pair can be done plainer so I should get them all done by Xmas for her.
Also thinking on Cameron's sweater and how it should be. I think raglan and in the round with the colour work done in a purl stitch for texture, contrast color also in a stripe in the ribbings and for the collar. I think. Gotta make all my calculations to know how much to cast on. I have Cameron's second sock on the gusset decreases now but the itch to start something new is very very string. Startitis strikes again!!!!

Oh and another thing.........

This year I am having the boys walk to school. "How novel!" you mockingly say? Well, it kinda is. When in NS school was 1/2 hour drive away. Here it's only a 20+ minute walk, but I had issues with security of my kids. Plus, we have bussing in this community. So for the sake of convenience and child safety the boys rode the bus. Now they are in grades 3 and 4 and I think that maybe its time for them to spread their wings a little and use their legs. There is a crossing guard at the busy intersection which is a huge plus and I think that they may be savvy enough now to avoid problems along the walk. This morning I walked with them and at lunch time they are walking back on their own. Whew. I am on tenterhooks.
In light of the disappearance of Cedrica in Trois Rivieres this may seem like I am being glib and neglectful where my children's safety is concerned and believe me I hear ya. But in the broader scheme of things, this is a well travelled route to school, and the boys and I have discussed issues of strangers and how tricksy they can be. We can only do so much to protect our kids without it becoming a overbearing. I am still VERY nervous but I really think that its time that the boys had a little more independence and freedom...and EXERCISE. So, the decision is that they walk.
I am sure my nausea will dissipate in a couple of years.

First day of school....

Does back to school look like this at your house??


And my camera batteries are dead. I so suck as a first day of school mom. I either forget to take a FDOS photo or...dead batteries. Although, as a second day of school photo mom, I so rock.

Learning curves etc

So, this one time when we went out on the boat and went swimming, my foot got blue. Seriously. I climbed laboriously up the swim ladder (stupid thing) and when I was finally up on deck eventually I noticed that I had blue something on my foot. Hmmm..thought I, Thats weird.
Turns out its the anti-fouling paint on the bottomish part of the boat and the rudder. It, like, totally smears when its wet. I was all WTF!? but apparently, thats how it works. Whatever decides to try and stick to the bottom of the boat (like barnacles and stuffs) comes off WITH the paint. Duh. This whole boat thing has a sharp learning curve. I am nowhere near the top....I haven't actually made progress up the incline. So so sad. Also, when you try to scrub the hull of said boat, the paint smears. Very very messy but the puddles are a pretty powder blue colour.

School starts On Tuesday. THIS TUESDAY. As in the day after tomorrow. I have all the supplies bought except for some page protectors for Ben. $150 bucks later.......Yeesh! In grade 4 all i needed was pencils, crayons, scribblers, and a book bag. WTF?! These guys need markers AND coloured pencils as well as dry erase markers....I think the DE markers are for the teachers...and certain workbooks need to be purchased at 10 bucks a pop. Plus duotangs and paper and scribblers, pencils etc blah blah blah. You know, I had to wait until high school to need hilighters!! Maybe they weren't invented until then though.....hmm. Anyways, I am stressing. I've been having the school panic dreams AND a recurrent dream of not having an assignment done and having to pass it in to pass the juniour high or high school class BUt being terrified to attend class due to the assignment not being done because I can't seem to do it. Then I think "Wait a minute. I am 39 years old and went to University...how can this assignment be necessary??!" But apparently unfinished assignments in one's scholastic past makes for an education missing an important brick of knowledge and it could all come tumbling down like a house of cards thanks to being a slacker. Oy! The stress, even in my sleep! I feel like such a fraud even though never have I ever had to produce a history of Peru assignment! sigh. Then there is the bus to school dream.... but i can't remember what the school looks likes, or the name even though I know I've been there. It was tied into the missing Peru assignment last night. Ugh. I hate school.
Cameron's sock #2 is progressing slowly in the humidity but it seems to have broken so maybe more progress is forthcoming. As I said to Marla today, if I actually wrote down my planned projects, I would totally lose it from being overwhelmed by the length of said list. So i keep the list in my head where it is a nebulous thing, easily reshuffled and items forgotten about until I see the yarn or pattern and the "oh yeaaahh" button gets pushed. Then I think " I really gotta write this shit down.." but don't. See? I have a system! And thus, wigging out is neatly avoided.

One Day....

One day in NS I took my kids and my Mom to Lismore Sheep Farm. My mom has been an avid knitter all her life but age is slowing her down and taking the fun out of it for her what with arthritis and following patterns and all. She was very excited to visit the farm though! When you arrive signs invite you to check out the barn where interpetive displays explain shepherding, sheep, wool, shearing and just about everything inbetween. After the barn and some lamb lovin's we headed to their wool shop. I bought DPN's in sizes I didn't already have and some yarns and some roving for doing thrummed knitting. Mom bought 2 sock kits.
Some of the yarn I bought was white/natural and these I took over to Mom's one day and dyed with Koolade. The green and blue skein ended up getting trashed but the rest woyund into yarn cakes beautifully and are waiting to be made into...somethings....

Updates.....exhausting

Me and my Lismore Sheep Farm hat. Me on AR LUNASEA, steering.
Ben at the bow, keeping watch for ice bergs.
Cammie fishing for seaweed, jelly fish, andwhatever else off the dock in Pictou. Note the historic replica of The Hector in the background. Not bad real estate for a summer vacation eh? The Hector was truck by lightening in June and lost part of it main mast.

I am so slow at up dating here. I have been home THREE whole days and so far have done laundry and meals but no blogging to speak of. Not that anyone is waiting with baited breath to see what I have to say or what I have been up to....but still.

So, as you know there was HEAPS of rain in NS this year. Had to wear wool socks to bed in July, wtf is up with THAT???? We were feeling fairly mildewed and developing gills when the sun appeared from time to time, just to keep me from going postal.

We hunted fossils at Arisaig, explored Big Island's sand bars and pools at low tide, saw whales off Doctor's Brook in Malignant Cove, went to Lismore Sheep Farm (home of The Wool Shop and River John Needles) and hung out at the camp ground and at my mom's. Trips to Halifax were taken to escape rain and ginormous mosquitoes that made my life a living Hell. Will we be pulling this vacation stunt again? I think NOT.

After HM arrived in a storm of rain we began the joys(?) of sailing.

Sailing is......interesting. I love being on the water but I would actually like to reach a destination. Pictou Island is about 6 miles or so off shore. We never once made it. We did see seals and porpoise.... but never got to Pictou Island to beach comb for beach glass or dig clams. On our last voyage we gave it up after a couple hours and decided to go to a beach. Accidentally we got run aground on a rocky shoal and I had to get off the boat to push her off since the motor wasn't doing it. That left me somewhat stranded.....what a fiasco that was. There I was, swimming after the boat which the wind was pushing farther and farther away (without sails), HM was freaking out and screaming at Ben to throw me a line, Ben was bravely trying not to cry and trying to throw me a line, I was in the water getting tired and reassuring Ben that all was well, not to worry or be scared, Hm was freaking out....You get the picture... Eventually I broke through to HM and got him to put the motor in reverse until almost to me then cut it so I didn't have the out board's prop to worry about while I tried to get the swim ladder in my grip before the wind blew it out of my reach again. I clambered on board eventually (sucky swim ladder!!), held Ben tight in my arms and gave both boys hugs and kisses to reassure them that all was well and that they were very brave while mommy was in the water (drowning??). I strongly resisted the urge to shove HM overboard with a foot firmly planted up his arse. We motored out to deeper water (we hoped..the depth finder had gone on the blink at the height of the adventure..) and raised sails to get back to the marina.

But I'm not bitter........

A Picture of Stepanie and ME

August Presence

I done made it thru the darkness that was vacation with the family in tow and have come out to the other side which is blessed peace and aloneness. I sound so terrible! I love my guys, especially right now when they are 12 hours away, but as a mom there really is no such thing as true DOWN time. And I am a girl who needs it.

HM arrived in NS with a lashing rain storm (What? Rain in NS??? whooda thunk it!!?) and we got the boat into the water in Pictou. We took her our sailing on the briney 3 or 4 times before he and the boys went back to Qc together. They left the boat for me to sleep in at the marina rather than continuing with my camping in skeeter country. OY! How I could go on but I won't...for now.

Staying in Pictou is awesome in comparison. Walking distance to lots (pubs, ice cream stands, pubs...)and yet still somewhat private. The marina is row on row of boats with some folk that stay on their boats as much as possible yet noone is up your butt when you are looking for privacy which is most excellent. Lots of nice afternoon and evening sessions of socialising on the main dock but earlier in the day is more private.

So...... right this minute I am blogging from the effervescent and fragrant Julia's 'puter since I am staying here for a few days to help with house painting. The house painting party isn't until the weekend but I arrived last night since I had spent yesterday in the city with my darlin' Barb (Love you Basia!!!)and didn't want to drive an hour and a half back to Pictou. What brought us to the city?? THE HARLOT WAS IN TOWN!!!!!!!

YES!!! La Harlot ( http://www.yarnharlot.com/ see picture at top until I can load mine) was in Halifax for a booksigning and oh my stars and little oysters she's even better in person than in print. Fucking hilarious. Insightful and brilliant but with the funny added she is perfection with bushy hair and Birkinstocks. I got my new book signed and went completely BLANK when in her august presence and babbled incoherently and I hope I wasn't too scarey. This is her fourth book of humour and she rocks the genre of "knitting humour". As she puts it, she's pretty much it!! But even if there were others, she'd still be rockin' it.

First impression was she looked nervous. Second impression, looks just like her pictures! Then she spoke and I was mesmerised. She didn't sound like I thought she would. She is a very petite woman so I expected a girlier voice I guess. She has a deeper, throatier voice and mixed with her dry with and sarcasm was very listenable.

A night to remember!!

Back home in Qc the guys are loving their daycamps! I am so proud when they tell me about their accomplishments and how much fun they are having. Cam is in tennis daycamp and Ben in sailing. Next week Cam does sailing and Ben has golf!. HM taught Cameron to tie his shoe laces(gasp) and he hit balls at tennis. Ben assembled and sailed his wee boat, following the teacher like the other little sailing ducklings in his camp. Its was less than a week and my babies have grown so much. I made Ben promise not to get married before I get back home.

Another rainy day

I saw sun on Tuesday..actual REAL pure sunshine in a blue sky. I was in Pentz on Nova Scotia's south shore visiting my Marla and her kids when the fog and clouds departed and SUN pourded down like molten warmth. It was nice. We ran outdoors to sit in it and then it was time to head back to the city because we had to pick up our junk at Jessie's and move on to our next imposition..I mean, visit.... at Julie's house. This is a kid friendly place since Jules has a kid and we had a terrific day yesterday, the kids and I. the beauteous Heather, product of Julie's loins, accompanied the guys and I to the Natural history museum in Halifax, then to Phil's Seafood for lunch, and then to my wondeful friend and Cameron's godparent Karen's house for lemonade and potato chips and gabbing.

Karen is the coolest person I know. I have known her since I was 8 and she moved next door to us with her husband and two young children in Lower Sackville. Then they moved after a few years into Halifax and while connection was not completely lost between she and my mom, after we moved back to my hometown, it was few and far between with the visits and communications. Then I came back to Hfx for Uni and BAM..I had a grown up friend with two teenagers. I regard Karen and the mom/sister that I never had ( I have two sisters and a mom but not a Karen mom/sister so she is a most marvelous addition, you get me?? Good. Because I would never ever giove up my sisters and mom but I also never want to be without my Karen). Karen gardens. She knits. She can braid rugs. She can quilt. She raised two kids to adult hood and is now a grandmother of 5. She revealed to me yesterday that next month a most milestoney birthday is arriving and I can't get over how NOT "old" she is. Suuuure the hair is very silver. Suuuure the skin is not as tight as in her twenties. But she is so uber cool and smart and still so into living and life and all its wonders that she copuldn't POSSIBLY be that age. We both boggled because I am also hitting a milestone birthday and can't believe that either because wasn't 40 supposed to be old? Suuure I have more crinkles than before and have noticed a distuirbing amount of crepeyness to my skin's texture lately...could it be dehydration?...but I still think and feel like I am 25..still feel baffled and amazed by the world and unsure of how the wiorld works. Aren't i supposed to be wiser now?? Weird. So we had a mutual "How the fuck did this happen to us??" session. It was great. Definitely I will be back for another visit before we are all back in Quebec and we will go out for coffee and maybe hit a yarn shop for some yarny goodness and its therapeutic benefits. I love my Karen and that is why she is a godparent to one of my kids, as is her husband Bob. They are precious to me and part of who I am.

So here we are still at Julie's and maybe we willgo back today to the campground but possibly not. Its raining again here in Hfx but Julie is coming to camp with us this weekend so whether we leave today or tomorrow is not much of an issue. HM arrives a week from Saturday with his new love, AR LUNASEA, whom he had out on the water in the Ottawa area this past weekend with his old navy pal Marc. Thank Goddess for Marc the naval engioneer because HM says he never woulda been able to get the mast up without him. They figured everything out, discovered some minor electrical issues that are being fixed, and got our girl sailing under full sails to see what she could do. HM is over the moon with love for his mistress. I am very happy for them...LOL. The weather forecast for this weekend for our camping vicinity is better than what we have here in Hfx so wish us sun and dry breezes and beautiful campfires to relax around.

Knittingwise I am trying to speed up finishing HM's sock that he has been waiting for since April when I got busy with other projects and set his socks aside. As soon as its done I can start the Pirate Mittens in all their skull and crossboney stranded knitting glory. Cam's will be bright green and black and Ben's will be bright red and black. Also I want to buy yarn for my bog jacket for this Fall. I saw a great dark heathered green that I think I would pair up with a rusty brown trim for a nice Fall cardigan/jacket. I want a light minty green with mauve for Spring... Hmmm... which to buy first? Or both?? Hmmm...... (<;oP)

Distance blogging from unfamiliar puter...oh the insanity!
well the camping is not going as well as planned thanks to rain. Almost daily showers and or thunder showers or just plain ass rain. Plus mosquitoes. Plus 5 AM turf wars between the squirrels and the crows. I think the squireels won. Its like a sylvan Westside Story rumble scene. I lasted a week and am now at my sister's place. NO SKEETERS!!!!! wooohoowooohoo
Adventures to date: fireworks in New Glasgow, Museum of Industry visit on Tuesday, Arisaig fossil hunting with my mom in tow Thursday and yes fossils WERE found which is super cool AND no rain that day!!!, Friday was the victorian lavender festival in River John at Beach Lane farm (www.lavendercanada.com) and wool shopping at Lismore Sheep Farm (www.lismoresheepfarmwoolshop.com) with Nanny again in tow, yesterday a rainy thundery day and the Pictou Lobster carnival parade.
I am hoping to visit the south shore this week and the boys want a trip to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. Thank Gods Jessie is here to offer warmth, dryness, and msoquito free lodging!!!LOL
Send sunny tyhoughts our way PLEASE. There is more rain in the forecast but gosh summer has to hit sometime right? RIGHT???

Knocked Up

A very funny movie. Its funny because its TRUE!! The pregnant hormonal psychosis? Oh yeah! Men being dumb asses? Its a given. Paul Rudd? Seriously adorable. Seth Rogan? Delicious. I enjoyed my self very much, especially the part where the guys go to Vegas, get high on 'shrooms and go see Cirque De Soleil as a form of male rebellion from the straight jackets they feel their women are putting them in. Too funny. And also, very believable. What couple hasn't gone through these kinds of trials and tribulations.
The soundtrack is also very good. I give Knocked Up a thumbs up. Don't see it if you have no sense of humor.

Holy heatwave Batman!!!

Its hot. Sticky and hot...which in pastry is a good thing but in weather around me is a bad thing. I am scrambling to make all ready for vacation and as I do this I am coated in a drippiong sheen of sweat. No ...not a sheen...more like a cascade. A salty cascade of sweat. Even while sitting still humidity is condensing on my skin because my skin is cooler than the air around me! Must be my Fabulous Anatomical Temperature control (F.A.T.). All in all its icky. Its windy too and the wind is hot which if anything makes it worse. I have closed up the house and am willing the cold air from my bedroom a/c to fill the house. Indoors IS cooler than outdoors by a noticeable degree so its kind of working. Closong up the house helps with my pollen intake too. Holy sneeziness.
So, as I said I am scrambling. What am I forgetting?? I think frantically. Don't forget to wash sheets for the tent trailer! Does everyone have enough socks and underwear packed? Bugspray!? Should I bring extra blankets or are the sleeping bags enough?

Tonight I escape and go out with my friend Antonella. It will be good to get away from all the preparations. Tomorrow is pack up the tent trailer and we will collapse it in readiness for pulling out on Friday morning. My living room is looking like a camping goods store!

Sunday

HM arrived home this afternoon, glad to be home but glad to have been away on a wee guys trip. He found Vegas overrated but the Grand Canyon had him wishing I was there to enjoy it with him. He brought back bobble headed shark pens for the boys, and a t-shirt and earrings for me. I put the earrings on right away. Silver with coral and opal. Love them. He done good.

In the process of turning the heel on Sock Two of Teri's pair. Had to rip back a couple times due to A) went too far on heel flap and B) buggered up the short rows/ Now all is back on track again and the heel is mid-turn.

This afternoon we took a family walk to the depanneur for slushes and I got some little cigars from the shop next to the Dep for around the campfire while camping. I tried one while in Hawaii and kinda liked it but it was very strong (Panter Noir). I got a tin of 10 Panter Arome cigars today. They are supposed to be milder and more aromatic according the the salesperson at the Tabateque (tobaconist). I wasn't gonna but HM thought I should so I could have something to enjoy at night before bed. I am thinking maybe I should bring the Cointreau too. That'd be a nice treat at night. I like to sip Cointreau in the livingroom with candles lit and the fire going during the winter with noone around to bug me. Its a peaceful little thing thats makes life more enjoyable.

Not a picture person

The Lotus Tank from Knitting Daily ( http://www.knittingdaily.com/ )

I am not a snap happy camera toting picture taking person. What Mom forgot to take First Day Of School photos? (hand raised) What Mom forgets the camera on momentous occcasions and outings? (hand goes up again) I am just not that into it I guess. Or maybe I am so focused on BEING there that I forget to record for posterity. And so I forgot to take my camera with me last night to Effiloche and take pictures of Sock #2 in Montreal at a stitch n bitch. I remembered well after I got home. Duh.

It was a very French evening but thats ok. I just really needed out with like minded people. I miss AndreAnne at these nights. She hasn't been coming and its a bit emptier without her laugh and smile. It was my last night for the summer because we leave on Friday morning. I am getting anxious because there are so many things to think of that I can't organise my thoughts to even make a nice organised list. Today we will wash out the camper. Thats a good start.

I am feeling at loose ends without HM around. I guess he is kind of an anchor for me......also when the house and kids get to be too much I can ditch them into his care. Is that cold hearted? I don't think so because where my family is concerned my heart burns hard and bright but needs a break more often than some.

Turns out HM will not actually get home until sometime tomorrow afternoon. Am I impressed? Not really. My information on this trip began with return being Today....then oh with time difference and cosmic forces it was Sunday morning (inferred as EARLY Sunday morning)...NOW the intel is that the plane lands 11:30 AM Montreal Time. This is the part that is irritating me. The trail of False Information that leads to my expectations being let down. This is whats eating at me. I am feeling distinctly hard done by. For no real good reason except this.

I did however buy yarn last night. Call it being high on yarn fumes but I did buy about 87 dollars worth of yarny goodness in the forms of Berroco's Ultra Alpaca in two shades for Cam's eventual sweater...(I needed to make sure I got enough of the main colour in the dye lot to match what we'd bought earlier. Colour two is a nice contrasting heathered brown(?). Its brown but with plummy tones in the heathering...or is it the red and blue fibers creating this non-identifyable colour that goes SO WELL with what Cammie puicked out. The skulls and cross bones colour work he requested is going to look amazing.) ...AND Hempathy yarn. I deserve something off my needles don't I?? So the Lotus Tank from Knitting Daily ( http://www.knittingdaily.com/ ) will be knit in Hempathy, a hemp/cotton/modal blend of a light green colour that I have been drawn to over and over. I got a couple extra balls to make sure I have enough. This will be the first top for ME and my first lace endeavor. When the socks and shrug are out of my way I will be casting on The Lotus. I feel guilt, as usual, for a large expenditure but its easing with the balm of my IRE of a single parent weekend just before my single parent summer. The fact that the summer away is of my own choosing is not important.

Mental much??

Fatigue etc

The last few days I am way fatigued. I thought it was from the bad nights of sleep on the weekend, and while that brain fogging body slam of tiredness has abated a bit, I am still ready to snooze come afternoon. Then I thought maybe it was the allergy meds...jury is out on that one cuz i think i didn't take any today since it rained and the pollen is less. Today I am fighting it off. Back damn, you! Back I say!!! I WILL NOT nap. So I puttered instead. I washed the cotton sweaters in my recycling stash to ready them for ripping and got the moebius shrug back on the needles. It had slipped off in my suitcase. Holy dropped stitches, Batman!! Now it is all picked up and a pattern repeat done. At 40 inches it is still about 14 short and I am thinking what a nice scarf it would be instead because I am heartily sick of working on it. Its not hard, just tedious. Almost boring. sigh. What to do what to do...
The boys will come screaming in about 30+ minutes from now full of SUMMER VACATION! It begins today for us. Both boys passed to the next grade, did I mention that? I now have a 3rd and a 4th grader. Oh my stars, whats the world coming to?

Well now.....

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it.You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less.You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way.Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

http://www.blogthings.com/themuppetpersonalitytest/">The Muppet Personality Test

Tuesday Photos

Moss Roses: These are a very old fashioned rose. They have a good fragrance but not like tea rose, more spicy and perfumey. The stems are covered in a sticky coating of "thorns" which are stronger and pricklier at the base but are softer and mossier as they approach the bud. Even the bud is coated with this mossiness, hence the name Moss Rose. This specimen is from the pantings at my mom's place and were originally planted by my grandparent's The Pooles. I call them My Nanny's Roses when ever I point them out. This plant was put in only last summer after our vacation in NS and has triple or quadrupled in clump size. They are low growing and spread very well. Almost too well.

In the close up, look at that fullness of blossom! They start out very pale while openning, get much pinker, and then faaaaaaaaaaaddddde until the petals simply drop off.
The picture of me is Cameron's using the camera this morning after I snapped the rose pics. Holy bedhead. See how happy I am that the bus is coming soon!!!? Just kidding. 3 more days of school.

Monday again

Not that I am complaining because thats the day my kids are at school ALL day. I send lunches and snacks with them in the morning and don't see them again until I go and get them before six pm. This is MY day off. And today is the last one I will see until August as far as I know unless someone takes pity on us and takes over for a day (like my sister who has already offered to have them for a sleep over sometime this summer).
I was so cryingly achingly TIRED this morning thanks to two nights of bad sleep and then insomnia struck last night. Sorry, no poems went through my head this time. It was knitting ideas in my brain and the frustration at how I don't know enough to make the ideas happen in yarny goodness. Oh well. After the kids went to school I had a 10 AM appointment at the nail salon and I did in fact get them off for the summer. So here I type with weird stubby fingers again instead of lovely tipped ones.
I took back the "too small" items purchased yesterday at l'Equipeur for exchange. I got the bestest shorts yesterday and today in exchange for the too small dressy ones I took back, I got 3 pair of massively reduced price bestest ones. SWEET! It cost me 83 cents extra but i say Wow! Lets Go For It!. I am well and truly shorted for the coming summer/s. So comfortable. No pinch, no ride up, no leg length issues.......I am happy.
Did some more shopping (Walmart and the Italian food place for supper fixin's) and then it was home for the CRASH. A 2 hour coma, I mean nap, on the sofa and now I am hard at it with laundry and fish tank cleaning.
Fish tank...so over it. Tired of the extra hassle of filters and feedings and cleaning. We are down to the final 4 fish and now I just wait..... Granted in two weeks its outta my hands so who knows what will greet me at the end of August, eh?
My finger is feeling a bit better and looks ugly. I will be glad when its lost that tenderness from having the nail savagely ripped off by the oven door. Its actually more like half the nail is missing ...looked worse at first because the long part was gone too, obviously. Only half the nail bed is exposed...TMI? Sorry.
ALLERGY SEASON is here for me and hard. I have been much worse so I will not complain because as of yet I am not a snivelling sick mess on the sofa. I merely suffer my grass pollen allergy right now with much sneezing and snorting and blowing of nose and rubbing of said incredibly ITCHY nose. So far eyes ears throat and roof of mouth are ok. My head is not ready for removal...but I will keep you posted. Like I said, so far so good.
This allergy began when I was about 8 years old. I still remember the day it began, playing War in the tall grass of a neighboring unkempt lot. I emerged from my "patrol" sneezing my head off with violently swollen eyes and a streaming nose, running to my blearily perceived mother in the group of adults, also blearily perceived through said swollen streaming eyes. I have had years where the reaction to grass pollen is so strong I am more or less a prisoner in the house trying to avoid exposure. Nothing works for total relief but right now Allegra D is my friend. I really hope I don't build up a resistance to it like the other antihistamines because this one is the best so far thanks to its added decongestant and whatever miracle drug that is different in it than the other ones. Allegra I loves ya. I am functional thanks to you. Although if you could kick it up a notch I'd be ever so grateful. Not quite giving the relief of the last couple of seasons (3...4..?)near as I can recollect. OR maybe I am finally over reacting to the different grasses here...dammit.
I think I will go get something to drink. Feeling dehydrated today. Must be all the mucous production.

REPOST ALERT: Sox Pattern

I needed to repost this so I could find it easier. Sorry for the repeat...but you know the rules (My blog...I am always right...blah blah blah). Oh! And I ripped 2/3s of my baby fingernail off tonight in a cooking accident..HOLY FUCK THAT HURT!! So..like...now its not totally old stuff in this post..HA! I will do anything to avoid redundency...redundancy...redun--- being overly repetitive.

4 needles, top-down method:


This is my idiot proof sock method that Barb helped me with by mentioning things I forget and trying to make it really complicated. Thanks Barb. I'm writing it down here so's I don't lose it and I worked it out so I don't need a pattern. As long as I remember the ratios and steps, I'll get a sock. ALL mistakes and wrong stuffs are mine. If you see a big glaring mistake, comment and I will edit. This formula assumes I have done my math to figure out how many stitches I need to make the sock fit the recipient in the yarn/needle combination I am using (GUAGE). The heel is a simple heel flap with no fanciness at all..plain ass stockingette. CAST ON desired # of stitches making them divisible by 3 ( or 4 depending on number of needles you are using (4 or 5) or ribbing you wanna work, GAUGE etc blah blah blah math ) KNIT leg as desired (ribbing, lacy, whatever) to length desired. HEEL FLAP is half your stitches on one needle worked alone until number of rows equals almost your number of stitches OR until it looks square( rows are longer than stitches are wide therefore something like 36 stitches by 31 rows in a sock yarn with 2.5 mm needles is grand heel flapping). Always slip the first stitch of the row.TURNING requires one to divide the heel stitches by 3. Knit or Purl (depending what side you are on) to the last 1/3 of the stiches, then k2to or p2to (depending which side of the work you are on)and TURN. Repeat. Continue this until you have no more row stitches to k or p 2to with.GUSSET requires you to pick up and knit stitches along the side of the heel flap, knit across the stitches that were held in reserve while you worked the heel, then pick up and knit the other side of the heel. Knit one round with the number of stitches you now have. GUSSET decreases as follows Needle One: knit to last 3 st, K2to,k1, Needle 2 knit, Needle 3 K1,ssk, knit to end of needle. Next round knit all. Repeat until you are back to the # of cast on stitches.FOOT is knit until it is the length of foot from heel to the base of the big toe.TOE decreases same as gusset but on Needle two you k1,ssk, knit to last 3 stitches then k2to and k1. Continue all decreases every other round until you have 1/3 or 1/4 of your cast on number of stitches left (whatever as long as you can divide it by 2.) The smaller the number the pointier your sock toe. Put stitches evenly on two needles, graft or kitchener stitch the stitches to close up toe, finish off all ends and sock is done. Now make another one exactly the same way.

Iiiiiittts Heeeerrre...........

HM got home with the boat this morning .... and then promptly ran back out for 7 AM tee time. LOL Happy Father's Day to all the guy's with kids out there!

PS: Her new name will be Lunasea.

So there I was.....

....at 5:30 AM, mindin' my own business (sleeping) when HM bursts in barking "Dear!!?? Why didn't you tell me there was something wrong with the car??!!" . This of course startled me out of sleep to which I replied that there was nothing wrong with the car and he was crazy.
He was in an incredible panic/fume because he was supposed to be on the highway by then to Owen Sound, Ontario. He described the problem he'd detected...shaking and noise when driving. Didn't sound familiar to me and I driven said car a few times yesterday on various errands. I took it around the block and came back telling him he was nuts.
He took the car and me on the highway and sure enough...there was some wobblyness and racket. it seemed to originate from the back. Alignment? we wondered.
He went back to sleep (maybe...I know I did) and took the car for service later, still upset at missing his trip for the boat.
So there I was around 10 AM, sleeping again, when he bursts in barking "Dear!! I am SO MAD!!" I had my "uh-oh" face on at this so he hastened to add that it wasn't at me (whew). He took the car to the place where we'd had the new summer tires put on and asked for an alignment. they said they don't do it on Saturdays...WTF?? All this place does is TIRES. Thats it. No alignments on saturdays???? Which must be why they weren't aligned when HM had the tires replaced though they seemed to use a different excuse.
HM took the car to Canadian Tire. They performed the alignment and then told him that , oh by the way, the nuts on the rear wheels weren't tight!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT BATMAN!!!
So anyone in Terrebonne that might ever read this. AVOID " UNIPNEU" on Chemin Gascon. Bastards.
Needless to say HM returned to the place of purchase (1000$ spent thank you very much) and gave them an earful and will be laying a complaint at the door of the president of the company. How does a place that specialises in tires not tighten the lug nuts??? All I need is to be toolin' down the highway at my usual 120 km/h and have a wheel fly off for frig's sake. STUPID PEOPLE!!
Ok....so after all that HM calls boat guy and trys to make alternative visit time. Their schedules seem to conflict a lot so HM ended up going today anyways but may not make it home til tomorrow ( Father's Day). I requested that he find a motel and stay over rather than make the return trip tired because Father's day without anymore Father would suck pretty hard.
I'm glad he went because I still had to go FD shopping!! hahahahaha The boys and I hit l'Equipeur for some sharp looking dressy sandals (nice leather Denver Hayes brand) and saw this cool roadside assistance kit for a car so grabbed that too (WindRiver $12.99) and got me these sweet little cushy sneakers I saw yesterday and can't stop thinking about. They are a Pale sea foam green suede and mesh with white soles and memory foam insole. Sweet.
Then we hit GolfTown for a gift certificate. Then off to McD's because thats how I bribed the kid's to get in the car in the first place, then we cruised Wal-Mart for fine tuning our camping gear. Got a 3 drawer organiser thingy to hold our dishes and a big honking water jug. I think we are ready and good to go gearwise now. Now gotta scrub down the tent trailer and repack everything. Got almost two weeks to accomplish that.
What is your "Can't live without it" camping gear/meal/technique? What is it That makes your camping life better?

Its Friday

Aaaaaahhh. No early morning rush for 2 whole days. For me anyways. HM has a mission tomorrow which will have him leaving early early for Owen's Sound (or is it Owen Sound.....?) in Ontario with a cheque in his hot little hand. He's going to check out and most likely buy a 1986 MacGregor 25 swing keel boat. He's so excited he's practically prancing when he's home. Better not do that in public unless he want attention.
He has been corresponding with the owner who is, sadly, very ill and no longer able to sail. She's a pretty little boat in the pictures and has always been stored indoors for winter which is very nice. Poor thing will suffer in the change of ownership but hopefully HM will treat his true love better than he treats anything else he owns. (oil change?? Bahh.....)
The boys are both begging for sleepovers. Cammie wants Benjamin and Ben wants Julian. Since there is a language barrier I have said no because HM won't be here to make rules enforced etc. Maybe I should relent though because we only have a couple more weekends before we are gone for the summer.....
Daycamp is arranged for the boys in August when they come back here with HM after his vacation in NS. They each get a daycamp for the sport of their choice (Ben = golf, Cameron = tennis) and a week of sailing daycamp. Ben will thoroughly enjoy these. For such a difficult kid he loves daycamp and does make friends. Cameron on the other hand complains of no friends, boredom, bullies, air, sunlight, blah blah blah each and every time. Why send him? you say? BECAUSE the child must get off the sofa, we says. He always starts out wanting to go but then the reality of no sofa with constant snacking irritates him and he wants to stay home. Pray for my little potato will you? I will be too busy napping, drinking, visiting, doing grown up stuff without the kids back in NS for 2 whole weeks of solitude/adulthood.
Barb wants us (the 3 of us) for a few days and has offered the camp as incentive for coming down to the sticks and knitting with her. The big bonus here is A) Barb B) her kids C) I will PAY Matthew to babysit so we can run away and do grown up girl stuff if I must. It will also be nice to be on a farm again.
Ok..back to this weekend.... Its Father's Day! My dad's gift is upstairs waiting to be mailed today, late as usual. Hm does not yet have one. I really gotta figure out where Golf Town is. Or if there is a boating store somewhere in Montreal that I can get him a gift cert to.
Maybe I should be doing that NOW???
Teri's Sock update: Made mucho progress on the Metro yesterday. It may actually be time to check the foot length for when to decrease for toes. I'm becoming concerned about the July 1st finish date. Its the 15th of June now and I haven't finished sock one. How do other knitters get things done so frigging fast???? I could if I did NOTHING ELSE or gave up napping (Like thats ever gonna happen) I suppose but there is always something else to do.
Ok...time to Google....

Product Endorsement= Makes Kids Happy!!

(Product owned may not be as shown)

Today my youngest came home from school and promptly burst into hot sweaty tears. Seems that his bestest friend and in his opinion ONLY friend has not been spending any time with him at recesses and after 3 days of this my guy was very very sad. After he'd poured out his woes and tears and we talked and agreed that he was simply too cool for all those dumbasses at school (because, lets be clear here..HE IS!!!) a cure for the blues was struck upon. Snow cones.
Cam got "a similar to photo above" machine for Xmas 3 years ago. At first it was a major pain in my ass trying to keep a supply of properly sized ice cakes available. Since we moved I have dodged the sno cone bullet a few times but today I remembered that the special wee container was in the freezer and YES! I did have unsweetened koolade packets from my yarn dying experiment to make the flavoring. Instant joy in a little boy's heart! Once again the world was a good place and I, well, I was a very cool and smart Mom. Best part is that now he is 8 and needs almost NO HELP from me to do the whole thing himself. Suh-weeeeet!
This type shaver is just great. No electricity, kid powered, cheap and easy to make flavour....I just have to get some ice cakes made ahead in a freezer bag and all will be well. This was a seriously good buy (Grand River Toy Company 3 years ago. Now..?) and if you wanna be a cool parent, your kids would love one! One ice cake makes 3 snow cones OR two small bowls of shaved ice.
You may thank me later when you are the coolest parent ever.

I'm such a slacker

You know you are a slacker when even typing random thoughts etc is just too taxing an ambition and this is why I have not been posting much of anything. That and my lack of typing has meant that I am making more typos to correct which pisses me off. Viscious viscious cycle this slackin' I must say.
Ok..so...its Wednesday (which I thinks should be spelled Wendsday or Wennsday because who the hell says wed-ness-day??) and its is again a glorious frikkin' day. I gotta tell ya its just been an amazing week sunshine and heat wise. A little high for me on the heat but still glorious. The pool has been in daily use since Saturday...or Friday night...I forget actually but DEFINITELY Saturday. I haven't gone in though. To much work getting in...getting out...I guess I'd rather sweat. For now.
Plans for the summer are just zipping right along. We pull up stakes on the 29th (I think) and park the tent trailer at Cranberry on the 30th for the summer. except for HM's vacation when we move the trailer to another campground for a week. Here's the thing though....
The weather back home has been the absolute PITS for the whole spring. Even now its cold wet weather on a regular basis. what the Hell??! I don't want to freeze my ass off all summer. I wanna beach and play and star gaze and camp fire and beach and play.... I do NOT wanna be freezin'. I just don't know whats gonna happen with that danged weather back there . This is my big concern these days. Nice to have so little to worry about ain't it?
SOCK progress: Teri Lynn's sock one of her pair is now past the heel. On the gusset as of last night. Yay me.. Yay sock! Looking very stripey and gorgeous.
SHRUG progress: Not much! Its still in my suitcase semi fallen off the needles which will require repair so in the suit case it stays. I just could not get it knit on in time for wearing to the gala evening in Hawaii and now it just waits until I can't stand it being unfinished. Its on the list for completeion after Teri's socks.
School is out NEXT WEEK holy crap. Father's day is Sunday...bigger holy crap. Gotta get a card in the mail TODAY. Better late than never. I'm always late.
So, Monday was the 13th anniversary of HM's and my wedding. How lovely. When he got home he found my parking ticket (recieved saturday during Worldwide Knit in Public Day) and when I got home he YELLED at me. Can you believe this??? A) its a frikkin' ticket not a murder rap and B) it was our anniversary. No yelling on the anniversary! What the F%^&?!!! We started speaking again today. Making up isn't so hard. I am right and he is wrong and thats that. Ok, so YES it is my 4th or 5th ticket since moving here (2years) but I had many ticket free years before we moved to Traffic Cop central. I am amzed at the thoroughness of the parking cops in this frigging city. Its like they have nothing else to do. Its only $37 dollars and its not like thats going to put us in the poorhouse right NOW Mr Buying a Frigging Sailboat Maybe This Weekend. Yes $37ses do add up but in the whole grand scheme of the world, is a parking ticket a YELLABLE offence? I think not. Its not like I ask for them. Its not like I want a collection to admire in my old age. Jeez louise. Anyways, chat has returned and thats a good thing. Because I am right and he is wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.
Vindication is sweet.

Photos

I have been getting comments from friends etc about No Pictures! on the blog. So now, I am putting the pictures at last. Its just so tedious finding the photos and convincing the blog to take them! But this I do for you because i loves ya.

Ok...Photo #1 Snorkelling off Makena Landing during the kayak trip. See that kayak? We wants it we does. We loves it... I mean WE as in both of us not in a Gollumy way...Though that may have some bearing as well. I am just covetous at heart apparently but seriously..these kayaks are awesome. Very stable, open topped, easy in and out. they rock. We can totally see us using them . More so than our former canoe Tippy Tipperson.
Photo Two has me holding two non dangerous sea urchins. The big red spiked variety are SO COOL. The red colour was used to dye fabric at one time and the spines dried for use as slate chalk. Bit of trivia for you...you KNEW I'd have some..
Photo #3 Us intrepid kayakers back at Makena Landing. On this kayak trip on Day one of our maui stay, we say the houses of Tiger Woods and Clint eastwood. We also came in close non-contact with Green Sea Turtles (Honu). Uber wicked cool.
Photo #4 has me at the bow of the catamaran Trilogy V on our last day in Maui. I'm wrapped in my sarong to keep the sun off. We'd had a trip out to Molokini to snorkel the crater. If ever you go to Maui you MUST book a trip with the Trilogy gang.
Look how blue the water is...its actually BLUER in real life. Amazing. Maui is like a fantasy world! It has things and stuff we never see back here except in movies or books or stores. If only the developers weren't making the islands too expensive to live on for everyone that should be there like native Hawaiians....

Myyyy Presssssciiiioouuusssssssssssss

Big honking amethyst with 3 diamonds in 14 ct gold.

Ok..this is a bad picture but trust me its awesome. In my opinion anyways. And here is the story.

We went to a charity gala last night on behalf of a camp for underpriviledged children and there was a silent auction, a live auction, and a band and wow. It was very outside my experience and was an absolute HOOT to suck back free liquor and eat proffered finger foods and just watch the rich of Montreal rub shoulders.

We browsed the silent auction tables a few times to see how the bidding was going on a few items.

Finally HM came back to the table and said that bidding had gone to rich for us on sevral things so i had my choice of 2 things to bid on. Guess which I picked??LOL

Valued at ....get ready..... $2,000.00.

And now its aaaaaallllll mine. My precious...we loves it we does......

Brain Fog etc

I'm feeling all foggy in the head this AM. Lack of sleep due to a late night and multiple wee hour awakenings by kids? Mai tai deficiency? What could the reason be??
So, as y'all know I was in Maui for a Manulife conference as my husband's companion. What you may not know is that while we had tons of fun and adventure my wonderful sister, Jessie, kept watch over the wee'uns and the 4 leggeds and the house. Oh my gods my house was so tidy when I got home.
Now, some might think that looking after this house would be no big. This is not so!!! This is the house that CHAOS built!!! Two wacky kids, multiple pets, rapidly reproducing dust bunnies, and surrounding it all is FRENCH! Oy Vay! This is not life as we are used to back in Nova Scotia not to mention Jess had to find her way around Terrebonne carting the kids to and from school etc. Plus, you know, Jessie has not had children around 24/7 for a few years and one does become accustomed to sanity, I hear. She loves my guys when they visit but a solid 2 week encounter??Ooooh I was worried about her. So, this being what it is, Mission Almost Impossible, My sister deserves a great big something or other for doing such an amazing job and coming through it with her good humour and love for my family STILL intact. That in itself is amazing. I would have been sitting by the door with my bags packed when the parents got home. Instead we were greeted with happy bathed kids, banners and ballooons, hugs and kisses, smiles and cheer and CAKE. Yay Jessie Audrey!!!!!!!!! You rock beyond rockin'.
Holy smokes.
If you go over to She Said, She Said you will see the pictorial journey of Sock, whom I casted on during my sucky flight from Montreal to LA. Sock is #1 of a pair for my neice Teri Lynn of the wild mad scrapbooking skillz. In return she is making me crochetted (sp) shopping bags. Sock is now larger than it was in the photos and will soon acquire a heel flap. Maybe in an inch or so.
I got UV Gel manicure in May if you recollect, in prepatation for Maui. I wanted time to be used to them and the whole process of touch ups etc. Its now been a month and I gotta say i totally love having fingernails even if they are fake. When they get done I have them quite short, just to the tip of my finger. A good practical length but they still look so much better than bitten to the quick raggedy fingers. So I have decided that they are staying until I gets tired of them. So there. Now I need a GOOD nail salon in my hometown area for the maintenence this summer.
Anyhoo, this is all I can think of today. I have to go to a thing with HM tonight. I hope I can stay awake.

Maui post:

We survived our trip though the exhaustion I seem to have incurred is threatening me once again with a nap. I was gonna post pics but the computer swallowed that post and rejected it so here we are, pictureless posting for now.
I must say one thing though....I was not terribly excited in a happy way to go to Maui. I mean, so many things and places are so totally over hyped! What if Maui was too? And then I'd be some kinda freak because I'd be all "I KNEW I shoulda stayed home.." and be shunned forever more by all normals. Lucky for me (and Maui) it tottally exceeded my expectations and then some. It rocked. It was so cool. The water? AWESOME!! The snorkeling? beyond awesoem. The food? " oh My God I'm in Heaven eatting an angel's grub this is so frikkin' good". the prices? EEEK. And Hawaiians have this thing for SPAM. Its on many menus. Very weird. ( save the Monty Python references...I used 'em all! walking the streets singing softly "Spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam..." squawking at Richard abruptly "But I don't LIKE Spam!!" then laughing maniacally as he shook his head and pretended not to know me)
Maui is a MUST destination and I would definitely go back and maybe for 2 weeks so that it wasn't so rushed. Seriously needed more beach time.
The schmoozing with mucky mucks and clients went better than anticipated as well. most a-holes were on their best behaviour and did not tempt me into bitch slapping them. I made new acquaintances and became closer to those I had. Now have one or two I can call friends!
It was wonderful.
Shrug? Not done. Dress? Awesome unless I bend and then you get full frontal cleavage action. One photog was warned "I better not see that show up on the internet under "Big Boobs in Hawaii" or something!!"
More later.....

T minus..uuuhmmmmm

Ok..we leave, like, really really early in the morning. Thats not a good beginning to a trip in my opinion. All doings should take place much later than really really early in my honest and much sought after opinion.
I think I am packed. I'm pretty sure. Pretty much. My sister even ironed my wrinked stuff. Not my face...clothes! And then I packed them. Again.
The cat box is cleaned, the fish tank is cleaned, the kids are hugged and kissed and hugged and kissed and threatened and hugged and kissed repeatedly.
The dress was picked up today...squee!!!!!!!!! Its a better shade of green that the swatch had been and I just really like this dress. Jessie even really liked the dress. Ginette said 'va-Va-Voom!" at me in the dress so thats gotta be good right? And with left over fabric Daniel made me a a wee simple evening bag, lined with the same lining as the dress. Cuuuutte!!!
Bad news? My feet are swollen with water retention (It was real hot today) and I have a new zit to keep Zit One company. How nice.
At Effiloche today, Jessie bought 3 skeins of sock yarn to keep me occupied after this summer's knits. Or during maybe...LOL
EVEN a skein of JITTERBUG! I have been wanting to knit with it but hadn't gotten around to buying some. Gorgeous colourway of electric blue and other vibrant colors. FUN!!!
Ok..so...I gotta go soak in the tub, shave my legs, pumice my feet and redo my toenail polish. Or maybe I could go watch Painkiller Jane with HM.....

Tuesdays May 21

Headlines: Transit strike in Montreal! New yarn shop soon in NDG! 3 more sleeps til Departure for Hawaii! Giant zit STILL here! Sister arrives Tonight ( Bells ring out and banners fly!)!!
I am starting to freak out a bit. Still much to do before leaving. Still need two tops for 2 year old skirts... as far as I know dress is ready for pick up today....mountains of laundry need folding....floors need mopping...shrug/stole still not finished but i added some inches last night...water still retaining, need to take more drstic action.....

gasp gasp gasp....... I think I need a paper bag to breathe into.

Progress...

The shrug was started a week ago..I am now at 20 inches. I reeeeeally need to speed this up!!!!!

More Saturdayness

HM bought his way out of the doghouse.
We went bathing suit shopping for our upcoming trip (the horror...the..horror) and after driving around Montreal for ages and visiting 2 ginormous shops of bathing suits we gave up. " I just want to try this one on St-Laurent", HM says, "its on the way anyway." But we really had no hope left that someone would stock a half ways nice bathing suit in size Circus Tent.
PAYDIRT! This shop, Paradis De Maillot. looked tiny but was huge!! It was the bestest selection I have ever seen and if i hadn't gained so much weight back, that little baby in the window would have been MINE. So cute...none left in my size. I tried on a bunch of suits and we decided on a brown and pink tankini. Needed a wrap too so went looking at those with the sales lady that took pity on me (love her!!). She thought I needed to try some more suits so off she went getting suits (One that I had seen as a one piece and liked ..turns out there was a two piece!). More suits were tried and another found that was good for me. Decisions decisions...
"You know", says I," if you were really interested in getting outta the doghouse you'd buy me both." That said I went into the room to get back into my clothes. HM's laughter and sheepish "O..k..."followed me.
So he's back in the good graces and I's gots me a two cute tankinis and a nifty gigantic wrap that Super Saleslady showed me how to wear 5 ways.
I think I remember 3.
Back home I ripped out those fugly bushes to make room for the rose bush I don't want. Then something baddish happened. I took a spell. You know...like old ladies when they get woozy for no reason, they "took a spell". I couldn't seem to catch my breath so I leaned against the front porch and focused on breathing (air is GOOD). That didn't works so well and I started getting kinda dizzy and my vision was not so great. Laying down seemed like a good idea so i layed on the porch and focused on breathing. My ears started to ring. Ben came to show me how many dandelions he had in his bucket thus far and he sounded real muffled, like he was far away. When I replied, I sounded far away too! Wierd and very not good. After a few more minutes of breathing, everything just kinda slipped back into sync, though I had a loud rushing sound in my ears and could hear eeverything very sharply.
Then I got back to planting that damned rose bush. Made HM fetch me my bag of top soil because I was kinda scared to carry something. Now he's all, "when we get back I am so getting you into a private clinic and you are getting thoroughly checked out!!" Yuck. They are going to say "Geez lady, DUH, yer fat and out of shape and sleep too much!"
Oh really??? I had noooooo idea .......
Thats a really big help...gimme some ice cream.