I'll try this again

I used to be quick as a whip when it came to typing... but then I entered laptop world, and all of that speed has transformed itself into being a backspace queen. That's all I am... a professional backspacer. Why is that I wonder? I don't feel my fingertips grazing other locales along the keyboard, but it is evident in the fact that I continue to type between word when I glance at the screen. Life's little frustrations. I could just jump off this chair and move to the real live computer that is sitting four feet away, but you know... that would take time....clearly something that I have at the moment.

Todays adventures include:

I am to remain in the home for as long as it takes to do the laundry. A few people in the household have commented about their lack of clothing available to them. Even the little miss Ellpee was having great concerns over her decreased blanket status in her "most loved dog cage ever!" Of course she has the same concerns over her wicker basket status.... when those blankets go missing as well. On those specific days I make doubly sure that this little furry queen has her blankets to sleep on at night...otherwise she paces the hallways of our spacious 1365 square foot rancher for many hours.... or until she falls asleep while pacing.

My list of things to do are extensive... but of course I wish to do the most exciting things first, and the one thing that I really wish to do is go bear watching. I have heard some reports that people have seen the bears eating the salmon that are spawning... I have yet to see this great sight, let alone capture any details on my camera. HOWEVER... since the home details are to take top priority at the moment, this is where I must remain. Luckily I can not be sidetracked by atumn shadows that are entering my home, and then have my sidetracked state of mind to try and capture images, as it is cloudy out today. WHEW. Saved by the impending rainstorm.

On that note I must dismiss the amount of recycling from my home while it still dry... that will surely put "the till" into a state of panic as I will touch the gate keys which always gets her excited.

I require some luck... oh which reminds me.. I will certainly buy a lotto ticket today.... it's 26 million. Surely I could share that with someone...

Pink, grey, dead

He may be smiling, and he's dead. The weird thing is, people were actually lining the river to catch these things, except it wasn't really catching that they were doing, but rather more like snagging the poor things. I couldn't imagine that the last thing left in life before you die is a marathon river rapids run, dig a hole, lay some eggs, then die. It just doesn't seem to fit what one should be doing in their last days of life.

almost butchardish!

I took a picture a couple of years ago at Buchardt Gardens in Victoria... the top picture almost has the same colours, depsite this one being a fall picture. Our trees here are not as beautiful as the ones back east a bit more... but it was exciting to find some pleasant looking orange ones all the same!

the colour of pink in autumn

The Pippy at Hayward Lake with the fall colour behind her. The boy... where is he.... try at home being a "rockjock".

Autumn items

Hating Gladys

I don't particularly hate a Gladys, but this Gladys from the book is quite hateable. She was one nasty woman, although with her evil little indmindedness antecdotes she did make me laugh at certain occasions in the book. Other things about this book were not laughable. Despite the title which is a tell all, I quite enjoyed the book. It was easy to envision the characters as they were portrayed throughout the book.

It's book club tonight.. I would like to thank the email invention people for their invention. Otherwise... just like last Saturday night I would not have gone to my high school reunion this past Saturday, rather than this upcoming Saturday as well as, I would have been all alone next Wednesday night for book club night.

Need. Vitamins. Now.

Better a stew than a pickle.

I am queen of the house today.

It's a beautiful day outside, which I have already enjoyed... and all afternoon I have been in a pickle about a stew. I finally dumped the meat in the crockpot, and am hoping that it will taste like something later. I haven't sorted out when to put the carrots and potatoes in... but surely it should be soon. ON top of that ultimate quest I have made some super easy for the idiotl in me peanutbutter cookies. I had to add chocolate chips.... every cookie should have chocolate chips in it. There is no arguing that.

I am going to have to break it to my boy when he gets home that I wish for him to cut the grass. I think he might have other plans......other than his piano teaching session for today. (He is helping a little guy down the street gain some momentum in the piano department....which is quite cute!).

Must go remove cookies from oven now.

Just by chance...

I happened to look at my facebook the other night. I am glad I did.... I was just settling in to drink a glass of wine, of the smooth red stuff... when I realized that I was supposed to be somewhere... like a grad reunion.

It was pretty funny actually.... one moment i was settling in after a disappointing bear searching expedition.... and the next moment I am scrambling out the door with almost bad hair, and in the need for a fresh coat of lipstick, and had to shift gears as in who was I going to run into through out the night. There weren't any surprises of finding people, and I could only count on one hand the small number of people that the age monster had been attacked by. There were two men especially that were completely given the fountain of youth as a graduation present, that was quite impressive.

As with any reunion it was nice to connect with some people that had made their way to other countries and back again. I of course revealed the very fact that I had gone nowhere and done nothing, apart from the obvious. I am a poster girl for boring but happy.

Ok so...

I'm over the trauma of the book. Read it....

So nto more things that are way less important:

I went to the mall again today. Some days I dislike the mall. It is just annoying. There was a sale on bras... which is great... except the bra department is a mess, and there's a line up for the change room. I should leave, but then I have to go to another store just to figure out if there is a sale or not, and how much of a time waster is that? I then try and find runners.... again... I did this once already ..... only yesterday, at the exact same location.... the mall. I am kind of thinking about our economy... and I wonder if the sales are taking a hit... well... all you big box corporate managerial types that are reading my blog this very moment... you might want to hire more staff, or maybe staff that roam around the store or something. I went into three different places, and shopped for my semi-perfect pair of runners... and finally after waiting around for some time... I got someone to grab my size. I wish I could have walked away... but I had already done that TWICE from two other stores... and it was a feeling of hell or highwater that I wanted new runners... and it had to be today.

Then I was thinking about buying a new mattress. I have been thinking about it for a while.... you know... there might be something amiss when you are happy when the husband leaves the bed, rather than comes to bed... there has to be something wrong with the mattress... especially if you still like your husband and all. So anyways... the mattress lady comes along, and we chat, but then she leaves because she has to put a price tag on something.... which is nice and all... but do mattresses sell themselves... I mean really... who speaks for the special coils and the springfoam memory and all those specialty things... isn't it the salesperson. Well, they didn't want my business either.

I did find one thing though.... the girl was willing to take my money... and quickly. I went to go meet her at the pool with her gear, and within moments the debit card was out and money was filing out of the account for snacks & drinks. She is a natural when it comes to this.

In the meantime... the Pippy's christmas present has arrived via U.P.S. from the airmiles people... this was a rather swift exchange of miles & rewards. I ordered up a new camera lense many months back, and it took exactly that... many months to arrive. Hopefully the boys present will not take as long... watch it will. I ordered things early to beat the winter time crunch. I wont start freaking until December 22nd.

In the meantime it's midway through October and I'm thinking about christmas. I am a sick person.

Well, I'm off to meet the wizard.....

doubleklunka

I have a department worth of clothing items that need to be returned. Slowly over the course of time things have been acquired, and have somehow been semi-wrong. I have a shopping bag growing with miscellaneous bills roaming about inside. If I don't get to returning things soon I could open up a brand new once sold variety store. Perhaps I can get the husbandman to build me a little shack on wheels.... wait... isn't that what a trunk sale is?

I have got some adventures which I need to adventure to.. but I am thinking that the adventures are not going to happen, I would venture to guess. The Pipenzadoll is at home with a sore throat again.... and I am waiting on what the lab has to say about her throat swab.. ... in the meantime the antibiotics that the doc prescribed but told me not to fill, and wait for the results is busily sitting in my fridge at the moment. She's had two doses, and in a couple of days if they call and tell me that the swab is negative, or they don't call at all, or if she continues to not do well... then she will come off them. Rules are wierd.

It was a close call with the recycling people this morning... they started at the WRONG end of the street, which meant I didn't get the double pick that is ever so convenient when you live on a crescent. I did manage to squeeze in the extra basket of recyclables. See, it's tragically hard being boring... because you have to obscess over idiotic incidences of life, meaning managing the monster recycler inside of me. So, what do you do with your coffee grounds?

Well, must go make decisions about a pair of runners now....

19 minutes

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult.

I will not say that this is a must read, or a maybe read, or even a good read, in fact it was horrible, absolutely horrible, but not in the writing, rather the story itself. This book leaves you questioning your ability or inability to be an effective parent. I might even be changed by reading it.

All greened out

Yes, it's degreening time again.

I have degreened my front garden, my flower pots in the back, and even more of my flower pots further back... you know, that little place in the backyard that I only know exists. Now I am left with dirt. This dirt will become troublesome come the spring time as I will have to take my blue twangy thing to unravel the tights knots that sit inside of it. I have done something a bit different today.. and that is that I kept the roots of my plants. Now these are not perennials, but rather they are just hardy... so I will see what happens in the spring time. I foolishly tore out the yellow petunias, and they were quite nice.... a warm milky yellow. A hard colour to find, let alone describe.

So amidst the green lawn there is far less green here, except for the greenwaste container which is full to the brim.

Wow..it's dark out there...

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was sitting down at Minnekhada... waiting for the bears to make an appearance... and now...I am sitting in the livingroom, in the dark....in the deep dark night, or at least so it seems.

In other things:

So, I AM completely boring. I think I am. I am not certain why. I have taken up to hunting for Italian on the internet.... not that I can remember any of it... at all. BUT it does make good sense to me at the time. OH... and I am going to go and take more camera lessons. Not that it is getting boring taking pictures of fall leaves or anything.... but I am trying to pump up the smarts in that department... not that it will help.

In other things even more boring:

I win on the "wife likes to clean" front... the little homestead took a bit of a beating in the cleaning department.... not a bad thing, although you wouldn't know it now.

Eyes rolling in the head now......

Don't you ever wonder about how sometimes life goes slow motion.... as in ... you are the watching life pass you by.. but on the big screen... and everything seems slow motion. It is wierdly strange.... people driving by quickly....but it appears slow. The sunset lasts forever. A plane continuously makes a turn over top of the river..... and equally as slow motion... the roast is put in the oven, and yet is ready in minutes. An extremely weird experience.

Asleep on the rollercoaster:

I do however love pumpkin pie... it is practically the ultimate morsel in the world, of course next to apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese.

How about some real excitement:

I checked the Micheals flyers for some discount deals! AND have perused the SAFEWAY flyer for some airmile deals. I did write and complain to airmiles/safeway about their NON bargains... clearly they haven't read my email yet... they just got back to me about some missing airmiles. Dumb fucks... I wrote back to the guy and told him to take his "customer care specialist" off of his signature.... because he did nothing to help me...with the exception that his email that was THREE months late only aggravated me & he was a "buck passer". Listen people... I am boring... I have to do these things... because.


OH.. and something I thought about:

I bought a monopod.... and have never used it.... I wonder if I ever will?

I think it's time for more wine.

Sunny Blue & Cold

The weather forcast the other day was rain. I can't say I have seen a whole whack of it... nor am I interested in the rain... maybe only at night. In the meantime... it has gotten quite cold~! Well figure that... being October and all.

We braved the Hyde Creek Trail at the walking group today. We saw no evidence of bears in the area, but that doesn't mean that they were not hiding somewhere. It was a beautiful walk amongst the amber leaves. Hopefully we can continue this walk... and those with the little scaredy cat dogs can brave the trail with us.

Onto other things:

Yes, there was that parade picture. Our neighbour down the street invented a parade last year. We all attended, like lemmings.... and it was a little street community event. It brought people out of their homes, and onto the street, and let ourselves re-aquaint ourselves with neighbours. It was all fun. Somehow he managed to have a bouncy castle lent to him, and the cops & fireboys were in attendance handing out stickers & fire hats... and of course climbing ladders. It was all fun... with the kids dressing up their bikes, or things with wheels to walk the loop of the parade.

I stole away from work early to be a part of the festivities this year, which the weather also cooperated for us. It was a very nice street party!... although i think I owe somebody some money for something..... as I am not sure who footed the bill to pay for the drinks, chips, candy & hotdogs....

The boy doesn't have good parents. He has left the homestead without a jacket. It is cold out there. Hopefully he will gain some smarts while he rides around on his scooter with his friend... and hopefully he will not be stopping for a slurpee.... that would completely be an OUCH! He does have some sort of winterizers available to him... just wish he would use them.

Well... I am off bear hunting... not sure of what my success will be....

OH... and put the PIP back in swimming lessons.. not that she needs swimming lessons... I am just hoping that she perfects all her strokes, completes the levels. She did quite well, for not having lessons for two years... but then again.. she has been finswimming for two years... and she was pleased as punch that she didn't have to put on fins to swim... AND the bonus was that I cut out her ELBOW ACTION thingy in her bathing suit so that it actually fit her, rather than strangled her... OK... remember the ELBOW ACTION story from the summer.............?

Must catch bears.....

Parade Day!

hint of orange

Things that are sweet

so so so so blessed!

Aren't they beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lighting

280

That is how many airmiles I collected yesterday. It's kind of a psychotic ritual to be obsessed with the whole airmile thing, but I am.

Eventually one day I will go somewhere. Even if I go alone.. I will still go somewhere. Or maybe I will just start buying gifts galore.. for me. Well, not really.. as the items that airmiles has for awards are not really the things that I am wanting, or... I would just rather pay cold hard cash to get the item for a cheaper deal than the billions of dollars (that equate to airmiles)that I pay for it at Safeway.

It was a bit tricky getting the 280... but you know ... they had some other little deals imbetween the 100 bonus airmiles (if you spend one hundred dollars). I was pretty close... and spent 107. I figured that was a fair enough. I will not include the other trip I had to make later to save-on to buy some feminine hygeine mind you... damn me, and my forgetfullness.

Onto the weather:

Nice outside!

The hair:

OUCH. Looking as crazy as the owner. Hoping for ONE colour soon.

The house:

Usual state of sort of-upside-downness. I guess that is what happens when 4 people live here. Oh wait.. but one doesn't live here... one resides here... and doesn't leave a trail (but doesn't rhyme with tail)... let's guess the name on that one. Perhaps my airmiles could buy me a housekeeper for a year... that would be good for just the girls room alone.

the car:

Went through the car wash last week. It was all shiny and indigo blue looking. Unfortunately, we have trucks that like to haul dirt around these parts, and then I promptly drive on these roads all week long. My cleanliness state lasted all but one day last week. I was sort of on the highly agitated side as I had to look at my now dirty car every time I got into it... and yes.. I know theere are larger issues that make the lives of others complicated more so than a filthy car... but in my little tiny spec of the world this is what made me nuts for the moment. I think I am over it now.. as it made me feel better to go and spray my car in the rain the other day.. just so I would stop obsessing over it. I could have got out the car washing equipment, but you know.. that would have required a real effort on my part... and I am not even sure if I am allowed in THE KINGS work space anyways...

the city:

sent them almost hate mail last week. I didn't mean to.. but they too touched a nerve in my soul. They forgot to pick up a number of garbage containers on and around our street last week. It shouldn't be a big deal... and they didn't forget to pick up mine, so I wasn't even complaining about that. I merely stated that their mix up could potentially end a black bears life, at a time when the tri-cities are already in a state over the amount of encounters & deaths that have occured in the last number of months. I also added as a sidebar that this street does not need to live through another back yard death, like what happened last year. Ouch.


The dog:

She was most put out on Friday night. She didn't have her "event" which she attends. She dithered about bumping into the husbandman like a wobblehead or something.. and he had to explain to her that it was raining, and there were just no activities that she could sleep through in her rickety blue chair. I think this Friday is supposed to be better... hopefully... as I think maybe the husbandman when through withdrawal or something not drinking his quota of beer, for him and his friend.


Me:

I am highly crazy.. and this extra strong coffee is not helping. Highly crazy with caffiene... is this really a good combination...? (as I take another sip). Sure, why not. I know they let people out on daypasses way crazier than me....

The camera:

I need some autumn shots. I need some photo opps. Other than the firemans behind. I haven't downloaded that.. I am hoping that it is alright for my "selling sight"... because you know.. I might just make another $1.15...

Back to the weather:

Starting to look iffy for the walking group... we shouldn't be walking around in crazy weather, with a crazy leader... or should we....?

Sunday evening silence...

Other than....

Things like the TV running with the husbandmans most favourite televisions show... one of them being "Desperate Housewives". Currently the Amazing Race is on, and then later it's Brothers and Sisters. I am not sure what he would have done had he been able to watch the Canucks game. I will not mention to him that his nephews got to go the game... with their parents escorting them of course.

The girl is doing homework. Boy, is she doing homework.... it's her teachers favourite past time. This gives her real reason to have a desk in her room, and not just a house for crafting at all times, and a Polly Pocket playstation... (thanks M for even more Polly's given to her today... there should have been a price tag included...)..

The boy is doing what 13 3/4 year olds do... go to birthday parties. I am not certain when we will ever see him again.

Earlier....

I left work early. (What a beautiful moment!)
The street had the parade.
I took lots of photos of girls in cop cars & firetrucks.. and even the rear end of a fireman crawling up his ladder.... hmmmmm....
I drank water and ate candy rockets... (a must have at Halloween time).
I stalked a mother bear and her cub. (maybe a photo... if it looks decent)
Laughed at the husbandman busily painting the whitehard top jeep thing to black. He looked good in his white biohazard jumpsuit with his welding hat.
I put two pieces of chicken in the oven.. and then forgot about them.
Hunted for movie trivia, then copy and pasted it... lots of it... until the computer kind of broke, adn I had to stop.
Decided that even though it was Sunday evening... I wanted a glass of red wine... which promptly cured my case of the coldies... which the green tea did nothing for a half hour earlier.
Folded laundry, talked on the phone, let the dog in and in and in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out..... she was impatiently waiting for the husbandman to be finished with his hobbying for the day.

And it's still silent... except for the girl yelling yahoo that the KING was BBQing meat for her.. which she has yet to ingest due to her tight finelining homework deadline.....

That would be it for me... at least I think....

I never really use to....

Eat chicken wings, but now I do. It's interesting to see what changes you in life. I didn't think chickens had that amount of impact.

The stuffed Birthday dog...

Cicely.... aka PRANCE!

What a Bohemian!

I just picked up some music... for the boy.. but I tried it on for size. I could do it.... but the boy would be better at it. I am thinking I might bribe the boy to play Queen's Bohemian Rapshody. I just love that it... but you know.. I really don't want to learn how to play it... I just want to listen!!!!

Onto other things:

I was able to throw down grass seed yesterday. Hopefully it will grow.

The hair is finally moving by itself again... just in time to have it recoloured.

I helped the girl do a project last night... I hope I get a good mark on it.

I started cleaning up the girls room again today, but it scared me so I left... I have to get back to it. I like the boys room... nothing ever really moves, except the cords for his electric guitar, or his game boy charger.. and that's about it. Sometimes spiders move, and then I remove them.

WE sang happy birthday to the stuffed dog that was once real yesterday.. as it was the real life but now dead dogs birthday. Pippy even got a present for her. This dog is quite comical.... or maybe that could be the children... hmmmm.

Here's the before and after I was looking for last week... but couldn't find the photo.... so when Susan requested the big selling photo (!!!)I found the "before" photo. Yes... it is a big difference! One day that will be the other family room... just not today, today it is a garage with lots of windows!

$1.15!

I need a plan....

For the moment all plans of adventure are on hold..... I need a pleasant dose of tylenol to take effect, and then I can carry on doing things in the day that need to be done. None of which can be done without having Tylenol on board.

In the meantime the mundane chores list grows longer:

Costco
Save-on
Art N Knapps
Laundry
Bathrooms
Two nomination forms to be written
One job description to be identified.

AND... I have to wait for the recycling truck to go by... because as always... I have EXTRA!