Pet Peeves -Numero Trois

Just when you thought the b!tchin was over......here's some more to provoke more thoughts:

- fake/phoniness - to the point of ad nauseam. I realize that by times, we all need to fake a little bit...it might be to satisfy the requirements of our job...it might be that we have to try to fake it so we believe it...but when every single word out of your mouth or motion to me is oozing in fake, it really makes me want to vomit. I'd rather you be rude than everything dripping in phoney.
- ME people. Yeah, I've added it to the first list, but it bothers me so, it needs to be reiterated again. I guess this also falls into the category of self-centeredness - both equally peeving. If I'm upset about my dog dying I don't really care that you cried at the ending of "Old Yeller". If I have a problem with a disc in my lower back I don't want to talk about the time you fell off your bike and sprained your ankle. If you want to empathize with me, fine, do it...don't put yourself into the middle of the conversation when you weren't there to begin with. ARRGH.
- people who interrupt me when I'm in the middle of saying something. I *hate* that. Years ago I did tech support for a piece of software. A lot of our customer-base was from the U.S., and one area was New York. They were the worst for that. WHY do you call a support line for assistance and NOT listen when the assistance is being attempted to be provided??
- traffic creepers - I see you. I failed to stop to let you out because I see you. Why must you keep pushing your nose through? If you hadn't done that I likely would have let you out. I'd have let you out to be considerate, seeing you sitting there, patiently. But, because you chose to stick out and keep pushing out slowly I will do my utmost to go past you and not let you out in front of me.
- radio stations who play "day" songs on the wrong day. WHY, why why play "Manic Monday" on a Wednesday - or any other day but Monday for that matter? That truly bugs me.

Too bad everyone in life can't be as perfect as me. Muahhhaaaahah.

Quotable Quotes

Found this, thought it was nice:

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone …" - Audrey Hepburn

Gosh, I guess I ought to share my food a lot more often.

Raindancin

Ok, so, yesterday's rain did very little to free up the humidity. It was a tad cooler, temperature-wise, but mid-week the expected temps are up to 28-29 degrees again. And I know it's still high humidity without checking the humidex reading because now everything feels damp. It's disgusting.

So I've decided that at 4:50 pm today I will commence my raindance, and I encourage you all to join in, wherever you are. We need a good long thunder/lightning storm. I'm ok with summer - really, I am...give me 20-23 degrees free of humidity and I'm more than content. I just want the damn elephant off of my chest and I want to be able to sleep soundly, with a light blanket on me.

"The little loaf that wouldn't go stale"

I cannot believe this was 'news-worthy'....

From CBC's website:

"While bread tends to become a little green around the edges within a week, one P.E.I. woman says she has a loaf that's more than eight months old and still fresh.
Gladys Wagner, of Ellerslie, says she purchased a $1.59 loaf of Golden Break bread last November to make a sandwich.
Marie Parry and Gladys Wagner sit with their eight-month-old loaf of bread.(CBC News)
"It was good. Fresh bread, and I'm a great one for sandwiches," she told CBC News.
While the sandwich was memorable, the loaf of bread was forgotten when Wagner packed up to spend the winter with her daughter.
When she returned in the spring, instead of finding a mouldy mess in her breadbox, Wagner was surprised to find a still fresh loaf. "It's still soft, and no mildew or anything," she says.
Her daughter, Marie Parry, says the loaf is "amazing."

"It's been through a lot, and there it stands, just as good as new," she says, adding, "I'd like to know what's in it, though."
The pair don't intend to throw out the eight-month-old loaf, but they don't plan on eating it. They just want to see how long it can last.
"How will we know its life expectancy if we don't keep it around?" Parry asks. "It's going to be interesting. I think it will still be around next November."

If nothing else, it's a call to the public to think about what sort of preservatives are put into some of our foods to improve their 'shelf life'. If you saw the documentary "Supersize Me", recall the study he did on the McD's french fries....scary.

Too young to be this damn old

Oh. the. pain.

I again assume it's this drasted weather. I'm one giant ache. My left knee has now ballooned up to twice the size of the right knee. I can keep it straight, but God help me to try to bend it. Getting in the car is comical. The stairs are...slow. I guess it's arthritis...the humidity seems to bring it on. I remember the first year, yeaaarrrs ago when it flared up on me. I went to out- patients because my knee was swelled up so bad I couldn't walk. They put me in a full leg splint...it kept my leg immobile, then told me to see my family doctor, who then referred me to an orthopedic surgeon...telling me to keep the splint on. By the time I had my scope (exploratory surgery) scheduled, the muscle in my leg was jelly. They said they tested me for the 'bad kinds of arthritis', and they ruled out bone cancer, but other than that, they don't know what causes it. It flares up regularly - but I don't remember it hurting as bad as it does today in a loooong time. So, couple that with my sore back...and well... you've got an unhappy Amber. Boooo. If only this pain would bring my cleaning fairy back...perhaps the cleaning fairy still reads my blog and he or she will take pity on my aching self. (heh, would be typical that he/she would surface after the most of the house is clean anyway!)

P.S. I'm thinking it wasn't thunder I heard earlier...maybe it was a truck. Getting pretty dark out now though.....c'mon thunder!

Just another manic Monday.........

Well, by this point I'm about to organize my raindance to get some thunder/lightning to clear this air. HOLY humidity. I hate it. I know I've said it already - but I'll say it again, I hate it. It's dark and overcast, and they're calling for rain today...oooh I JUST heard thunder! Bring it ON Mother Nature!

So this weekend was hot. I was wishing I was at work all weekend, honestly, to at least be in the air conditioning. Anyway. We tried to make the best of it, just the same. Friday night we opted for air-conditioned supper, again, this time, choosing Boston Pizza. I got paid, so felt 'rich' for an hour, and spent all my riches on dinner :S. From there, we went home, picked up a blanket, and headed down to the beach. We missed the cool sunset, unfortunately, but the moon was really bright so tried to get a few pictures of that. We waded a bit through the water, till it got too dark to see what was in the water, and as we headed back up to the sand Chris saw something moving out of the corner of his eye... it was a baby toad. He must have fallen off a dune or something because he was headed toward the water. After a bit of a fight, Chris managed to 'rescue' the toad, and brought him back to the grass. Yay Christopher, you're a hero!












Saturday I was able to sleep in a bit (sooo much trouble sleeping these days with the hot nights), and then got up and got ready to head to Summerside. I had thought of packing a picnic...but that was only a thought...before realizing the physical exertion & extra sweat it would entail, and we left without food, getting an iced cap on the way out. We got to the Summerside wharf to see the tall ships - there were only 3 there....the Bluenose I guess left that morning... pooooo... that's why I wanted to see them - to see the Bluenose, as it reminds me of Dad. Oh well. We toured one of the ships, that was pretty neat, and got a few pictures. We couldn't agree on a place to eat (let's just say the heat makes Amber cranky), so just came home and I collapsed for a nap on the bed, then attempted to get ready for Julie's stagette, opting for McDs on route to the stagette (yeah I know, there's a reason I look like I do....).













The stagette was a good time - pretty laid back, really. We had a few drinks and just sat around and chatted. For the most part, we were out on Julie's back patio because the house was too hot (how many times can I write 'hot' in this post? Perhaps I should change the title, to 'hot'?). Although there were two 'Off' lanterns lit, and there weren't many mosquitoes visible in the air, the little effers still found me...munching mostly on my feet, head, and a few on my legs...and even inbetween my fingers. I loathe mosquitoes. I don't normally stand with my fingers spread...I'm still wondering how the little frigger got between my fingers. Anyway.

Sunday, I went to Wal-mart to pick up a few things - $160 later...wtf??... and then headed back home to clean house. I know, I know...it was too hot. Was I crazy? Clean? After nearly dying, my floors were scrubbed, the dishes were done, several loads of laundry were done, and the bathroom was clean. I had to - I didn't want to, for God's sake, but I had to. Everything was sticky from the humidity. Anyway.

So now we're at Monday - and a long day - normal shift with an extra 1.5 hrs of required overtime on top. Least it's air-conditioned!

Oh, and a note about my pics...might take a little longer than usual to post pics on here....my computer is having 'issues'...hard-drive is toast :(. LUCKILY Chris was able to retrieve my pictures, but I think everything else is gone. Again, I'll blame the heat. Computers don't like it hot, either. (*update: pics added!)

Oscar the Cat

From CNN's website:

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.

Oscar the cat doesn't like to be put out in the hall when a patient is dying.

His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means the patient has less than four hours to live.
"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," Dr. David Dosa said in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.
The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.
After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.
Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.
Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill.
She was convinced of Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.
Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room, though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.
Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advance warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.
No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.
Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has read Dosa's article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.
If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it's also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said.
Nursing home staffers aren't concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying.
Oscar recently received a wall plaque publicly commending his "compassionate hospice care."

I've got Friday on my mind...

Good day - another blistering hot day...from my window seat I'm still amazed at how some people are walking around in long-sleeve tops/pants...sweaters even...wtf?? Do they have a secret to staying cool that I should know about? One guy was in all black...(hoodie on), and had a big beard. And walking in the heat. I bet he'll be pretty hummy by the time he reaches the middle of town.

Last night to beat the heat, Chris & I went out for supper at Pizza Delight. I must say the food was delish, but the service was sub-standard. Kathie, our waitress, "greeted" us at the door, and when we asked for a booth she said, "well I have one but it's dirty", rather than something like, "sure do you mind if I take a second to clean one?". Perhaps she was having a bad day, or perhaps she minds this heat and humidity - but it was a nicely air-conditioned environment, and being a customer service establishment, it shouldn't have mattered -- even if she had to fake friendly, she should have greeted us with more enthusiasm and at least should have smiled. It reflected in her tip. We also were rebels and buttered our bread first before grilling (shh!). After supper, we then went to a beach in Rice Point. It was really windy -humid, sticky wind but it was cooler than the house, so we stayed until the sun went down, and then made it home to watch BB (Interesting turn of events...still wishing Kail wasn't there, but oh well).

Tomorrow, we plan to head to Summerside to catch the Tall Ships while they're here, and possibly pack a picnic lunch. When I get back into town I have to head over to Julie's for her stagette party. And Sunday, regardless of how much I sweat or swoon from my humidity-dizzies, I *have* to get some housecleaning/laundry done.

If anyone in my readership is concerned, my back is still killing me :( ...guess if it soon doesn't get any better I'll have to go to a clinic. I assumed it was the way I sat at the dinner theatre, but I would think it should be better by now. You should see me trying to get off the couch. Like a seal on a rock I'm sure. And I feel like crap...headache/dizzy...I figure it's either the humidity or the air-conditioning....can't win!

Wilting............

If one more person says to me how 'lovely' this weather is I'm going to trip them, and then kick them in the head. It's not lovely. It's sticky, muggy, ...disgusting. I think Boomer said the expected humidex to be 46 degrees Celcius before day's end? ... with a warning out to the elderly and people with breathing problems. Yeah, "lovely". Again, I thank my lucky stars that I work in an air-conditioned environment, drive an air-conditioned car, and have the freedom to choose to go to supper in an air-conditioned restaurant (now to only get myself air-conditioning for my house!). I believe I warned you in an earlier post that I'd be the first to complain about the heat. And I suppose if you don't like what you're reading, no one's making you read it anyway (sorry, the heat makes me b!tchy).

So the news is out; ol' Bob finally has a replacement. Drew Carey will carry on and keep the PiR alive...and I heard that he has also advised Bob that he has every intention of retaining Bob's plug to spay and neuter your pets. I wonder if that was built into the contract?

Speaking of pets...since it's been so hot these days I've been putting ice cubes in the water dishes for my kitties. It's just too bad Zoe thinks the cubes are toys... what a mess I had this morning. And another observance - on the way to work this morning the guy from Service Master asked me if I knew the dog he had outside with him... They were at the neighbor's house for the last few days cleaning up something. I didn't recognize the dog...he was on a chain leash and had gotten away. Poor thing. As I drove up the road I didn't see anyone scanning the area for a missing animal. And with the expected temps today, no animal should be left outside... likely the same 'brain giants' that own the aforementioned 'brain giant' children with the dead chipmunk. ARRGH!

In awe

The dinner theatre last night was fan-freakin-tastic! If you've not yet gone to see the Wedding Crashers at the Rodd in C-town, GO. The amount of talent was amazing - I enjoyed it immensely. The only complaint about the evening - their A/C broke down yesterday - so it was desperately hot with the high temps/humidity yesterday. Funny tidbit - our waitress, Candi, aka Alicia Altass, was a former neighbor of mine years ago...and I used to babysit her! We figured out that it was about 2o years ago.

I must've sat wrong last night...(had my back to the stage so was constantly turned to the left but as the seats were sooo close I was basically only able to pivot myself to the left, not able to turn my whole body around)...well, I hope that's the reason behind the seething pain in my lower back today. Sitting upright in a chair is totally uncomfortable...and don't even get me started on how it feels to try to bend down to pick up something. I left the dishcloth on the floor this morning, put it that way. *sigh*...Advil every 4 hrs....and it's not helping after 2 doses...bah I hate gettin' old!

Happier news.............BB was amazing!!!!!! I pulled into the driveway last night 7 mins prior to the start of BB. Last night's show was jam-packed with exciting drama, and made up for the lack-luster Sunday episode. I'm E.D.'s biggest fan, and I'm totally hoping he is the ultimate winner (although a little afraid that he's been a little too honest to some of the housemates and potentially risking some to leave his side). All in all a great episode! As for the Idol results...little surprised that Kahlila was sent home before Martha....c'mon Canada....

Melting.............

Apparently, it's 37 degrees Celcius out there, with the humidex. It's supposed to stay that way all week.

A/C....my sweet, sweet saviour.... where would I be this week without it? It's on these days where I look forward to the very second I reach the threshold to my work entrance. I hate humidity. I fear it hates me too. I fully believe it's the culprit to my nasty headaches and dizziness that seem to be the norm for about a month in the summer and mysteriously go away the rest of the year. And let's just face it, it's so NOT cool to have a shower, and then have to 'towel off' 10 minutes after you're dried off from said shower. And I do my utmost to exert myself very little and it doesn't seem to make any difference. And as for those who proport that drinking hot liquids helps you 'stay cool', I say to you, "BULL SH!T!"

Last night I felt disgusting so as predicted, remained on the couch all evening until retiring to the bed. I gave my bank card to Chris along with a long grocery list. I just couldn't bear to stand up that long and walk around a store. Watched Idol. It was pretty good. Of all the performances, I enjoyed Brian, Carly Rae, and Greg (Brian's the *most*). As for a prediction as to who goes home...Martha Joy. I don't like her to begin with, but last night's performance was just weak. She's proven she can't go beyond the pageant-y-Celine-Dion styles of songs, and the judges pretty much acknowledged that. And might I be catty for a brief second? While I think she's pretty when she smiles, she's ripe off the 'ol ugly tree when she sings. Those faces she makes...nasty.

I'm off to the "Wedding Crashers" Dinner Theatre tonight. Looking forward to a night out filled with good friends, good food, and lots of laughs!

Deep Thoughts

Today's deep thought.....

"Handle every situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or screw it, piss on it and walk away."

Thanks KellyAnne :) Fitting rule to live by, no?

Blech blech blech

I feel like poo. Perhaps that's why I felt a monkey day coming on...I confused that with the grossness that has been my Monday. I've got a humungous headache...to the point that I'm dizzy and twice I've visited the little girls room with all intentions on puking, but the puke never forumlated. :S I've been popping Advil like candy, and they've NOT helped. I can't wait to finally end the day and go home to the couch...where I'll likely stay until it's time for bed. Booo.

In other news:
Yay Dick! Pleased with his choices for elimination. I actually would perfer to see Kail go home over Jen this week. I think that is his plan, too. I'd also like to see Zach get the boot, too...what an arrogant, pompous SOB. Other than that, it was a fairly uneventful BB and a little disappointing...very undramatic. Daniele sooo should have hugged her father after he listened to her and tried to console her, imo.

Before BB Chris and I went to Jewels Country Market last night to get an ice cream...mmmm peanut butter chocolate fudge crunch or something...delish!




From there, we went to Stanhope beach and walked along the water's edge, wading in the water until the sun went down. The sky was breath-taking. Pics to come. (*update: finally pics added!) There would have been better, and more pics, had my battery not died :(. It was lovely there, so peaceful. It's times like these where I can't imagine ever ever leaving this place.

*sniff sniff*

I think I'm smelling monkey.



Oh dear.

Breezy endings

Happy sunny (finally) Sunday! All the windows in the house are open and there's a beautiful breeze running through. Aside from the tumbleweeds of cat hair in the air, it is quite lovely. The ominous pile of laundry prevented me to suggest an outing today...and now that it's getting on into the late afternoon I'm kicking myself a little bit. I should have gotten up earlier to start the laundry. OH well. It was a late night anyway. Instead of the movie/jiffy pop idea we went to the drive-in instead. I enjoy the nostalgia of the drive-in...brings me back to younger days...I remember my first drive-in with my dad and my brother...that was so many years ago. I forget the movie, though....perhaps it was a Herbie movie? Last night "I Now Pronounce Chuck & Larry" and "Knocked Up" were playing. I laughed at and enjoyed both.

How I wish I had one more day left of the weekend. What can we do to get a 3 day weekend law? Who do we have to canvas? I'm sure we would have no trouble getting public support.

"Sweet Home Alabama" is on now, so I'll go watch that in-between loads.

Happy Weekend

Happy weekend. I've pretty much cocooned today...not doing much of anything - sleeping in, enjoying breakfast/brunch pancakes (thanks Chris), and spent a lot of time resizing some photos to post on my blog. (For all of my avid readers, you'll have to scroll through the old posts to spy a few pics. Some of them might be worth the effort:P). Aerosmith plays tonight in town....the traffic ought to be insane, so we may just stay in for the night. I think I'll suggest a movie and jiffy pop.

My sunset pic was taken last week on my way home from my night shift at work. I actually turned around at the gas station to go back and take it.

Stellar youth

Youth twirling dead chipmunk revolts Cornwall town councillor

Disrespect for life, lack of supervision bothers Irene Dawson

NIGEL ARMSTRONG The GuardianCORNWALL —

The dead chipmunk being twirled by young boys while others mockingly held a sign saying “dead animals for sale” was a revolting sight this past Tuesday for Cornwall town Councillor Irene Dawson.On Wednesday, she found herself retelling the incident to the July monthly meeting of the Cornwall town council.“There were seven or eight kids,” said Dawson, describing her arrival at the entrance to a Cornwall subdivision and the group of youths she met there, ages about seven to 11 years old.“They had a sign saying “dead animals for sale,” and one of them was holding the dead chipmunk, holding it up and using his hands to make it move like it was a rock star,” said Dawson. “In my opinion, it was extremely tasteless. One of them begged me to buy it and take it home to bury it.”There was a mocking tone to the event and when Dawson stopped and tried to speak to the children she was met with derision and indifference.“I spoke to one lad, who was quite mouthy about the whole thing,” said Dawson. “It is deplorable what is happening with our youth and the disrespect they show for life.”She called the RCMP which made a patrol to the area and tried to speak some parents of the youth.“It is so important, as parents, that you know where your kids are and what they are doing,” said Dawson.Councillor Kent Lannan wanted Dawson and council to know that such an incident was not a true reflection on the quality of youth or parents in Cornwall as a whole.“Clearly there are a few who are having a tough time finding their way,” said Lannan. Dawson agreed, saying that she doesn’t want to “lump all kids together,” however, she wants parents to step up and intervene when behaviour becomes disrespectful.

I drove past these "brain giants" the other night while going to my hair appointment. I was running late, so didn't stop to voice my opinion. I was completely disgusted, and now even more so that it made news in the paper. This is a tiny example of why I wish to not bring kids into this world. Although my own kids wouldn't be raised in this fashion - you can't shelter them all the time from the outside influences they will run into. It's also a reason why I can't wait to get the flying eff into a new house away from the 'hood (like that'll happen anytime soon, but still).

Joke of the day

Q: How do you get a one-armed Newfie out of a tree?
...............................

A: Wave at him.

Apparently this is a really old joke; I'd never heard it before though. I very very rarely remember jokes, so as I did, I felt I should post.

Posting times?

I'm so unaware as to why I can't find the proper time zone thingy to post when I actually post these things. Overlook the time thing. They aren't right. BYE!

From my window seat (again)

The day is young and I'm trying to keep busy to 'ignore' how crappy I feel. I've just consumed 1000mg of Extra Strength Tylenol and I hope it works...:S

Some more observances this lovely day out my new window seat:
- a girl in a long cotton skirt without a slip. She soooo needed a slip. Whoopsie... She walked by twice. Perhaps she was running late? Perhaps she didn't realize? Perhaps someone should tell this girl! I guess it worked for Diana though, didn't it?
- an active girl in gym-y style clothes, water bottle in hand. Likely heading home from a big run through town. Likely in super-duper shape and she likely never gets cravings for McD's french fries.
- a girl pushing two children in a stroller that's only meant for 1. Intelligent. I hope the little girl standing up in the back doesn't fall off.
- the first of many bikers actually wearing a helmet
- the pinky-purply-haired girl that walks by on a regular basis. This time she had a child in a stroller. The child looked too big for the stroller. Or, the stroller looked too small for the child. It must have been a needed outing though - tp loaded up into the stroller, too.
- the big man with the little dog (like I said, daily).
- a guy in bright yellow sneakers. Wow...they're bright.

This is becoming boring and redundant. I'm sorry. I just wanted to feed my public :)

I have a Shania Twain song in my head. I wish I didn't. I really wish I didn't.

The 1000mg of Ex Strength Tylenol didn't work. Poo.

2 hrs from now I'll be sitting in my hairdressers chair and will be looking like a brand new woman tomarra :) YAY!

Meh

Oh yoy yoy - Amber's not feeling 100% today... Here I was all week blaming my ickiness on aftershocks from this weekend's debauchery. Today I wake up with a pounding headache, and a sore lump in my throat. There's a slight chance I might just need more sleep...since it was a late night last night and early rise today due to my shift change...but I feel like a sack of poo just the same. Here's hoping and praying that this day will pass in a very quick-like fashion...

On a more positive note, how about that Big Brother last night???! I think I have to admit that I'm enjoying this season better than BB6. The more I look at and listen to Jen the more my hatred grows for her. She's a nasty nasty human being - so selfish and manipulative. I literally laughed out LOUD at Evil Dick's retort to her saying, "Dick, why are you so rude?"...."because I f#$king hate you". I also got a big kick out of his t-shirt he wore at one point that had the quote, "I'm mean because you're stupid". *giggle giggle*. I was VERY happy to see Daniele win the veto - and although I really don't want to see Joe leave the house, I really hope he does so that Evil Dick can remain a longer spell to allow him to fulfill his promise of making Jen's life a living h-e-double-hockey-sticks. And don't even get me started about the unitard. Uh, hello...camel-toe!....gave me the heebeejeebees. It's a wonder I didn't have nightmares. *shudder*. I wish Amber would have been up instead of Joe. She really needs to go - she's just too unstable.

Canadian Idol was ok; I enjoy Carly Rae but last night's performance didn't thrill me. Jaydee with his innocence is just so darn cute. He did very well with his rendition of "It's Only Make Believe". I wonder how long the voting public will enjoy the 'oldies', however. He'll go far, regardless. As for Dwight...I back him because he's a local...not sure how many more weeks he'll last. Matt & Martha are technically good singers, but they do nothing for me. And Mila ...man, what was with that song selection? My prediction for who goes home: Mila or Dwight.

Toodles.

From my window seat

So far today I've seen:

- the big man with his little dog; he walks him daily.
- 2 atheletic people jogging - which made me feel even fatter sitting here in all my splendor as I watched their tight behinds wiggle by (*reaches for another piece of fudge*)
- 2 people with McDonalds drinks/food bags in hand (*craving for McD's fries comes back*)
- a mother/child
-same mother/child with a cart from the Superstore filled with groceries (I wonder if these grocery carts ever get returned?)
- a guy on roller blades
- a girl on a bike that looked too small for her - eating an apple
- a younger couple with groceries in hand
- another guy in roller blades - different one this time; this guy was carrying his sneakers
- another couple with groceries in-hand; they must be environmentally conscious as they have canvas bags and not plastic.

It's an interesting little spot, my new seat by the window. Sometimes, when I'm bored, I make up stories about the people I see. I'm a real 'people watcher'. If I had time, I might endulge my reading public with a story of some of the folks I've seen tonight, but, alas, I do not have the time. Maybe another day. I like my new seat.

Night.

Pet Peeves part deux

I have a few more pet peeves:
- people who don't know how to merge...you know the type...they STOP at the merge line and totally mess up the entire flow of traffic. I do try to avoid letting these people in front of me, but today I had no choice since the merge lane was so short.
- people who say the sentence, "is it hot enough for ya?". That totally irritates me. The other side, in the winter months, "is it cold enough for ya?", I find is just as irritating. Can you think of nothing better to say? If so, just keep your trap shut.
- people who chew with their mouth open. That's just gross.
- businesses who don't take care of their 'dead weight'. I don't care that this person worked at said establishment for 20 odd years or since the place opened; if he or she doesn't know his or her job then WHY should he or she still be on the payroll? It just boggles my mind.
- people who think that they can be rude, unreasonable and mean just to get their way, and the society that pushed it to that point by allowing it to happen.

So hi. Happy Tuesday! I'm here...and I'll use that loosely. Still recovering, maybe from my shenanigans on the weekend?? I dunno...I don't feel right, and that's all I can think of...headachey and just downright icky. It could possibly be the humidity, too - I usually suffer some pretty nasty headaches this time of year. No doctor was ever really able to figure it out. It's my week to work nights so that always means for a pretty dull week. I have a day shift tomorrow, though, on account of Melissa graciously trading with me so I could make my hair appointment! Yep, it's that time already...buh-bye greys once more. I cannot wait to lose some of this mess! Other than that, there's not much more excitement to report. Hard to believe, I know.

Recovering is slow...

...when you get old.

As you will see by the dates, I wasn't able to post yesterday. I wasn't able to do much yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in Ebenezer on Saturday night, however. We did live up to Krissy's expectations, and Arnold's first year was celebrated in proper form. I will post pics when I have them ready. Upon our return home Sunday morning, we opted for a 'brunch' of McDonalds fries/cheeseburgers in hopes that the grease would alleviate a portion of the hangover. It didn't work. I collapsed on the couch after trying to eat...arose a few hours later to finally get in the shower - and then found my way back to the couch, while my Friends DVD played in the background. At 10:00pm I opted to collapse in my bed.

It's Monday and my head still feels a little fuzzy. I remember years ago this wasn't the case...I remember years ago being able to party all night Saturday night and go to work on Sunday morning, with no sleep, and feel tired, but still manage it.

I wish I could have a nap.

Some pics from the party:

I should be sleeping...

As I begin to type this it's not even 9am on a Saturday morning - I should be sleeping in. My body is here but my mind is still dreaming atop of my pillow. Chris was up at 4:30 am this morning to go on a photo shoot. Least it was voluntary. I had to be up to go to work today. OH well - we all have to have a turn.

Since my last post:

Thursday night, Chris & I met up with Kat & Rob for supper at Piazza Joes. They are on vacation from Inuvit. It was wonderful seeing them, and great to finally meet Rob! (I like him, Kat...good job! You totally deserve it & I hope he continues to treat you like a queen!) From there, we headed to NightCap for a 'specialty' coffee before saying our good-byes. We watched BB and then headed to bed. I wish not to discuss Jen's capturing of the HoH position. All I will say is that it was DUMB LUCK, with the emphasis on the 'dumb'.

Last night Chris & I went out for supper at Cafe Diem. We had enjoyed our paninis so much last weekend that we decided to go back for some more. Chris said his was superb...mine...well, I thought I tasted a bit of mold...or soap...either way, less than stellar. Didn't have that 'shine factor' like the one I had on the weekend. I was famished, so I ate it anyway. We'll see today if that was a bad idea! From there, we walked around town & the waterfront, and had the opportunity to sit inside a classic mini convertible car (MG "T"??).

The owner was over here for the car show, "British Car Days Across the Bridge" in South Rustico. Chris walked up to him, advised him that he had a nice car, and the owner suggested he hop inside to see how much leg room it had (Chris is 6'2"). He then held the door open for me so we both had a chance to sit inside this superb ride! He even took our picture. That was too cool. We then enjoyed a delicious Cows ice cream (mmmmm Moo Crunch......) while being entertained by a guitar-playing busker. Bravo!

Tonight, there is an anniversary party planned to celebrate Arnold's Post-Hole Digging's 1st year under the terBeek's ownership. Yay Arnold!! The intention is,"to drink... and sing... and we'll swear in the Chad Kroeger fashion...". Oh we'll have such fun! I'll post pics next week when I get them off my camera.

I think I actually see the sun peeking through. Wow.

It's raining, it's pouring....

Looking out my new window seat at the pouring rain, I really wish I'd packed a lunch. Looking at the nasty 'un-balance' of my bank account, I really wish I'd packed a lunch. Supppose I have enough change to scrounge up for a Timmy's soup/coffee combo. Yeah. That's a fitting lunch for a rainy day.

It really disturbs me when I hear heavy breathing and gasping on the other end when answering a call. I seem to be getting a lot of that lately. There can't be another full moon coming already, is there?

I'm having an absurdly bad hair day. It's needing a cut & a color so it's bad on a good day but you couple that with a high humidity day...bah!

As this has begun as a rather negative post, allow me to switch the mood a tad --- I'm doing my happy dance at the results of last night's Idol results show! Although my predictions couldn't have been farther from reality, I'm truly tickled to report the departure of Montana!! Yay Canada! You rock! I was also pleased to see that Brian & Dwight were kept alive. Gleeful, really, that the freak is gone. I could almost break into song. But I won't.

I see that the rainfall has stopped; I'm sure it's only temporary. I hope it manages to stay stopped until I get to the car and back. Ciao peeps! *happy dancing*

P.S.

As an aside, just wanted to publicly post my opinion of Big Brother's Jen. GO HOME. You suck. From your whiny, immature reaction to your posted photo, to the all-out lie you displayed last night. Maybe they'll keep you around to play a little while longer, but you best not be depending on any payouts.

Hump Day WTF!

An excerpt from yesterday's Guardian newspaper (headlines that made national news coverage yesterday, btw): "The City of Charlottetown is describing the actions of platinum rockers Nickelback at this year’s Festival of Lights as “totally unacceptable” and at least one councillor is calling for the band to return with a ‘family-friendly’ concert to make amends {for free}".

Give me an effing break!!!!!!!! The thought is ludicrious, and PEI will be lucky if we ever have the opportunity to host another rock concert again. Welcome to Pussyville. I'm just appalled.

I'm glad that Kim Green retorted today that she's not offering any apologies - nor should she have to.

Has it really been almost a week since my last post? Guess I owe you a run down of the last almost week. Here's the quick and dirty:
- I was pretty much on par with my picks for who was going to leave Canadian Idol.
- the week went by pretty quickly, being on the lovely 8:00-4:30pm shift...very hard to come by. It was quite busy, however, but a little beer therapy every other night helped.
- I have a new desk at work. Now I have a window seat. It's going to be an adjustment, as I was used to being in my own little corner with no one around me so I find it loud, to say the least. It's kinda nice to be in on the action though.
- Saturday afternoon Chris & I enjoyed a lazy afternoon at Cafe Diem with a large large coffee, and a delightful panini sandwich. From there, we hid out underneath an awning while we had a heavy rain shower, then went onward toward the waterfront to try to catch the rainbow. We didn't find a rainbow, but we did see Anne of Green Gables, sea life, sand scupultures, and some pretty gardens before making our way back to the car to head home.
-Saturday night Lana & I visited Tracy - and her dog got sprayed by Peppy LePew...I never knew skunk smell before that evening...I thought I did,....but I really really didn't. My car still has a faint scent...and today, finally, the smell seems to be off of my purse. :S
- Bruce & Lana, Chris & myself enjoyed a lovely Sunday adventure, tourist-style, despite some very strange weather. We headed to Cabot Park in the POURING rain, to enter into bright sunlight just before the park. We saw the sand sculpting contest, ate a lovely picnic, and then left before another downpour. From there we found the Bunny Trails Pet Ranch (it was sunny again), had an ice cream in K-town at the Frosty Treat, and then topped the evening off by dining out for Chinese for supper (everyone else seemed to enjoy theirs, mine was gross), before ending the night to go home to watch Big Brother.
- Monday was rather uneventful
- Today I cleaned house BIG TIME as I've been neglecting it for the past few weeks. I was off today as I work Saturday, so cleaned, non-stop from about 2pm til about 8. I still have to dust in the bedroom and my craft room, but the kitchen, living room & bathroom are sparkling. Momma'd be proud (oh and about 6 loads of laundry done too).
- My predictions for this week's Idol's going bye-bye: Although I like them a lot, I fear it's time for Dwight and Brian to go. Tyler didn't impress me last night either, but he's had a few strong weeks previously. As for the women, I would *LOVE* to see Montana go home...the public/judges seem to like her. I hate it all...from the flick of her hair, to the look of her hair, to the sound of her poor attempts at speaking English to the utter cringe of her voice. So personally I'd say adios to her, if I could, but knowing, for some reason, others enjoy her, I think possibly Tara & Martha...because they're boring. We'll find out tomorrow.
- Now I'm about to say night night to enjoy Big Brother!
Lates!

Every day we learn something...

So yeah, as the post title describes, learning experiences abound in this thing we call "life". Tonight I learned that dryer sheets for a dark laundry load are very effective when one has 2 white cats. I've learned that not having said dryer sheets results in clean smelling clothes, but that's about it. :S I just wanted the damn pile completed. I also *needed* to do a load tonight. Why, you ask? Well, I had a bit of a mishap over dinner, and ended up wearing a large dollop of it...

After work, a friend/co-worker & I went to the Gate for supper. Upon her suggestion I, too, ordered the scallop bake entree. It's a creamy brandy (?) enhanced white sauce filled with scallops. It tasted yummy. Mid-sentence, no doubt, I missed my large mouth and *ooze* went the contents of my fork down the front of my outer-wear....very very close to where it could reach my inner-wear. I had been wearing my dark brown tank top with the crochet-lace on the top under a beige lace-trimmed top. The ooze of scallop-juice managed to land on both layers of top....grossly resembling a dribble of yak...and smelling of something similar, or worse-even. It also managed to get all caught up in the intricacies of my crocheted top.

I'm sure that even a handy-dandy Tide pen would have been questionable to aid in the situation..I did my best to dab/rub it off with my napkin...but in retrospect wish I had left for the ladies room to use some soap and water...I recall saying to Melissa,..."I still smell fish...our supper plates are gone and the restaurant is empty...why do I smell fish...Oh my God I hope it's not me....". A quick stop to the little girls room confirmed my suspicions....as I finished my business my top moved up a tad as my clothes got shifted and the stench I had been smelling prior emanated through the tiny toilet cubicle. I nearly gagged....... We left the restaurant, I cranked the a/c in the car and got Melissa back to her car, pronto...opting for a raincheck on the earlier idea of visiting Shoppers to instead go home to rid my body of the soiled garments.

The hot sun beating in through the car window seemed to make the smell worse. I fear that, although tasty, I will not be able to enjoy that dish again. Ever. I got home and had extra lovins from the cats......stripped clean of all affected garments...shuddered...and loaded up the washer. The pretty beige lace-trimmed top of course is hand-wash only so it's now soaking.

As the stench was the foulest of foul I thought that I'd smell the 'area' once the tank was finished it's routine wash cycle. I use Gain so recall the looks on the faces of those using the product on the many commercials. Pan back to the image you may have had of me in the cubicle as I realized the stench WAS me. Yup, the stink was still there...it was less fishy-- more reminiscent now of baby yak or soured milk.

FAAAAAAAAAAAK.

The laundry was now done...aside from a burgundy throw...I decided to put them together (cheapie that I am having to make the load 'count'). 2nd wash cycle now complete...sniff test approved...finally the tank now smells of Gain. But now it's COMPLETELY covered in burgundy lint. Damnit I forgot about that... and no dryer sheets...and well, I usually don't dry that top anyway.

*leaving pc to find duct tape*

Hopefully when the top dries fully the duct tape might do the trick.

Grindin' my gears!

Happy Tuesday on a Wednesday (oooh how I love the short work week). I'm not going to comment on the day so far, as I don't wish to jinx it and end up with a day like yesterday.

I just felt compelled to post - I'll warn you, it's a 'complain-y' post. Herein I will list a few of my pet peeves, in no particular order:
- people who use the word 'wunt'. What the heck is that? Where did it come from, and why is it in the English language?
-"me people"; you know the type... you say something and the 'me people' have to follow everything up with something to make the conversation about them, even though it had absolutely nothing to do with them in the first place. Had I been prioritizing this list, this would have to be very close to the top.
- Tim Hortons' frequent changing up of their available food items. I hate this. Why not stick with something? I mean, I don't recall there ever NOT being a honey-dipped donut available. Why do you mess with me and take away the chocolate danish, and now, more recently (today! grrr), the banana nut muffin? I could see the strawberry tart thing, because there is a time and a season for strawberries. But I never see a banana shortage being announced. Nor a chocolate one for that matter. And further to that, the carrot muffin that replaced my banana nut one today sucked.
- failure to be given napkins in your drive-thru bag. Uh...HELLO...usually if someone goes thru the drive-thru that means they're in a hurry. It potentially means they're eating in the car en route to somewhere. It usually means they've ordered something messy, something greasy, that requires finger cleaning. Why leave us with nothing but our own devices? Or better yet...those that don't forget the nappie...but only give you ONE.
-lane makers; those impatient drivers who insist there is a right-turning lane when there really ISN'T. I have been very adept at ensuring that I'm over just enough that they can't get past me. I watch in the rearview mirror with glee at their frustration. I assume this gets me added to someone else's pet peeve list but at least I'm law-abiding. I've heard of too many accidents or near accidents where this has been the culprit.
- infrequent blog posters :) - maybe I'm alone in this, but those blogs that I have bookmarked I visit frequently....(ie, daily) checking for new posts to no avail. Please post more often. Sometimes I need an escape! (and as this remains a 'peeve' I am sooo trying to stay on top of my own blog!)
- people who chew food/gum on the phone - it's very easy to have a piece of gum in your mouth and not be obvious about it. Dental hygenists actually recommend it when you can't brush your teeth after a meal. However, if it's blantantly obvious that you're chewing it's just gross.
- bad customer service - maybe it's because I work in the customer service industry but I really dislike it when I'm not treated with mutual respect where I'm the customer. There's no need to be unpleasant - if you don't like your job, find a new one.

I could likely go on and on, but for now I'll close this to post, as my reading public needs a new post. We'll leave it an open-ended post that can be added to, or referred back to, at any given time.

Lates!

Dear God make it stop!

Well hi. I know I talked monkey a few times already in past posts, but it was an all out gorilla day...and had I really been a gorilla there'd be massive piles of gorilla poo around.

Anyway.

A little beer therapy this evening seems to have helped. I no longer feel as though my entire head is going to explode. However, the niceties of the beer therapy were a little waned by the depressive state of the laundry pile which could no longer wait. Where the eff is my cleaning fairy? I wish he or she would get off that hiatus. (PLEASE cleaning fairy...I'm BEGGING you).

In other news - I made it down to the waterfront on the weekend, and checked out Sandland. Really, really really neat. If you've not yet been, go. It's amazing what those guys did with a million pounds of sand!

The crowd at the waterfront was insane and it was still early afternoon. Lana & I walked around a bit and then went to "Just us Girls" for a drink. Of course as it was Sunday, we had to buy food in order to buy a 'drink' drink, so we split nachos in order to have our Mudslide. The wait was beyond what we should have waited for both the food, the drink, and the bill, but it was tasty and the drink was bang-on delish. Not sure if'n I'd return though, on account of the poor service. From there, we decided to go home. Lana had to get back home to go out later on with her hubby, and as it was only 6:30, I didn't really want to stick around til 10 to wait for the fireworks, so came back home, scrapped some more on my little project, and watched the highlights of the Concert for Diana on tv (incredible show). Alas, no fireworks for me, aside from the few that a neighbor fired off in the 'hood that, well, startled me a lot.

Monday, Chris & I headed into town for breakfast (well, brunch based on the fact that it was 1pm) - disappointed to see the sign up at Maggie's restricting their once all-day breakfast to morning hours, so settled on the over-priced Smittys. Chris enjoyed his...mine...meh...bacon was undercooked, hashbrowns were undercooked and the toast was burnt. Aaannnd, $30 later...:S...with $3.99 off from a coupon. Anyway. We then stopped at a corner store for bubble gum and had a bubble gum blowing contest (I won and here are some pics to that prove it) while we drove around town.

The drive ended up taking us down many a dirt road (yeehaw, that's when I love the Suburu), and we stopped for ice cream at the Frosty Treat before heading home. A very spur of the moment, FUN day!

And here we are back to the real world and trying to avoid days of monkeys.

P.S. The girls on Idol....whatya think?? The guys last night were sooo much better...but tonight...not so much. Bye bye Annika and Naomi Joy, or perhaps Scarlett. And personally, I'd be happy to say vamoose to Montana too. I royally dislike her. As for the boys? My picks to say adios are Clifton because he sucks, and Matt because he's not my style. Realistically I think Matt will pull through another week because he can sing - and possibly we'll see Andrew go, only because he was down at the bottom last week (thought he did really well this week), and they have to pick 2 to leave.

There's a container of Jiffy-Pop calling my name so I must go say hello. Ciao.

Happy Birthday Canada!

Happy Canada Day! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I opted out of the waterfront concerts...for a few different reasons....I'm not a lover of crowds...and it was a full moon...so a crowded concert on the full moon? Meh...I think not. K-Rock had a wonderful song line-up all night that featured the artists that were here - and a got a huge part done of a project I've started for a Christmas gift, so it was all good. I'm just about to head down to the waterfront now though, to check out the buskers, Sandland, etc. I might even try to stick around until the fireworks. We'll see. Have a safe, and enjoyable Canada Day everyone!