santa 2008

On Saturday we went to the annual school district Christmas party and for a change - we were actually on time - usually my mom shows up late and we walk in after the gifts are being handed out... which means that we have to wait until the end and them going back over those who were missed. I did some complaining last year and now this year - we were in the top 20 people there - which meant we were one of the top 20 called up.

It was fun and low stress and usually I'm bitchy and whining during and after the event. This time - pretty good - everyone had a good time - everyone had fun - it was the first holiday miracle :)

After the event we went for lunch - or rather the boys did with my parents while I sat there and played cop to them eating and misbehaving... plus I don't eat fast food and so going to A&W and being offered fries and stuff made me a little - RRRRRR - so I just wanted to get home.

Highlight: Kyle noted the following as Santa made his big entrance - "Look, Santa's grandma came with him." (aka Mrs Claus)


The boys with my mom


The boys visiting Santa - that's as close as Michael came to Santa...


Some photography fun for me after Santa - I managed to get within about 10 feet of this fawn - I got a few other shots of the fawn with the mom and a few other deer - it was awesome!

project update

Alright so the project I really got going on this week should be finished for tomorrow... amazing...

I sat here and watched (mostly) the newest Indiana Jones and I gotta say that I can't believe that that was the story line - I mean really - that's how it ends - that is the story of Indiana Jones - it was actually not the worst film until the last 15 minutes or so... ok - I know - that's a stretch that those 15 minutes were the only bad parts, but I'm trying to be kind because I love the other three films... I just can't believe it. I guess I'm not super disappointed - I'd heard it wasn't great and didn't think it would even be as good as it was... at least it wasn't like I am legend - when it was like 'ooohhhh it is the best film ever - it is amazing" and then we watch it and it sucked... and my expectations were sooo high and just completely dashed...

ok - back to the project and less computer...

stink

There was something smelly in my office yesterday.... thanks, but no it wasn't me :)

I couldn't figure out what it was and I went as far as spraying down the floor and cleaning my chair pad to get rid of the smell. I'm pretty sure the smell gave me my headache yesterday after - something chemically... anyhow - this mornin I sit down and there it is again - and I decide that's it - I'm not sitting here all day and getting another headache... and so began the tearing apart of my office - I believe that I found the source and am now able to think while I work... amazing how that can turn things around...

Alright - so another day kicked off - time for work.

how did it go...

Well my day wasn't as rotten as I thought after my attempt at negativity control :) I ended up with a terrible headache in the afternoon though and I've been feeling a little rotten the rest of the day. I worked out tonight though and don't feel like such a slug now.

I'm working on a project and I'm hoping to share it by the weekend - I took it on my trip to Seattle and started it but then left it - then I got back to it last night and I'm feeling like I'll have it finished for the weekend.

Alright - a photo and then back to the project and - holy crap - I just realized it was after 11... damn! Ok - so I'm going to bed... ARG... ok - project might be tail end of weekend... k - so no photo tonight - I'll load something tomorrow :)

a post before I really get working

It is 12 minutes to the real start of my work day - although I've actually been working for 20 minutes already... and I just wanted to kick off the week on a high note - I'm actually feeling a little bit low this morning, but I know that I need to be thinking positively and then the good stuff should come back to me - will -... the good stuff will come back to me :)

So in an effort to turn the day around here are some quotes to bring smiles and get anyone else who may be feeling this way some help too :)

A day without laughter is a day wasted ~ Charlie Chaplin

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.Dream. Discover ~ Mark Twain

To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever ~ Henry Drummond

And a final one to kick off the morning... To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world - and this came from the ever famous unknown... so feel free to tell people that this morning and throughout the day and tell them you came up with it... :)

Smiling and ready for the work day....

tonight

It is after one in the morning and I'm still working... why? Special client needed a last minute job - so good that I can bill someone for this time - not so great that I'm sleepy and not feeling particularly sparkly - upset stomach or something.

I'm working on my older computer in the basement, where it is cold and where all the crap in the free world is piled because our leaky reno room has still not been completed... so hordes of our crap is sitting on the floor - stacked and then re-stacked - my desk is a disaster and that's putting it kindly... but being on this computer gives me one advantage - I can share a couple of Kyle's photos...


Grandma and Michael having some fun...

A crocodile adventure shot

A pretty bloom...

2008 festival of trees

Well another year, another night of competition. 400 chocolates, a hundred red balls, 200 extra lights and much more... plus this year I had help which saved me hours of time - the help was awesome - I'd probably still be there if it hadn't been for all the people that came from other teams to help out... plus it was awesome to just focus on something fun and have a great time - 2 1/2 hours just slipped by - and here it is...



I also bought all the supplies for another tree and provided some direction... but our community spirit team really pulled it together... here was our awesome tree topper!


I love Quatchi!




Ok, one more of the tree topper... this is a beautiful reindeer wall mount that I used as a tree topper and it turned into the show stopper... which I was glad about because once I put it up I was thinking that maybe I'd made the wrong choice... all that matters is that someone pays good money for that tree to support the O.R. in Quesnel.

photos...

Right - so I didn't download my camera - so no photos tonight - I spent some time taking the challenge on the biggest loser - 1,000 steps - which when I started I was thinking - this can't be that bad - I thought of all the step classes I've been to and you must put in hundreds, if not a thousand during one of those sessions... well I'm not as sure tonight.

I completed 1,000 steps in about 35 minutes and as far as I can remember the fastest time on biggest loser was something about 40 minutes... but I can't find a note on how long it took anyone and I can't watch hulu or any other places online that would let me watch the episode or piece of the episode - in any case I just wondered if I could get through and how quickly and it broke up the treadmill schedule - it definitely winded me and had my heart rate a pumping but really wasn't long enough for a great workout - oh well - at least I put some time in tonight.

ok - off to bed.

Note to self - 1,000 steps sounded and felt great last night - not so great when you have a calf spasm while shopping and continued pulling pain for remainder of day... brain still thinks it was an ok idea... calf is working on telling brain that it wasn't super smart, ass appears to be getting in the way of message...

where did i go?

Alright - so I've been too busy to write anything exciting and unable to make a comment on the recent political events in our region because someone is always watching... :) In any case I'm looking forward to the year ahead and I'll leave my political stuff there...

What else? Well tomorrow is the festival of trees here in town and because I'm insane I decided I'd help with two trees. I've designed both but I'll only be decorating on one team... a team of one likely - but still a team... I'm swamped with other work both the full time variety and the part time but not feeling sunk... yet. I'm excited about the holiday season and am looking forward to having my sister home and my brother home for a few days. I'm hoping we might actually get a nice family picture together.

I've got a few scrapbook pages finished and I'm working on more and slowly but surely catching up.

Alright - I'm off to finish cooking dinner and with any luck I'll be back here later tonight with photos...

What's for dinner... glad you asked - tonight I'm re-heating some leftovers from my board meeting last night and then I've added a chicken, potato and carrot dish. Take two chicken breasts and cut into small pieces - small enough that you can eat two pieces at a time, then cut up two potatoes into small pieces (smaller than chicken) and the same with one or two carrots. Cook chicken in a little oil and water. Add the potatoes and carrots once chicken is cooked. Add soy sauce and some water to create a sauce in the pot. Cook until potatoes and carrots are... well... cooked. Then serve with rice or just eat with leftovers from board meetings :)

Note - do not blog too long as can result in food sticking to bottom of pan..

oh yeah!

It is Friday! woooooo hoooooooooo!

That is all :)

More later.

conversation

"Mom, I know how babies are made."

Great... great... (brain catches up with words)... what?

"I know how babies are made."

Holding my breath - what has he heard now.

"Well first..."

Lord - please don't provide the details.

"First you pull out your shirt, like this (extends shirt as far as it can go forward) and then you fill it with sand."
Holds like pouch.

"See."

Yes - I see. Phew.

When is it you have that conversation?

My parents decide that that question wasn't worth answering - or at least not the part I wanted to better understand. I asked that question at about age 12 maybe 14 and got this big long story about the work involved in raising kids...

friday night

Love Actually (definitely a favorite movie) is playing... I'm getting ready to make a loaf of banana bread and I'm then going to watch the movie while I scrapbook and enjoy a cooler... ah - now this is a good Friday night...

love actually is all around... damn I love this movie!

I feel it my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Christmas is all around me
And so the feeling grows

It's written in the wind
It's everywhere I go
So if you really love Christmas
Come on and let it snow, come on and let it snow

Solid gold shit :)

10:12... update


Ready to go....


If you want more
You want more, more, more

Jump for my love
Jump in and feel my touch



Update 11:46pm

Now off to deal with coughing kids... looks like it will be a long night :)

Two years

Today marks two years since Grandma passed away. I just wanted to acknowledge it. The sense of loss isn't as close to the surface today. I've been thinking about her more this last two weeks leading up to today and what she went through and what our family went through. I wonder what she'd say about things going on in my life and what she'd say about the changes in the world. I want to write more to this end, but it is a little bit too sad to write and it brings it very real and very raw to the top of my mind. "Be good April, and if you can't be good, be safe."

snow

It is snowing right now.... outside my window... I have no harsh words or anger towards the weather - it felt late anyway... I should have my winter tires on by now...

I'm home for the rest of the day with Michael - he is sick with some kind of cold - blah... so it means a movie day with work - since there is no escaping the office during the week.

Idea assistance - I'm in a tree decorating competition in two weeks - I competed last year and we did well - but this year I want to knock socks off - I'm planning on stringing holiday chocolates on the tree. My initial plan was to somehow attach ferriro roches together in a long rope and then string the tree but I'm looking for other ways to cover the tree... I want it to be in a way that allows people to easily take a chocolate from the tree... what do you think? The tree will be red and white - the chocolates need to be one color - so there aren't a tonne of different brands I can use - but there is more than the ferriro's.

Ok - back to work and the coughing babe.

An open letter

This is an open letter to the stupid children in our neighbourhood (hood) who think that throwing an egg at a house is a fun past time. Please take notice that hence forth it is not ok and if we catch said children we will be making sure we have a meeting with their parents and ensuring that your little hands are helping out with a clean up project.... Don't kids know that they have to wait until college to do stupid shit and then you can only throw pumpkins and eggs at friends houses - not random strangers.

Thank you for your time.

(Yes, this may be how that whole do unto others thing works... but come on... they were are friends... it wasn't some random act...)

just playing around

and now for some photos

Kyle as a cowboy police man (sheriff) - getting ready to depart for trick or treating...


Buzz Light Year Pumpkin, in honour of Michael's costume that was never worn...


Beaver footprints on the Nazko River


Michael in the new dog house at my parents house


Dew on a pine

northern bc driving

I was raised to watch for wildlife... mostly this was a tool for hunting - but it is an excellent tool for driving because I see things on the road a few seconds (generally) before I might run into them. I've also been taught that if the road allows it and it's dark out, drive in the middle of the road so if something decides to walk out in front of you you've got an extra second... we spent the afternoon with my parents in nazko, had a yummy moose crumb steak dinner, with basmati rice and mashed carrots and with the damned time change it got dark fast - which is actually fine because I hate driving at dusk.

So we get in the car and I'm watching the road because I'm a trained professional... about 40 km from my parents house the following occurs in less than a few seconds: First let me say that I'm driving in the middle of the road
1) I see something move on my right
2) I see a big dark rear end on the road
3) I realize it is a moose and stay the course hoping it doesn't move
4) I see it is standing in my lane
5) I move a touch more left to give it room
6) I get a blinding light return as it swings its head up
7) I realize I'm now looking at a trophy moose and I see more than 10 points (points are antler points - which means that this is damned big moose) on one side of his head...
8) I see that he is not only looking up now because he's heard me, he is now making for the left of the road - right where I'm trying to go
9) I say "HOLY SHIT!"
10) I pull way over left and now fear that his antlers are going to carve out the ass end of my CRV
11) We pull ahead and it is a miss
12) My heart catches up with my brain and sends in the adrenaline

I've decided that had a been a regular driver I wouldn't be home tonight - I'd have a moose for an ornament on my CRV... or rather I'd be lucky to even have my CRV at all - he'd have landed full into my car - because he didn't see my coming and was likely just as shocked as I was - I'm always looking for my headlights reflecting off of eyes on the sides of the roads - the animals don't usually stand like he was - all ass on the road - eating something in the ditch - I mean come on - he's got the whole ditch to stand in and yet decided tonight to stand on the road to eat... he probably didn't care about the car though - he would have one the battle - I'm sure he out weighed my car....

Good times in Northern BC

evil yoga

So I've got some workout DVD's and I did one a few weeks ago and it nearly killed me. The routine was great and definitely got my heart rate up but it made me hurt so much that I didn't work out for a couple of days... so I've been scared to go back to them... I woke up with a pinch nerve in my shoulder that has been throbbing most of today and I thought tonight I'd tried the yoga dvd... now my nerve is still pinched but not as bad, but the yoga was brutal... I mean - what the hell - downward facing dog, to plank, to warrior, to multiple warriors to triangle to some weird move where I was desperately trying to stay in the warrior leg position while putting one arm over my back (that's right - over my back) while the other arm is going under my leg to grasp the hand that is coming over... needless to say - I'm not really ready for that one... at 45 minutes I gave up and decided I'd try the rest another night...

but I will go back to the DVD's - I just need to remember that I need to take my time...


AND WHAT THE HELL- there's a commercial from Lowe's for Christmas - holy crap! Ok - wait - I shouldn't say anything - 'binder probably has a few decorations out tonight :) and to be honest - I thought about it... in fact Kyle was asking me about christmas this morning... like Halloween wasn't enough for excitement around here...