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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Huge unidentified object spotted in the sky....

It's bright and hot, and hopefully will be seen again (forecast for tomorrow: periods of rain). This is two days in a row, people! After rain for 35 of the last 40 days, it's looked pretty good! Yesterday was a work-BBQ, which was (honestly) a really good time. It's nice to work with people whose company I actually enjoy. Today was lots of running around, and finally some planting! I'll save myself a few thousand words, and show you some pictures (hey! remember when I used to sew sometimes? That was neat. My sewing room is shameful, and I really need to do something about that....)


A few weeks ago, Adam bit into an apple and the seeds were starting to sprout (that's weird, right?). So he stuck them in some peat pellets, and we were told to start putting them out in the day to harden the trees. Still so wee....


We did some planting in the front, where the hound can't get it (and if I catch a cat out there, I'll have some nice new slippers). I picked out all orange and rust coloured flowers, and some "cinnamon" coloured accent grass; I'm pretty excited to see how it looks once it all fills in, and blooms. I'm also pretty proud that this only took us about an hour.





The veggies seeds have been purchased, to be planted later this week.




(I had pansies, but they were relocated to a planter by the front door). We also made a trip to the VV boutique to pick up some books for shelves. Books for shelves, you say? To which I reply, yees. Like this:


And also, a k-nick, k-nack shelf that needs a re-make (poopy picture, I know)

And ladies, and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to the monkeys who live in my head:
I cannot express to you how much I love loooooooove these monkeys!



I'm pretty fond of this monkey too:


He's decided that the hammock is his. But he's willing to share, so it's okay. What a difference a year makes (there was a little more room last year). ;D

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Well more rain than we’d seen for a thousand years

Caused financial joys and biblical fears
It caused some smiles it caused some tears
But more to the point of our story.... (to quote Corb Lund).
I'm convinced that I don't have an ear infection: I think I've gone mouldy. In the past month (or more? Has it been more already??) we've had 2 days where we could see the sun. I think even the dog is depressed. My sister emailed me this a few days ago:


....which would be funnier if it didn't seem to frickin' accurate. However! Today it's just grey and cloudy and dreary, no rain, which means that we can do dog training outside, which is v. exciting! Today: we start leash training, thank God. See? I'm not the only one who's excited!
I've decided that I have to sew today, I think I'll make a few mug rugs for my ma. Cross my heart! Sewing will be done! As soon as I tidy up the sewing room.... *insert the sound of chirping crickets here*. That revelation came to me today when I was trying to find a spot to take some VV Boutique pictures. Shameful. I've been down with this ear thing for a week; that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. But look what I bought!


Bunnicula!! I love Bunnicula! $0.99!! (Does anyone have any suggestions for removing those old library stickers?) The Joy Of Writing was something I was going to buy when it first came out, but I'm glad I waited. $2.99 is much better than $25.

These were $0.99 each. The trivet is in anticipation of our new countertop (which I'm hoping will happen in the next few months; I'll be burying the drain tray in the backyard). I don't know what I'll do with the tin, but I love the graphics. And also, this:


Two double rolls of wallpaper for $3.99. Now, the thought of having your entire kitchen papered in this? A nauseating flashback to 1987. Using it to cover the shelves in the cupboard? A kitschy treat every time you reach for a glass.


Since it's the long weekend, this afternoon and tomorrow will be spent cleaning and hopefully sewing. I would still like to get some plant beds in, but I'll see what happens (it's cold, people! There's a frost warning for tonight for parts of NB and NS! WHAT???).


"Hey, does my ass look fat??" Bwahahaha. Turkey-butt.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I've been unwell: a post in which I complain relentlessly




I was woken up at 6am Sunday morning by a throbbing ear, but I thought, hey, some ear drops and Advil, and I'll be fine. That did not work. Sunday night, I had to sleep sitting up on the couch. In a less enlightened time, I would've had to assume that the devil himself was in my ear. Monday morning, I went to the Dr, who prescribed some antibiotics, and said to come back in a few days, because she couldn't actually see my ear drum. I haven't slept in my bed, or for more than an hour at a time, since Saturday night. I am justly annoyed, I feel. I've missed 3 days of work, which just really sucks! I went back to the Dr today, and she assured me that the drugs are starting to work, and prescribed some antibiotic/steroid ear drops. And just to add to the fun, my ear is so swollen that I can't close my jaw, so I haven't eaten anything solid since Sunday morning. I tried to get a friend of mind to come beat me with a sock full of nickles, but she never showed. You just can't rely on anybody these days.... I did find this ad though:



I think I'll send for it, see if it works ;D.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Rocco turns 1!



I think that definitely deserves one big cookie.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

In which I ramble like a mad-person

I was going to sew today. Really. The intent was there. But I hung out with my sister, and played with the dog, finished Fever Dream, possibly fell asleep for a while, and re-stocked the house with groceries. Tomorrow, I'm cleaning and playing in the mud for a while, because I want flowers this year, damn it, and I made off with a 5lb bag of coffee grounds from Starbucks that needs to get in the ground (did you know they bag them up for people to compost?).



So... lets see.... The Hound is a million times better trained already, with 2 more classes to go. The leash training is going to take a lot more work, but thanks to the Vol-Hard collar that she hooked us up with, I can walk him now. It's not a solution, but it's a very effective training tool, and if you have a dog that pulls like one of those crazy "I don't take steroids, but watch me pull this bus!!" guys, please try this.


I got ID'd at the liquor store. It went like this:
"Do you have ID?"
"I sure do!!!!" *insert happy dance* AND THEN, I was accosted by the Dead Sea Minerals guy in the mall. I broke down and bought a manicure kit because



  1. He reminded me of Fez from That 70s Show.

  2. He asked me if I was "21? 23?"

  3. My thumbnail is still shiny!

  4. My (impossible to buy for) Mom has a birthday next month, and I'm afraid she's going to punch my Dad in the neck every time she breaks a nail. The woman has nail-rage. I'm trying to help.

Has anyone else noticed that dude in the old El Paso commercials switches from a Spanish accent to a Scottish one? I can't find the commercial, but he goes from sounding like the guy from Fantasy Island to the Lucky Charms leprechaun in the blink of an eye. WTH? I mean, fine. It's not a big deal, but at least make it sound good; tell me these tacos are magically delicious, or something.


I'm trying to cover up the fact that I haven't done anything creative in a very long time.... did it work?


Monday, May 9, 2011

Food for thought....



An elderly Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life…

He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil—he is fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego.

The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win, Grandfather?”

The Elder simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Found via The Fable of the Table, .

Friday, May 6, 2011

Oh, CMON!

What the hell, Universe?? WTH?? I seem to be in self-destruct mode at work. First I slice my knuckle on a pot-light track; then I kink my back when I lunge to save the toilet tank that slipped from my fingers; I stabbed myself with a screwdriver; and today I jammed my pinkie, my most defenseless finger!, which now looks alarmingly like something on a bloated corpse. Also, if there's a hell it's laying vinyl tiles on an endless floor. Three days of kneeling down, and I'm afraid my knees are turning into turtle shells, and my ankles will never be the same. Am I done complaining? Hell no. I got in the car this morning to find that someone had gone through my car, and stole my change, except for $0.14. A dime and four pennies. C'mon! If you're gonna be a thief, don't half-ass it, take everything! Thankfully, they didn't take anything else, any tools, or my fabulous sunglasses, but c'mon! Just the idea that someone went through my car, my things, and probably made off with a grand total of $0.84 or something stupid makes me livid. And I just realized that my fabulous new flip flops were rung in $10 over the price. Ugh.
So. How was your day?

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Third Encounters of the Mouse Kind

Who gets mice in the spring of the year? We do. We caught one that had been vacationing here over Easter weekend. I stogged every crevice with steel wool to seal anywhere I can see that they would be getting in, and then-- what's that? Yet more mouse poop? Oy. Adam was on the phone the other day, and the little bugger is running down the hall. So he yells a profanity into the phone, alarming the insurance agent, and chases the thing, which runs into the stove. So then he opens the drawer, and thinks for a split second, Well, no wonder we have mice! Who's putting dog food into the muffin tin?? before coming to the revelation that the mouse was stockpiling food in there. Four muffin cups full! (Sono'benore!) Since there hadn't been any sign of the mouse when I blocked the gap around the range vent, and there's been no sign of any more since this guys untimely demise, I think I may have inadvertently trapped him in here. Whoops. Hopefully there are no more. They're plenty cute and all, as long as they're not pooping in my house; I'm getting pretty tired of scrubbing out the cupboards.

Stay tuned for an update on the dog!

Rocco update:

-Training is going really well. He'll stay in his chair while we're eating, and he'll wait until we tell him "free" to move from a stay about 80% of the time. Now I have to train Adam to not leave shoes in the kitchen when we're gone for the day, as I am now down a pair of shoes and one flip flop. Just from today. Why? I have no idea. Test flip flops are now in place to see how he acts tomorrow.

-When left to his own devices outside, he'll do some landscaping. Anybody need some holes?