christmas

Well nothing went terribly wrong with the house today and I watched the Muppets Family Christmas tonight and actually feel a lot more in the spirit of things... hooray! I just need to watch Garfields Christmas and I'll be good to go :)

The tree has all the presents under it and we have a yummy cookie and carrots for the reindeer (2 for Rudolph, "I feel sorry for him Mom, he should get an extra one," said Kyle) I'm looking forward to a nice brunch-ish meal tomorrow, some good old Christmas cartoons and family arriving... We read the Polar Express before bed and I was surprised that that book inspired the film... I mean the book was good - but man the movie had a lot more details and characters... Kyle enjoyed it and was really happy to get the book - he gave me two hugs for it... it was one of those moments...the ones you can reflect on for a lifetime.

Anyway - I'm going to do a few more things and then get to bed and wait for the kids to wake up and see how the living room has changed, good ole' Saint Nick.

Merry Christmas everyone!

eve

Well this is the first time I've had a few minutes to write anything - today was not a very good day - but it ended well so I can't complain - oh wait, yes I can...

We started the morning with a "plumber" how yanked on my plumbing snake so hard that he broke it - and then left because "he wasn't dealing with that"... my brother came over and he and Andy spent the day working on the problem... the snake was stuck in ice in the drain - and the drain was so full of ice - well it was about 10 ft or more full - so there wasn't much we could do with it... needless to say it was a long day - it ended with a new water pipe being installed and the washer working again...

Some of the day was insane though and part of the reason I'm still awake. I went out to get some work done this afternoon - when I returned to the house are CO2 alarm was beaking off - I go and see it and it has a reading on it - I go into safety mode and evacuate the house... the guys think I'm nuts but I wasn't dying from that shit - that is why I bought the alarm... ok - so we evacuate and I call someone I know on a volunteer fire department - he says call Terasen - gas company - I call Terasen (this is the short version because the long version - well I'll save that for my journal...) Terasen says get out of the house - open windows and doors - and leave - emergency guy will be there soon - ok... I leave again - kids never came back in the house - just me and Andy and my brother (who stayed the whole time...) Terasen arrives and whatever was here has gone with the open windows... from a reading up over 124 down to nothing... but... this very nice Terasen emergency person says he will look around anyway... and what does he find... well no CO2 problem... but he finds that our BRAND new pipes in my BRAND new furnace wasn't tightened enough and was leaking natural gas - which I complained about but was told - "I've got a nose for natural gas and I don't smell it..." I guess he's been smelling too much horse shit lately... cause he was WRONG! Anyway - great Terasen guy tightens the pipe and we seem to back up and running.

I spent the last 2 hours (ish) wrapping gifts and now I can't sleep - the CO2 thing scares the shit out of me. It is dangerous to be around a reading of more than 50 and when I came home from work my whole family was sitting in the house - I think you could have lit me on fire this afternoon and I wouldn't have noticed - I packed Michael - who was asleep - and basically had a fit and now I keep thinking I'm going to hear the alarm go off again - or maybe it won't go off - I know I will sleep tonight but I'm just a little bit ( a lot) out of my gourd...

I'm pretty sure whatever the alarm read this afternoon and beaked off about was something my brother did as he used a chemical ice melter and it stank the house up - it was hard to breath and it gave me a pounding headache - but I never would have thought it would set off our CO2 alarm... I think it was a fluke that Terasen ended up detecting the natural gas leak - I guess the stars aligned on the whole thing - the alarm is clear - the house smells fine now - the pipe is fixed - and everyone is sleeping... except you know who... oh well - so there you go - great holidays... great - flamin' great - it doesn't help that I'm queen of worry-wort village and this just stacks on top of all the shit that runs through my head every day...

Ok - I'm going to watch some tv and unwind... tell me I'm not insane - I'm feeling insane...

Holly-days

So what's new on the work front? Well I thought I was going to work a fair bit today but it turned into a work on the house day - for the most part - we tried - TRIED - to unclog or de-ice our drain to new avail. We got a boiler with a pressurized steam spray that you funnel into the hole and hope for the best - it was a 2.5 person job to get everything working properly and to keep the water that was going in from coming back and going all over the damned place. This didn't work though - which after three good tries, numerous cursing, a significant bruise to my hand I gave in... I called a plumbing company and they should be here tomorrow - again not holding my breath - since I've heard that before. And as I suspected - no sign of the trim guy - freakin' fabulous...

Outside of that nuisance I did get some work done this afternoon - meetings - and then went to one store to look around for christmas gifts - then gave up because it was so busy. I did go to wally world tonight - but even that wasn't very much fun. The boys went to their aunties house and made a gingerbread house while me and my sister walked around wally world. Lots of people out buying... I'm having a hard time buying stuff this year because I'm really trying to avoid useless stuff.

Are there useful and fun gifts?... I'm on the hunt... while trying to complete nearly all my shopping in town..

holidays... well sort of

The plan was to be in holiday mode this weekend but my work schedule changed last week and then with the unfinished room, plus a clogged or frozen washer line I'm pretty much at a standstill on feeling the holiday season.

I need to get to the library and pick up a book - the newest King one I'm reading - well it is short stories so that is nice - but I've read three and only one was really good - but it was good reading, but terrifying and probably something I shouldn't have read.

Tomorrow the trim guy should be here to install and then I can start loading back into the room - and hopefully we can get the drain fixed. I bonked my head something fierce today - I did one of those stupid open the door when your head is in the way moves and clunked my forehead - I thought I was bleeding - turns out it was just the ooze of stupidity leaking out.

brrrrrr

Um - it's already MINUS 33 - and it is supposed to get colder tonight - what is going on... I don't remember it ever being this cold in December - January, sure... but not December.

oh spca

So we are watching the great Global BC TV morning news (BCTV) and a commercial comes on for BC SPCA and it stops the boys in their tracks. "Mom, we need to help those animals," says Kyle. This is followed by Michael "Mom we need to save those titties." LIttle boys grow up so fast.

I leave you with that for now... I'm sure more fun is on the way for today - not going too far - -32 and still dropping.... as much as I want to go shopping - I just don't think the guys need to venture into it.

wimp

Ok - so I left off saying that we were trying a snake... sadly this went no where - well the snake did go down the hole but it did nothing to alleviate our problem. Today I called around and talked to a couple of plumbers and they said if it is just a clog we can do it ourselves. So at the end of my work day I rushed over to a plumbing store and bought the supplies. He tells me as I'm buying it that it is sulphuric acid that does the trick... sulphuric freakin' acid.... plus some enzyme that should be applied after...

Enter the wimpee part of me... I don't want to be burned, I don't sulphuric acid on me or splashing on my walls - who knows what could happen - plus I tell my Dad and he gets all - well you better be careful with that stuff and goes on and on about it... so I wimp out - tonight I'm wearing the gear to do it and decide to try the organic way first - so I put in baking soda and then some vinegar and blam-o I've got a volcano for a washer drain - great - so I re-snake it - hoping for the best - and it actually goes in easier than last night but then when it gets as far as it will go it spins in place - the snake twists and twists and then releases because it is bumping up to something - that something could be ice... it could be general laundry crap, it could be a build up of detergent from years and years ago - it could be something the furnace people put in there... it could be IT1 or IT2... it could be a rubber shoe....

So with little success with the snake or the volcano mixture - I try the enzyme - this is stuff that is potent but not sulphuric acid - it has to sit over night in the hole and with any luck - makes its way over to the problem and voila - unclogs the mess - if it is ice... well we've set up extra heat and hopefully it will unthaw over night... of course we are working against -29 right now - looking to -30's over night...

Within any luck my post tomorrow will be - hooray - it worked... but at this rate it is more likely that I will have won the lotto - and we all know the odds on that :)

angrrrrrrrry

Furious, on fire, mad, upset, stomping, ANGRY!

1:15pm
"Hi... is this April?"

Yes

"Hi, I'm the contractor installing the trim in your room, can I stop by to measure the room?"

sure

"Ok, I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Great

1:27pm
Ok - be patient - it is icy and people shouldn't be rushing around
Gives me time to look around... wait a second... what is that?

I look at a foot print on my BRAND NEW carpet from the furnace people... ARG
Um.. hold the phone... what is that?

I look over in the corner of the room and see what looks to be the corner all darkened - almost.... WET!

I actually left the room because I thought I was just mad about the footprint...

1:34pm
No show - still waiting - getting madder - it isn't just his time that is worth money
Walking around the room - I bend down and feel the dark area.... it is WET.
Blood pressure begins to rise

Above the wet spot (about 3 ft long x 2 ft wide... ish) is a new condensation hose they've installed for the new hot water heater - freakin' fabulous... I assume this is the source, but go to the drain they've guided the hose to and see if there is water there - no apparent water - so I call the furnace people.

I remain calm and just note that I'm trying not to lose it since this leak is happening on my BRAND new carpet in my newly near completed room.

"We'll send someone right away..."

1:47pm
Still no trim guy... but what is that - the furnace people are actually here... so quickly... I guess you just have to get stressed about a leak on a two day old thing and they come running.... amazing.

1:55pm
It isn't the furnace - furnace guy, who is not a plumber suggests that it is a clogged drain that just happened to back up - coincidence?

2:05pm Trim guy shows up
"I can do this next week, I'll call on Monday."

(My inside voice notes Monday suggestion and anticipates more like in the new year... note to self - don't hold breath)

2:15pm Trim guy leaves
THANKS!

2:17pm
Furnace guy finishes up and leaves.

2:20pm I call Andy - no answer
2:21pm I call my dad.. "I need help" "What do I do?" I'm basically on the verge of a meltdown and I just try not to cry the whole time on the phone. I know he can hear me breaking - that I've come to the point where I'd just like to beat my head on the wall - he says he'll call me later - but that the drain probably just needs to be snaked - a term I actually know because this isn't my first clogged drain...
2:22pm I have a small cry - because I just can't F'ing believe this project

2:25pm I move the laundry, undo all the water pipes, and cut a little bit bigger hole in the wall to see the problem more clearly.

I spent the next 30 minutes looking for the snake to try the drain...

So now it is night - I'm still upset and have now steam cleaned my BRAND new carpet - so it doesn't smell like dirty smelly water and doesn't leave a big stain... we've snaked the drain to no avail and now Andy has gone to get an attachment to try one of those air pump things to see if that will work...

I'll let you know how it goes...

One more day till vacation... I don't think it can come soon enough.

Christmas concert

Tonight was the grade one Christmas concert. Good times, good times. Kyle's class was up first and as I should expect from our school - they didn't sing a Christmas song - very disappointing. They sang a song that was like the wheels on the bus except they sang about the instrument they were holding and sang about the sound it made... I mean there are how many christmas songs and they couldn't sing one... not impressed... but Kyle had fun - so whatever - the other problem is that the kids come in - sing their song and leave... they don't even get to see the other classes perform...

Ok - so we stuck around for a few more songs - the next song - Carmen you'll appreciate this from our bar dancing days... was the grade seven class who were doing a dance number... here I'm thinking it would be something fun and festive and merry christmas and fun ... did I mention fun? and so what did my listening ears hear... Cotton Eye - freakin' - Joe - I'm not kidding you - they danced around to cotton eye joe just like we did in university - TRAVESTY! So you can't say merry christmas anymore - WHAT! I call 'stupid' and I call 'shut the hell up!'

So after two none christmas - non traditional anythings I was ready to go - I went with some family friends and they wanted to hear a few more songs... we sat for one more and than I said let's go. We picked up Kyle and that was it - I'm glad my parents didn't stay in town for it - as much as Kyle wanted them there it just wasn't worth them delaying their trip home by three hours for five minutes of a non christmas song... no wonder he can't sing any of the christmas songs... I guess they'll be taking Santa out next... after tonight's non-christmas event I'm actually surprised Kyle's even heard of Santa - and that they wrote Santa letters... it must have nearly killed them to do something that is part of the holiday season!

I'm definitely in need of a good dose of Christmas music, loud singing, smiling faces and fun... I guess I'll have to wait until I'm on holidays and we do it at home.

Christmas-y update - Sleepless in Seattle is on... now if I can watch Christmas Vacation I'll be starting to get in the spirit

Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song.
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you.
When our love was new, and each kiss an inspiration.
But that was long ago, and now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song.
Beside the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairy tale
Of paradise where roses grew.
Though I dream in vain, in my heart you will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of loves refrain.

oh babe - i miss you so much - it hurts...

man - another great movie...

Wrapping

Tonight was the beginning of wrapping presents - I actually wrapped everything we have for gifts right now and now have a few more items to get before Christmas arrives.

I also have an item coming from a distance and I don't know if it will make it here on time... but not the end of the world - just be nice to have here for Christmas.

How are others doing in their Christmas shopping? Finished? Haven't started?

the ear

"Hello, (pause) April."

"Yes"

"April, this is Mrs.Teachers name, Kyle is at school. He said he didn't want to get on the bus today and that he needs to go to emergency. He says that he has a rock in his ear."

*gulp, followed by silence

"I'll come and pick him up, I'll be there shortly."

Fast forward to tonight....

As some will recall our curious five year old (now six) put a rock in his ear earlier this year and we had a highly traumatic visit to emergency. We've dealt with that trauma nearly every day since. Kyle is still sensitive to what happened and is very sensitive about his ears. So when I got this call I wanted to cry. When I put the phone down I'd already decided that I'd ask for sedation for Kyle and some for me... if they could share.

Kyle describes the scene and the more he talks about it, the more I think there isn't really anything there... but he insists that he feels something rolling around. So I make an appointment with our great doctor and we get in about 30 minutes after I call. This also gave me the opportunity to discuss Kyle's ongoing cough - more than three weeks old now...

So hooray there was nothing in his ear and his cough is just a cough and he didn't have any suggestions other than to wait and see if it goes away on its own eventually. So after our little adventure I said I needed to do some work and I took him up to the Mayor's office to drop off some stuff... the Mayor gave Kyle a special chocolate and one for Michael and then we got a tour of City Hall - it was great! Kyle had to hang out for a couple of conversations, but nothing too boring - and he didn't seem to mind... I think he was still getting over the fact that there wasn't anything in his ear... he was actually telling himself to calm down on our way to the clinic...

There you go - another adventure in our lives :) Fun never stops.

booties

Today was my "bitches" (said with love) christmas brunch and it was fabulous as always! We had this amazing breakfasty/lunchish meal and then exchanged some gifts... I got these great slipper boots - and I've been wearing them since I got home...



So they are definitely comfy and warm - I don't have them rolled up to my knees but it looks like you could pull them up if you wanted to - I've just got them scrunched down. They also have a decent amount of foam in the sole and so they provide a nice cushion... so if you are buying slippers for someone this year who might like something beautiful and functional take a look for these... in Quesnel they are available at Carvers and Outlaw.

And now.. I'm back to finishing my christmas cards - I'm nearly done...

a gift

So Kyle has been looking for a gift for my mom for a few weeks. About three weekends ago he and I went by ourselves to Farmers' Market Christmas (the best little local Christmas market in the North). There is a lot to look at but he came across a magnet bracelet/necklace table and then found some unique animal jewelry containers. They have little jewels all over them and are child size animals... tough to explain. Anyways I didn't think much of it - and I said we'd come and look at it again. I thought he should look around and see if something else didn't spark his interest. So for the past few weeks I've heard about the dolphin jewelry holder that he needed to get her.

Last weekend we went back to the market and the company wasn't there. He left in tears... so I knew we needed to get it - it meant a lot to him to give her something pretty that also was something he loved - animals. So today we went back to the market and they were there - phew - but... no dolphin. I wasn't really sure what would happen but he decided he wanted to look at all the other animals and pick her a different one.

After some time looking and holding each one he decided on a whale. It is very shiny and will be the shiniest, prettiest animal and quite possibly object in my mom's home. It isn't something I would have picked for her but it means the world to him... I think she is going to look at it and go... um, what? but I'll know (and tell her later) how much it meant to him to give her a gift that he really thought about... and it isn't really about the gift - it is about the love he has for her... I don't think anyone could ask for anything more - love is the most valuable thing.

Well I'm going to finish my christmas cards tonight and then I have a girls christmas party tomorrow morning - hooray.

baby, it's cold outside

This morning it snowed (ok - so my blog is turning into the weather network... so what... ) and then late today it cleared and the wind started up and now it is windy and the sky is clear and it can do nothing but get colder... minus 30 for monday... the upside of that shiny coin is that Monday also represents the start of the five day countdown to my holidays - and Tuesday I'm going to Williams Lake - so that is work - but it isn't in the office - so hooray for that :)

Kyle was sick last night - not fun - so I stayed home for some of this afternoon and Andy and my mom were around today to play with the kids and have some fun while Kyle got better. He was good enough to play outside this afternoon so he wasn't super sick - but definitely not great...

I'm baking tonight - cookies - monster ones (monsters have chocolate candies in them) and I've got some great tins I've collected at clearance sales or garage sales that I'll be using to ship off this week. I don't know how far I'll get with baking tonight - but started nonetheless.

I had this great fun story to share tonight and now it is lost... so sorry about that - I only have the odds and ends of my day to share...

On the reading front - I've started reading Just after sunset - the latest Stephen King short stories novel and so far it is pretty tame - which is shocking to me - but it has made for good reading - with my anxiety this fall I actually didn't want to read King because it made my mind go into overdrive - but I finally gave in and started reading this new one.. so we will see.... I'm hoping to read the follow up book to Pillars of the Earth over the holidays - I really enjoyed Pillars - which surprised me because it wasn't something I thought I would like - and since then (phew - um - about 10 years ago... ) I hoped for a follow up story - Follett delivered and I never read it - so that is one thing I'd like to do.... I'd love to hear what others are reading - or suggest for reading...

On the second Christmas miracle front - the paint is drying in the room and we'll have carpet on Monday - hooray! Then slap up the trim and I'll be able to clean up the basement - just in time for my vacation - giving me lots of time to organize - or at the very least - pretend to organize.

The weekend lies ahead - a little bit of shopping tomorrow and likely more baking and fun with the family.

Are you a reindeer?

I'm Prancer, the sexiest reindeer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you eat Santa's cookies while he is putting presents under the tree... Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and know how to make mistletoe magic.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Ok - so I did the survey and then adjusted the answer a bit... just in case you get Prancer as your reindeer and you found out that you aren't the sexiest reindeer as well

hooray...

Quesnel got one... holy crapper!

Since I've given up coffee drinking (again) I've been a little less interested in going... but did have a yummy decaf peppermint mocha, no whip... mmmm....

nog

Ok - so I'm going to try and work on my christmas cards tonight... that's the plan - I have another 50 minutes to finish up as much as I can...

Time to break out a cup of nog and get to it... what are others doing? Are you in the spirit or spirits? Have you found the spirit?
What are you doing to celebrate the holidays?

I was at a great women in business session this morning everyone talked about gifts they found locally or things they were making or doing with family... it was great to listen to and fun to hear some great ideas to celebrate the holidays and family...
8 more work days - yippee... now that is something to celebrate :)

A quick note

Happy Birthday to my sister, Mel

a quick thought

We wouldn't have believe without evil....

One of those things that comes out of working on christmas cards and scrapbooking :)

Alright - onward and upward and hopefully not backward.

tree #2

So here is my 2nd tree this year. I've received a few (a lot) of the Christmas scene houses - you know - the village ones - well I love it - I like having this mini village in the house - I've painted a couple myself and my mom and dad have bought Kyle one every year since he was born. So we have a few and this year I simply didn't have room in our main living room for them - so this year I'm setting them up in the downstairs living room and since I had a spear tree that I'm storing for one of the groups I work for I thought - hell - I might as well use it... so it is all a glow in my basement.

I need to go and finish setting up the village.... maybe I'll follow up with some pictures...

oh and it is raining lots... nice winter... ha

oh the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down

Here it is - Friday night - and it is still raining... we braved the weather and watched the downtown christmas parade tonight - and before that I shoveled the driveway - so now I can hardly move my arms - it took more than an hour to shovel the driveway - but we had fun - cause the guys helped direct the snow piling and we also tried to make a snowman...

The parade was ok - the kids liked it - but it was raining and we were pretty cold... I usually watch it from my office, but I thought since Andy was in it this year we should be on the street so they could see dad...

Anyway - I'm now watching Kenny vs Spenny - I know I probably shouldn't admit that I watch it - but I do ... I'm not a dedicated fan - but for some reason I'm drawn to watching their crazy antics.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend - I'm hoping the weather breaks overnight; giving our highway people an chance to get the road in good condition so I can drive up to South Quesnel and get some stuff I ordered in. Here's to excellent weekends ahead for all! Hmmmm.... maybe I should be enjoying a glass of wine to warm up - see now that sounds like a good idea!

it is snowing

I just thought I'd share that :)

11:15pm - still snowing

7:59am - still snowing....

10:48am - still snowing...

11:50am - snow appears to have stopped - will report if it is just a cruel trick of nature or actually stopping - or worse yet changing into some other falling water particle

12:46pm - snow has become freezing rain - blah - so no driving for me this afternoon ... oh well - stuff can always wait until tomorrow :)

2:58pm - still raining - roads not looking good from my birds eye window... loads of fun to drive home in - at least we don't have far to go

news

Last night before I went to bed I turned on the news to see if there was anything interesting on - outside of the chaos in Ottawa... so here is what I listened to - the economy is bad, our government is bad, a bear ate someone's pet while the family watched, roberto luongo still isn't back playing hockey, and to cap it all off - as if all of that wasn't bad enough and fear mongering enough they have a group of american's talking about a lethal biological weapon being released on american soil before 2013... pardon me - but what the hell - like everything isn't bad enough in the news... who are these idiots that put together programming and news timing.

Anyways - here I am the next day and I'm still mad about it - hopefully my torch relay meeting today will bring my spirits back :)

project update 2

So woo hoo and happy day I've finished three more projects... well four - but one was for me... I can't share because they are christmas items - but I'm very pleased to be finished - I need to make an adjustment to one of the projects, I think... but for tonight I'm going to sleep on it and look at it again tomorrow to see if I really want to make a change.

2nd holiday miracle update

No such luck - looks like the basement won't be ready until end of next week - which is still fine - I'd just really like to have my stuff back in order by Christmas - that's all I really want...

Now I just need to pick a paint color for the room... I'm thinking of following - this will be my office/craft/spare room.



This is a screen shot from behr - a paint company. Any thoughts?

the project - the start of a hooker

I've tried and gotten ok at a number of crafts - knitting - not so good - but I can knit and perl, crocheting - well I'm pretty okay at it and have made a lot over the years... needle point - sure - in the 80's me and my friend use to do a lot of it... chocolate making, cross stitching, drawing, glass etching - I've tried a lot - so my latest venture into the world of crafting was hooking... no - they have not turned the activity of standing on the corner and attracting male attention into a craft - this is all about making a rug or pillow. It is time consuming, but pretty simple - if you have patience. And so - I unveil my first completed (that's right COMPLETED) project! HIP HIP HOORAY - something complete!



So now I'm going to attach this to a pillow and off it will go as a christmas present. What's next? Well I definitely have a project in mind... but I'm not terribly interested in starting it just yet - I have some scrapbooking I want to do and might hold off on new projects until my basement is back in order - which might be as soon as this weekend - the 2nd holiday miracle :)

And speaking of the holidays...


Christmas tree 2008