Old Habits Die Hard

There is something to be said about having a good eye for other people's garbage, and being able to turn that garbage into a brand new treasure. This past weekend, we got up early and headed to Home Depot to pick up some stuff for the DIY projects we had planned. On our way home, neighbours down the street had some furniture placed on their boulevard, presummably for the garbage. Greg stopped and said that he thought some of the tables looked like teak. (We happen to have a lot of teak furniture that we are very fond of.) I jumped out of the car, took one look, and piled them on the hood of the car without another word. I did kind of hope that nobody would see me as it was broad daylight! Although very scuffed up, stained and plastered with a few stickers, I thought I could fix them up with steel wool and teak oil.

So far, I've managed to refurbish one very nicely, and it only took two hours worth of a little elbow grease. Here is the result: looks like new, doesn't it?

When I get the other one done, we will finally have matching nightstands. I'm quite proud of myself!

Inside Out/Outside In

I took a picture last night of the outside looking in through the Bay window because I thought our Christmas lights looked so pretty, and I like how you can see the Christmas tree all lit up from the outside.

Seconds later, nature upstaged the Christmas bulbs and put on an even more spectacular Light Show. This was the view from inside, looking out through the window.

Weekend Cat Blogging #79

Mr. Mao is back for more Weekend Cat Blogging!
I'm working on figuring out how to download pcitures, and I think it might be easier than I think. I'm so smart (never mind that it's only taken me two weeks!)
Here is a pic of Mr. Mao's first snow experience. I snapped the picture really fast as he was goose-stepping his way across the deck and shaking each paw with every step. It was quite funny, but I'm not sure how much he liked it as he came running inside pretty fast.

For more Weekend Kitty pics head on over to Belly-Timber's

It's beginning to FEEL...

...a lot like Christmas!
GEEZUS it's Cold! Last week it was Indian Summer and this week it's subzero and with the wind chill, even colder. Ugh. I am not a winter person.
Something else: a house feels a lot colder than a condo! In the four years that I lived in the condo, I never turned on the heat. Not even on the coldest day of the year. We had a little space heater that we'd flip on for a half hour, and that would be it. I guess because the other condo-dwellers cranked their heat, we didn't have to.
But a house! Holy! I'd forgotten how cold it is to get out of bed in the morning! Even the cats don't want to get out from under the covers. Yes, they sleep under the covers with us since we've moved here. They do that at the trailer too when the weather gets chilly.
It makes for one cozy family. Thank god for furry space heaters!

It's beginning to look like a lot like Christmas...

...around here!
Last weekend we put up our outside lights in the cedars, and also decorated our Christmas tree. The Christmas Tree is in front of the bay window and looks SO pretty! I can't recall that I've ever set up the tree this early, but then again, Christmas is only three weeks away. It creeps up so quickly, doesn't it? This year I've been quite crafty and have made some wreaths that turned out very nice, if I do say so myself. I'd love to post a picture, but unfortunately my digital camera is not working well and we haven't downloaded the programme onto the new computer. (I'm hoping that Santa will bring me a new camera!) Once I get all that sorted out, I promise I will post some pictures.
The house is smelling a lot better, no more ashtray stench. A lot of cleaning, paint and febreeze plug in noticibles (in hollyberry scent) which is making the place smell even more Christmassy.
And, have I mentioned the weather? It's f-f-f-freezing outside! We even have a dusting of snow. Mr. Mao was hilarious out in his first snowfall. Having been an apartment dweller most of his life, he's never experienced the feel of snow. It was very funny! He was goose-stepping and shaking each paw with every step! I did manage to take one picture before the camera drained the brand new (rechargeable) batteries so I'll try to figure out how to post it.
Christmas shopping is very slow but productive this year. Last year I went out to Walmart on the 23rd and did pretty much all of my shopping there. I suppose I was feeling a bit Scrooge-like and couldn't get into the mood. This year, I am feeling the spirit, and have put some thought into what I am going to get.
I did opt to donate to World Vision this year. I got my mom 2 piglets, and Greg's dad, step-mom and grandmother 2 hens and a rooster. I'm not sure what they'll think of this gift, but I liked the idea.
OK, gotta run off to work!

Garbage Day

There is something that has me a little stressed out since we've moved, and that is garbage day. Every other Friday is recycling, and every other week is regular garbage. Compost waste is every week.

It seems like we have garbage problems every Friday where the guys don't like how we've presented our waste so they leave it behind. This week we have two weeks worth of compost waste because last Friday they didn't like our green garbage can we had put it in. So yesterday I went out and spent 30 Bucks on a pretty green bin with wheels.

Then, there is the issue of regular recycling. The previous owners had left us with a great big blue bin but that wasn't good for the men. They liked the small ones, which then presented us with a problem, because we then had a month's worth of recycling to deal with. (And believe me, our recycling boxes looked nothing like the nice neat tidy little one in this picture.) Every Friday since we've moved here Greg and I have had conversations about whether our garbage was picked up. Today it's pouring rain and because our recycling wasn't picked up two weeks ago, and we have so much of it because of all the boxes we've been unpacking, I improvized and used cardboard boxes as blue bins. Now I'm worried that because of the rain, the boxes have turned into cardboard soup, and the garbage guys won't take them. Which, will leave us with another two weeks worth of recycling that hasn't been taken. I can hear the trucks roaming around the neighbourhood and have run tot he window a few times thinking that they were at our house, but the boxes just keep getting wetter, and wetter, and wetter. I'm thinking that maybe they weill let ME throw the boxes into the truck, if they don't want to take them.

Am I obsessing over this? Is Greg obsessing over this? He's already called me three times to find out if the garbage is gone.

**Update**

Yaaaay! They took all of our garbage!!!

One More Thing.
You know how people talk about a movie being a "Chick Flick?"
Greg came home the other day with a bunch of movies he bought, including "Men of Honor." Now, I had never seen it before so he RAVED about what a great Feel Good Movie it was. OK. I'm all over Feel Good.
I have to say...it was so GAAAY!
It was Fromage.
It was a Dick Flick.
I pissed Greg off . Every time I said it was Gay, he got mad.
Ruined His Movie. Which, of course, made me say it more!

Best $6.99 he ever spent. lol
Dick Flick.

Okay. So it's been one month (minus a day) since we've moved to the Suburbs.
I loved living Downtown. I loved SAYING I lived Downtown. Because Once Upon a Time, I was a Young Hip Chick living in my 'Chickie Pad' in the Hip part of Town. For a few years, I used my location and space VERY well. I went out Dancing, Dining, Pubing, Coffee-shopping, Massage-ing, Pedicure-ing, Manicure-ing, Waxing, Threading, Retail Therapy-ing, Yoga-ing, On-line Dating to my hearts content.
And I was always 10 minutes from home.
The farthest I ventured was to work, 22 minutes Uptown.
I met Greg, and little by little all those Hip Chick Details fell by the Wayside. I still loved living downtown because it was convenient, but all those Single Girl things kinda stopped happening because I was happy being at Home with Greg. I guess I started Nesting.
But I still loved living downtown because I wasn't quite ready to let go of Hip Chick.
Then we started talking of moving.
And we talked some more.
So we sold.
And then we bought.
And now we live in the Suburbs.
We have trees all around us.
I can go places and park for free.
We turn the fan on at night---NOT to drown out the screams of the emergency vehicles, but to drown out the silence. That takes some getting used to.
We have a basement with cool furniture.
We can turn up the TV as loud as we want to.
I feel like a Grown Up...And I Live In The Suburbs!!!

The good and the bad.

I am in L-O-V-E with my new computer! It is so sleek, so quick, so quiet, so new! Who knew that a little box could make me so happy? It came with a printer/scanner/photocopier so it'll take some time to figure that out, but once I do...watch out! I have BOXES of photos that I want to scan and save somewhere in cyberland. That should keep me busy for a while, eh?
Our weekend project includes putting the second coat of Silver Blue paint on the walls of the office/my craft room. Our other project is to set up one of the rooms in the basement, it'll be our tv room. We have a brown leather sectional couch being delivered on Thursday. We decided on leather because that way when Greg has his grungy boys over, I don't have to get upset if something gets spilled on it, it'll just wipe clean. The back cushions can also be removed to allow for overnight guests to sleep comfortably. This will make Veronica happy as she came over the other day to offer us twin bed frames for our guest bedroom. When I told her that we didn't have a guest room she seemed miffed and wanted to know where our guests would sleep...perhaps in the basement, and we could set up some beds there? Uh...no thanks!
Mitey Mite was wondering if I'd painted the kitchen red. I have green floors and green counters, so red walls would make it look an awful lot like Christmas all year round. So, I settled for a neutral colour with red accessories. However, we did paint one wall in the living room a deep garnet red, which looks fabulous.
This week, there has also been some family junk going on. My brother got the shit kicked out of him last weekend, and was pushed down some stairs. He is okay, but surely is feeling ashamed of himself. He got drunk at a strip joint and wouldn't leave the ladies alone. So, the bouncers took care of him. As much as I feel bad for him, I also think that it was just a matter of time that something like this would happen. He is a very annoying drunk, and his drinking has gotten out of control again. Knowing him, he will now be sober for the next six months until he goes on another bender.
Last night, Greg's 16 year old sister didn't come home when she said she would. She stayed out all night without even giving her mother a phone call to let her know she was all right. I got home from nightshift and Greg had been up all night worried and waiting for her to show up. Around noon, Two-Four tracked her down and she was in bed with a local drug dealer. WTF?! Is this what happens to sweet little girls? Since mid-summer she has turned into such a rebel, and all she thinks about is boys. Chronic Depression...my ass. She has missed so much school this year, I doubt that she's going to pass. I wish Two-Four would place a stronger importance on school, but she doesn't. Greg has told me more than a few times, that she doesn't want her kids to be smarter than her. Isn't that sad? Anyway, I was relieved to hear that she was safe.
And can only hope that she will quickly pass through this stage.

Back to Blogging

What to do when nearly a month goes by and you can't get your freakin' computer to work despite having everything uninstalled, debugged, cleaned and reinstalled twice? Well, one gets SO fed-up that on a Monday morning one impulsively purchases a brand-spanking-new computer without viruses, no memory problems, and to top it off, looks very cute--- thereby ending weeks of frustration.
So, I am back to blogging, back to catching up on everyone else's blog. I am one happy woman, and am starting to feel more like myself, with my own down-time. Sigh. No more refurbished computers for me.
The new house is absolutely awesome, we are totally loving it, and settling in very well. Our neighbour, Veronica, still seems to keep in touch with us in some way everyday. At times, she is a little too much, a little too motherly, although I know that she means well. We've been busy painting and decorating and it really is starting to feel like our place. Today was so mild that I actually managed to get around to planting tulip and daffodil bulbs in the front. The squirrels will probably get to them over the winter, but that's okay. It's all part of the grand gardening experiment! While we were out planting, one of the other neighbours came by with her dogs to introduce herself. She seems really nice. One of the things I've noticed, is that all the neighbours speak very highly of one another and mention how wonderful the neighbourhood is. I'll take that as a very good sign.
OK, off to catch up on blogs and then figure out some of the new features on this computer.
I'm so glad to be back!

Arrrgh!!!! Can you tell that my home computer is STILL not working???? I am beyond frustrated. But I am still around, and every once in a while sneak a quick peek while I'm at work.
To all my American Friends, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.
And thanks for being my Blog Friends!
I will be back. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

How frustrating not having a computer at home! For some crazy reason, we have not been able to get it up and running,and boy do I miss it! So, just writing a quick note from work and hoping that no one is looking over my shoulder.
The house is awesome and we are settling in quite well. The lady next door has already worn a path to our front door (no kidding) but she is very nice. She even baked us a cake for our first anniversary! And speaking of cakes, I did recieve Kristi's cake in the mail which was absolutely delicious!
Hopefully, we'll get the home computer working in the next few days so I can get back to blogging. In my mind I've had so many great blog stories. Hopefully, I'll remember some of them when I get back on line at home.

New House, Week One

We all survived the move last weekend and are now sitting amongst the same pile of boxes, but at a new venue. It was pretty stressful, but I only had a few minor little meltdowns, all of which happened at the condo shortly before closing the door for the final time.
The cats are VERY happy and are enjoying their indoor-outdoor digs. The house is awesome, however it seems like I am spending an inordinate amount of time cleaning and trying to get the stench of nicotine out of the walls, blinds, floors, windows etc. Just when I was thinking that things were starting to smell ok, the furnace kicked in and sent a new blast of nicotine vapours into the air. Mr Mao (silly cat) immediately ran to the heat register and plunked his skinny little self overtop of it. I think he thinks the heat feels good against his body, and I suppose maybe he even thinks he's trying to stop the stink, but all that he has succeeded in doing is saturating his fur with the stench. OK, I am exaggerating, but it has crossed my mind that he's gong to start to smell like an ashtray.
The neighbours are very nice, very friendly, and perhaps a little too familiar with my house. V, from next door popped by the other day and when I answered the door, she just opened it wider and let herself in! It did take be aback just a little bit. Then, there's Ignac who sits out on his porch all day but comes limping over the minute he sees some action in my driveway. Then there are the neighbours who do "slow-by's" trying to get a glimpse into the living room through our window. Some of them even wave.
Anyway, I am loving the house, it's great and we are settling in pretty good. My computer didn't survive the move so it'll be a while before I can get all caught up with all you NaMoPomers (sp?) but I'll be back soon.

New House Day 1

We got the keys to the new house late in the afternoon today, and it felt so strange to walk in through the door. It felt like we were breaking into someone's house, just a very odd feeling. Maybe it felt like that because we caught the neighbour on one side peeking through their curtains, and in no time at all, had also met "Veronica" who lives on the other side. Veronica was bold enough to come over and introduce herself. In 5 minutes, I learned that she and her husband are Roman Catholics who go to church every single day, that her husband is 91 with a heart condition, that she packs her garage full of cast-offs for third world countries and the church bazaar, to make sure that we lock the doors and windows, because although it is a good neighbourhood, they had some problems a few years ago with some of the schoolboys breaking in through a screen. She seems like a very nice lady, and she remembered my name right off the bat, and forgot Greg's! Of course, she has a niece named Ramona so I'm sure that helped. Anyway, she'd better keep her garage door locked or I might just mosy over there and have a good look. You know how much I love other people's junk.
The wallpaper started to come down within 10 minutes of us walking through the door. It looks better already.
We discovered a major glitch with out new phone number. I had brought a phone with me to plug in and set our voice mail message. No sooner had I plugged it in when the phone rang! It was the wrong number. Someone thought that they had called a radio station. 5 minutes later, another call for the radio station! 10 minutes later...another call! OMG. By the time we got back to the condo, we checked the messages, and there were 5 more calls! So we looked the number up on line. There is a local radio station whose 1-800# is the same as our home number. Can you believe it?!
Needless to say, we need a new number.

WCB #73

This weekend passed by so quickly that I forgot to Weekend Cat Blog, and you know how much I love to post pics of the kitties. Here is Mr. Mao admiring the New Look of Kross-Eyed Kitty.

The Baby Shower turned out fantastic. Sal managed to get her 5 day post C-sectioned self and Baby Liam to the party, and everyone was thrilled. It really was a nice time. Pez gave me some ideas for games, one in particular that she said was really fun. You get a bunch of different chocolate bars and then melt one in each diaper in the microwave and then you get the ladies to guess which chocolate bar it is. Well, let me tell you...melted chocolate bars really does look like poo. As a nurse, I thought this game was hill-arrrr-ious, however some of the ladies thought it was disgusting and were not all that interested in playing. (Even though I said that they were allowed to taste, smell and touch it if they couldn't determine variety by sight.) Oh well. It forced me to buy boxes of Hallowe'en candy which I normally wouldn't buy. Guess what I had for lunch and dinner yesterday? Mmmm-hmmm...that's right! Hallowe-en candy! It was very tasty, let me tell you. Oh, I also ate leftover Hors D'oeuves, so it was a much more balanced diet. And washed it all down with wine (but that's another story altogether...) Actually, it made watching Bram Stoker's Dracula very fun! I'm not sure why, but I L-O-V-E vampire movies. And am terrified of pretty much any other kind of horror movie.

Oh, but let me back up...because on Saturday night, we went to see The Dixie Chicks! My brother got late release tickets on-line in the morning so we thought WTF, let's go! I'm a little late getting on Chick's Bandwagon, but I do really like them. And our seats were AMAZING. We were side-stage, 3rd row, and honestly, it was like sitting on the stage with them. It was awesome. THEY were awesome. We were so close, that their kids were sitting in the seats across the aisle from us. No guff.

I also found out that I won the much sought after Pumpkin Pay Off Prize over at Kristi's. Does it not look absolutely, divinely, mouth-wateringly scrumptious? I'll tell you all about it when it arrives.

So, after working a slew of nights, today I went back to work for the early shift which starts at 7:30. The clocks changed this weekend, so I should have been bright eyed and bushy tailed with that extra hour of sleep. Imagine my utter panic when I woke up at 6:47 (and I had fixed the clock the night before, so it was the right time.) I was up and out the door in 13 minutes, with coffee in hand and arrived at work 5 minutes early. I'm not sure how I did that, but I do know that I when I got to work, I still had pillow lines on my face and didn't remember the drive.

After work, I stopped at Petsmart to buy new collars and nametags for the kitties, because they are soon-to-be outdoor cats. They will be very excited! Total cost: $2, 228.00

Yes, that's correct.

Collars: $15

Tags: $14

Groovy New Rug from Giant Carpet: $399

42 inch Plasma TV $1700

I only have the cats to blame...

but they do love their new pretty collars!

4 Years Ago

Greg and I met 4 years ago today.

That year I befriended a fellow nurse, Christine. We were chatty, but it was really just the start of a new friendship. She told me that she knew of this Great Guy whom she'd like me to meet, he was a friend of her bf. I asked a few questions and found out that he was 8 years younger than me, had just broken up with a girlfriend and was a musician. It took me two seconds to say "Thanks, but no thanks." Not interested. Turns out that she told him about me anyway but he also was not interested. He wasn't in Dating Mode.

Fast forward 6 months to October 26, 2002.

I was out local bar/restaurant on a dinner date with a male friend. I had put aside a Saturday night to go out with him and was looking forward to it. We had dinner and afterwards were having a few drinks. One of the nurses from work (Grace) happended to show up with her crowd and my dinner date took that opportunity to ditch me. I was a little ticked off with him as it was still early in the evening so I thought "screw it, I'll stay anyway." I bought myself another drink and searched for Grace. Who, I couldn't find because it was so busy. I was just about to call it a night, when who should I run into, but Christine. (Thank god, because I was feeling like a loser at a bar by myself on a Saturday night.) She took one look at me, barely said hi, and pulled Greg over to introduce us. Standing before me was a very handsome, tall drink of water. You know that line from Jerry Maguire "You had me at hello"? Well, that's how it was. From the moment we met, we connected. We gave each other googlie-eyes, and talked up a storm.
Greg's side of the story was something like this: The gang had gotten together for a hockey game earlier that evening. Greg and Christine were talking about Greg's lovelife, and Greg had asked her "what about that co-worker you had mentioned months ago? Is she still single?" Christine said she didn't know, but she'd find out. After the game, the group headed to the bar, and within the first few minutes of being there he remembers looking over Christine's shoulder wondering who she was talking to and then found himself being pulled towards me for the introduction.
So we met. At one point, Greg went to the Men's Room. His buddy followed him in. "Dude! That's The Co-worker!" "That's the Co-worker???"
Christine came scurring over to me. "Well...what do you think? Do you like him? He's The Guy I wanted you to meet months ago!" "He's The Guy????"
What we always liked about this evening, was that it really was fluke. Christine didn't know I was going to be there. We were introduced and liked each other before we realized who the other was. We were never really set up I guess...We set ourselves up.

6 months later, we went to New Orleans and there we professed our love...the rest is history :)

Green Garbage Bags

I have spent the last three weeks packing up the last four years of our life. I bought this condo just before meeting Greg, so really, it has always felt like 'our' place. He was here to help me unpack boxes, hang pictures, paint, install lighting and all sorts of handy-man odd jobs. When he officially moved in a year after we had met, he brought over a small suitcase with a broken zipper, 2 Green Garbage Bags filled to the brim, a wine rack and an assortment of music gear.

Clearly, most of the stuff I'm packing is 'mine' although really, it's 'ours.' At first, I was more than happy to pack everything up because I knew that it would be done properly. The past few days though, I've been getting a little annoyed because it really feels like I've done everything. You could even say that there's some resentment building.

So, last night (ok, it was 5 minutes after Greg got home from work) I thought I'd get it off my chest. Apparently, my timing was not the greatest. Point taken. But I nearly Lost My Nut when Greg said "I don't know why you're getting all freaked out about this. Everything looks really organized and what's not packed on the last day, we'll just throw into Green Garbage Bags."

Uh-huh. Let me tell you from whom he learned this spectacular method of packing.

Six months before Greg and I met, Two-Four decided to move from Toronto to Fergus. She got a crew of her kids together and managed to borrow a truck. Saturday morning everyone arrives...and there is not one single thing packed. She did however, have a large supply of Green Garbage Bags and instructed everyone to "just throw the shit into a bag, I'll organize it at the other end." I wasn't in the picture yet, but I can only imagine from the stories I've heard how happy everyone was. So, all of her junk, including Real Junk, ended up moving with her in Green Garbage Bags. The kids just shoved stuff in bags...pictures, bathroom supplies, food, you name it all thrown together in one bag to be organized whenever Two-Four got around to it.

Now, this story has been told to me a few times because in all of this mess, when it came time to move the bed, Louise's BF lifted the mattress and Lo and Behold did he find a treasure chest! A Personal Adult Toy and the movies to go with it! Not the kind of thing you'd want your kids, or their boyfriends to find, I'm sure! Jeff came out of her bedroom with the thing Buzzing in one hand and Seymore's Bottom Feeders video in the other and nonchalantely asked if 'this was something she wanted packed seperately!' LOL! She was embarassed, but she actually tried to say that they didn't belong to her! Ya. Right.

Anyway, I am not a Green Garbage Bag kind of packer and Greg will no longer be a Green Garbage Bag packer. I don't want to move from one place to another like a Hobo. I want to know exactly what is in each box, and where that box should be placed in the new house.

And, at the end of the day, I'll think I'll be relieved to know precisely where my Personal Items are. I'd hate for them to get into the wrong hands. (wink!)

My Turn to Post a Baby Pic!

Sal is doing great. She's a real trooper. After 30 hours of labour, she needed an emergency c-section as the cord was knotted around Liam's neck and his heart rate became tachycardic. Luckily, everything turned out well and Liam is as healthy as can be. And, cute as a button! I am thrilled that Salena wanted me to come to the hospital yesterday to see her 12 hour old baby, and while at first I was a little shy to hold him, I have to tell you that once I held him in my arms, I had a hard time putting him down. It really does feel nice to hold a baby. There is a part of me that feels a little sad for myself (I knew that would happen) but I have to think that that is natural so I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I am so happy for Sal. I've known her struggles over the past 15 years and it's good to see her at such a wonderful place in her life. It took her 42 years to get there. It's comforting to know that she is a forever friend and that I have the privilege of being in Liam's life right from day 1.

Happy Birthday...

...Liam Puxon B***n!
The little guy came into the world this morning at 6:21 weighing in at 6lbs7oz. I am so proud of Sal!

The Eve of a New Life

I am just finishing off my 5th nightshift tonight. One night off, and then three more nights. I think I have now practically turned into a vampire, which is quite suitable for the Hallowe'en season just around the corner. This afternoon, Greg and I were talking about some cosmetic improvements we want to make to the house. I said "it'll be nice to get moved in and settled before the end of summer" whereupon Greg informed me that summer has officially been over for a month already. What???? Where have I been?
Summer is over. I guess it happened while I was working nights, I don't know...but, it's been kind of nice having an extended summer, even if it's only been in my foggy sleep deprived mind.
In between packing up a katrillion boxes, I have been planning a surprise baby shower for my friend Sal to take place next Saturday. Well...imagine my surprise when she called me late last night to say that she is at the hospital, her water has broken! Her due date was meant to be Nov 24 but she spent the better of yesterday thinking that she was peeing her pants until finally someone told her that she really should get checked out at the hospital. Sure enough, that little baby is intending to celebrate it's birthday a month early! Luckily the baby is estimated to be over 6 lbs already, so everything should be ok. They've induced her, and the Little One should be making an appearance any time now.
I ended up telling her about the shower because I figured we'd have to reschedule it, but she's thinking that SHE'S going to surprise everyone by showing up with the baby! That would be hilarious, but I think that she is underestimating how exhausted she's going to be.
As I am writing this post, Sal just called to let me know that things are moving slowly and it's still going to be a few hours. I am so excited for her!

Weekend Cat Blogging #72

Guess who's King and Queen of the Castle? (That would be Madame Dutchess, and Mr. Mao, of course!)The kitties know that something is up...when they are not perched on top of boxes, they are perched on our laps, or at least have us in their eyesight. No chance of us leaving them behind!For more Weekend Cat Blogging, go check out Jelly and Kamikaze who have very kindly volunteered to host this weekend. That Kamikaze! What a Rock Star!

Nightshift

I'm working nightshift for the next few weeks which is probably not such a bad thing in that I can get a lot of stuff done during the day with regards to packing and cleaning and such. The other night, I took some pictures in the Recovery Room. It was nearly 3am and it was very, very quiet. On weekends, I work alone, and let me tell you, it can be a very lonely (sometimes creepy!) place.

Tootin' My Own Horn...

Two weeks to go until we move! We are living amidst a mountain of boxes, bubble wrap and general chaos. The kitties know something is up. They both enjoy playing King of the Castle on top of the boxes.
This weekend I sorted through all 8 of my Junk Drawers throwing away old bills, receipts, movie stubs etc. In amongst all the junk, I came across a letter sent to be by one of my patients' daughters. Coincidently, this patient died exactly 4 years ago to the date of me finding the note. So, at the risk, of tooting my own horn, I'm going to share it.
Dear Dr. G,
I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the deep compassion abd excellent care, my father and I recieved from your staff.
My 85 yrs. old father, LW was a patient on your unit and died on Oct 15, 2002. It was an incredibly sad & difficult time for us. Yet admidst all this, Ramona, the nurse on duty, provided exceptional care to my father & emotional support and common sense to me. She did everything to maximize my Dad's comfort in a most professional & competent manner. Both she, and MM, the chaplain, inspired in me courage with their gentleness, goodness and compassion.
Thanks to their interventions, letting my Dad go, was hard and sad but not traumatic. My 22 year old daughter left the unit with me aftermy father's last breath-no longer afraid of death.
Thank you all, and congratulations for the outstanding care you provide.
Sincerely,
BI
It's not often that family members or patients take the time to write notes, and I'm glad that I still kept this one. It reminds me, that I did chose a career that directly affects people's lives, at their most vulnerable times in their lives, and hopefully I can make those times a little easier for them.
Finding little notes like this somehow re-inspires me.

WCB #71

Okay. I've decided not to panic. I absolutely did not save my original template, but I have figured out how to add links again. Trouble is, I've had to rack my brains trying to remember the All the Blogs that Make me Purr. So, my apologies if you are not on the list, and if you'd like to be added, let me know!

I'm supposed to be packing today, but haven't gotten very far as Blogger has kept me distracted. Rosa, from Rosa's Yummy-yums is hosting this weeks' Weekend Cat Blogging. I know she wanted pics of Cat's looking silly, however, this one is of Madame Dutchess watching me madly trying to re-do my whole blog. Guess I was the one who was silly today...

OHHHHHNOOOOOO!!!!!

I've messed up my blog in playing around with the beta updates and have lost my original template and therefore, all my links. I'm SOOO mad at myself. Does anyone have any ideas?
I could cry!!!!!!

Capital Letters. For EMPHASIS. Or just Because.

For about the past 10 days, I've been coming to this site daily to see the new, exciting, funny, interesting topics Kross-Eyed Kitty is talking about. And, each and every day, especially the past 4 days, I am disappointed to see that there is nothing New.
What is going on with the Kross-Eyed One these days???
Hmpph. Who knows?
The weather is changing, it's getting Cold. The mornings are dark, the evenings are dark. Is it SAD?
Maybe.
The trailer STILL hasn't been properly shut down for the year. Greg and I were battling seasonal virus Something-or-Others last weekend. I managed to make Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 people, Greg slept through it. Hopefully, it won't Snow this weekend, like it did today. There is a lot of outdoor work that needs to be done.
My MIL, Two-Four, is driving me CRAZY! Normally, I can handle her Wackiness, but right now, I am ready to pull out my hair in frustration. She has diagnosed her 16 yr old with Chronic Depression. She broke up with her bf, is heart-broken, and,apparently,is now Chronically Depressed. Two-Four kept her home from school for 10 days, then took her daughter to any doctor who was willing to Drug the poor girl up, and has arranged for a Psychiatrist. I am speechless.
Anybody else out there who's mother had them practically committed to an Insane Asylum at age 16 for breaking up with a boyfriend? Let me just also add, that this is the Same Mother who called the Cops during an argument with Said Daughter two weeks ago and threatened to send her to Foster Care. Let me also add, that this is the Same Mother who allowed (bullied) a doctor to put the Same Daughter (aged 8 years old) to be put on anti-anxiety meds. Jeezuz Kee-rist! Who the F**K is the one who needs to be committed?
I said too much, and now Two-Four is pissed at me. Our first rift. Sigh. I'm heart-broken...not. She's Nuts. Certifiably.
I gave my Brother Shit on Monday for being a drunken arsehole. Since he's broken up with his Pot-head GF, he's come up to the trailer every weekend and gotten Shit-faced Drunk. He's not a good drunk...he's a Turner. It's like he's missing the Enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. I know that I am an Enabler of sorts, who allows him to come and spend weekends with us. But I do feel sorry for him because he doesn't have any friends, and considers Greg his Best Friend. I love my Brother, I am close to him, he is the bridge between my Mom and I, but I sure as hell am not his babysitter, and don't want to be the one apologizing for His behaviour all the time.
We're packing up. Or, rather, I'M packing up. It's amazing how much stuff you can pack into a 1 bedroom apartment, especially when there are 30 boxes plus furniture odd and ends in MIL 2's garage. How ever did it all fit Before?
We went to see the House again last night, this time bringing my Mom along to see the place. Well, She LOVED it! I'm not surprised that She loved it. Nor, am I surprised, that SHE LOVED,ABSOLUTELY LOVED!!! the Hideous Wallpaper in the living room and hallway. When I said that it would be the First thing to go, She snidly said to our real estate agent (who is Greg's Buddy) that she "hoped that Ramona wouldn't ruin this beautiful house with her awful decorating ideas."
Just have to shake my head at that one. And take a deep breath. !!!SERENITY NOW!!!
I haven't been feeling Very Pretty lately...I'd let my legs get Hairy, my toenails were Chipped, my fingernails looked like a Farm Hand's, and the yoo-hoo area was looking like a Cave Woman's. (Okay, TMI, I know...)
But let me tell ya....it's not a good idea to try to do your own Bikini Wax. I mean, what the HELL was I thinking?!?!
PLEASE, take it from Me. We were not MEANT to do our own Bikini wWaxes. It's a Disaster. God, I hope I don't have to go for an Emergency Pap Smear.
(Never mind that when I decided to put nail polish on my Farm Hand Fingers, it ended up being the same shade as Canned Tuna Fish. It was the only shade I had.) Whatever happened to the Girly-Girl I used to be??????
OK. Hockey's on, and I have a Baby Shower to plan. The SAME Baby Shower I decided to have the Weekend before we move.
Things are Looking Up.
Aren't Ya glad Ya stopped by?!

I have a confession to make. In fact, this is something I've been feeling very guilty about for the past 24 hours because I am ashamed of myself.
See...yesterday I was at Old Navy and I was trying on jeans. Now, ANY woman must know how stressful this act alone is, but it is especially so when your ass has expanded by 30 pounds in the past year. Just saying.
So, there was this Asian woman shopping in the store with her two very adorable little pigged-tailed girls, both dressed in pink. Very sweet. I remember admiring them. But after a few minutes of me browsing around, all I could hear were these two little girls laughing and running around. They were about 3 and 5 yrs old. Racing in around the racks of clothes, pulling things off the hangars....and SCREETCHING!!!!! Maybe that is why I noticed them. Kept noticing them.
I went into the change room, and of course the jean size I fit into LAST year, didn't fit anymore. Sweat poured off of me as I tried to pour myself into those jeans to no avail. No amount of jumping up and down, and pretending to sit down and stretch out the ass would make them fit. But the SCREETCHING continued in the main room....and in my head!
The sweat was pouring down my back, but I was determined to buy myself some clothes ('cause apparently, my whole wardrobe has shrunk.) The little Hellions were running around only by now they had found a squeaky toy that when they weren't pressing it between their sweaty little hands, they were jumping upon like it was a spider. And SQEEEEEEELING like the frickin' thing had exploded beneathe their feet.
I grabbed my Biggy Girl jeans and made my way to the back, pissed-off, irritated, red-faced, my make-up melted down to my jowls, my hair sticking to my melted make-up, the squeaky-toy still squeeking at an ear-piercing decibel.
I managed to get the Biggy Girl jeans over my ample hips, took one look, pulled them off my ample hips (along with my underwear...Oops!) and literally had one of those moments where all I saw was RED. I wasn't thinking clearly, I didn't know what I was going to do...just that I was going to SAY something because if I didn't I was going to EXPLODE!
I know I wasn't the only person annoyed by these two girls, and I noticed that the mother was just nonchalantly shopping for herself letting her kids run wild. There were other people commenting on these kids.
So, like I said, I was pissed. I don't go shopping often but when I am in the mood, I like to take my time. This was most unpleasant. I was seeing RED and I didn't handle it well.
I stormed out of that change room with my super-sized pants and headed straight for the older girl and very clearly said "You need to be a lot more quiet!"
That's all I said.
But, then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the mother was paying attention!!! OMG! What had I done? Why could I keep my big mouth shut and just pay for my Pup-tent jeans and get the hell out of there?
MOM: DID YOU JUST SAY SOMETHING TO MY KIDS???????!!!!!!
ME: (silently storming to the cash register hoping that no one was going to call the cops)
MOM: YOU BITCH....YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING TO MY KIDS! MINE YOUR BUSINESS!
ME: looking straight ahead but secretly laughing because she said 'mine' instead of 'mind'

HA! MINE YOUR OWN KIDS LADY! TAKE THEM TO THE PLAYGROUND AND DON'T FORCE YOUR KIDS' RAMBUNCTIOUSNESS ON OTHERS.

Sigh. Is this god's way of saying I'd be a lousy mother, and that's why it's never going to happen? I know I didn't handle that well.

Working nightshift this past week has completely messed up my inner clock. I thought I had done well with 'turning myself around' this weekend but I was wrong. It's 3am, and here I sit in front of my computer, wide awake. Don't get me wrong...I have already slept. In fact, I went to be at 9:30 but an hour ago I found myself lying in bed, eyes wide open, with Mao curled up in my right arm as per usual. So now, I'm awake, and both cats are awake, and Greg gets to make like a starfish in our bed.
This afternoon we went to an engagement party for some friends of Greg's. Greg has known Elvi (short for Elvira) (she is a very pretty blonde, in case you had just conjured up a vision of a Gothic Vamp!) since grade 7, and the party ended up being somewhat of reunion and a lot of fun. It crossed my mind earlier that when these guys were in Grade 7, I was already in my second year of University. Sometimes, it freaks me out a little when I play that 'Age Game.' Like, I remember watching the Lunar Landing on our 12 inch coloured tv, back in '69. I was 4, Greg wasn't even born. When I was in Grade 7, he was 4. Of course, now our age difference isn't a big deal, the gap is narrowing and most days I don't really think about it at all. But, every once in a while it does occur to me.
Twice in the past week people have made comments about the Bungalow we are moving into next month. Comments about retiring in this house, and how good it will be that there are so few stairs. And then, my imagination gets the best of me and I think what if I get old and decrepit and Greg will have to help me with get up those four stairs with my walker...or maybe we'll have to get one of those Stair Chairs...or build a wheelchair ramp.
But why am I thinking about this at all? Because it's the middle of the night and apparently I've got nothing better to think about. And god knows I don't want to fold the pile of laundry that Mao is now lying on, and doing dishes would be too noisy.
Anyway, I realize that I'm kind of going on about nothing, so I think I'm going to play some Mah Jong now.
'Night.

WCB #69

Here are the Couch Potatoes...need I say more? Actually, this is Mr. Mao's usual position, Madame Dutchess just likes to park herself on us when she wants to be fed, lest we forget about that. Head on over to The House of (Mostly) Black Cats for this weeks roundup of Weekend Cat Blogging.

A Link to the Past

Although there is a lot of stuff going on right now, it all seems so mundane and just not blogworthy enough.
The last few weekends have given us damp cold weather so we haven't been to the trailer. Doesn't look like we're going there this weekend either with definite rain in the forecast and only a high of 11 C (which is 51.8F in American.) I'm sure that the cats would stare at us peevishly and think that we were animal torturers if we were to take them there this weekend. They are a wee bit spoiled, and like to be warm.
My friend KD was in town for a conference and a few of us managed to get together for dinner last night. It's always fun rehashing old times when we met back in Saudi and were working at the Eye Hospital. The pictures here show what my accomodations were like. It's hard to believe that I was only 27 when I arrived there. I was young, full of adventure, and everyday life was new and exciting. Kevin reminded me of our weekend to Jubail which I hadn't thought about in years. Jubail is an Industrial Oil City, and I remember driving past miles and miles of Oil Refineries to get to their only hotel by the sea. The Eastern Provinces are much more liberal than Riyadh so it was a great weekend away with our male friends and we didn't have to worry about the religious police. There was sand, beach, turquoise water, paddle boats, speed boats. Kevin, the natural athlete wowed everybody with his water-skiing abilities. What was great about this hotel, was that Westerners and Saudis spent the weekend together harmoniously, all enjoying the weekend. We did have a good laugh though, recalling the Saudi women dressed completely in their black garb on the paddle boats, some even daring to go into the water with their metres of abaya floating around them in an inky mess. Very daring for them...what they must have thought of us, baring all in our bathing suits in front of men! And might I mention that the guys were wearing Speedos?!
On my second night in Riyadh, Kevin had indroduced me to KD, figuring that we would like each other because of our common interest in the band Blue Rodeo. KD knocked on my door a few hours after our introduction and invited me to 'Dip Night.' She had an excellent connection at the Canadian Embassy and once a month, on a Wednesday night (the Saudi equivalent of Friday night) they would provide real booze for their expatriots. I was terribly jet-lagged but she would not take no for an answer! So, I went.
Let's just say it was my Coming Out Party. I was the new meat in town...and Boy! did I feel like Scarlett O'Hara! The ratio of men:women is probably 10:1. Being a very inexperienced 27 year old I thought I had died and gone to heaven! I have never had that many men literally at my feet wanting to get to know me. But I have to say, it was a once in a lifetime experience...it never happened again. After one week...it was all over. KD, took me around town and introduced me to many people, and of course, I had to fall for the biggest Leba-loser in the world. OK, maybe not in the whole world, but none-the-less, the biggest loser in the world that I have ever come across. But, that's a whole other story, and lets just say that after 8 years of mental abuse and immmaturity, that chapter ended. But my friendships with KD and Kevin, and a whole slew of people in England, Australia and the US have survived, and every once in a while it's really good to stir up those old memories.

TGIF...

I've never been happier to see the end of a work week.
It has been super busy in the Recovery Room. With summer vacations being over, the surgeons are all back full-force working on the backlog of patients awaiting their operations.
The days were hectic, and patients were generally very grateful that a)their surgeries were finally over b) that they were alive and c)that there was a hospital bed assigned to them.
One patient stands out this week because she was the most obnoxious, manipulative, rude, passive-aggressive Wench that I've ever come across in sixteen years of nursing. I was very nice and accommodating to her, although, I must admit, when she wasn't looking, I was rolling my eyeballs around so much that it hurt. And, as time passed, I would really have liked to have given her a good swift kick to the head (only I'm not limber enough.) But, let me reitterate: I was polite to her...at no point did I intentionally antagonize her. I have witnesses!
This woman has had a significant chronic illness since she was 8. So, she has been in and out of hospitals since then and let's just say, that she knows her way around hospitals probably better than any doctor or nurse. Because of this illness, she has abnormal muscle tone, so this surgery was the second blilateral browlift that she has had in a few years. (Ummm..not sure but the surgeon might have actually overcompensated the browlift so he wouldn't have to deal with her again...her brows were perfect semi-circles located quite close to her browline. She kind of looked like she was going to have a permanent SURPRISED! look which, I must admit, was incredibly comical.) (And, she had little beady eyes) However, comical she was not.
This woman gave me such a hard time when she found out where her bed assignment was. In our hospital, the plastic surgury beds are shared with the orthopaedic unit. She felt that the nurses would not be able to handle her condition adequately, that she needed to be assigned on a unit with neurosurgical patients. So...she would rather be sharing a room with a head injured trauma patient, that someone with a broken bone. (OK>>>WTF?!) I tried assuring her that the nurses were well aware of her condition, and would be able to handle it. She threatened to pull out her IV, find her clothes and leave the hospital if she was being forced to go there. She wanted to speak to the Hospital Administrator. Then she started the spitting. She spat and spat and spat some more, and I was so grossed out! She told me she was having an asthma attack and if she were at home, she would take her puffer. Uh...Ya...right. I didn't hear a single wheeze, but I humoured her. I got her a brand new puffer, and a brand new aerochamber ( a plastic thing that makes it a little easier to take puffers)
Then I called her surgeon, told him I was having a problem with her, that she didn't want to go to her assigned bed, and also needed a specific kind of pain medication for her, because "nothing else worked for her" and that she was being rather difficult.
Anyway...blah-dee-blah-dee-blah...long story short...she refused to sign the Leave Against Medical Advice form without "Her Lawyer present" but left anyway and took the freakin' bus home...Highbrows and all.
I had a funny feeling about her, so I filled in all kinds of forms, wrote myself an email about her and called the appropriate Hospital Higher-ups. They, of course ignored my phone message, until.....
...Yesterday, she decided to return to the hospital to file a complaint about me. Apparently, I have given her HIV from a dirty aerochamber and she was demanding bloodwork to be done! Can you friggin' believe that?!?!?!?!
The Patient Advocate to whom she was complaining to, recalled my message so suddenly she had the heads up! There was no reasoning with this psycho woman and she eventually made her way to the CEO of the hospital! OMG!!!
In a way, I'm impressed because I would have no idea what the $2 Million Man looked like, and she had the balls to sit in his office and refuse to leave until she had her wishes met! I can only hope that he might sympathize with a lowly nurse upon meeting the likes of her.
So, she had her HIV test.
But I'll bet at least $2 Million that that won't be the last time that she wreaks havoc in Ontario's hospital system.

WCB #68

Mr. Mao would love to wish Sarah Jane a very Happy 3rd 24th Birthday, and would be very happy to help Tiggy blow out some candles! Thanks for hosting WCB this week!

ICE: In Case of Emergency

The following information was posted on my work email today from our Security Department. It seems like a really good idea, so I thought I would pass it on.
Security Task Force Safety Tip: ICE - In Case of Emergency
A recent article from the Toronto Star, "the ICE idea", is catching on and it is a very simple, yet important method of contact for you or a loved one in case of an emergency. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is program the number of a contact person or persons and store the name as "ICE". The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when they went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients,but they didn't know which numbers to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name to file "next of kin" under.
Following a disaster in London. .The East Anglican Ambulance Servicehas launched a national "In case of Emergency (ICE)" campaign. The idea is that you store the word "ICE " in your mobile phone addressbook, and with it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted "In Case of Emergency ." In an emergency situation, Emergency Services personnel and hospital staff would then be able to quickly contact your next of kin, by simply dialling the number programmed under "ICE". For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.
A great idea that could make a difference!

Mirror, mirror...

Does anyone know where I can buy a mirror that will do this?! Or, perhaps goggles that the rest of the world can wear so that I don't have to go on a diet (again!)

WCB#67

Mr. Mao dreams of one day being a big-shot celebrity cat on TV (this was the best pic I could find in a music-and-arts theme!)
Many thanks to Cat Synth for volunteering for Weekend Cat Blogging this weekend! Do go check it out for more links to cute kitty pics and wonderful blogs.

Toronto Film Festival

OK, now for something WAYYYYY more light-hearted. Last night I went to the World Premiere of El Cantante at the Toronto Film Festival, and it was so much fun!!!
The red carpet was rolled out, it was all a glitz and a glamour, the paparazzi were out in full force...and all just waiting for me! Nahhh, you you that's not true. They weren't waiting for me, but rather for JLo and Marc Anthony!

She looked absolutely stunning in a long white sequined gown, her hair piled high on top of her head. He, looked a little tiny, to be truthful.

Before the movie started, the director and JLo and Marc went on stage and said a few words. The crowd went WILD when JLo spoke! She came across as being very happy, friendly, and humble. Marc didn't say a whole lot, he let her have the limelight but he did have a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

I really enjoyed the movie, both JLo and Marc were excellent, and the Salsa music was incredible...I have a new respect for Marc Anthony.

" The fabulous Lopez delivers the goods as Puchi: all tight dresses, oversized sunglasses and sexy New York brass. Anthony is a revelation, bringing a pitch-perfect combination of charm and vulnerability to the endearing but star-crossed Hector. His captivating vocals adorn re-recordings of Lavoe's hits - an unforgettable repertoire of classic songs that enrich the story with all the lustiness, joy and heartbreak this music conveys - in entrancing concert set-pieces. El Cantante is a must-see, a tale of love and loss set to an irresistible clave beat."

Sept 11

I didn't want today to pass without making an acknowledgment about Sept 11th.
I remember being at work that day and a physiotherapist came by and very quietly said that something bad had happened at the World Trade Centre in New York. We always have a few TV's set up for patients who are well enough to watch and that day, I have to admit, we were all glued to CNN.
I remember going on my morning coffee break, and a bunch of us were silently watching the news. We were all there together when the second plane flew into the second tower. I remember we were all looking at each other, shocked, confused, and the newscaster's voice was breaking up in anguish. We cleared out the ICU, and our director contacted NYC letting them know that we had available beds if needed. My 12 hour shift turned into a 14 hour shift, we were on Code Orange Alert, and not permitted to go home. As it turned out, the beds were not needed...there weren't enough survivors who required ICU.
The world has never been the same, and likely never will be as innocent as it once was.
What frightens me the most about these terrorists, is their affiliation to Islam, and how they have declared a Holy War. I have lived in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, the home of Mecca. I don't think that Islam is evil, let's just get that straight. The majority of people I met were extremely kind, respectful, and thankful for the care that their family members were receiving. I loved living there and learning about their culture. Most people there lead their lives in a quiet religious manner, following the tenents of Islam. There were times, admittedly, that I felt suffocated by the lifestyle, and I did my fair share of eyeball rolling. But mostly, my thoughts were: live and let live...I didn't go there to change their way of thinking, I went there to experience it. I am interested in religion, I just personally, don't want much to do with it.
This past week, I read a book by Kathy Reichs called Cross Bones. On the last page of the book, I came across something that expresses exactly how I feel:
"The Torah, the Bible, the Koran. Each offers a recipe for spiritual contentment, for hope, for love, and for controlling basic human passions, and each claims to have gotten the recipe straight from God, but via a different messenger. They're all just trying to provide a formula for orderly, spiritual living, but somehow the message gets twisted, like cells in a body turning cancerous. Self-appointed spokesmen declare the boundaries of correct belief, outsiders are labeled heretics, and the faithful are called upon to attack them. I don't think it was meant to be that way."

Whoo-hoo. Sunday night and I'm at work. As I start this post it is 1:13am, and tonight is one of those nights when I won't be able to catch a nap. The OR is still running, they are operating on some poor soul who has a bowel obstruction, and I am watching over a 20-something youngling who had his appendix removed today, and there are no beds available in the hospital for him post-operatively. Welcome to Canadian healthcare. At least he is a very nice young guy who is sleeping quite peacefully. I'll be the one struggling to stay awake.
Weekends when I work, I am the only nurse on nightshift, and it's a dark, lonely place here in the Recovery Room. I am working with an Environmental Service Provider, which is a fancy way of saying Housekeeper. I guess everyone gets to have a politically correct title these days, except us Nurses. Really though , he is here because otherwise I would be completely alone save for the nicely drugged up, sleeping patient I am watching. I hardly think that he would be able to help me if the boogy-man were to come and get me.
Anyway, the ESP is nice enough, but I don't know him very well, and he is well, a little odd. Last night he brought in a pillow for him to rest his head on during nap time. Know what it was? An empty wine bag that he had filled with air. You know when you buy a box of wine and there is a bag inside with a spout so it's like you have a little keg-o-wine? Well, he says you can fill it up with as much or as little air as you like, and it's quite comfortable. (Except for the tin-foil crinkle sound everytime you move your head!!!) He also has a tendency to listen in on conversations and add his two cents worth. So, he knows I've just bought a house, and he thought he would give me an unsolicited tip about driveway paving. The first time he mentioned it, I humoured him. Twenty minutes later he continued his lesson on driveway paving and tarring. Half an hour later, he discussed sealing. Another half hour later he remembered that you have to prime before you seal.
WTF?! I finally had to say to him that I really had no intention of paving, tarring, or sealing my driveway anytime soon, that the driveway actually looked pretty good. At the rate he was going, I thought he might actually want to discuss it all night!
Sigh. OK, I'm mean, I know. He was just trying to be nice.
I'll stop blogging now and throw him a bone. Maybe I'll ask him how to prevent ants from building anthills in the driveway cracks just to get the conversation rolling again...

Book Club

With all the excitement of buying a new house, I forgot to mention that we bought it the night before Greg flew Out West for 5 days to Guitar Tech for a band. We've been on the phone numerous times throughout these days, but today there was no running around and I had a really quiet day to myself.
What did I do? I started a book The Birth House when I woke up from my nightshift at noon. It's now 10pm and I just finished it! It was that good, that I just could not put it down.
So now, a quick shower before I head off to work again.
Read the book...it's an 11/10.

WCB #66

Who needs a stuffed animal on a bed, when I've got a very sleepy Mr. Mao making himself all cozy? This week, head on over to Chef Sarah Jane's place to catch up on Weekend Cat Blogging. Thanks Sarah Jane!

Lemons and Auras

There are times, when life sends unexpectedly good things my way. I don't think that I am a particularly 'lucky' person, but I do know that when I have a desire for something, it usually happens in a very good way.
Now, I've mentioned before, that I am not a particularly religious person, and I don't believe in heaven or hell. And, while my thinking or beliefs might be considered unorthodox (maybe even childish) I do believe that when your body dies, your spirit lives on. Not in the form of a ghost, but maybe more of as an Aura.
So, when good things happen to me, I like to think that it is my Dad watching out for me.
The year after my Dad died, I needed a reliable car. I went out one day with my brother to various used car dealerships, and all we found were expensive, rusty lemons. It was a cold, miserable day and we were only too happy to get home. My brother resumed his position on the couch and I read the Buy and Sell section of the paper. I saw an ad for the exact car I wanted and called the number. A little old lady answered and said that it was her grand-daughter selling the car, but that it was 'just lovely.' After much grumbling from my brother I talked him into going out to see the car (it was quite a hike away.) I remember saying to him "if the car is green, I'm going to buy it." We turned the corner, the car was green, it ran perfectly, it was half the price of the used-car lot lemons, and I had a new car. They even threw in the winter tires.
I believe my Dad sent me to look at this car. I have had the car for 6 years now, and have never had a problem with it. And have never been in a car accident with it.
I lived in my first downtown condo for two years. I called it my Chickie-pad and lived a 'Sex in the City' kind of lifestyle courtesy of Lavalife. When I adopted Mr. Mao, my Chickie-pad was suddenly too small for me and a cat. I also found myself enjoying evenings at home with Mao more than going out on a bunch of blind dates. But with no room for a litter box, and a very hyper cat, it became a lemon.
So, I bought this condo for Mao 4 years ago. Three weeks after moving in, I met Greg. And, the day after meeting him, I just knew. I just knew that he was The One. We have been very happy living here, and again, I believe that my Dad somehow arranged this.
Last week we went house hunting. The first house we fell in love with was absolutely not in the area where we had wanted to live. I grew up in the Suburbs, and didn't want to move back. As you know, that house ended up being a lemon. In looking around at the area where we wanted to live, the houses were all very run down and would have required thousands of dollars of renovations in order for them to be even livable. I asked Greg to have an open mind about the suburbs, knowing in my heart, that it was our best option, but not wanting to push him into living in a place where he would be unhappy.
Surprisingly, Greg took a day off work, and drove around the city with a list of all the houses that he had seen on MLS. He came home later that day, and he agreed that we would be smarter to move a little further out of the downtown core to get more value for our money.
The very next house we looked at, is the one we bought. It needs no renovations. It has a yard. It is walking distance to the beach. It is 10 minutes from my mom (far enough away that she can't drop by for a cup of sugar, close enough that it's made her VERY happy) ( I even bull-shitted her and told her we had moved closer to her on purpose, figuring the white lie wouldn't hurt!) It is a 25 minute drive to the core. I was automatically approved for a mortgage, and since I had worked at this particular bank branch 17 years ago, my financial advisor gave me the staff mortgage rate.
And something else, that's a little strange? The Sellers of this house, have family photos hanging everywhere. In their bedroom, is a portrait of a man, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Greg. We were teasing Greg when we initially went through the house. When the deal was signed the Sellers wanted to meet us, so we spent an hour getting to know each other. I asked the husband who the fellow in the picture was. He looked at the picture, looked at Greg, looked at his wife, his wife looked at Greg, and she whispered "Dave, my son." Is that freakin' spooky or what?!
Well, the story goes on. They asked us if we need basement furniture (which we do) and they said that they were interested in selling everything in the basement, including the giant tv's and all the stereo equipment, and if we wanted it, we had first dibs. And, we could have all the booze in the bar, they didn't want it.
Crazy. Now I'm wondering where Dave is, in all of this. (I hope that he is still alive and kicking.)

Is it silly of me to think that my Dad is watching over me?
I kind of like the thought.

New House

Hmmm, hmmm-hmmm-hmmm...
Would you like to see my new house?
Click Here! and check out the multimedia button at the top.
We put an offer in tonight, and it was accepted!
I can't wait! I don't even think I'm going to miss my red kitchen anymore...

WCB #65---Whisker Glory

You know that old saying "If something is too good to be true, it usually is?" Well, we went to have one more look at the house we liked so much, and ended up being terribly disappointed. There was water damage in the basement, and when Greg pulled up the carpeting in one of the corners, the subfloor was black with water damage, and the termites were scurrying away! Ewwwww! We decided to walk away quickly, very quickly.
So, we are back to the house hunt. One thing that we discovered though, was that we are keeping an open mind to making the move back in to the suburbs. The houses are more affordable, the properties are bigger, and the area we are looking in is really just 25 minutes from the downtown core. I'm sure we'll find something in the next few weeks.
Our long weekend at the trailer was wet and rainy, but a lot of fun. I had some of my friends up for a couple of nights, and it was a great, cozy time. I think everyone had a good weekend, despite the tail end of Ernesto raining down on us.
I was too late for Weekend Cat Blogging this week, but do take the time to head on over to Miss Ellies Page who was kind enough to host this week.
Here's The Dutchess, in all her Whisker Glory.

I am impulsive.
Have I ever mentioned this before?
I am impulsive.


Whenever I think that something is a great idea...I am right in.
RIGHT IN.
This led me to an experience in Saudi Arabia...ALL impulse.
This led me to my first condo-buy in Toronto.
It has led me to a lot more, benign events and experiences, but let's just agree, that one of my character flaws, or colours, is that I allow impulsivity to rule my life.

I found a house that I really like.
Like, I REALLY LIKE this house!
Here's the listing:
http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=4878414
Whaddaya think?

WCB#64

This has been a roller-coaster of a week.
On Monday, we heard that there may be an offer coming in on the condo. (UP) It never happended. (DOWN)Then we heard that there were other's interested and perhaps we would be dealing with multiple offers. (UP)That, never happend. (DOWN)
On Tuesday, Kristi had her beautiful baby girl, Isabella Carmelina (what a beautiful name!) (UP, UP, UP!)
On Wednesday morning, my friend Paul ended his life. (DOWN, WAY DOWN) On Wednesday evening, we got a lowball offer on the condo, (SLIGHTLY UP)but still no firm sale by midnight. (DOWN)
On Thurday morning, negotiation for condo sale were on again. (UP) Then, we found out that MIL#2 spent the day in the Emergency Dept as she thought she was having a heart attack. (DOWN)Thankfully, it wasn't, but she had to wait all day to get the final results. (UP)
Thursday evening, the condo finally sold. (YES! You heard right...the condo has sold!) It went for a lower price than I had wanted, but I think it is a fair price. (UP, UP, UP!)
Friday, was a fairly neutral day.
Today, we started our house hunt. I feel a little desperate already, as we only have two months to find our new home. )(A LITTLE DOWN) In the afternoon, we went to the Toronto Humane Society. We are seriously thinking about adoption, and increasing the size of our family! (UP) But we realize that we need to investigate this a lot further. Most of the dogs seem to be Pitbulls, which we're not interested in. (Sorry Pitbull fans.) Next, we headed on over to Buskerfest which is taking place in our neighbourhood, and also did some veggie-shopping at the Farmer's Market. With my arms laden-full, didn't I go and trip over a crack in the side walk and fall ass-over-tits in front of about a billion people?! (DOWN!) Oh...what a way to end the week! I scraped the top of my foot, my knee, my elbow, and have wrenched my shoulder and the left side of my neck. What a glam-bag I am!
When we got home, I thought I'd read the paper (why did I skip ahead to the obits? Poor Paul...) I guess Mr. Mao thought he'd plunk his arse down so I couldn't read it and get upset all over again...it didn't quite work...but what is it about cats that as soon as you open a newspaper, they have to sit on it and claim it as their own? Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?!?
Please head on over to Boolicious who is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging this week. Boo is a food lover from Kuala Lampur, Malaysia who has many mouth-watering photos of Malaysian food, and is, of course, a fellow kitty-lover.
Thanks for hosting this week, Boo! 

I took a mental health day today.
Yesterday, a friend committed suicide. He was not a close friend, in fact, we had kind of drifted apart over the past few years, but he was someone whom I liked and respected.
I first met Paul when I had just moved back from Saudi, and he had just moved back from Texas. We instantly became friends, and, as I was single then, I developed a crush on him. He was so nice! Nothing ever became of that crush but there was a group of us who spent a few summers together hanging out. Paul was always the social organizer and it would be nothing for him and his parents to invite us all up to their cottage for a weekend. His brothers would also be there and we'd have huge bonfires at the lake, and the guys would get their guitars and drums out, invite all the neighbours, and it would be so much fun.
Paul's mom died a few years ago, and I know he took it very hard. His mom was a nurse, and Paul also decided to be a nurse, much to his father's chagrin. I recall his dad making weird little comments about it.
Anyway, Paul hadn't been himself for the last while. He had taken stress leave this summer and had recently come back to work. I frequently saw him wandering around the hospital grounds by himself and conversations I had with him were polite, but flat. I knew he was depressed, everyone did. He didn't try to hide it, but also didn't want to talk about it.
I saw him on Monday in the hallway, and I remember that we had stopped awkwardly to say hello, as people rushed by us.
Never, not in a million years, would I have thought that that Hello... might have actually meant, Goodbye.

Happy Birthday!

Welcome to the world, Isabella Carmelina!
Interrupted Wanderlust's, Kristi , gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl Tuesday August 22.
Congratulations, and Happy Birthday!