a few photos to celebrate spring

when I said burnt...

So my ear is so burnt that is it purple, blistered and painful... awesome!

that is all - today is gardening and clean up day - AMEN to a day off where I'm not super sick and can just do stuff... :)

hope everyone else is having a great day off - xxoo

relay

Survived - burnt (both feet and then everything else that wasn't covered up - it was supposed to rain all day... not in my leg... the sun was out and it took my arms, face, neck and chest to task.

Made it in just under 2 hours... amazing...

Definitely some challenging parts to it and some uplifting parts - so happy that Andy and the boys were with me for it!  Photos tomorrow.

love to all of you!

the race

Well I'm heading to bed in a few minutes - off to run in the Barkerville Rush Relay tomorrow.  I'm having troubles with my feet - specifically my left foot keeps causing me troubles - but I'm hoping to make it through tomorrow - 12.5km - hoping for under 2 hours - I was planning on a 1:40 but I'm still sick and I'm just not doing well right now.  I feel like I've got something stuck in my throat all the time - that feeling when you want to cough something out, but nothing will come out... blah - I know - sorry for the disgusting details...

Anyways - that is how my long weekend is going to unfold... and then rest and relaxation and sleep on Monday... and planting a few bulbs - lily of the valley, iris and lilies :)

xxoo - love ya!

freakin' max

Tonight we went on a Cariboo Safari - we saw more than 10 bears, 2 moose, rabbits, crows, a coyote and a  cat and possibly a bob cat.. didn't get a clear view of it.  We were gone for a few hours - three total.

We get home and find Max has ripped apart Kyle's backpack.  Today Kyle got a large chocolate rabbit for each case of chocolates he sold for his school - he got four... Max decided he wanted one and ate an entire box - awesome.  So the ultra intelligent dog didn't really do much and then I put the guys to bed and come out to work on a project and there it is.. or there is the beginning of it - he has thrown up all over the couch, then all over the floor, then another part of floor, and downstairs and on and on and on... I've given him a spot in the basement to continue this activity - he isn't dying... he has stopped with the throw up and is now pissed at me for not letting him back upstairs - but honestly, cleaning up his throw up made me gaggy and I just can't keep doing it - especially off my furniture!  ROAR!

So there you go... another fun night at our house... 

blah

So I'm still sick - I'm on the mend - not in running condition though.  I tried to run briefly today and couldn't believe how winded I am - sucks.  The relay is this weekend - or rather - it is supposed to be this weekend, they may call it off tomorrow as the road conditions are risky due to flood concerns and we keep getting buckets of rain and then it is supposed to warm up.

Anyways - that is all - hope you are all well.
xxoo

weather

The rain rain rain came down down down
In rushing, rising riv'lets,
'Til the river crept out of it's bed
And crept right into Piglet's!
Poor Piglet, he was frightened,
With quite a rightful fright.
And so, in desperation
A message he did write.
He placed it in a bottle
And it floated out of sight.

And the rain rain rain came down down down
So Piglet started bailing.
He was unaware, atop his chair,
While bailing he was sailing!

And the rain rain rain came down down down
And the flood rose up up upper.
Pooh, too, was caught and so he thought,
"I must rescue my supper!"
Ten honey pots he rescued,
Enough to see him through,
But as he sopped up his supper,
The river sopped up Pooh!
And the water twirled and tossed him
In a honey pot canoe!
The rain rain rain came down down down...

From Disney's Winnie the Pooh, and the Blustery Day 


Important note for my Quesnel readers - there is a trailer taking supplies to Slave Lake families on Thursday - drop off items at Design Flooring - they are hoping to take basic necessities, toiletries, diapers, clothing, dog food, bottled water, etc. - two trailers are heading to the Athabasca Multiplex - thank you for helping out!

wow

And just because having a spirit breaking cold isn't enough - let's toss in side of hives again...!!!!!
This is the third time ... and the third time I was out in the sun and got them... please don't say that my sister is allergic to the cold and now I'm allergic to the sun... this can not be!

ps - weather man was right - we did finally get the sun... managed to clean the deck - mostly - and get my second hummingbird feeder cleaned up and ready for install tonight - and we sold the kids train table on facebook and now I'm looking at the rest of the garage sale pile and starting to think that is the way to go rather than a giant garage sale for stuff...

off to by benadryl

weather

So it is supposed to be over 20 degrees today - right now it is a 6 and foggy and yucky... will it clear... could the weather people be right....   

It's Sunday

(post secret day... fyi... there are some very sad and disturbing ones this week)

a cold

Yesterday I started getting sick - hurts to swallow, then came on ear and jaw pain and tonight I'm full on into sinus issues - my race is in 7 days - today was supposed to be my big prep run and there was no way - I'm completely bagged.  I've been trying to convince myself that I can go tomorrow (sunday) but I'm so tired and sick that I can't seem to even kind of get it in my head.  My eyes hurt, body aches, coughs, sneezing, a little bit of nausea - sheesh... train wreck...

And there you go - some classic complaining from me

On the good - I drug myself and the boys to the Nazko Annual Dinner and Auction - the boys and my parents put all their raffle tickets into two things and won them both - the first thing was a group of fishing rods (4) and a tackle box and then Michael made it clear that he wanted a motorbike helmet - a giant one - and he totally won it - it is very cool - too big for him, but super cool - apparently we can take it in for a smaller one.  I also got an outdoor fireplace for half price and a laminator... my parents picked up a pass to barkerville and two dragon flies that are handmade by the blacksmith in barkerville...

So the dinner and auction ended at 9:50pm and then we drove home - about 35 minutes out of town there was minimal visibility as the fog had rolled in - thick, terrible fog - did I mention I'm sick and now.. tired... so it was a long night - to say the least - plus trying to watch for animals who like to stand along the edge of the highway at night - I saw 4 deer and a bunny - and who knows how many more I didn't see... and now... why am I still up - well I just don't feel good and sleep isn't coming as quickly as I thought it would - I feel like I could blow my nose for a 100 years, but it is only the feeling - as absolutely nothing is coming out now - damned sinus!

Alright - good night my lovelies - hope you are all 100% better than me! xxoo

happy mother's day

First - Happy Mother's Day to those who are celebrating...

And a story...

I'm sleeping... trying to sleep - haven't been sleeping well lately and last night I didn't get to bed until after 2am (SNL was on and funny and then I just couldn't sleep)

6:57am I roll over and look at my alarm and then a commercial comes to mind - you know the one where they are performing brain surgery on a woman and she says "I can smell burnt toast, doctor" - this is how they tell if you are going to have an epileptic seizure - so I can smell burnt toast at this time in the morning and before panic sets in I hear this... mom.. mom - happy mother's day - and there is kyle standing beside the bed rushing back with some yogurt - awesome - first time I've had breakfast delivered to bed - well except for when I was in the hospital - but that doesn't really count.

And so now I'm going to bed to try and get a few winks

(What else... ok - well since I'm here... I've got hives right where my t-shirt was exposed to the elements today - I got them yesterday too - same spot - it is itchy - it sucks - I took a claritin because I don't have benedryl - hoping that they'll go away over night... sigh)

a series of Kyle's photos - love them, like I do :)

ape of the jungle's house of fundraising is open for business

I'm participating in Relay for Life - our team took a year off last year, but we are back at it this year - I've been slow to start my fundraising this year and I'm hoping you'll help out.  I know a bunch of my readers are on teams or participate in other fundraising throughout the year, so I know - it feels like we are sponsoring/donating all the time - I'm supporting this event because I've seen the positive impact the Canadian Cancer Society has had on friends and family members and know that if we band together to conquer something we can do anything.  (If you click through the link, you'll see my story - or rather - brief narration on why I participate.)  Thank you.


Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Canadian Cancer Society - BC and Yukon Division

harper

The political junky in me came out to play tonight.  I didn't really get to watch the play by play as I needed to fit in a good run tonight - so I've been catching up online.  I did watch, with a laugh, the faces of the announcers and when they could see that both the Bloc and Liberals had sunk - they could hardly contain themselves as they watched not one, but two leaders lose.

I am surprised that there is a majority government.
I am not at all surprised by the gains of the NDP.
I continue to be less than impressed at voter turn.

I took Kyle and Michael to vote with me tonight.  Kyle wanted to mark my ballot for me, but I was worried  that even if I directed him to make the X I might get in trouble for letting him... in any case, he was pretty interested in the process and the why's - it is a great learning and experience and something my parents neither taught, nor encouraged.  We had very brief political discussions and voting was treated like a taboo topic - I was not supposed to ask how someone voted, I was given no insights as to how or why my parents voted.   (Carmen - would I have been kicked out of the country for letting Kyle mark my ballot?)

I hope that all my readers enacted their right to vote and that they participated in an activity that ensures that we have the freedoms and lives that we have in our country.

wow

I'm sure you've heard about this already but here is story from the Globe and Mail on the Osama Bin Liden
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/reports-say-osama-bin-laden-dead/article2006299/

It is quite amazing to watch the people celebrating in the street.  CNN is continuing to note that they have increased security at federal buildings.   (Enhanced potential...)

This should shut Trump up and secure Obama with a second term of office - if he wants it.

I wonder if they will make May 1 a national holiday.

(And yes, we made it home from a week away - my conference was - well it was a conference - wish I'd had more time to do stuff with family but I'm sure there will be time on our next trip)