The Manuscript of My Life

Long Exposure Photos

{ 12:15, 2009-Sep-1 } { 0 comments } { Link }

From now on - instead of double posting, I am just going to post a link here to my updated blog on EFX3. It is still easier to follow people over here as I have no idea how to do RSS feeds or whatever it is you need to do there, but other than that, things are pretty easy.

At any rate - you can leave comments at either spot if you wish. I will pop in to check things here regularly, as some of my pals are still over here.

http://kinnigurl.efx3.com/2009/09/01...re-photos/

Peace out!

Summertime and the livin' is frenzied....

{ 02:37, 2009-Aug-2 } { 2 comments } { Link }

My summer has been unbelievable busy and definitely not those "Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Daze of Summer"! In early July we spent 5 days at a family reunion, which was all kinds of fun. We are a rather Hallmark Movie of the Week kind of family when we get together. We play games, pick cherries, make pie, hike, swim and just generally do all those odd family type things. We had the "Olympics" and a talent contest, which the Red Team unfortunately won. However, I dominated in the talent contest! We also ALL get along too, which is apparently more rare than I thought according to my friends. At any rate, we had a wonderful time, except for the fact that I totally wiped out during an all out sprint potato sack race, and sprained my right ankle rather badly! I am still nursing it along, as apparently at my age, things don't heal as quickly.

Just after returning home, my sister came out for a 10-day visit! It was so fantastic! She came by herself, so we had no kids to deal with (Donna doesn't count as she is 28) so it was perfect. During the day while Donna was doing her thing (aka sleeping) we went out and did all sorts of fun sistery things. We shopped, went out for lunch, had drinks, coffee, talked to strangers, went whale watching and had a picnic in the park. She instructed me on the finer points of yoga, I helped her with her photography and all it all it was a great time. Each morning we grabbed our coffee, sat on the deck and yacked for hours. So much fun, and something I didn't realize how much I needed. I miss my family and have lived far away from them since 1972 - so this was a very big treat for me. I was very sad to see her go, but she promised she would be back again soon.

I had a whale watching adventure, which I described a couple of entries back. Make sure you read it and check out the pictures, as it was definitely something I will not ever forget. I was glad Neil was there to share the day with me.

This past week has been unbelievably HOT. We literally broke two heat records within 24 hours of each other. The record was 34.4, which is definitely not hot for lots of you, but here, it is way above our norm, which is usually around 28 in the summer. The humidex was high as well, so 34 really felt like 40. Our apartment was sizzling and my office/bedroom was 39 dgs by noon and did not cool down at all. Air conditioning is not the norm here and I personally don't know a single soul who has an air conditioned home. Needless to say, I didn't get much work done. We had to leave here everyday in search of cooler venues. We went to Jericho Beach, Stanley Park, the community park, and finally a double feature at the movie theatre. It finally cooled down Friday night to a manageable 30 dgs, which felt like such a relief.

Last night we had a BBQ with some friends and had a super great time. The margaritas were flowing and so was the conversation! Nothing like spending a great night on the deck with the balmy ocean breeze. Ahhhh.....the West Coast at it's finest.

Today we are going to chill as tomorrow we have yet another string of company arriving. I need a day of rest to regroup, clean up, and get some laundry done.

So far, July has been a whirlwind and I really hope things slow down a little for August.

WOW!

{ 12:29, 2009-Jul-28 } { 4 comments } { Link }

In the last two days since I have posted my photos on Flickr, I have had nearly 2000 views! Amazing! AND - I have been twittered and added to "stumbled upon" - which is a random search engine. Crazy!

If you haven't seen the photos - then you should pop on over and see them. The links are on my last entry.

Peace out!

Whale of a Tale!

{ 06:29, 2009-Jul-25 } { 4 comments } { Link }

For those of you on Facebook, you know that I went on a whale watching excursion on July 23 to see orcas - aka killer whales. My sister and I had gone on July 16, but hadn't seen any whales, even though it was a perfect day, so when we returned I got vouchers for a return trip. As my sis wasn't going to be here, I took Neil with me instead.

It was not a clear day, and there was a huge fog bank, so we were pretty bundled up against the cold. We headed out and soon learned that orcas had been spotted on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, near the San Juan Islands, which is actually in the US. Off we headed and after about 90 minutes arrived in two pods of orcas. There were 45 whales altogether, and it was amazing and exciting to see them. I handed the camera over to Neil, as he is a foot taller than me, and could see from the deck, whereas I had to stand on the seat and hang on for dear life to the cabin so I wouldn't fall into the drink! I didn't want to be orca bait for sure! At any rate he snapped some excellent photos and I will put the link up at the end.

After spending 45 minutes with the whales, we had to head back to the dock, which was a 90 + minute trip. On our way back, just past Mayne Island going into Georgia Strait we happened upon our sister ship. She was sitting rather low in the water, and motioned for us to come up alongside, which we did. The captain decided to offload their passengers onto our boat, and take theirs into the dock on Mayne, as he was pretty sure he would not make it back home. So, we now had an extra 32 people on our boat, which was pretty crowded, but doable. We started to head into Mayne, but after about 5 minutes, noticed that the stern was indeed very heavy in the water. The captain was trying to pump out the bilge, but no go. Within another 5 minutes the stern was swamped with water, and the captain was still trying to get rid of the excess while the guide steered the boat to the dock. At this point, we could see that it wasn't going to make it. Water began pouring over the stern and the captain and guide were now thigh-deep in water. The guide grabbed her life jacket and pack and made for the rescue boat that appeared after their Mayday call! The captain hopped on the cabin, trying to get his backpack and log while the guide jumped to safety. By this time, things were going down fast and he had to scramble across the cockpit and jump for safety. He landed in the water, as his boat started to go down, and leaned precariously overtop of the rescue boat. The captain was in the water somewhere in between, but we could see him being pulled aboard the rescue vessel within a few minutes.

By this time the boat was standing straight up and we thought it was perched on the bottom, but within another 5 minutes, it glug, glugged down to the bottom of the chuck. The whole thing took way too little time! If the passengers had not been transferred to our boat when they were, the whole thing would have been completely disastrous!

We then decided to head back to our home base after we made sure the captain and crew were safe. We got about 20 minutes into our trip, and the Strait was just too choppy and wavy and the captain figured we were lying too low in the water with 32 extra passengers, so we went back to the calm waters of the island to await the arrival of another boat to pick up the extra passengers.

In the meantime the RCMP, Coastguard, Search and Rescue and CTV news were all there buzzing around. Fortunately, it was warm, sunny, and we had water and granola bars for everyone, so we just chilled for 90 minutes until the extra boat arrived. By this time we were all tired and ready to go home. We finally transferred the extra passengers to the new boat and headed home to arrive at about 4:30, 7 1/2 hours after we had left.

A long and very exciting day. I was happy I saw whales, and that Neil was with me to share the experience, and that everything turned out well and no one was hurt!

Here are the links to my flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kinnigu...816198116/ - whales
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kinnigu...828533320/ - Sinking ship.

You should watch them in the slideshow for the best results!

Sail away

{ 10:12, 2009-Jul-9 } { 4 comments } { Link }

I took this photo on Fisherman's Wharf pier. What a beautiful day and the view was magnificent. We only spent 24 hours there, but what a fantastic city and like the song says I left my heart there. I will be going back.

Two views

{ 07:36, 2009-Jul-2 } { 2 comments } { Link }

This is two separate views of the wizard's hat from Fantasia just at the entrance to the Disneyland Hotel in Downtown Disney. We didn't actually make it into Disneyland as Donna wasn't feeling 100% that day and decided not to waste money if she wasn't able to enjoy the day. We did do a little shopping though and had a nice dinner and a few photo ops presented themselves.

I took this from inside the hat and then messed with it a little on my editing program. Does it work for you?

Back on track

{ 09:14, 2009-Jul-1 } { 2 comments } { Link }

Until I have time to start writing again, I am going to post some of the photos I took on our holiday.

I am feeling much better, thanks to all my family and friends for their notes, encouragement and love. Donna's head CT turned out to be normal, which doesn't describe her strings of foul language...LOL. She couldn't possibly have learned those words from moi???? Anyway - things are looking up on all fronts. We are going to a family reunion this weekend with my ex's family, which will be a lot of fun, especially since he isn't coming. HAHA...It's supposed to be hot and sunny with the promise of lots of wine, beer, and laughs, so it will be good for the soul. Thanks again to all my friends here and elsewhere who helped me get through a horrible week.

I took this photo in Scott and Lisa's garden. I like to play with editing a bit - so it looks a bit more "artsy".

Never Eat Poison Wieners....

{ 11:30, 2009-May-6 } { 6 comments } { Link }

Greetings from Newport Beach. Wow - life here sure the hell is busy! I don't think we have stopped since we got here on Wednesday. The trip down was uneventful and I tell you I am not sure how I would have done it without Linda. What a great help she was. Since we got here, things have been a circus! Well maybe not yet, but we are actually planning a circus for Monday...so this week we have been busy getting ready. More on that later.

Wednesday night we were just in time for the 31 cent ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Trust me - it was the hotspot in Newport Beach...the line was down the block. The Rocky Roads was excellent and I was thankful Logan kept the coupon so we could all enjoy a great dessert.

Thursday we took it easy, slept in and recuperated from the drive down. My other SIL and BIL arrived late afternoon to bring our numbers up to 10. Saturday Logan and Jackson had their first communion followed by a lovely family dinner with 17 of us for dinner. Sunday we watched the hockey game cheering of course for the Ducks! The game went on and on and on.....cutting into our shopping time...but the outcome was great - so I guess it was all good. We went down to Balboa for some shopping and a walk along the waterfront. It was a beautiful day and great to get out. Sunday night Don, Linda's husband arrived giving us a pretty full house. By the time Scott got home from Detroit Sunday night, his house was full of us in-laws!

Monday the girls hit Fashion Island and put a major dent in the shopping. Well Donna did at least and got some great deals! Macy's was having a HUGE sale so we got some great stuff there but Forever 21 was where she dropped the majority of her cash. Gotta love it! Wish we had great shopping like this at home. Well....maybe not.

Yesterday we went to the game, which was pretty tense towards the end, but the Duckies came through!!! Tomorrow is Game 4 - so here's hoping they are on a winning streak!

Today was absolutely gorgeous so we spent the day at the pool working on our tans, reading and just catching up. Nice to just kind of chill for a bit. Luke had his baptism at 6, so we all headed to the church again. Twice in one week! Sheesh.....can't say when I was last in church twice in one year - let alone one week. Another big dinner - 18 guests - all family save the priest and the nanny.

The boys are absolutely delightful and I am just having so much fun being around them. Playing with babies, helping Josh with printing, Jack with spelling and Logan with guitar is great! They are polite, funny, and bright boys and just a pleasure to be around!

At any rate - things have been pretty busy. Not sure what is on the agenda tomorrow. Here are a couple of pictures from the game. I have some of the kids, but haven't edited them yet so will put them up later. I even too, a couple of picture of the RWings for Jana and Peter - even though we are going to kick their butts! :-)

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

{ 07:07, 2009-Apr-18 } { 0 comments } { Link }

http://kinnigurl.efx3.com/2009/04/18...en-dinner/

Suckage

{ 08:21, 2009-Apr-9 } { Posted in Daily Life } { 5 comments } { Link }

This has been a really crappy week. Where to start? I will try to keep it brief.

My computer monitor died on April 1. I had to replace it or lose a lot of time and money by not being able to work. It cost me a half day off and $300 bucks, which could have been spent on gas/hotel for our trip. Had to be done, but sucked nonetheless. Happy April Fool's Day!

I got word that my bestest friend is no longer in remission on Sunday. She has multiple myeloma and had a stem cell transplant a while ago, which seemed to be working wonderfully. But on her way back from her visit here (they live in northern Alberta and very, very far away), they stopped at the Cancer Clinic in Edmonton, and her cancer is back. Because she was so far along the first time, they told her she wouldn't be able to have another transplant, so at this time, her treatment is palliative. Fortunately, I did get to spend an afternoon with her when she was here, but sadly I probably won't be seeing her again. I will call her this weekend. My heart hurts. I love her so much.

Yesterday, Donna and I both had appointments at the doctor. Donna is having a problem with her toe, she has this little extra toenail growing out of her baby toe, which really hurts. I was hoping that the doctor could just cut it and cauterize it and we'd be on our way. But she doesn't do that, so referred D to a podiatrist. Another appointment that we have to fit in sometime in the next couple of weeks. Perfect. On the bright side, my Hashimoto's is a bit better under control. My meds seem to be working and the dose is good. My thyroid antibodies have come down from 500 to 294, which is still WAY above the norm of 35, but at least they are going in the right direction.

We had to take the bus to and from the doctor's office, because for some reason my van wouldn't start. Put the key in, turned it and just a lot of loud ticking coming from the engine. I have no idea what that means, but it doesn't sound good to me. I would maybe think the battery, but the lights, radio, sliding doors and ramp all seemed to work, so not sure what my best guess is. Unfortunately for me, I haven't yet renewed my AAA (or BCAA) as we call it here, so can't call for a tow until I go renew my membership this morning. Hopefully, this won't be something too costly. The ironic thing is, that I had an appointment for service April 20. The best laid plans.... Now of course this is a long weekend and by the time I get back from renewing my auto membership, call the tow truck and get my van in, I probably won't have it back in working condition until Tuesday. (unless of course it is just a battery problem). Fingers crossed.

So - on the bus on the way to the doctor, I leaned over to say something to Donna, caught my sleeve on something sharp and ripped my leather jacket. Nice.....I rolled my eyes and just looked at Donna.

I had an appointment to get my windshield replaced this morning, but unfortunately had to cancel as my car won't start. I got a rock in my windshield in our parking lot a couple of months ago, but with all the cold weather we had the tiny notch spread to an all out across the windshield crack overnight. Didn't have time to repair it while I was working. Anyhooo....gotta reschedule that appointment as soon as my van is up and running again.

On top of all this, I have company coming this weekend and they will be here until the 16th. My brother-in-law is in town for business and my niece is coming with him. I am totally excited to spend time with them. Hopefully the van thing will work out and I will have a vehicle to be able to go out and get some groceries. I have 6 people coming to dinner on Easter Sunday and no food. Think I can carry a turkey home on the bus? LOL....

And - income tax is due in a few days and my accountant lives over an hour away. (don't ask why she is so far away). At any rate, rather than driving out there and delivering it in person, I think I am going to have to courier it out and back as my time is running too short for that now.

Oh - and I got a virus on my computer yesterday too, just to round out my day.

So, all in all, not a great week. Things could and have been worse, but I can just see all the money I saved for the trip flying out the window with car repairs and such. The good thing is, it happened now before we left, but couldn't it have held off until I had the actual appointment? Nah....too simple.

Just bitchin'....and yeah it was a sucky week. (Sorry - it wasn't brief either!).

Because Every Canadian Lives in an Igloo.....And says eh...

{ 08:23, 2009-Apr-6 } { 5 comments } { Link }

Now that Vancouver has won the chance to host the 2010 Winter
Olympics, these are some questions people from all over the world are asking. Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website. Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!

Q:I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow(England)A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.
Q:Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA )
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.
Q:I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto -- can I follow the Railroad tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.
Q:Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada? (Sweden )
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto ,Vancouver , Edmonton and Halifax?
( England )
A: What, did your last slave die?
Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada? ( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe .. Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary . Come naked.
Q:Which direction is North in Canada? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada?( England )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do .
Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )
A: Aus-t ri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night inVancouver and in Calgary , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Do you have perfume in Canada? ( Germany )
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Where can I sell it in Canada? (USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? ( Italy )
A: Yes, gay nightclubs .
Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada? ( USA)
A: Only at Thanksgiving.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.
Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. ( USA )
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go?(USA )
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

Behind the Glass, Ice Level

{ 08:27, 2009-Apr-4 } { Posted in Photos } { 5 comments } { Link }

Thursday night the Anaheim Ducks were in town playing the Canucks. Because of the generosity of our favorite Duck, Scott Niedermayer we got tickets to the game for myself, Donna, Neil and Brenna. When we arrived we discovered we were ice level right behind the goalie! Our absolute favorite place to be. We don't get to sit here often, but when we do we thoroughly enjoy it. Seeing the game with the same view as the goalie is unbelievable. And - there is nothing quite like George Paros or Matts Sundin smashing into the boards 5 inches in front of you face. All it all, it was a fantastic game. It was very close and ended in a 5-5 tie and went into a scoreless overtime. The shootout favoured the Ducks and they won the game. Ordinarily we have a hard time at these games and never quite know who to cheer for...the hometown boys or the guy that buys you the ticket. We usually end up being wishy washy and cheering for both teams. Thursday night though we were unequivocally cheering for the Ducks as they really need to make the play offs. Hopefully if they make it to the second round, we'll catch a game or two when we are in Anaheim. At any rate, it was a great night and we had a lot of fun.

Here are a few pictures of our night. Unfortunately, I didn't get more shots as the stupid battery died in my camera, but I did get enough to document the fun.

You Say You Want a Revolution....

{ 12:10, 2009-Apr-2 } { 4 comments } { Link }

My daughter and her writing skills never cease to amaze me. She is funny, articulate and has a real way with words. I am blown away at her talent, and I hate that she doesn't get her writing out there for the world to see. At any rate - I am posting a link here. Please go over and read as it is definitely worth the time to check out this post.

http://donnafantastico.livejournal.c...73710.html

She doesn't know that I linked her - so she'll probably kill me, but that's what mom's do isn't it?

How Did I Get Here?

{ 05:24, 2009-Mar-31 } { 4 comments } { Link }

Generally speaking, I don’t take too much time to reflect. I never really seem to have the time to just let my mind wander wherever it decides to go, but this weekend I decided to engage in mindless work, and since my thoughts were not otherwise occupied, they decided to go on their own journey. I had some cleaning that needed to get done and with the duster in my6 hand my thoughts began to travel willy nilly.

I’m not sure where I started actually in my travels, but I ended up wondering how I had gotten to this point in my life. Where was that crossroad that led me in a whole different direction? Or in fact were there several crossroads or paths that got me where I am today? I most certainly never envisioned myself divorced, teaching medical language at a college, and living with my 28 year-old disabled daughter. How did I get here?

At 18, I was convinced I was going to be a concert pianist or conductor of a high school band. I had done my 10,000 hours of practice to make me an “expert”, but the drive and ambition got lost amidst university life, practicing, juggling my academic and personal life. It was too much for me at that age and I made a bad decision to take some time off. I never went back to school, and a decision I regret to this day. I suppose that was the first of many changing points in my life. At the time it seemed the right thing to do and maybe it was. Who knows? I certainly wouldn’t be where I am had that decision been different.

After dating my childhood sweetheart for 5 years we got married at the age of 22, which seems rather cliché, but we were in love, best friends and had so many hopes and dreams for the future. We had the house in the suburbs, the puppy and soon came the children. All seemed perfect in our little world. My husband had his career in policing and I was teaching piano lessons to make ends meet. Our first blow came with the diagnosis of our daughter, but we seemingly handled it well and kept up the appearance that things were just fine. Unfortunately, we changed at different rates, wanted different things, and the demands of living with a child with a disability soon changed us and we began to grow apart; another turning point to heading down a different pathway. Did I ever think I would be a divorce statistic? Not ever! Am I? I most certainly am.

Divorce led to several changes in my life. I felt liberated and took advantage of the new me, or the old me, whichever way you look at it. I went back to school, changed careers, sold my house and moved myself and my daughter to a new city and entirely new way of life. I was now tripping on an entirely different path, and it was all new and exciting. Had I ever envisioned that I would be living in an apartment in Vancouver? No, not really, but in some place deep down I always knew that was something that I wanted. Are our secret desires sometimes the things we finally end up having or doing?

Do the people we meet lead to direction changes in our lives? For me, the answer is definitely yes. Since moving to Vancouver my life seems to be entwined with two specific people. They have accompanied me on this journey since I started on my new career path. I hadn’t really thought about this too much until my reverie while cleaning, but these good friends of mine have opened doors and many opportunities have arisen for me because of our connection. Were we destined to find each other? Was karma in our favour or was it just by chance that we met? I would never have ended up teaching at the college without either one of them, nor would I have been able to continue working at home and just yesterday, another job opportunity came my way that could lead me in a whole different direction again. None of these things would have been possible had these people not been in my life. It is remarkable really when you take time to think about it.
As I was putting the duster back in the closet I was reminded of the movie “Sliding Doors”. The main character in the movie lives her life twice, in two entirely different ways, but ends up in the exactly the same place in the end. I have always found this concept fascinating. Do we have a destiny? Will we end up doing the same thing in the end even if we take a different route? I guess it’s something to ponder but I’m not sure any one of us will ever know for sure.

School's Out

{ 07:32, 2009-Mar-29 } { 6 comments } { Link }

My last day of teaching for this semester was on Friday and I left the classroom with just a touch of sadness. I have spent 3 1/2 months with "my girls" and have gotten to know them pretty well during that time. They set out for their practicum on Monday for two weeks and then have two weeks more instruction after that before they graduate and move on with their lives. More than a few of them had separation anxiety on Thursday and Friday when they walked out the classroom door, but I gave them all warm encouragement and hugs and sent them on their way. I am such a mother! LOL...They had a little party for me on Thursday with food, non-alcoholic champagne, and presents, which was very lovely. I learned as much from them as I hope they learned from me and will treasure this experience for a long time. This teaching time was a rare opportunity as a "sub" usually only gets a day here and there and no long-term involvement with the class, so this was a special gift, which I did appreciate. I have already been approached for some random dates in April and May for two other classes, so it will be nice to keep my foot in the door.

Now that being said, I am also very glad to be finished. I have let many things slide during my time at school and now have to pick up the pieces of my life and get organized. It will be nice to get back to my routine of working at home, walking every day and visiting with the friends I have had to put on the back burner for a while. Hopefully they will still be talking to me!

Donna and I have many things to organize too for our trip to California at the end of April. We are driving down again with assistance from my ex sister-in-law and I am really looking forward to a nonworking vacation. It's been a LONG while since I have had one of those. It's time.

I will be double posting here and efx3 for those of you who follow my more often than not lame words. I know things are all set up for another year, but it still makes me nervous not to have a back up. Hopefully now that I am home full time again I will have time to post more often.

Moved again...

{ 06:44, 2009-Mar-16 } { 4 comments } { Link }

I have started up my new blog over at exf3 so this time I will be prepared for the move. Hope to see you all over there. I have no time right now to do anything other than sign up, so I will deal with that next week.

Here's my addy" http://kinnigurl.efx3.com/

Peace out.

In the Immortal Words of Daffy Duck....

{ 09:07, 2009-Mar-5 } { 5 comments } { Link }

Still lurking about!!!

I am around, but just too damn busy right now to maintain my blog. I will be finished teaching soon and then maybe will have more time. Of course - by then we may and by we I mean efx2, may not even exist any more. You can find me on Facebook. I check in there everyday as it is easy and quick.

A Day at Jericho Beach

{ 10:44, 2009-Feb-10 } { 8 comments } { Link }

Monday was a beautiful day here, so I finally got to get out and take some photos with my new camera. Here are a few of my best shots.

I like the different layers that were created here from the trees, through the boat masts, and finally the skyline.

There were a LOT of ducks swimming around in the pond in the park, and they were not shy either. You can tell they are used to being around people. They swam right up to me.

This Great Blue Heron let me get pretty close to him to snap a photo. However, you can see he was keeping an eye on me.

While I was snapping pictures of the ducks, this crazy puppy came galloping down the hill, sploosing into the water and was just begging me to take his picture. He was so cute - I couldn't resist.

The dullness of winter and the deepness of the shadows kind of captivated me here. I am looking forward to spring when things turn all green again.

Through the Camera Lens

{ 09:30, 2009-Jan-25 } { 12 comments } { Link }

Hello Peeps! I have been in absent for some time it seems. I have not forgotten you my friends, my life is just incredibly busy right now. I do manage to make a few quick remarks on Facebook, but time to actually write a post is not in my timeline at the moment. However, this morning I am sneaking a couple of moments to post some pictures of the college. I am teaching in the brand new Health Sciences Wing of our campus and the building is beautiful! It's still all clean and sparkly and there are not many people milling around. I took some photos during my lunch hour on Friday and you can see by the lack of people, that things are still pretty much getting under way. One of the very cool features of this building is the art work, which is decorating the main wall. At least I think it's cool anyway. It is very tactile and modern looking and designed by a local artist I believe. It is the Snellen Eye Chart (the one the optometrist uses to check your eyes) but it is done in braille, which I would imagine is a little irony!

Anyway - aside from being super busy, things are good. We are all well and staying out of trouble - unfortunately and I will try to do another update a little later this week.

Enjoy the photos and tell me what you think.

This is the main staircase

This is the top of the Snellen Chart. I was lucky enough to catch a reflection.

Shadows in the Stairwell

Looking up the wall to the chart. There is so much natural light in this building it is beautiful. All skylights and windows!

This is the coffee kiosk, which hopefully will be opened by next week.

This is the hallway outside my classroom. Notice the complete lack of activity.

And The Survey Said.....

{ 09:01, 2009-Jan-1 } { 4 comments } { Link }

Over at Live Journal where Donna has her blog, they always do an end of the year survey. I pinched this from her and hope we can pass this around here. It's a pretty good one. Let's keep this going on EFX2 and see how we fared in 2008.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

Bought a new expensive camera for myself.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for this year?

I don’t usually make resolutions, but this year I am going to try to take better care of myself.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! My niece Lisa and Scott had their fourth boy – Luke Scott – to add to her wonderful family. One more and they have enough for a full hockey line! Well – actually they do have a full line if Lisa straps on the skates. My surrogate daughter Lyndsay and her husband Scott had their first child Emma, who is absolutely adorable! I will post a picture soon so you can judge for yourself.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?

Sadly, I didn’t even leave the city in 2008. How pathetic is that??? I need a vacation!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Exercise! More time for walking, hiking, swimming and just plain getting out and getting moving. I feel like I spent all of 2008 cooped up in this stupid apartment working. UGH!

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Well, as I had MAJOR problems with my memory in 2008 because of my Hashimoto’s nothing stays etched in my brain for more than a minute or two – so I am going to pass.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I really feel like I haven’t accomplished much this year to tell the truth, but I have to say that working at the college in 08 was probably my biggest achievement. Hopefully it will lead to bigger and better things!

9. What was your biggest failure?

My biggest failure was not looking after myself properly and getting to the point where I was too tired to even be able to move. I should have listened to my body and gone to the doctor MUCH earlier. Let that be my life lesson.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Thanks to my sister and her family, I was able to afford to buy myself an Olympus DSLR with 2 lenses! I haven’t had much time to play with it as yet because the weather has been crap and I haven’t been out, but I am excited to take new photos in 2009!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Donna – for being brave and going through her surgery without anesthetic! The girl deserves some kind of medal for that one!

Neil – for getting elected the President of SIFE and balancing school and extracurricular activities and managing to do well at everything.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

My ex-husband! The way he treats his children is beyond appalling and quite frankly, I have no idea what has happened to him. He didn’t even call the kids on Christmas Day nor did he say thank you for the gift that Donna made him. She worked a whole freaking year on a book for that man and he didn’t even both to say thank you. That – is appalling behaviour!

14. Where did most of your money go?

RENT! Which takes over half my paycheque each month and the rest goes to paying bills. There is never much left at the end of the month. But at least I have a wonderful place to live, so it is well worth it!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

This year has been bland! But the most excited I have been was opening up my new camera! Seriously! Oh – and my new deck!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

I copied this from Donna – because I have no idea what the names of these songs are but they will remind me of this year as she plays them all the time: Viva la Vida/Coldplay, Bleeding Love/Leona Lewis, No Air/Jordin Sparks. Until recently, I never really played much music myself. However – now I have discovered (this is how slow my brain is) that I can listen to music from my laptop Itunes as I am working. I am not sure why I didn’t figure this out last year. DUH! That’s why it’s great to have 2 computers!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? About the same.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter – unfortunately. STUPID nonworking thyroid!
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer – but hopefully soon to be richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Walking and spending more time at the beach instead of working all the time.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Working – but then I have to pay the bills somehow!

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

I spent it with the 2 people who matter most to me – Donna and Neil. We had a wonderful 2 days!

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Didn’t fall – but do love a certain someone.

23. How many one-night stands?

Never had one – don’t intend to start now.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Supernatural (who can ever get enough of Dean and Sam?) Gossip Girl, True Blood, and Ugly Betty – because it makes me laugh.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

No! Hating is such a waste of time and energy.

26. What was the best book you read?
Well – as I can’t even remember the name of the book I am reading right now (I’m pathetic I know) I am going to say this one – as it is the only one I can remember. However, I must say that I read MANY very good books, thanks to the Library of Donna. She has the biggest selection of books and about 90 that I haven’t read yet, so I have a good reading year ahead.

Late Night On Air by Elizabeth Hay

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The sound track from the movie “Once”. It is so beautiful, it makes me cry every time I hear it.

28. What did you want and get?

A new camera! I know – enough about the camera!

29. What did you want and not get?

Tickets to the 2010 Olympics. I missed the deadline because I had no money. Sadly now we probably will not get any tickets and we are about 20 minutes from the venues! I am very disappointed about that.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

“In Bruges” - Definitely one of my favorites. It his absolutely hysterical. In fact I have watched it 3 times and it just doesn’t get old.

“Once” – Just such a beautiful story with a fabulous sound track.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 54. The grad class from the college had their luncheon that day. They all sang Happy Birthday and we even had cake! Later that evening Donna and I watched “Love Song for Bobby Long”.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A little bit of a vacation would have been nice. Even a day or two away from responsibility.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

I don’t really have a fashion concept but I usually try to pad my wardrobe with wonderful accessories as they can make anything current and flashy. I loves scarves, dangly earrings and big bracelets.

34. What kept you sane?

Donna, Neil, my sister and my mom. I seriously thought I was losing my mind for a while. Fortunately, the medication I am on has helped me in that respect.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Honestly – Jensen Ackles is pretty damn hot!

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Can you say Prorogue? Which was just one of MANY! What a year for controversial politics!

37. Who did you miss?

My family and Oscar.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Karen my yoga instructor, who it turns out lives in my building and is really a great person. Janet from my Chakra class who is just so much fun and lives close by. Anna, from my MT grad class who is also a great lady and happens to live in my hood. I was lucky to meet 3 new friends this year.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Listen to your body!!!

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year

“Been Dazed and Confused for so long it's not true.” – Led Zepplin.

Gangsta Granny

{ 01:36, 2008-Dec-28 } { 8 comments } { Link }

I just have to post this picture my sister sent me of my mom. It makes me laugh and shows her true personality. She is a ton of fun and very young at heart. Wish I could have been there for this one!

Party down Granny Tonkins!

Merry Christmas

{ 07:20, 2008-Dec-24 } { 5 comments } { Link }

We are in the throes of another storm and are supposed to get another 25 cm of snow today (11 inches). The airport is in complete chaos, the roads are horrible and I just want my boy to get safely over to my apartment so we can spend Christmas together. Yesterday I had to trudge out and get food and since I couldn't get my van out I had to make 2 trips walking on slippery roads and sidewalks to our small shopping area near our apartment and carry back as much as I could. The bags were heavy, but I think I managed to get enough to keep us going until the 27th. No turkey as it is just too darn heavy to carry. We will be cooking up a couple of nice new york strips though, so we won't be suffering! As soon as I have Neil here safely, I will be happy.

Now - To all my very special friends here I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May Santa be kind to each and every one of you.

White Christmas - I hate snow!

{ 03:24, 2008-Dec-22 } { 7 comments } { Link }

This morning around 9 it finally quit snowing. We have been in the throes of a winter storm, our second one in two weeks. It snowed continuously for 22 hours and we got around 30 cm of snow (1 foot for you 'Mericans). BLAH. It may be pretty, but it is messing up my plans and I am not happy about it. tonight we were supposed to go to the Canuck VS Ducks hockey game, but there is no way in hell we can get there. Our van is deeply entrenched in snow and the alley is treacherous. No way I am taking a chance with Donna out there. We could take the bus, but at this point that is also not a very good option as I have heard that some of the bus stops are knee deep in snow and the buses are just stopping in the middle of the street. Kind of hard to unload the wheelchair. We will just have to forego the game and have made 2 other people very happy by giving them our tickets.

Here are a few picture that I snapped on my new camera. I haven't actually been able to leave my deck/apartment yet, so photos are somewhat limiting, but they will give an idea as to how much snow we have, which is unusual for the west coast.

I took a couple of shots of the railing with the different levels of snow from one day to the next. Still not totally used to my camera. It is going to take a while.

This is a photo of the bamboo plant on my deck from Saturday, Sunday and early this morning. It got a little more buried each day. I had to wade out on the deck after I took this picture and clean the snow off so it didn't break.

Under the Bunyan Tree

{ 06:51, 2008-Dec-17 } { 4 comments } { Link }

When the kids were little we lived in a place called Port Hardy on the very north tip of Vancouver Island, isolated and very beautiful. Our first Christmas, we decided to join the ranks of the locals and get out there and cut down our own Christmas tree. I was rather excited at the prospect of tree cutting as I had grown up in southern Alberta where there wasn’t a tree for miles, so going into the forest was a whole new experience for me. My husband, well he was just revved up being able to spark up his chain saw. The kids being only 2 and 4 just did what we told them with the enticement of hot chocolate with marshmallows when we got home. Wish that were still true.

We hit the logging road in our 1964 Chevy truck, minus intact floor boards, on a bright, sunny Sunday on our first Christmas tree cutting expedition. Finding a good spot along the hydro lines, not that far from home, we decided it was a good place to look for a tree, either that or Neil had to pee, I’m not sure which came first. At any rate we all piled out dressed in our toques and heavy coats to get down to some serious tree cutting. Finding the perfect tree in the tree lot is daunting at best, but in the middle of the forest, not an easy task. The kids were busy picking up pine cones and tossing them at one another while Bill and I sized up the trees. Our criteria was stiff as we eliminated tree after tree. We had found a couple of reasonable candidates, which had been marked appropriately, when my eyes widened. Our excitement mounted as we ticked off each of our specifications. I could see Bill’s fingers itching to crank up the chain saw. We decided this was it and amongst yells of “tim…ber” saw our first, real forest tree fall to the ground.

After much grunting, hauling and dragging of our prize, we finally got loaded back into the truck and heading towards home with complaints of cold feet and empty tummies. I fed and watered the kids while Bill squared off the bottom of the tree for the stand and dug out the decorations from under the house. The kids waited anxiously in the living room, having already picked out the perfect location. I went to the garage to see what was keeping my favorite lumber jack only to find him looking from tree to stand after discovering it would only hold about one-third of the base of our fresh cut pine. I dispatched him to town after tossing “Rudolph” into the VCR to amuse the kids for another half-hour.

Anticipating the problems of regular stands being much too miniature for local loggers, Home Hardware had a fine array of large stands that would hold our tree steady for the next couple of weeks. The kids were happy to see daddy home with the new one and helped him steer the base through the ring and tighten the bolts to hold things nice and sturdy. Running back inside, jumping up and down the wait seemed endless and Bill and I pushed and prodded flipping branches through the front door and on completion slowly tilted the tree upright near its spot by the fireplace. Heads tilted up, no words could pass our stretched necks. Mouths agape we all just stood and looked up, way up. The top of the tree was bent over about a foot and-a-half, which meant the tree was close to 27 feet tall. It had looked much smaller in the forest than it did in the middle of our living room. I am not sure who started but the first giggles were followed by laughter to full on belly laughs and tears rolling down our cheeks as we gazed at the gigantic tree in the middle of our house.

At this point I knew we would never have enough decorations to complete the project so once again Bill was dispatched to town while the kids and I made a batch of shortbread cookies waiting for his return. The rest of the decorating went without a hitch but I am pretty sure Home Hardware had to restock after our visit to the store. It really was a beautiful tree and a memory not easily forgotten and one of the first of many forays into the bush for Christmas trees. Not only did we not get a Charlie Brown tree that year, but we got a tree Paul Bunyan would have been mighty proud of.

As you can see - we had to cut about 2 feet off the bottom of the tree for stability and so it wouldn't hit the ceiling.

Just passing this along ...

{ 03:31, 2008-Dec-13 } { 4 comments } { Link }

I just wanted to let all of you know that Abe was taken back to the hospital again last night with a collapsed lung. Patty posted an update here:http://oldladylincoln.blogspot.com/ so you can go check it out and leave a comment. I thought I would pass this on as Abe and Patty have been part of our community for a very long time and are such wonderful people. Maybe if we send out mass prayers and positive thoughts it will help him heal.

Donna Chubbypants

{ 07:39, 2008-Dec-12 } { 5 comments } { Link }

As a"Merry Christmas to Me" present yesterday, Donna went over to the rehab hospital to get herself weighed and lo and behold she had gained another 3 pounds. She now weighs a whopping 74 pounds! This may not seem like much, but she has now gained 12% of her original weight, which is quite an accomplishment in 3 months. She was ecstatic and really is happy with her feeding tube. I can tell you, it certainly puts my mind at ease knowing that she is gaining instead of losing.

Now - if I could lose instead of gaining - life would be sweet. I am starting to feel better now on a higher dose of my meds, but these last 3 weeks without my caregiver have kicked my butt. I feel tired all the time and on the verge of hysteria more than 1/2 the time. I didn't realize how much the thyroid affected one's body. It especially does a number on the brain, which is why it is important to get LOTS of rest, exercise and take the proper medication. I can feel things churning around in my head, but quite often can't get them out in a sentence. Short circuiting or something. I also type strange when I get tired...for example I may type "something" like this - thomesing and it takes me a second to figure out what is wrong. Not good in my line of work! Hopefully when the caregiver gets back to work full time and Christmas stuff settles down, I can get back to my baseline.

We are supposed to get snow today, which is rather puzzling if you ask me. Last night we were out and about around 7ish and it was still 8C outside and downright balmy. Now today they are telling us it is going to be -6 with snow? WTF??? It's raining at the moment, so we'll see if it materializes.

On that note, I am off to get some work done before I go and get my hair cut this morning and mail the rest of my parcels. I am hopefully going to Costco sometime this weekend to pick up a new camera that has been funded by my sister and her family. Could I be more excited??? I don't think so! Hopefully there will be a whole new batch of photos to share in the New Year! *quivers excitedly*.

I Elfed Myself

{ 08:54, 2008-Dec-9 } { 10 comments } { Link }

I just cannot help myself. I think these things are hilarious! I have no idea why, but the thought of elfing myself or anybody else for that matter amuses me way too much. At any rate - here is our family. This is why nobody is getting Christmas cards this year. I have been too busy practicing my dance!
Just click on the link and tell me what you think. :laugh: :rolleyes:

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/2...NobxRzYHdC

Donna and Neil

{ 04:29, 2008-Dec-6 } { 6 comments } { Link }

This obviously is a picture of my children. A rare moment when they weren't arguing or bickering. I know they love one another, but it was nice to be able to capture it for eternity!

My Photo Book

{ 12:24, 2008-Dec-5 } { 4 comments } { Link }

I am totally excited!!! Yesterday in the mail I received the book I had made for my mom for Christmas and it is more than I could have hoped for. I decided that I would put all my best photos into a book and give them to my mom for Christmas, as she doesn't have wall space to hang photos, and it was too hard for me to pick just 1 or 2 that she would have liked. So I tried out Shutterfly and it is so EASY to create a photo book, I am not sure why I haven't done it before. The finished product is so professional with a cover photo, spine title, back cover photo, and all the photos are printed on heavy, glossy black paper. Absolutely fantastic! I hope she is as excited about it as I am. After Christmas when I have extra $ I am going to order one for myself.

I have 1 week to get all my Christmas shopping done. Thanks the gods for internet shopping! What would I do without it?

Democrazy!

{ 08:28, 2008-Dec-4 } { 4 comments } { Link }

Kinni - speaking of politics?? Yes - it has come to THAT! I swear our government has literally gone off the deep end. This week our opposition has decided to form a coalition and toss the Prime Minister out on his proverbial ear! In other words we are having a bloodless coup! (How else would Canadians do things? I think they even said please and thank you). Now, I am not a Conservative and did not vote in Harper. However, I was perfectly happy that we had a strong opposition to keep things going in the right direction. Not down the crazy path! Conservatives need to be in power in times of economic crisis - either that or call back Paul Martin to balance the budget. Unfortunately that isn't going to happen. Seriously - this is embarrassing as a nation. However as Donna pointed out, nobody really cares about Canada anyway, and nobody has probably even noticed. Michelle Jean, the Governor General now has to make the decision as to whether Harper can suspend parliament and try to hold the wolves at bay (cowards way out) or let this coalition take over. The coalition leader is Stephan Dion, who bless his little heart, is a lovely man who cannot speak English (well understandable English), but he just stepped down as the leader of the Liberal Party after his PM loss and will only be the leader of the Liberals until their leadership convention, whenever the hell that is. So what does this mean??? I have no friggin' idea! It's just a complete cluster fuck as far as I'm concerned and we need strong leaders right now, which we are obviously not going to get. My solution - Marc Emery for PM, and we can all smoke pot until we don't give a rats ass any more!

Okay - off the political rant, which is SO not like me. But...well enough said.

I have been happily spending some extra time on Facebook these last weeks and have reconnected with many people from my distant past! Such fun catching up with old friends. I have been in touch with a few people I went to school with from Grades 1-12 and haven't seen since 1972. It's funny how none of us have changed that much and sort of just picked up where we left off. There is the distinct possibility of meeting up with a few people and reconnecting in person, which will just be a blast. Looking forward to THAT!

May, Donna's caregiver, was in a car accident 3 weeks ago and injured her back, making it impossible for her to care for Donna in her usual way. So aside from getting reading for Christmas before I start my other job on Dec 15, working full-time, running errands, and running my nonstop Bed and Breakfast, I now have to do all of Donna's care stuff as well. My work has suffered, I am stressed and I can feel my Hashimoto's starting to kick in again. I hope for all our sakes that May is able to come back to work soon. She is a single mom with 3 children and needs her income as much as I need her to come to work. Fingers crossed she can return next week. I think Donna is getting sick of my bitching as well. Don't blame her.

On that note, I had better get back to work and I will try to up date more frequently.

Namaste my friends.

Reaper Photos

{ 08:26, 2008-Nov-16 } { 9 comments } { Link }

I took these photos ages ago and just remembered I had them and had not yet posted them. These are from the day they were filming "Reaper" right beside our apartment. There is a beautiful church on the corner that is often used in movies and TV shows as Vancouver has actually been dubbed "Hollywood North". They do a lot of film making here. Anyhoodle - we did manage to make it over and take a few pictures before they wrapped up the outside filming and took it inside the church. If you have never seen this TV series you should check it out. The season hasn't started yet, but it is super funny and I just love it. Here are the pictures I managed to take. The quality isn't that great - but that's the camera....or I like to think it is anyway!

Friggin Amazing

{ 10:06, 2008-Nov-5 } { 5 comments } { Link }

My sister sent me this link in an e-mail this morning. This kid is fabulous. I totally got shivers when I listened. I love good music and this young'n has some major talent going on. Have a listen....

The Deck

{ 05:42, 2008-Nov-3 } { 11 comments } { Link }

I finally got my pictures downloaded and made a collage showing my new deck. I am kind of late getting this done but better late than never. I can hardly wait until spring when I can fill it with plants and cozy furniture. I tried to give the impression of how big the deck is. Hopefully it will come across.

This is all I have to add for now as I need to go and eat my dinner. I am starving. Maybe an update tomorrow.

Peace out!

Seven Bits of Info:Tagged!

{ 05:12, 2008-Oct-19 } { 6 comments } { Link }

I have been tagged by Jana (Indigomoonarts) to reveal 7 things about myself that no one knows. Since I babble on and on around here it is going to be hard to find things that people don’t know, but I will give it a shot.

1. I threw up in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark after being awake for 24 hours, touring the Carlsberg brewery, drinking copious quantities of free beer and then riding the bumper cars.
2. I have disco danced until dawn in the tiny village of Leysin, Switzerland, after a great night of cheese fondue and white wine. I stayed at Club Vagabond in May 1976 and I just discovered much to my surprise it is still there, and looks exactly the same. That makes me happy! It was such a fun place to stay.
3. I spilled coffee on Tommy Banks, during intermission while he was at the University of Calgary playing a jazz concert. He was actually very nice about it and I was horribly embarrassed (one of the few times I have been at a loss for words). Hopefully he has forgotten, but I never have.
4. I flew across the country (from BC to DC) to meet up with a man I had only "met" on the internet and we had the best weekend ever. We have talked almost every day for 10 years.
5. I accidentally disconnected a telephone call from Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to his private secretary in 1975 during Greycup weekend in Calgary. He was trying to make arrangements to come and stay at the hotel where I was working. The secretary was less than impressed with me. (As a side note it was -25 F that day and colder than a witch's tit!) Not a great day to be playing football outside.
6. I have never had a speeding ticket or been in a car accident (touch wood).
7. I can play 19 musical instruments. (Piano, recorder, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, tuba, guitar, ukulele, violin, cell, string bass, drums).

Money Waster!

{ 11:06, 2008-Oct-15 } { 6 comments } { Link }

Well, the Canadian election was a total waste of $350,000, 000 and time! The results were not that different than they were 3 years ago when some people elected Stephen (AKA Steve by George W) Harper in. He still has a minority government so nothing will get done. He did gain a few seats and the Liberals lost a huge chunk due to the less than charismatic leader of the party. But long and short of it all, it cost a lot of money and nothing changed. That's what happens when you call an election early. So much for your big plan to have a majority government. It still burns me that the Bloc has 50 seats and only 8% of the vote while the Green Party has 2% of the vote and NO seats. What's wrong with this picture??? Things need to change. At any rate - today is the same as it was yesterday, so we will continue on with Steve telling us he has a "plan". Sure - whatever.

On a completely different note there was major action outside our apartment last night. I have absolutely NO idea what was going on, but around 8 pm we could hear a lot of police cars around our neighborhood, which is abnormal. So, I decided to check things out. I went out on the deck and looking down spotted 4 police cars, and numerous police. Shouting and shining of flashlights ensued at the building across the street. Soon more cars came, a total of 8 in all blocking off all entrances and exits to the street, alley etc. The canine unit was dispatched as well. Looking down at one point there were approximately 25 cops congregated at the front of the building. After about 90 minutes or so, they all left. I am none the wiser this morning. I am going to have to make the rounds this afternoon and see if I can find out the scuttlebutt. I hate being out of the loop!

I got a call from the college yesterday and it seems they need another part-time instructor in the new year, so I have been booked in from Jan 5 to March 20. Yeah!!! I will make some decent cash and still be able to do my transcription in the morning before I go in. Maybe....we'll get to California in April or May! Would be nice.

Get out there and vote!

{ 07:22, 2008-Oct-14 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Friday was an absolutely gorgeous day here, warm, sunny and just a little crispness in the air. While Donna was going through her morning routine, Laura and I took a walk along the railroad tracks to my favourite health food store, cameras in hand. I got a lot of really good photos that day. Here is one that I snapped of a beautiful sunflower. This was a pretty small one compared to some of them. There were a couple that were about 2-3 hand spans across!

Thanksgiving weekend was pretty quiet. Neil came over on Sunday and spent the day, which was nice. We don't see him as much as we would like to. The highlight of the evening was his impersonation of Axl Rose, which had me rolling on the floor. Pretty funny indeed. It was a nice day all in all and nothing is better than spending time with my kids.

Today is election day so all you Canadians - get out there and vote today!

I have a busy work week coming up, which I suppose I had better get started on now!

It's Thanksgiving

{ 10:17, 2008-Oct-12 } { 3 comments } { Link }

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. I don't even think I have any other Canadian pals here on EFX2. Where have they all gone?? There used to be a few of us. Anyway - I am wishing myself Happy Thanksgiving and if there are any more of us out there - enjoy your weekend and don't indulge in too much turkey.

I took this photo the other day on my walk about and thought it looked very thanksgivingy...

Check out my photo blog.

{ 07:17, 2008-Oct-11 } { 4 comments } { Link }

A quick post as I am in the middle of watching Calgary versus Vancouver and have to pay attention. I have posted a new picture over here - go check it out.

http://kinnigurl.blogspot.com/

Tuesday - Come Quicker!

{ 08:44, 2008-Oct-8 } { 6 comments } { Link }

Election madness!! I am going crazy! We have our own election up here on Tuesday, when our madness will finally be over. I am not sure how much more of this pre-election crap I can stand. The Conservatives are losing ground I believe, which serves them right for calling this bloody election in the first place. The Liberals have an intelligent, committed leader - but "'e duz not speeek Eeengleesh!" NDP leader Jack Layton is like a little bulldog and is a fabulous leader of the opposition party and will stall Harper on everything in the good old HoC. (House of Commons for you non Canadian types). Elizabeth May is a worthy adversary as well for opposition, however The Green Party doesn't have any seats, so I am not sure how much of an impact she will make. It will all be over but the crying on Tuesday night. Thank God!

The American election is painful as well. How much longer do we have to listen to this?? Let's just get out there and vote and move on! Kill me now! And if I hear McCain say "my friends" one more time I will shoot myself.

Sunday night we went to a good ol' hockey game! Whooooo! Hockey is back! It was a great game between the Ducks and Canucks. Evenly matched, lots of fighting...wahoo....and tied at the end of the third. Ducks pulled out a win 22 seconds into the overtime, which was awesome! Afterwards we went down to the player area, you know how we do, and chatted with Scott's agent, and Rob's father-in-law waiting for the boys to come out of the dressing room. Scott was taking FOREVER! His agent was joking that he is getting old and probably had to get iced up. I rolled my eyes! LOL....Anyway as he emerged he handed Donna a stick from her FAVORITE Canuck - Taylor Pyatt #9!!! She was ecstatic! The reason he was so long - he was in the Canuck dressing room getting Donna said stick. AWESOME!! (Many years ago he did the same thing for Neil and got him a signed game puck from Mario Lemeiux). It was pretty cool. It was great to see people we only see in hockey season and we are looking forward to their next game back here on Dec 22. Oh - and grampa Barney showed us pictures of Rob and Jess's new baby girl too - she is ADORABLE!

The deck is SO close to being completed. They should be able to wrap it up today I'm thinking. I am tired of having people wandering around outside all day long. It's hard to concentrate on my work with sawing and power nailing going on! Anyway - pictures to come shortly!

I'm off like a new bride's panties to get some work done. Peace out.....

Politics is No Place For Grownups

{ 08:30, 2008-Oct-3 } { 5 comments } { Link }

This clip was on the Mercer Report Tuesday night and Donna and I about peed ourselves laughing! This pretty much sums up Canadian politics and after watching our debate last night I'm going with the guy who can lift rocks! Clearly he will be a great opposition leader to whomever gets in as PM.

Good news!

{ 02:28, 2008-Oct-1 } { 6 comments } { Link }

We didn't get to see as much of the filming of Reaper as we wanted to, but we still did get to see one scene. I have some pictures, which I will post as soon as I download them. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the "devil", but we did get to see Sam's scene being filmed, which was coolish.

I just got a phone call from the college and I have been booked for two huge blocks of time from Dec 15 to February 20. Basically, I will be teaching two entire chunks of the course all on my own, so won't just be sitting around doing nothing. This is such awesome news! I am really excited! I also have 4 half days booked in October and November, with the promise of more to come. This is just so perfect and couldn't have come at a better time. I am extremely broke at the moment, my rent has just been raised, so the extra income will be perfect!

The deck is coming along, and is almost finished! The flooring is all laid and the railing half done. At least now I can put my furniture back under the covered area. Pictures will follow.

Just had to share my good news!

Peace out!

Good news!

{ 02:28, 2008-Oct-1 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Reaper!

{ 08:40, 2008-Sep-28 } { 7 comments } { Link }

It's a beautiful, beautiful day here in southwestern Canada. The sun is shining, birds are singing and my deck is getting closer to completion. I unpacked and put away 18 boxes of crap on Friday with Brenna's help and now have all Donna's medical supplies organized, and believe me there are enough to fit in a semi-trailer truck. Her summer clothes are put away and her winter ones all nicely settled in the new dressers I built as well. Everything is as it should be. I can again walk around my room without tripping on things and I even have a new mattress on my bed, so I slept decently last night! Wow!

More good news as well! On Monday, they are filming an episode of one of my favorite TV shows next door at the church - "Reaper". YEAH!!! (If you have never seen it - you should check it out. It's very funny. I love when they film so close and I can get down there and talk to the film folks. AND maybe I'll catch a glimpse of the devil - although they are filming at the church, so maybe he won't be in that scene. However, I'm pretty sure my favorite character SOCK will be there. It will be fun to go and check it out. I'll take some pictures if I can get close enough. The catering truck is usually set up in our alley - leastwise it was when the filmed the remake of "Carrie" and "John Doe" with heart throb Dominic Purcell...whoa baby he's HOT! They do a lot of filming around here, but it's nice when they set up close by and I can check things out.

On that note, I am going to go and make my Sunday phone call to my mommy and then try to get some work done before I go outside and enjoy the beautiful day.

Peace out!

Just Call Me Teach

{ 07:22, 2008-Sep-23 } { 6 comments } { Link }

The flu has hit Vancouver Community College, which is bad for my friend Loney, but good for me! How so you ask? Well, I got two days of substitute teaching this week so I get to make some easy money! I have also been booked so far for 6 days in November, which is good as well. I loved my time at the college last year, and I am looking forward to more days there this year as well. I hope Loney feels better soon, but it's good news for me!

The deck is getting nearer completion but I can't see it being done for at least another week. I hope it gets done soon, as I need to get my furniture under the covered area. The rain will be starting here soon. Temperatures have dropped and the skies are starting to turn cloudy. Fall is definitely in the air.

I'm off to watch America's Next Top Model. I know it's crap TV, but we are addicted. What can I say?

Organized confusion

{ 11:45, 2008-Sep-21 } { 6 comments } { Link }

Good lord! My apartment is in more of a mess than it was before! That's what happens when you start organizing things! Hopefully soon there will be an end to the mess. I now have boxes in my kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and it's like an obstacle course walking through it all!

AND - I am exhausted from moving and building furniture all weekend and I still have a couple of days to go before I am completely finished. For now, I am going to bed, and I am sure will be asleep in seconds.

I really wish I had someone to help me! It's very difficult doing all this lifting and moving all on your own.

Most Alien Place on Earth

{ 10:13, 2008-Sep-20 } { 6 comments } { Link }

Hey peeps! A quick update while I take a break from typing doctor speak!

This week has been super productive for me, so I MUST be feeling better. My visit to the doctor indicated that my TSH is indeed returning to more normal levels. YEAH! I am going to continue on the meds for another two months and then have another recheck just to see how things are going. Yoga and change in diet are definitely a factor as well, as I have lost many inches as well. YEAH AGAIN!

Yesterday I went to Costco to pick up my card and get my photo taken. God that place is so ginormous! I didn't buy anything but wandered around checking things out for my next shopping trip. Neil, Brenna and I are going on a "family" shopping day to buy in bulk and then divide them by 3. Sounds like a plan.

Then, I took a trip to Ikea to buy Donna two new dressers for her room so I can get her shiznit organized. That girl has so many clothes, nicnaks and medical supplies that somebody needs to organize her ass. That person - is me. Hopefully by next week there will be some order to her chaos and I can get everything OUT of my room that is supposed to go in hers! That will be triumphant.

Neil and Brenna were both over yesterday and were both full of interesting information. Neil showed us this super cool island, which is located off the coast of Africa that is older than Methusela and labeled "The Most Alien Place on Earth". It is super cool and a definite MUST see. Check it here:
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008...earth.html

On that note I am off to complete my day's work. Peace out!

You can find me here.....

{ 06:29, 2008-Sep-15 } { 3 comments } { Link }

I am not sure what is up with efx2 but I don't trust that all my posts won't be lost forever so for now I am setting up my house at Vox. So you can find me over there. Come give me a holler if you haven't already found me there.

http://kinnigurl.vox.com/

Mini Vacay...

{ 10:47, 2008-Sep-3 } { 6 comments } { Link }

I need to update. I am not sure when life became so busy, and I have no more time for blogging, because it really seems like nothing has changed in my life. However, I do spend far less time here than I used to.

At any rate. Donna is going in for her surgery on Sept 8 for her feeding tube. It is a small procedure so I am pretty confident all should go well. However, because she has been undernourished for so long she will have to stay in the hospital for a full week, to make sure her body tolerates the feeds, I know how to work the pump, and the staff is confident we can do everything at home. Not really excited about the week's stay, but there isn't much that can be done about that. Also, the ward she will be staying in at the hospital, is not equipped to handle a ventilated patient so if Donna wants to have this procedure done, then I have to sign a waiver, and be her 24-hour care during her stay. Now most certainly I don't mind doing that, because I know she feels much more confident knowing I will be there to care for her, but why aren't nurses trained in the simple art of suctioning??? It's really not all that complicated. However, I shall not bitch and I am looking at this hospital stay as a mini vacation. I wish the accommodations were a bit more luxurious than hospital drab, but I will do anything to make Donna more comfortable!

I have to take a week off work, so we decided to make our time enjoyable and ordered Season 1 and 2 of Wires to watch on DVD, bought some yarn to knit a sweater and Donna is going to do a cross-stitch. I am hoping to get home for a shower every day as the caregiver can stay with D for a couple of hours. So, although the accommodations aren't 5-star, they are free, I don't have to cook, clean or work, and I should get some nap time in the afternoon, barring visitors.

On that note, I am off to complete my day's work and hopefully get in an hour of yoga as well. I have been popping around to read everyone's blogs, but often I do not have time to comment.

Peace out!

I will be sure to update after it's all over with the outcome of the surgery etc.

I Spoke Too Soon

{ 12:32, 2008-Aug-15 } { 9 comments } { Link }

I notice by my last entry that I stated I was starting to feel better and my medications were kicking in. Well - I spoke too soon. Maybe they worked temporarily, but basically the last 10 days or so, I feel back to square 1. I am so tired and need to sleep a couple of times a day. I can't stay awake no matter what is going on around me. I have nodded off at my desk more than a few times and upon deciding that it is time to get up and get to work around 8 or so, I do not feel rested in the least. I am still walking and doing yoga, and trying to get back some of my physical conditioning, but it is a constant struggle. I will be going back to see my doctor this next week and see about getting my dosage upped as it apparently is not working at this level.

Aside from that, Donna and I have been trying to keep busy. We have had friends here and there for visits, which is always great. We have gone to the beach a few times to beat the heat of our apartment. Yesterday we have a great time down at Jericho Beach! There is so much to see there and lots of exploring to do. I didn't realize the park there was so vast! We walked forever and still didn't see even half of it. I will post some pictures as soon as I get them downloaded from my camera.

We have also taken part in a focus group with regards to the organization that provides all the equipment for Donna's respiratory problems. It was quite informative and we threw a lot of good ideas around. Donna was happy to meet the moderator Roger, who has just bought and renovated a house in Costa Rica, which is totally wheelchair accessible. He rents it out with all the amenities including wheelchair van transportation and an accessible catamaran. Of course she is all set to head out! Maybe one day we will be able to make the trek!

My deck, which was started 3 weeks ago, is still now complete! The old deck is completely gone and they retarred the roof, but now it has been left like that for 10 days! I can't even now step out on the roof to sit as the tar is bubbling and broiling away in the heat. The smell is horrible and I just wish they would get back here and cover up the tar and get the boards on for the deck. By the time they finish, summer is going to be completely over. I mean we only really have 3 weeks left! If the speed they have done the first half is any indication, we may have a deck by Thanksgiving.

All in all things are going well. If I could start feeling better, life would be really great! I guess I just have to be patient. I know it's hard to find the correct dosage for meds but sooner would be better than later!

Peace out
PS - I have not checked for typos or other errors, so if you see any - keep them to yourself! :-)

Slowly getting back to normal...

{ 02:38, 2008-Jul-23 } { 5 comments } { Link }

I am slowly starting to feel better day by day, although I do still get tired if I do too much. My brain fog is clearing a little bit at a time, and I can hold a thought for more than 60 seconds now! LOL...Naps have been reduced to one about every 3 days instead of 4 per day, so that is a definite improvement! Hashimoto's is not going to get the best of me!

I have been walking a lot this last 10 days logging in about 25 miles or so. It feels good to have the energy to make it past the end of the street for sure! The first few days Donna drug me behind her wheelchair, with me clinging on for dear life - but I have managed now to let go and I can walk up the BIG hill on my own.

After 6 years of constant bitching, the management of my building finally started work on my deck. Had they done something 6 years ago, they would have just had to paint - however now, after the deck has been left virtually exposed to all elements it now has to be completely torn out and rebuilt! Fine by me! Now I get a brand new beautiful deck! Franco and Lynn (the builders) assure me that the deck will be so wonderful I will spend more time outside than in. Not hard - as that is almost the case now! Anyway - when it is complete I will post pictures so you can all enjoy it!

Donna and I went to see the gastroenterologist yesterday. She has been losing weight over the past 3-4 years and it is starting to become a serious issue. It is so difficult for her to eat, as raising her arms up to her mouth is a chore, chewing is getting harder and eating just isn't joyful for her. She decided she wanted to get a feeding tube in order to supplement her diet, up her calorie intake, and see if she can get up to 90 pounds again. Right now I would say she is hovering around 65 or so and being 5' 9" means she is damn skinny! At any rate, the appointment went well and it looks as though we are going to go ahead, hopefully come September. it is going to be a load off her mind for sure, and I can tell she felt relief when she left the appointment. This will be one more thing for me to learn about and make sure all is running well, but I am sure I am up for the challenge.

All in all, things are going well. I'm glad efx is up and running, but I still plan to double post at blogspot as well.

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The Manuscript of My Life

Long Exposure Photos

Summertime and the livin' is frenzied....

WOW!

Whale of a Tale!

Sail away

Two views

Back on track

Never Eat Poison Wieners....

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Suckage

Because Every Canadian Lives in an Igloo.....And says eh...

Behind the Glass, Ice Level

You Say You Want a Revolution....

How Did I Get Here?

School's Out

Moved again...

In the Immortal Words of Daffy Duck....

A Day at Jericho Beach

Through the Camera Lens

And The Survey Said.....

Gangsta Granny

Merry Christmas

White Christmas - I hate snow!

Under the Bunyan Tree

Just passing this along ...

Donna Chubbypants

I Elfed Myself

Donna and Neil

My Photo Book

Democrazy!

Reaper Photos

Friggin Amazing

The Deck

Seven Bits of Info:Tagged!

Money Waster!

Get out there and vote!

It's Thanksgiving

Check out my photo blog.

Tuesday - Come Quicker!

Politics is No Place For Grownups

Good news!

Good news!

Reaper!

Just Call Me Teach

Organized confusion

Most Alien Place on Earth

You can find me here.....

Mini Vacay...

I Spoke Too Soon

Slowly getting back to normal...

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