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Your Elf Name Is...

Ditzy Cartwheels

What's Your Elf Name?

freezer, aisle 3

So here I am out in the cold. This is a photo of one of the lucky winners of our christmas contest.

extra dose of procrastination

I should totally be doing work right now.... but I just am not in the mood. Instead I wish to share my newest cd favs (note to Paula - I haven't forgotten about your cd... I am working on it and plan to bring to Vancouver in just 16 more days) right now (alright I'm queen of the lame) I'm working out to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack (light and airy music, not the death stuff on the soundtrack), Ratatouille (orchestral jazz), the Incredibles (orchestral jazz), and Happy Feet.

I went to a meeting earlier this year and we were asked to tell the group something no one know about us and I decided to share that I have happy feet and there was a lot of "what the hell does that mean". I guess I should have tried using that at meeting with people under the age of 40 who have kids or at least semi familiar with the world of pixar and disney... I guess I should have also been lame and said something people already knew about me like every other ass in the room. (Alright inside voice, that is enough for tonight... 'master, please let me out to play', sorry not now... patience 'yes, patience master, thank you')

the earth

Today someone suggested another tale of peak oil for me to read. Most of the stuff I've read is doom and gloom and get out your candles because that's the only source of light we are going to have in the future and really we should all just be bucking wood up here and storing it because eventually the only light will come from the fire we sit beside at night.

This book is different. It has history and me, who tried to get a history degree, finds interesting and, me, who likes steven king and the way he interconnects books with characters, has found a commonality with this book. I'm still reading it (that's right kiddies I've actually read 30 pages in one work out - and it was an intelluctual read so that is damn near amazing) and hopefully it will continue to be a good story. So far the best thing I've picked up out of it is that one of us has the answer to this energy "crisis". That an answer is out there and it will come in our darkest hour. The book outlines the history of energy and how societies have forged ahead because of supply demands and that this has created new sources. Sounds like a lot of common sense, but if it so easy why hasn't the new way come up sooner. The next multi-billionaires are in our mist - it could be someone reading this, it could be me if I could just figure out how this darn inter-net-a-ma-thing worked. (ha - I actually have entrepreneurial thought and have invented things - albeit too late or without resources to implement the idea...)

Let us all take a moment to be inspired and dream a bit, in the words of willy wonka "invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation and 2% butterscotch ripple". You're right, that had nothing to do with anything... ok - now you are ready to search the corners of your mind, sweep out the cobwebs and see the idea that will save us all from the hype of having no energy to run our vehicles, that transport our food, that build our homes and power our televisions and computers. So are you worried? Is the end closer than we even have a clue of, if the internet died tomorrow because the computers had no power would we just crawl into the corner and die, or would we go outside and play?

This rant has been brought to you by the letter 't' and the number 8.

reload

The cabinets are installed - hooray! No doors yet, but I'm loading all of our crap back into them now. Not an enjoyable job! Plus so many decisions - where should stuff go... blah! Smelly fozzy is still with us - mom and dad should be here to pick him up in the next few hours - hopefully. My trip to Nazko today was pretty boring - the craft fair was done early so I missed it and didn't even see any wildlife. We ate mom and dad's cheese and crackers - that was the highlight - I know, ultra lame - oh I better take this darn dog out.. arg! barky-bartakamoose..

neige

It snowed today - first since the last time I mentioned it - 4 inches today

I'm dog sitting "fozzy bear" (parents) pomerian... he pants so loud - I just want to lock him downstairs tonight but then he will bark his little head off - the kids love having him around and it really makes me want to get a little dog - but it is completely out of the question - I know we don't have time for another animal in our office. Two kids is more than enough thank you - god his breath is so bad - he is three feet from me on the floor and I can smell him... blah! I should offer him some scope!

I bought some gear to keep me warm last night and I wanted to share them because they are awesome...

First - socks - they are very warm and mine came with a cute little penguin at the top of them - $9.99 at Mark's Work Wearhouse and right now they are 50% for the second pair plus an additional 20% off both pairs during their sales event...



Ok - so then I bought these hot little numbers... toasterz



Inside these little packs are a stainless steel invention that creates some kind of chemical reaction causing the pack to harden and warm (I know we've all heard that before...) They can be used over and over again - you have to boil the pack and it resets the stainless steel thing and then you just click on the stainless steel thing when you need them and it starts all over - I had mine last night out in the cold and they definitely worked. I had them exposed to the cold, in my pockets and sitting on the table -I tossed one between my hands and ended up using both and putting them in my pockets so my hands had a warm place to go... with the interaction of exposure to cold and then in my pockets they conducted heat for at least 45 minutes, if not an hour - if I'd just kept them in my gloves I think they would have lasted longer. These little babies cost $10.99 at Mark's and I'd definitely recommend them for others to try out if you are going on any kind of outdoor excursions this winter.

Tomorrow I'm off to Nazko to check on the other dogs while my parents are in Vancouver - that's right my dad actually left the north - first time in more than 15 years (easily)... I still can't believe they went - they called me from their hotel room like two little kids - 'there's internet, and we are on the 7th floor and dad says he can see metro town..' plus additional details - down for a day - they come back tomorrow night - crazy - but their pooches need chow between now and then so I'm jetting out tomorrow - it also happens to be the Nazko Craft Fair so hopefully I'll have time to visit and see what crafts they've made out there this year.

thank you for warm water

Ok - warming up - showering was a great idea... I'm finding out now that my face got some frost bite or wind burn 'cause damn it hurts now...

um... brrrrrr

So good old work tonight involved sitting outside in minus ten for a christmas campaign - I wasn't really that cold while I was sitting/standing outside - after 2.5 hours (outside for 3.5 hours in total) my feet started to send the single that it was too cold - I wrapped them with a blanket and nice newspaper photographer felt bad for me and gave me a camping seat (foam) to stand on - which actually helped a lot! Now and hour later I'm freezing - I guess I'm finally unthawing and parts are starting to ache... blah... I think it's time for a warm shower or bath...

It was a fun night - we had people pick up keys at businesses and then they had to try their luck at a lock - three people won (there were five keys that worked - out of hundreds) and hundreds lost... what was fun was the expression on the faces of the winners - they couldn't even believe it - one winner started jumping up and down and then says what did I win - so I say - well you need to pick from one of these envelopes - so she and her husband go back and forth on which number to pick - they pick up one and she says - oh it feels empty - and I say -well it is because I haven't put the $1,000 in it - and then it was on - 'shut up - are you kidding me.." and then she's hugging her husband and jumping up and down going nuts - it was very funny!

Ok - I'm going to go warm up - hope everyone has a great weekend! It's the first Christmas Farmers' Market tomorrow - hooray!

the kitchen

Day 22... things are going alright - but we had a bit of a challenge in the project. The floor has been in for a couple of days now and the half of the cabinets are installed - my dad came over to help and while he was there Andy had him move in the stove and fridge. Unfortunately the fridge didn't go in as gently as was planned... my dad's side gouged out the floor .... the brand new floor - and now there is nothing that you can do - he hasn't even talked to me about it - or mom and they've definitely had the chance... a - hey sorry 'bout that - would have been nice... nothing - but I know that it's probably my fault... 'why did you install a floor that could be so easily wrecked', 'why did i even get a new floor', 'why did i buy this house'... it really could go on...

in 1995 i had a new (new to me) car and I'd parked in the turn around of our driveway - pretty common practice at the house so other people could come and go as they needed to - one day my mom and dad got in the truck and left and my dad back straight into my car - i cried and had a melt down, but i was the one in trouble - what the hell was i parking there for - and why was my mom blabbin' to my dad while he was trying to drive... 12 years later and I'm still whining about that one.. I'm sure I'll be whining about my floor for just as long...

So what happened with the floor - well the guy came in and said 'oh that happens..." NO SHIT! I'm glad they mentioned how easy it was to cause damage when we were buying the damn thing.. any how he re-sticks it down and then glues it - you can't really see the blip in the floor - but if you are right over you'd see it - I guess it's just one of those things....

What it puts into perspective for me is relationships? If that had been a floor guy, or really - anyone other than my dad the shit would have hit the fan, the wall and probably someone outside! But because it was my dad who I have all the respect in the world floor nothing was said - and it makes me wonder if I shouldn't be treating everyone that way. Not to jump on people for the slightest of things - maybe this is an opportunity to learn something... we'll see...

The whole situation did give me a pretty bad case of terets - 5...4...3..2..1.. launch the f-bomb, load the a-hole bomb... alright now the f-bomb times three plus a kiss my a@#... and it kept creeping up on me - I'd think I was done cursin' and it would be on me again.

the tree

I arrive and, of course, initially have no helpers. I get going on "fluffing" the tree. This took about 15 minutes. Then I brought extra lights (the only person in the competition to do this...) - this took another 15 minutes.... I can't believe how long wiring and everything else takes - plus I was rushing...

I started loading in the extra boughs (purple, pink, blue) a helper areas - a local designer - she helps me load the rest of the tree - I don't know if I'd finished on time without her. I'm not in love with it - it is WAY to girlie girl for me. The second we started adding the dragonflies we started getting questions though. I must have answered the "where did you get that" question 15 times. Maybe more. My helper just laughed every time someone asked, because I answered like it was the first time someone had asked.

I think there will be a good battle over our tree at the auction in two weeks and that we will have done a good job for the hospital (fundraiser for new labour bed).

help... again :)

Tomorrow night I'm decorating a tree for the local festival of trees competition. Some of the gear I was hoping would be here didn't show and now the tree needs help. The theme is dragon flies but a bunch of them didn't show up or did and looked like they'd come out of an old ladies 1980's garden display of useless crap... think of bright pink nylons wrapped on a net made to look like a dragonfly with added crap on the side... so those were a no go because the rest of the stuff looks too good and that would just drag the look down.

I'm considering placing snowflakes on the tree, with the dragonflies. I've posted the photos below and am just looking for second/third/fourth opinion on it. Does it go? Do you have suggestions for putting them together? I'm decorating in less than 24 hours so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


This is a small blue crystal dragonfly.


Small clear crystal dragonfly.


Blue snowflake - a large one of these might act as the topper as well... not sure - could also go with a white/silver one as well.


5" long clear dragonfly


Branch filler - there are small flowers and butterflys on the branches...

the book

Last night I went for a walk with my book on the treadmill - made it through 80 pages in an hour - I know - that is a terrible average - it's no wonder that I could hardly get through my university classes... my biggest problem with reading is that I like to take in every word and understand it thoroughly - I also like to pronouce things as I'm reading... I'm retarded - I know.

With 80 pages gone I decided to finish the rest before I went to bed. I ended up reading until 1:20am. It's done. It had 658 pages and now I'm on to Potter - not sure if I will crack it tonight or not... don't want to get too into it. I do want to know what happens though. That doesn't mean anyone needs to spoil it for me... thank you :)

So what of the book? Well as a long time King reader I would say it is better than a bunch, but not as complex as some. I loved the Stand - definitely in my top ten for favorite books. I wouldn't place this in the top ten - Lisey's Story - but it was a good read. The relationship between a husband and wife written in a different style - one that I enjoyed because I write like that - or have thought about writing the way he wrote this book - he will be writing about a past event and then it flips to the next chapter in present tense following off from where he started to explain the past event. There is gore, but not nearly as bad as his other books. There is one scene in it that nearly made me quite reading because it was so vivid and just made me feel like I didn't (shouldn't) want to read anymore if that was going to be the rest of the book - not as bad as the unicorn section of "Not wanted on the voyage" by Findley (another fav author - Canadian) but it ranks up there.

The other book I'm reading tonight is "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry's wife) about cooking for kids. Oprah profiled it a couple of weeks ago. My super wonderful Aunti Jenni ordered me the book (early b-day present - THANK YOU!) and after a few weeks of back order it arrived today. I'm going to read through some of it tonight - but I will likely start Potter.

And speaking of not doing anything any more - I think I might be done with ER. What the hell happened in the last episode? What is wrong with those writers? I found that scene at the end uncomfortable to watch- why, why, why would they do that? That can't be getting the ratings up. It might as well been a rape and I just thought it was in bad taste and poor judgement - me a faithful (ok except for about a year) viewer of ER. Not to mention - eeewwwwwww - come on she's got the hottest man on the show in the sack and she goes after that... WHAT? WHAT..... WHAT?? I don't care if she was lonely, and drunk... did anyone feel like she was drugged... is that where this is going? Ok - good night... tomorrow night I'm decorating a tree in the local festival of trees competition - I'll have photos to share late tomorrow night.

tear jerker

I'm casually flipping through channels - getting ready for bed - when I come across Fried Green Tomatoes. I loved this movie years ago - loved it - but I really haven't watched it in a long time - probably since university anyways - so nine or ten years... now if you haven't seen it I won't ruin it for you but it definitely has some sad parts to it. Man did I cry. Holy - the whole film means a different thing to me now. Now I've been through some loss, had kids, and aspects of the movie just make me cry - and not that little cry, that whole aching chest, sobbing cry... I wasn't loud about it - but gees...

Alright - I'm off to read 'Lizy's story' - I broke through page 500 last night - its 630+ pages long...

new floor

So we have a new floor - amazing - it stinks (glue stench) but that will go away - it means that I can actually cook tomorrow night - which is AWESOME! I didn't realize how much I depended on the stove - let alone the oven... and microwave cooking - BLAH! I don't know how anyone could survive like that - I'd rather cook over a fire.

Phase one is complete - now we have some telephone issues and I'm not sure how we will proceed. There is some mudding and painting that needs to happen - so maybe we can start the cabinet install this coming weekend

I will share all of the photos (before and after) once everything is completed...

Phone calls - please note that my phone is on and off - if you need me my cell is the best way until the 19th - we've got some rewiring that needs to happen and that's the soonest they could come... and thanks telus for not being a responsible enough company to get your staff to make appointments - I can get an arrival time for chinese take out but not from a multi-million dollar company - maybe you should pay me for the day I have to waste sitting around for your sorry employees to have to show up! ASSES! I should also get compensated for the additional day I'll likely have to wait when I get some sad excuse from your staff that they weren't booked properly and blah-d-frickin-blah-blah... if I pulled this shit on my customers they'd say - sorry but we don't want to have your services anymore, but alas my phone line is tied in a knot and the best I can do is stop using their long distance plan.... (That's right phone bill payers we know we are taking advantage of you and all you can do it complain - we don't care - you are up in the north, your cell service sucks so you can't just switch over to that - and we know it - and we don't care - did I say that we don't care - wait - sing it- we don't care... - insert dr.evil laugh)

the mist

Back in the day - grade 10 ish - I was introduced to Steven King - life changing really - numerous sleepless nights - numerous ah-ha moments pulling together all the fine fibres woven through multiple books - today i see they've turned 'the mist' into a film - the novella was terrifying for me - it still haunts me - i'm still scared of fog - ok i'm scared of fog but sometimes when i see fog rolling in i think about this terrifying novel - i'm sure like most of the steven king films it won't be as good as the book - althought it would be pretty hard to screw up and they could definitely make it scary...

I'm still reading 'liz's story' - I know - I'm a slow reader - I only get to read 10 or so pages a night... I'm hoping to finish it up this week - it has has scary moments and the remainder of the book has kept my interest - it is a good story about a husband and wife... looking forward to the ending... then I need to get it together and read the last 'potter'

ok - back to watchin' bon jovi on SNL -

a draw

At the count of ten we're gonna draw and then we'll see who gets all the nuts.

(A crazy Richmond squirrel, summer 2007)

tonight

much better
less crazy
less sad
enjoying a slurpee
thank you hunky husband

kitchen renovation still happening
new floor starts tomorrow

jen - paper copy is coming tomorrow

a year

In the past year Michael has had his first birthday, Kyle has turned five, I (gulp) turned 30, Andrew completed his paramedic training and yet sometimes it doesn't feel like it has been a day since my grandma passed away.

If you read her earlier tonight you would have seen my mad and angry and sad post... I deleted it - too upsetting... sorry for those who might have read it... I'm ok - I just needed a vent - I did it and now it has been released...

This is a photo of me and my grandma from 1998...

a survey

I Fear…

[.5] the dark
[ ] staying single forever
[ ] being a parent
[ ] giving birth
[ ] being myself in front of others
[ ] open spaces
[ ] closed spaces
[ ] heights
[ ] black cats
[ ] dogs
[ ] birds
[ ] fish
[ .5] spiders
[ ] flowers or other plants
[ ] being touched
[ ] fire
[ ] deep water
[ ] lakes
[ ] silk
[ .5] the ocean
[ ] failure
[ ] success
[ ] thunder/lightning
[ ] frogs/toads
[ ] my boyfriends/girlfriends dad
[ ] my boyfriends/girlfriends mom
[ ] mice/rats
[1] jumping from high places
[ ] snow
[ ] rain
[ ] wind
[ ] crossing hanging bridges
[1] death
[ ] heaven
[ ] being robbed
[ ] falling
[ ] clowns
[1] large crowds of people
[ ] men
[ ] women
[ ] having great responsibilities
[ ] doctors, including dentists
[ ] tornadoes
[ ] hurricanes
[ ] incurable diseases
[ ] snakes
[ ] sharks
[ ] Friday the 13th
[ ] ghosts
[ ] poverty
[ ] Halloween
[ ] school
[ ] trains
[ ] odd numbers
[ ] even numbers
[ ] being alone
[ ] becoming blind
[ ] becoming deaf
[ ] growing up
[ ] monsters under my bed (as in scary people)
[ ] creepy noises in the night
[ ] bee stings
[ ] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[ ] needles
[ ] blood
[ ] dinosaurs if they were alive
[ ] the welcome mat
[ ] high speeds
[ .5] throwing up
[ ]falling in love

My Total: 5 - I wouldn't say I'm fearless - I also completed this survey on a happy evening... chatting with Keefe about BON JOVI!



If you get more than 30 I strongly recommend some counseling!

IF you get more than 20 you’re paranoid.

If you get 10-20 then u are normal.

If you get 10 or less you’re fearless.

People who don’t have any are lying!

the book

For those that have been looking at the book - I need to get feedback by the end of the week - sorry to pressure you - I'm trying to be clear of the whole project by next week... thank you! :)