Bad Bad Boys!

We've been having unseasonably mild temperatures and a lack of snow this winter season in the Maritimes (which I partly blame on my purchase of not one, but two pairs of winter boots, but I digress). Friday, however, we were inundated with a 'weather event' that dumped nearly 20 cms of snow on us, and the upcoming week's temps are gonna be C-O-L-D (seasonably cold, but nothing like we've had thus far). I'm not complaining. It is winter. I do look forward to a bit of snowshoein' too...and with the new boots, my feet will stay warm :). Plus, there's nothing more awesome than snuggling down deep under the duvet on a cold night.

Mother Nature almost wreaked havoc on my Friday night plans, however (not to mention that I didn't get to enjoy Friday as a 'snow' day, either). Luckily Chris enjoys playing in the snow and winter driving more than I do, so we did get down to the Island Artists for Haiti going on at the waterfront. It had been going on from 5pm onward, with non-stop music. The storm was going on pretty good so we didn't leave the house til after 9. By the time we landed there, we caught the tail end of Ninth Hour, saw Kim Albert, the Grass Mountain Hobos, and of course the reason we were there....HAYWIRE! Haywire signifies a huge part of my life, the 80's, local pride, and one of the major crushes from my mid-teen years. They put on a phenomenal show, and I'm so glad to have had the chance to be a part of the crowd cheering them on (til I was hoarse, if I might add). It was a great time, for an even greater cause -- complete profits going to the Haiti Relief fund. All the artists donated their time and talent. All the staff working the event also donated their time. It's truly something we as Islanders have to be proud of. I'm glad Mother Nature didn't put a big wrench in the event. Bravo to all of the organizers, the talent and anyone else who put in their time and effort into making it the huge success that it was.

Next time, HOLD the olives

I don't know how we manage it, but once more, Chris and I sat down for dinner at a restaurant only to be greeted with a 'special' menu of the night with it's very own price tag. Thursday night past, we'd planned on going to the Alibi Lounge to see Irish Mythen play. She was a guest performer with Late November & Jake Denty, local Island artists. Seeing as our cupboards were akin to those of Mother Hubbard, we decided on going out for supper before the show. And, since the Alibi served food, it seemed appropriate to dine there before settling in for a night of music. We called ahead for a reservation by the stage and when we got there, we were the second couple to arrive -second to Irish herself, in fact.

We got seated after saying hello to Irish, and were faced with the Alibi's own "Wintertide" menu - consisting of a 3 course meal with choice of appetizer, entree & dessert...and a $35/plate price point. At least the price was there, so we knew what we were in for (not that we had the choice). Supper, 1 drink each, and tip later, I was $100 lanker in the wallet. Half the price of the Sims fiasco, but double what we normally would have spent, nevertheless. (Happy Birthday, Christopher :P). The appetizer was really good; I just had mixed greens with some sort of vinegrette, and Chris had mussels. Of course he chose the steak entree, and I had the seafood phyllo plate. The actual phyllo part of the meal was really good; the other 'side', which looked to be quiche was good until the kalmatta olive invaded my mouth and left me with the taste of death (note to self: you do NOT like kalmatta olives). A special thanks to Irish who actually helped us determine that the invasive foreign matter inside the quiche was indeed an olive and not some sort of poisonous funk. Dessert was some sort of torte thing. It was good, but not spectacular.

Jake Denty took the stage first. He's an extremely talented guitarist. Irish was next, and she had the crowd cheering in no time, singing a few old favourties until her voice was hoarse (she had a cold; God love her, you'd never know it though until the end). Late November ended the night. They sounded really good. Had it not been a school night we might have stayed later, but we ended up leaving after about 3 songs.
Here I am with Irish before the show got underway, courtesy of Christopher. (See how I'm strategically hiding my double chin? Sheer brilliance).

Happy Birthday Chris!

ICQ.

I.seek.you.

Creepy as that sounds, that's what happened, unbeknownst to us at the time. A case of mistaken identity wound up securing a close friendship. You had a crush on my "mind". Your wit and charm kept me intrigued, and before I knew it, I was crushing on you, too. Back then, you finished my sentences in the chat window. Now, thanks to a mixed cd and a milkshake, you finish my sentences in person.

You're the ying to my yang; the peanut butter to my jelly; the peas to my carrots. You've shown me that the good ones are out there, and I appreciate your love and support more than you'll ever know.Happy Birthday Christopher. Thanks for all you do, and thanks for just bein' you....xoxoxo.

Would you like fries with that?

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Burger King is opening a restaurant in Miami Beach that will serve beer along with burgers and fries, the chain’s first U.S. location with alcohol.

At the Whopper Bar South Beach, guests can pair a Whopper sandwich with Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors brews. With fries, the combo will run $7.99.

The restaurant will offer outdoor dining, a walk-up window and delivery service.
It’s scheduled to open mid-February. The announcement was made Friday.

Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy says adding beer at selected locations around the world is part of Miami-based Burger King’s effort to reinvent itself as a fast-food restaurant with a sit-down feel.

Hottovy said making the new image resonate could be a challenge in some locations.

Can you just imagine getting hammered as you sit munching on your Jr. Whopper? Suppose it could be reminiscent of the teen years as we had a few drinks and made our way down the Avenue to McDonalds, though. Whoops, did I just type that? *wink*

Source:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2010/01/22/12576861-ap.html

Recap

So it's all over with. We left here Thursday with Shawn in tow. Family gathered at the Grand-W homestead. We went through old family photos, readying the memory boards for the service. I was given the opportunity to meet a few of Chris' cousins & other relatives that I'd not had the chance to meet yet, which was nice. The service was held on Friday afternoon. It was a simple service, but I think Big Charlie was honoured very well. He was a war veteran, so the first part of the service was done by the Legion. Each vet placed a poppie into a bowl and saluted the family. It was very touching. I think he would have approved of the service. Afterword, we all headed back to the Grand-W homestead again, where the seal on a saved bottle of Crown Royal was broken, and the whole family had a shot, to toast Big Charlie's memory -- something that he asked that the family do when he passed away.

We headed home Saturday night after supper, so it was fairly late by the time we landed home. We pretty much headed to bed after catching up a bit on our email and FB, and a few chin scratches for the cats. It was nice getting to sleep in my own bed I will selfishly admit. Sunday afternoon we went to the movies, catching Avatar. Admittedly, it was not a movie that I had any intention of seeing, and I didn't go with any glee. Surprisingly though, it was entertaining enough to hold my interest, and I found myself cheering for the 'good guys'. We grabbed a bite at Boston Pizza for supper and then back home to vegg (ie, pass out on the couch until it was bedtime).

That brings you up to date. Chris is doing well - the support and kindness everyone has bestowed upon him has been overwhelming, humbling, and has helped so much. Thank you to all, for everything...xoxo.

Speaking of Chris, his birthday is coming up fast! It's this coming Friday. We're trying to work the kinks out of getting a gathering ready, so stay tuned to your inboxes for more details.

Happy Hump!

An inadequate return to posting*

I know this let's ya'll down, but I really have little to say about last night's show. I suppose it was supposed to be one of the most dramatic ever... Pray tell, a man who actually figures out that he has a few lying around that aren't overly compatible with his golly gee good nature so he lets them go early instead of leading them on for another 2 weeks. *queue dramatic music*. Perhaps it's my mindset as of late, but I found it rather boring, and spent a good part of the final hour refreshing my FB home page to check for new status reports. I think I'm going to have to try to arrange to watch it amongst a few girlfriends one of these weeks. I usually write down a few observances as the show progresses. Last night this is all that was captured:

-I loathe Gia's laugh

I really do, though.

*I know I owe a huge update. I'll get to it - I promise.

He'll live in our hearts forever

You can shed tears that he is gone,
or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him only that he is gone,
or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
---David Harkins

We're off shortly to say our final farewells to Big Charlie. Thanks so much to everyone for their kind thoughts, prayers and hugs. We love you all...xox.

Circles........

I alluded to something in yesterday's post. Something about real life, avoidance and enlightening you all in a future post. I didn't think that it would be this soon that I'd be about to type these words.

This morning, at 4:30am, Big Charlie lost his fight.

The plan had been for him to spend his final days at home, but it was too hard on him. He was never one to sit still very long, so he still tried to move about and he ended up falling a few times, hurting his shoulder pretty badly. Early Saturday morning against what he really wanted, he was taken back to the hospital, to palliative care.

On Sunday, Chris, myself and his younger brother Shawn left the Island at 8am and arrived in Truro at about 11. We spent the day there, amongst many family members who didn't want to leave Big Charlie's side. He slept a lot, but was in and out, and during one of his more lucid moments everyone in the room had a chance to take turns to say, "I love you", and well,..."good-bye". It broke my heart into a million pieces to witness it, and see the pain in everyone's eyes. Briefly I felt almost like an intruder because the emotions in the room were so raw...but, I've been part of that family for the last 6 years, and I love Big Charlie like my own grandfather. The family are so welcoming so any feelings of 'intrusion' were really only short-lived. I had my own chance to kiss his forehead and tell him that I loved him. He told me he loved me, too.

I'm thankful everyone had a moment with him like that -- few do have that kind of opportunity.

We made our way back home, knowing possibly that was the last time we'd see Big Charlie alive, but at the same time, praying he'd hang on for a bit longer so that we could return this weekend to visit him again.

I got an email from Chris yesterday morning saying that Shawn had been speaking to him on the phone - and that he'd had a really good night on Sunday, and was even sitting up some. He still wasn't eating anything though...

Last night, Chris got a call from his dad to keep us up to date. Big Charlie told Chris' nannie yesterday that he was ready to go now. She said that if he was ready, then he should go...

He passed in his sleep, peacefully.

I can't stop thinking of Chris' nannie. The look of pain and sadness in her eyes was almost unbearable. She clutched his hand the whole time we were there. We are all losing such a special man in our lives, but he was her best friend and life partner for the last 61 years. Now she has to live in that big empty house all by herself... I pray for her comfort and her peace.

Farewell, Big Charlie. Rest in peace -- we love you and will miss you more than words...xoxox.

Roses have thorns...

To avoid writing about real life*, I'll delve back into "reality tv" with comments on tonight's Bachelor:

-I wonder if the doctor who watched Jon & Kate watches this show, too? If he does, perhaps he'd throw in a free nose job to Ashleigh like the pro bono tummy tuck Kate got?
-I see Jon Lovitz and all I can think about is, "SAVE YOURSELVES!!", as he threw in sugar-o's to the drowning gummy bears on Friends.
-Good for Jake for sending Michelle home! Usually the freaks fly under the radar a lot longer.
-Elizabeth = cock tease (written before the, "Don't tease me"; "I'm not teasing", exchange, btw). Guys don't like cock teases. Let that be food for thought on your next journey, Elizabeth.
-I still think Ali is going to be Mrs. Jake.
-Who was Valishnia??? Did we even see her before tonight??

*I'll elaborate in a future post. I'm just not up to it right now.

Psst....c'mere!

Pssst! You there! Yeah, you. Why not take a minute and say hello? It's "National Delurker Day"*, so to those that read in silence, here's your chance to reveal yourself ;). Where do you hail from? How'd you get here? Why do you read this? Show me the love :)

*Yeah, I see that it's supposed to have been done yesterday, but I'm incessently late for most things more and more, so it seems fitting.

Pray for Haiti

On Tuesday there was a major earthquake, 7.0 on the richter scale, that rocked Haiti. At this point, officials estimate the catastrope affected a third of the country's population...which amounts to approximately 3 million people. The number of casualties is estimated at 100,000 and is expected to climb.

It's unimaginable devastation and loss. My heart and prayers go out to all affected.

So the guy cut you off in traffic. So your cable feed is out and you miss the important game. So you're bored with your life or you're unhappy that the fellow sitting across from you got the big promotion at work, and you didn't. So... the list could go on....

So what? Count your blessings.

If you're looking at how you can help, click the following link:
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

Raw

How I wish I could make it all better. Make him all better...take the pain you're facing all away...

We always live in some sort of denial when we're faced with the illness of a loved one. We can't picture our lives without this person...and have this unrealistic expectation that he or she will always be around. When faced with mortality and that sinking realization that we're just biding time until the inevitable, there's absolutely nothing anyone can say or do to make you feel better.

Chris talked to his dad last night. His grandfather's cancer is in both lungs. The doctor was out to add some moisture to his oxygen because he had a hard time sleeping. He's also getting morphine. They're unsure if he'll make it to the summer.

I knew that without treatment Big Charlie didn't have a lot of time. I don't know that Chris had that same cognisance of the situation. The look of pain in his eyes as the realization clouded over him last night was heart breaking.

Sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, life still sucks.

I love you, Chris...and I hope my love will comfort the difficult road ahead.

again I lost sleep because of this...

Aaand another 2 hours of my life that I.will.never.get.back.... Tonight, on the Bachelor...

-Michelle is every shade of unstable and unbalanced and should be highly medicated for her manic-depressive episodes.
-The whole inappropriate relationship between the "staffer" and Rozlyn, and the drama and the tears that ensued --ridiculous on sooo many levels, and, as a viewer preparing for the 'most shocking scenario in Bachelor history', I feel completely cheated. Note to mention: she who bares her cha-cha on national television should not be trusted. I have to admit that I'm totally bummed that there wasn't a confrontation between her and Jake. Now that would have made some good "reality" television ;).
-I still enjoy Ali and I'm happy she had the chance to wear the sparkly necklace (is it just me or did Chicago sound awful?).
-Ashley H - With her big ol' schnozz...does she not bear a remarkable resemblance to Miss Piggy?
-I'm glad that Christina didn't "win".

I'm lovin' it?

Last weekend Chris and I went over to Mom's to have our "Christmas". We opened the gifts that remained, and she treated us to supper. (I tried to convince her the necessity in the making of a Christmas bird, complete with Dad's homemade stuffing, but she just didn't bite). She always leaves the decision for the supper choice up to us, but of course I do try to survey the audience (my own terrible tendency to never make a decision - that should have been on my list of 'resolves'. Perhaps next year. Yeah). I asked Mom what she wanted and she said "McDonalds". That's not her normal response, and we all kind of giggled, and ended up settling on Chinese, actually. However, Wednesday night she and I were out again, and she again was treating to supper so of course we did the, "I don't know...what do you want? I don't know...what do you want", exchange. She again said, "McDonalds", but then expressed the thought that perhaps one of those "baconeater" things at Wendys would be good. Unrelated, we ended up at Papa Joe's and I had Lebanese and she had fish and chips! I'm thinking the next momma night we'll have to grab a drive-thru stash of Mickey D's, though to quench that recurring craving.

I haven't been as diligent in staying on top of news events lately, but all that McDonald's talk with Mom left a good segway for the following news 'events'. The next time you get a hankerin' for a Big Mac or nugget combo, be careful! There are indeed a few nutcases out there. I suppose it's only proof-positive that it takes 'all kinds' to make the world go 'round. The scary thought - the fact that both incidents are only 2 days apart. And, no, the stories don't involve the same person. I checked.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2010/01/04/12341336.html

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2010/01/06/12364161-ap.html

Happy Friday :)

To resolve, or not to resolve...

I'm always very reluctant to 'resolve' to do anything as we embark upon a new year. I don't believe a "resolution" to be anything more than a highway to failure, because we, as a people, aim too high and overreach on our expectations for ourselves. Failure leads to disappointment and feelings of poor self-worth. Why breed low self-esteem? And why is it so important to have huge goals on January 1? Why not June 1? April? Why not decide to make changes as you need them? (Perhaps this is my feeble attempt at self satisfaction now...for making myself feel better for not admitting that I have things to improve upon though too *wink*, and I know...new year, fresh start, fresh slate, yadda...).

One blog I read regularly takes a comical (heh, pardon the pun) approach to New Years resolutions and resolves to list anti-resolutions for the upcoming year. Give her a read; she's an amazing writer, and will spur on a giggle or two, guaranteed. I'll leave the anti-resolutions to Sarcomical because she's far more witty than I. Herein I will attempt to notate items which need attention. It is an open-ended list of things that I may or may not accomplish in the next 359 days or so. If I do any of them, yay for me; if I don't I'll not beat myself up about it, either (yikes! passive agressive much??! - j/k I'm my worst critic, so there'll be beatin' ...heh):

-to continue my 'healthier eating' approach to life (yet never deprive)
-to commit 1 day/week to my momma - be it an outing for the two of us, a visit to watch tv with her, or just a phone call.
-to read 1 book per month (that might be a high reach - ok 1 book every two months?)
-to drink more water
-to try new fruits and vegetables
-to pay my Visa down
-to own (ie, have the ability to fit my fat calves into) a pair of high boots
-to have a more positive attitude re: certain things in my life
-to laugh more
-to craft more, even if it's just making cards
-to de-clutter (oh this is a big one)
-to exercise and learn to like it

I think that's a good spot to end the list. What are your plans for the upcoming year?

Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word. Goran Persson

Oh Jake...

I know you're waiting for it (Hi Rhonda B and Rhonda M ;)) ...

I feel crappy, but staying upright at the laptop is keeping me awake til the premiere ends. Here are some of my early observations:

-Jake is still over-the-top-golly-gee-ah-hyuck-Goofy to me...but he really is a fine piece of male flesh, isn't he?
-There are at least 6-7 girls that are YEARS older than they claim.
-Rozlyn is only here for the chance to get her mug on national television.
-Shannon Doherty threw up and now we have Emily!
-I hate, hate, hate Christina. Note to Jake: how many times in one episode can she claim she is going to "win"??
-Ms. Canada is funny looking and well...awkward.
-Michelle is the definition of "unstable" in Webster's dictionary. Jake best not have a pet bunny.
-I really like Ali.
-Who really believes that Sheila is a pilot?? Perhaps Jake didn't either.
-A "fake" engagement ring? WTF?? When I was growing up I was told that it was bad luck to wear a ring on your left hand ring finger.
-Perhaps Channy should have waited to discuss her landing strip til a later date? Nah, she was ugly anyway.

JEBUS girls...you just MET him and now you're sniveling and crying at the fact that you're going home? I really wonder why I watch this show. I could have had two solid hours of sleep into me by now. Did you watch?

A toast to new opportunities

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Happy New Year everyone! I've done absolutely nothing today - and it was completely planned, and totally worth every glorious moment. We slept in, had delicious banana choc chip pancakes, hot coffee (mine with Baileys of course), and played hours of Wii! I had a nap while Chris played more Wii, and now we're about to embark on a delicious spaghetti supper. Tonight, we'll more than likely play more Wii, and perhaps put a movie or two on. There's apparently a nor' easter brewing in the Atlantic, so if the next few days have to follow suit, I'd be completely satisfied with that ;).

I had doubts that I'd be going anywhere NYE based on how I have been feeling all week, but was feeling slightly better yesterday, so when the opportunity presented itself for dinner with friends we decided to go. Melissa & Darren had a few seats open at their reserved table at Sim's Corner, so Chris and I got spiffied up and joined in on the fun. We weren't expecting it, but as it turns out, there was a special NYE menu - complete with 2 appetizers, a choice of 4 main courses and a choice of 2 desserts (oh, and a ginormous price tag).

The food was good (aside from the first app which was some sort of pâté thing that I don't even think my cat would eat), and the company was fantastic. The service was on par with a high end restaurant - until it came time for the cheque. Tell me something...who waits on a table of 6 and not asks how you want the bill??! She handed the bill for all 6 plates to one person. As we all had a drink or two it wasn't as simple as just dividing by 3. So, as in any other restaurant in the same type of situation, we asked her to split it up into three. She was visibly pissed and didn't even try to cheery up her snide remark about having to figure out who had what drink (and I think there was a sigh in there as well, and perhaps a hint of an eye roll). Needless to say, it was a lesson learned, a less than adequate tip for the server, and two hicks from the trailerhood got to live high on the hog for 2 1/2 hrs at a hoity toity eatery. Happy New Year! :P


After bidding adieu to Melissa & Darren and Kelly & Aaron, we booted over to Pam & Tyler's NYE party to ring in the magic hour, arriving just in time. We had a great time visiting with friends, and even had a chance to play ping.mo.fo. pong. We literally closed the placed down (thanks for indulging us Pam & Tyler, even when undoubtably you likely wished we'd gone home with the rest of them *wink*).

I hope you all had a safe, enjoyable (cheap) NYE. Cheers to a new year of new beginnings, new hopes, new dreams, and new possibilites :).