I've been having some difficulty these past few weeks with coming up with thoughts to write about in this blog. Things have been...moody lately.
I don't know if it is because I am on the brink of turning 41 (which, btw, seems SO MUCH OLDER than 40) or, if it's because there are some financial issues going on right now that are eating me up, or because I keep on thinking that my job is not really where my heart is, or that my condo is not selling as quickly as I thought it would, or that while my close friend is pregnant and I'm truly happy for her, I think the reason that I'm not is because maybe I'm just not that good with kids, and the powers that BE think I am not worthy.
Anyway, there is some negetive Karma in the air here at Chez Ramona and that is why I can't seem to find anything blog-worthy to put into words.
So, if for the next little while you find yourself coming here and all I'm talking about is my cats...
...well, it's because I'm still dealing with a few things and sorting stuff out.
Bear with me.
Please! I know it will pass.

ubi

JUST A BIT OF UBI (USELESS BITS OF INFORMATION)
SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?

*A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

*A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

*A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.

*A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

*A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

*A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

*A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

*A snail can sleep for three years.

*Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

*Almonds are a member of the peach family.

*An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

*Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

*Butterflies taste with their feet.

*Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

*"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

*February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

*In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

*It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

*Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

*No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

*Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

*Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite ..

*Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

*"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

*The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

*The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

*The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

*The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

*The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

*The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

*There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

*There are more chickens than people in the world.

*There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous

*There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

*There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewable Vitamins.

*Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

*TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

*Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

*Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

*Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

..............

Now you know everything!

WCB #51

Mr. Mao is the kind of cat that ALWAYS has something hanging off his nose. It is a combination of having an extraordinarily big schnoz for a cat, and also being incredibly nosy in general. For more weekend cat blogging, head on over to visit The Guest Kitty (A Lovely Red Abyssinian!)at Clare's .
Next weekend also marks the One Year Anniversary of Catblogging. So, make sure join in on the fun! It promises to be quite the par-tay! 

Would you ever have believed that Canada looks so tropical? The Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom. Aren't they pretty? 

Yay Taylor!

Glad Taylor won!
Highlight of the show was Meatloaf and Kat. (Cause I AM A HUGE MEATLOAF FAN!!!)
no kidding.
If I were on a deserted island...I would want to be there with Meatloaf's Bat Outta Hell.
I swear, it's my all-time fav album.
(The advil cold and sinus has kicked in..........it's working!)

Blogger has not been my friend over the past few days. I haven't been able to see my comments, although I think I fixed that problem. I can't edit posts, so I've stopped trying, because it's just frustrating me more.
My head still feels like it's stuffed with cotton, and I'm coughing and sneezing like crazy. Greg says I sound like his 80 yr old grandmother.
All in all though, I think I'm a little better. Not better enough though to go back to work tonight. Somehow, being up all night with the chills doesn't appeal to me. And, really, what patient wants a nurse with a drippy nose standing over them? I never did understand this concept of work ethic.
Before SARS, nurses used to come to work all the time with a cold. We were encouraged to come, because otherwise it would mean your colleagues had to work short. Eventually, the whole staff, visitors, and likely, patients would be sick. Smart work ethic, huh?
Anyway, I must admit, I am a bit of a baby when I'm not feeling 100%. It really doesn't happen very often, but I do like it when someone else gets to play nurse, and I get to be the whiney patient!
Recommended Product of the Week: Kleenex with Lotion.

...In bed!

It was freakin' frickin' freezin' this weekend.
It was overcast, and raining, and just SO not summerlike at all.
I didn't shower for three days, was so stinky I resorted to bathing with baby-wipes, had the chills, and now have a chest cold. (cough!)
(Aahh-choo!)
So, to turn this around and make something positive out of the past few days, I will try to think of all the good things that happened this weekend:
I read a book: the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by mark haddon. I liked it, it was an easy, enjoyable read. It was an interesting perspective about what goes on in the mind of an autistic boy during a turbulant time in his life.

I kicked ass in poker. And Monopoly. (Even though I am not competitive by nature.) (But...it did feel good to win!)

I re-discovered gin and tonic (G&T) and, so did Two-Four. Gin and Tonic or... my recipe is this: generous splash of gin, top up with tonic and throw in a lemon wedge. Bottoms Up. (When you run out of tonic, ginger ale will do.)
I found some wild catnip and transplanted it in our garden for Mao. He had a very good weekend.

It's lilac season, so I found some wild bushes and cut a few sprigs. They smell Soooo goooood!
My wedding dress sold at the consignment shop for $325. I am happy that my dress will make someone else happy.

We got home this evening and neither of us was interested in cooking, so we ordered Chinese food. And, neither of us really likes Chinese food but we were desperate...Long Weekend and all, there are not a lot of places open. So Ho-Lee Chow!!! came to our door, and, it was as mediocre as we had expected. The best part was our fortune cookies, because you know what you have to add on to the end of each fortune!
1. Others will take notice of your positive attitude...IN BED!
2. A sweet surprise awaits you...IN BED!
3. It is better to get something done late better than never...IN BED!

And, now...I'm going to go to bed. (Ah-choo!)

WCB #50

It's the first long weekend of the summer!!!

OK, so it's still a little early to officially call it summer, but it's nice enough to be outside and sit in front of a cozy fire. Mao and Dutchie LOVE it! Have a safe and happy long weekend, and for more kitty pics, don't forget to visit Kiri at Clare's You might also want to congratulate Clare, as she just recently became engaged. She has the prettiest blue sapphire ring that matches Mao's eyes perfectly!

Another Pity Party a la Ramona

It's been an emotional week. Greg and I had our first serious blowup that took a few days to sort out. At first, we touched upon the problem, apologies were made, but I felt like we were pussyfooting around the main issue. We spent last weekend quietly together, once in a while broaching the subject but no real progress being made as to how to solve the problem.
Then, the other night, the volcano erupted. It wasn't really SO bad, but it was our biggest clash to date. I was proud of myself that I didn't back down, I had made up my mind to just say what I had to say, and be an adult about it. There are lifestyle changes that need to be made, and responsibilities to acknowledge. Thankfully, Greg was in total agreement and we were finally able to discuss and make plans for the remedies to these problems.On
another note, I think I've had a harder time with being infertile than I thought. One of my best friends has recently found out that she is pregnant (and she's 42!!!) I'm so very happy for her, but again, it reminds me of what I'll never have. I think I've been somewhat depressed and haven't dealt with that very well. I've been drinking a lot of wine this year, which I realize, is not the best solution for sadness.
Last night, at book club, in the middle of someone's (very boring, to me) monologue about all the ultrasounds she'd had with her last child trying to determine the sex, I was sitting there politely, but in my head I was thinking 'why doesn't she just shut the fuck up?! I don't want to hear this!!!' Before I knew what I was doing, I just stood up, and said I had to go (in the middle of her soliloque) I guess that I am a little sensitive. But, I wanted to join a book club to talk about books, not talk about other people's kids. I don't care if there's a funny story that someone wants to tell, but honestly, I'm the only member of this club who doesn't have kids, or isn't pregnant. Maybe I have to find a group that has pets that make up their family circle.
Because when all is said and done, my cats are all I have to make me feel like I've got something little and cute to take care of. Sounds pathetic, doesn't it?
Like I said, it hasn't been the greatest week.

After last week, I swore I would never watch another episode of American Idol. I was pissed off that Chris was voted off.
Of course, I watched it this week. And, (I never thought I would say this!)
VOTE FOR TAYLOR!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Things have been a little rough this week. Call it 6 month marital jitters. When I have my act together again I'll post less fluff.

Happy Mother's Day

I have a very thoughtful, nice Mother-in-Law. How sweet is this?!

Weekend Cat Blogging #49

Dutchie always has to find the biggest bug to play with!
For more weekend cat blogging, head on DownUnder to see Kiri,at Eatstuff  

Nurses Week

It is National Nurses Week!
In 1985, the second week of May was proclaimed National Nurses' Week in Canada to coincide with Florence Nightingale's birthday on the 12th. The International Council of Nurses also designated May 12th to be International Nurses' Day.
So...I little UBI about Flo:
*In 1820, in honor of the city of her birth and in keeping with the tradition started by her parents, a little girl was named Florence. An unusual thing to do in a conservative time.
*In an age where the smell of a hospital would induce nausea and nurses were typically whores and drunks she aspired to be one (a nurse, not a drunken whore!) Her mother and sister fainted and were thrown into hysterics and near insanity by her ambitions, after all, a cultured, educated woman did not enter into hospital work. She continued on, as she felt this was God's plan for her. She became the one and only expert on the subject of nursing and hospitals in all of Europe by the age of 30.
*In 1853 the Crimean War started and she and her small troop of nurses were assigned to one of the hospitals in Crimea to care for the wounded British soldiers. The hospital was infested with rats and vermin and bedsheets were not washed, even when one man died and the bed was used for the next wounded soldier. Initially, the doctors did not want the nurses to care for the men, they were only allowed to clean. But the men were dying from diseases that they were catching in the hospitals. Florence was the one who realized this and reformed hospital sanitation methods.
*She plotted the incidences of preventable deaths in the military hospital in her invention of the Pie Chart! Not only was she a nurse, but she was also a statistician (who'da known?)
*After the war, she returned to England to start up nursing schools and she also pioneered and promoted hospitals as sanitary places through her statistical proof.
*And to the idle and disrespected women of her time, she brought forth a sense of professionalism that provided work, respect and independence.
She was a woman before her time.
And she lived to the ripe old age of 90.

Happy Nurses Week to all the nurses out there!

Wildflowers

Since having the trailer, I have appreciated new things in life. When I first met Greg, and he told me about his mom's trailer, in my mind I just imagined it to be some red-necked, dirty, trashy kind of place. I was guilty of stereo-typing. The day we went up there, I was so pleasantly surprised, and remember thinking that I could get used to hanging out in the trailer-park. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would end up with my very own trailer!
Before meeting Greg, I led a very different life. I worked for tax-free dollars in Saudi Arabia, and was allowed two months per year to travel wherever I wanted. And I had the financial means to do so. I stayed in 5 Star hotels pretty much wherever I went, which was very comfortable. At the time, I was (and I know I was!) very fortunate.
But there is something about my way of thinking that I think has changed. Not necessarily because I met Greg and chose to plan the rest of life with him, because I think the metamorphosis started before then. What I've realized, is that it is the simpler things in life that make me happier. Travelling the world is fascinating, there is no doubt about that. But I honestly think that staying in 5 Star hotels seperates you, and disallows you to really appreciate a culture. My fondest travels have been with a backpack and a guidebook, talking to locals and other travellers, and being immersed into that culture, still as a foreigner, but without the pretention that goes along with being a 5 Star traveller.
Our trailer needs a lot of work. Our roof is leaky, we have no hot water, our toilet bowl needs to be chased with a pitcher of water every time we use it. But every time I go up there, I find something new that sparks wonder in me.
This past week, the wildflowers were blooming.
And I was impressed with the beauty just outside my door. 

Weekend Cat Blogging #48

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous these past few days. We are both working this weekend and had a few days off during the week so we thought we would head up to the trailer and enjoy the sunshine. I have been gardening (my thumb is getting a little greener each year) and Greg has been growing grass. He is determined to grow a lawn this summer, which I think is kind of cute.
Thursday it hit a high of 25 C (77F) and we took a great walk around the park and down to the lake. The park is not yet officially open, so we pretty much had the whole park to ourselves. It was heavenly! Here is what May 4th looks like in Canada! (ignore the pink bra...I got dressed in a hurry!)
Greg's mom (TwoFour) joined us around the campfire on Thursday night. She was in PURE party mode, complete with talking into her beer bottle like it was a microphone! She was upset that she only brought 9 beers with her and had left her 2-4 at home. She was having a good time and didn't want the pre-season party to end.
Mao and Dutchie had fabulous sunbaths and Mao exhausted himself playing with bugs. He thinks he is a Great Hunter. While they never snuggle up together at the condo, up North they like to be close. Makes for great photo opportunities!


For more kitty-pics, visit Kiri, at Clare's in the Land DownUnder. Feel free to join in the fun! 

Witty Wednesday

I was sent this in an email this morning and thought it was cute. This is to honour my single friends, or those who wish they were. (Not me!)

The Shortest Fairytale
Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy "will you marry me?" The guy said "No."
And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, stayed skinny and farted whenever she wanted.
The end.

Four years ago (almost to the day), while in Alicante, Spain, I had my purse stolen which had my passport, tickets, and money inside. I assumed it was stolen by a gypsy, since I had seen many poor people hanging around the train and bus stations begging for money.
Anyway, to make long story short, within a few hours I was lucky enough to find that my purse had been turned in at the local police station and everything was returned except for my money and credit card (oh, and my favourite MAC lipstick and a pair of socks with cats on them!) I was relieved...very relieved. But I never lost my nut, my head was screwed on straight, I didn't cry, I was just making plans on how to get to Madrid to get a new passport and then hook up with my friends again. I called my mom later that same day and told her what had happend. Rather than being relieved, she yelled at me "HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID?!?!?!?"

Today, my mom called me in hysterics. She is in Berlin, and her wallet was stolen. She was mostly worried about her credit card. "Don't worry" I say, "I'll call and cancel it. Do you have enough money? What else can I do?" I never once yelled, and certainly never called her stupid. These things happen, right? So, I cancelled her VISA card, called her back and told her that she should probably go to the police station and report her wallet missing. Maybe some nice person turned her wallet in. (After all, I was lucky, right?)

I then called my brother, and guess what the first words out of his mouth were? "SHE HAD HER WALLET STOLEN?! HOW COULD SHE BE SO STUPID?!?!?" Ahhh...what comes around, goes around. But of course, I say "It's not her fault, it's not like she asked for it to be stolen!"

I hang up and there is a message waiting. I listen to the message and it's my mom. She has never quite grasped the concept that with the Call Answer feature on the phone, people can't hear you while you are actually on the phone with someone else. This was the message :"Ramona! Ramona! (HUGE sigh) For god's sake why don't you pick up the phone!!!!!"

I call her back. Turns out that her wallet wasn't stolen afterall. She had found it in the side pocket of her stupid Silver purse, and that's not where she usually puts it.

So, in the end, it was the Stupid Silver Purse's fault.