Aarrgghhh Deadlines!

Today was the last day to get parcels in the mail for Christmas delivery at regular prices. After that the only option is Xpress post which costs double. I'm happy to report that for the first time in four years I have managed that deadline. The parcel went out an hour ago.

I woke up this morning, a woman with a mission and I was like a whirling dervish. The list was long with numerous stops and then home to pack. Fortunately for me the cookies had already been baked and I did mange to hide them from Steve. Otherwise there would have none left. I'm not sure where all my new found energy comes from but I suspect not having any more pain has something to do with it. I'm now almost a week post surgery and I feel amazing. I still have my usual collection of body aches that come with RA but that awful grinding pain I had in my gut is gone and gone for good.

We will be alone this Christmas with our kids in Calgary and California. Nobody can come visit this year. I am so not anxious to fly anywhere into the U.S. After hearing of another elderly woman being strip searched on a flight from New York to Florida it is the last thing on my to do list. I would definitely be singled out because I beep going through the security and I absolutely refuse a full body scan. Maybe we will just head to Cuba or somewhere warm.

That's it for today, I'm off to do some decorating while I'm still feeling great...

I Don't Think This Would Work Here!

How to beat a speeding ticket...

In Scotland, exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 mph is generally an infraction penalized by the loss of one’s license. Except, it would seem, if you are a polygamous Muslim husband dashing between homes in an effort to service more than one wife.

That exact scenario occurred earlier this year when a Scottish judge allowed a Muslim husband to retain his license after he was booked for driving 64 mph in a 30 mph zone. “He has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow and sleeps with one one night and stays with the other the next on an alternate basis,” argued Mohammed Anwar’s lawyer. “Without his driving license, he would be unable to do this on a regular basis.”

Recently happened in Scotland...

I'm Here, Sort Of...

I do not like to blog when I'm out of sorts or if I'm not feeling well which is why I haven't been around. But I figured if I don't write something soon, you will all go away and I wouldn't want that.

I am seriously out of sorts these days and it all started with a two day migraine last week. Of course the only pill that works is the one I'm not supposed to take (Maxalt) but after two days of retching I broke down, crossed my fingers and took the pill. I'm still alive...

One Saturday we had our bridge club for dinner at our house and because I'm really feeling crappy (the arrhythmia) we had it catered. Everyone loved the food and a good time was had by all. Because I wasn't up to it and because there were enough players I got to hang out on the couch and knit instead of playing.

My sweetie has a really bad cold and I'm praying I don't catch it from him, hence he's been banished to the guest room. My heart ablation surgery is scheduled for the 29th of this month and the last thing I need is a cold. I'm sure they would cancel the surgery if I were sick and truthfully, I don't think I can wait any longer for this to happen. I'm pretty much at the end of rope here. So that's it and until I feel better no serious subjects, unless something crops up of course...just knitting

In case any one is interested in science, my offspring has a new blog, did I mention he's a science teacher?

Earth Hour Sucess - Without Me

The idea to shut all lights off for an hour is a crock. Seriously don't most people shut off the lights their not using? I would think getting your monthly electricity bill would be enough incentive.To me this was a little "feel good" exercise and an excuse to party. Downtown Toronto had Nelly Furtado gushing about how great this all was and singing about turning off the lights. Since it was televised how were the die hard flick offs mean to watch it. Fortunately I don't care for Nelly Furtado so it was easy to flick her off.

Meanwhile the thought of trying to stumble around in the dark didn't sit well with me. I mean I can fall down in broad daylight why would I risk my poor fragile hip in the dark unless necessary. We worry enough about power failures here in winter I don't need to create my own.

What gets me is that these very hip young people seem to puff up in a self congratulatory way about how much better they are than we the older generation. Yes, maybe you are and maybe you know more than us old timers but shoving it down our throats at every opportunity isn't going to work either, at least not with me.

I have never seen a generation that is so enamored with gadgets and gizmos than this young, hip group who now want to save the world. I'll give you clue, stop buying stuff, cause guess what...all that crap has to be produced somewhere with electricity produced by coal fired plants which in turn pollutes the earth. Once you can do that then you can talk to me about turning off my lights....sigh, I think I'll do some knitting with my 100 amp incandescent bulb.

And just in case I get hate mail, I do want to be real clear here that I truly conserve, recycle, reuse, compost and leave the smallest footprint I can. I just don't see what one hour once a year will do.

Bye Bye, It Was Fun While It Lasted...

Nothing dramatic, just a little thing I'm getting rid of, the live traffic feed that I had on my blog for a couple of weeks.

Although it was fun to see who was visiting, from which countries they came from and which posts they found interesting, some people visiting wanted to be more anonymous.

That's why it's bye bye, Feedjit...

A Mammoth Storm

This is getting kind of boring but that's life here in T-Dot right now. We are buried and I mean buried in white stuff. Just a few statistics, the worst March storm that I remember was March 4, 1985 where we had 24.5 cm and I remember it well. It was Steve's first winter in Canada having come here from southern California, and he was awfully close to going back. The Toronto total snow fall record was 207 cm which was in 1939. We are within 10 cm of beating that record at the moment and March and April can and will bring more snow.

Our front stairs this morning...

Pristine walkway, where the heck is that newspaper!

Cars? What cars...they are under there somewhere...

Jim, the neighbourhood hero is out there again plowing out driveways...

This afternoon Jim and his wife Eileen will make a big roaring fire in their fireplace and have invited us all over for a retirement party for our other neighbour Betty. I'm sure we will all bitch about the snow...

A Meme

I'm just heading out the door this morning to my appointment with the Heart Clinic at the hospital to hopefully get the date for my surgery but I thought I'd throw this post up. We are expecting another blizzard later this afternoon with 25 cm expected. Hopefully we get all finished and home before it starts. Meanwhile there is this Meme and feel free to do it.

This comes from Ellas Devil and I thought I'd give it a try.

"OK so this is the deal, this is a really easy meme with minimal typing from you. Simply copy and paste the list below into your blog and bold the things you have done in your lifetime and that is it. There's no need to explain any of your answers and it'll not take you very long so go on.... give it a go."

HAVE YOU EVER?

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped.
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten my own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than I could afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as I possibly could
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking.
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about my life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for my computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip.
48. Gone rock climbing.
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach.
50. Gone sky diving.
51. Visited Ireland.
52. Been heartbroken longer then I was actually in love with the person.
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them.
54. Visited Japan.
55. Milked a cow.
56. Alphabetized my CDs.
57. Pretended to be a superhero.
58. Sung karaoke.
59. Lounged around in bed all day.
60. Posed nude in front of strangers.
61. Gone scuba diving.
62. Kissed in the rain.
63. Played in the mud.
64. Played in the rain.
65. Gone to a drive-in theater.
66. Visited the Great Wall of China.
67. Started a business.
68. Fallen in love with someone and not had my heart broken.
69. Toured ancient sites.
70. Taken a martial arts class.
71. Played D&D for more than six hours straight.
72. Gotten married.
73. Been in a movie.
74. Crashed a party.
75. Gotten divorced.
76. Gone without food for 5 days.
77. Made cookies from scratch.
78. Won first prize in a costume contest.
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
80. Gotten a tattoo.
81. Rafted the Snake River.
82. Been on a television news program.
83. Received flowers for no reason.
84. Performed on stage.
85. Been to Las Vegas.
86. Recorded music.
87. Eaten shark.
88. Had a one-night stand.
89. Gone to Thailand.
90. Bought a house.
91. Been in a combat zone.
92. Buried one of my parents.
93. Been on a cruise ship.
94. Spoken more than one language fluently.
95. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour.
98. Created and named my own constellation of stars.
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country.
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over.
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge.
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when I knew someone was looking.
103. Had plastic surgery.
104. Survived an illness that I shouldn't have survived.
105. Written articles for a large publication.
106. Lost over 100 pounds.
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback.
108. Piloted an airplane.
109. Petted a stingray.
110. Broken someone's heart.
111. Helped an animal give birth.
112. Won money on a T.V. game show.
113. Broken a bone.
114. Gone on an African photo safari.
115. Had a body part of mine below the neck pierced.
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun or pistol.
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild.
118. Ridden a horse.
119. Had major surgery.
120. Had a snake as a pet.
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours.
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states.
124. Visited all 7 continents.
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days.
126. Eaten kangaroo.
127. Eaten sushi.
128. Had my picture in the newspaper.
129. Changed someone's mind about something I care deeply about.
130. Gone back to school.
131. Para sailed.
132. Petted a cockroach.
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes.
134. Read The Iliad.
135. Selected one "important" author who I missed in school, and read.
136. Killed and prepared and animal for eating.
137. Skipped all my school reunions.
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language.
139. Been elected to public office.
140. Written my own computer language.
141. Thought to myself that I'm living my dream.
142. Had to put someone I love into hospice care.
143. Built my own PC from parts.
144. Sold my own artwork to someone who didn't know me.
145. Had a booth at a street fair.
146: Dyed my hair.
147: Been a DJ.
148: Shaved my head.
149: Caused a car accident.
150: Saved someone's life.

So there it is, my list of things I've done. I guess I should do a few more in my life, play along...

No Words Needed

Hope your Sunday is brighter...



Well, except maybe for this one. This three foot icicle was hanging off my back eavestrough.

The World Is Getting Nuttier By The Day

Just when I don't think I have anything to blog along comes this little gem.

I'm just sitting here nursing my sore foot; the one I broke last May and where I suspect the cortisone shot I got in August has worn off and I'm reading all this nonsense in the paper.

Maybe I just need to keep my feet up and take a news break. I don't know how much more trauma I can take before I need some counselling...

Still Under The Weather

I'm still feeling like poop, but this gave me a smile today. It's an amaryllis I got for Christmas from my friends and it's finally blooming. After my last disaster with top heavy plants I'm glad this one is less than a foot tall.



On the other hand, I have been doing some knitting and have come up with an idea for my leftover wool...

Blue Monday!

Have you heard that expression before? I hadn't heard that until just now on the noon news. As I was getting ready to head out into the -12C weather to get some groceries and perusing which of my long johns were the warmest I had one ear to the news. Seems that the last Monday of January is the most depressing day of the year, the coldest day of the year and now I believe it.

As I watch the Toronto stock market drop over five hundred points today I am definitely depressed. I can see my Cuba vacation evaporating before my eyes, sigh...

They say that when the American economy sneezes we catch a cold here in Canada but this time I think we are getting pneumonia. At least I hope we send them our current cold weather..

Getting Rid Of A Husband!

There have to be easier ways than this...what about just divorcing... A woman in Germany is alleged to have murdered her husband and flushed him down the toilet.

One of the more bizarre murders I've read about.

The Aftermath

It's official, it was the largest one day snowfall since 1944, 28 centimeters of the stuff fell in one day. This is the day after and now there are just huge piles on the side of the road.



For sure there is no room to park a car anywhere on the street.

Since I've been housebound there has been some knitting going with pictures on my other blog.
The countdown has begun for me, and in less than 48 hours I will hopefully be without the gallbladder. I can hardly wait, it's been too long.

The Countdown Begins

Just five more day until the darn gallbladder hits the garbage bin and not a day to soon. This has been a pretty bad week all around. Husband is trying to stay within our immediate area when it come to work (he's self employed) and so far it's worked. Except for Thursday, when he found himself stuck with a broken down truck in a blizzard about 40 clicks from home.

When he finally managed to score a tow truck to bring him home from the wilds of suburbia to the local garage I needed to get my butt off the couch, clean the snow off my vehicle and retrieve him. It was either that or let him walk three km in a blizzard. I pulled myself together and brought him. home. This is the second time in a week that damn truck has broken down, it's time for a new one.

Today we are hunkered down because another storm is on the way. It's funny how Americans are always blaming Canada for their bad weather but most of our recent snow has come from them. Keep it guys, I've already had enough. We are expecting two feet of the white stuff by tomorrow.

I have a couple of small errands still to do this morning, just local stuff so the flurries that have already started shouldn't bother me too much. Good thing I have winter tires. I'll see what pictures I can score tomorrow, should be fun.

Conan O'Brien - Cartoon Hero?

I wasn't going to do any more blogging tonight but while I was surfing around I found this and it is really funny.

A Conan cartoon as America's number one crime fighter? I think he got a little lost and ended up in Canada instead of Manhattan.

Happy Halloween

Hope you all have lots of fun tonight, don't eat too much chocolate...

Runaway Critters!

I have to interrupt my travel posts for a moment to bring you a couple of gems out of Germany. Runaway lobsters in Stuttgard, I kid you not. Last seen heading down the street from the Asian supermarket where they were waiting to go on the dinner table.

These guys had a little help though, they didn't get out of their cages alone. There are 7,500 mink missing and the army has been sent out to capture them. Fun stuff...

Another Quizz - I'm In Denial, About Packing!

I have to pack, not only for me but for my husband too...yes,I do that for him but he does other stuff, but here I sit playing around with the computer, reading blogs and doing quizzes. This one comes compliments of Chrysalis Angel, thanks Chrys.

I have stuff piled all over the spare room bed, floor and hanging on doors but so far very little has made it into the suitcases. Considering that we are leaving Sunday for seven weeks, I'd better stop doing these things and get going. So what are you?

You Are: 40% Dog, 60% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Only Twelve Days To Go

Whenever someone asks " how long will you be gone" I always seem to reply, six weeks. Well, today I check the calender and it's actually seven weeks and two days. That's the longest uninterrupted stretch away from my home ever. That's even longer than my offspring who spent five weeks in China and five weeks in Thailand once. Our other California boy is currently in Indonesia chasing the waves. And Steve usually spends five weeks in Greece every year with his Mom, but for me, never more than two weeks. I tend to miss my bed after a week.

The list of things to do before we leave grows longer by the day, there are houseplants to board, there are bills to prepay for two months, there are decisions to be made what I need to take, what I can and cannot live without.

Since there are three separate countries involved with different climates the clothes have to be planned really well. The main trip is to Greece where we will do some touring around, a week in Germany for me and a one week cruise to Turkey and the Greek Islands. We are only allowed one suitcase apiece but I am going to try for a third one for shoes and jackets and stuff. Hopefully Olympic Airlines will oblige us. If not I guess we will have to pay extra, it's tough to get seven weeks of stuff in two suitcases.

First and foremost on my list of necessities if my pillow. I learned from our trip to Cuba that not all pillows are created equal and for me a good nights sleep depends on it. So I'm squishing this nice big feather pillow into the suitcase, no matter what.

The next important thing on my list is this little travel chair. It weighs in just under three pounds, Steve can carry it easily and it will make my life so much more comfortable if we have to wait in lines anywhere. I have a problem standing for any length of time and I'm told that getting back on a cruise ship at the end of the day entails lineups.

This is what it looks like all folded up and it has a neat carry strap that Steve can just sling over his shoulder. What that man won't do for me...

And then of course, the absolutely most important stuff, the wool. A knitter can never go anywhere without yarn so this is some of the stuff I'm bringing, together with a couple of projects that have already been started. I left it kind of late to order from KnitPicks but they obligingly put a rush on it and it arrived today.


Then there are the mundane things like can I get Sensodyne toothpaste in Athens, well maybe not so I'd better pack it, and so it goes. Before you know it, there is a whole pile of stuff with nowhere to put it. The presents too take space, my MIL always has a little wish list, things I know she can get there but I guess when it's from us they are better!

The laptop needs to go in for cleanup, I bought a 4 GB usb drive for photo storage, both camera's are ready to go and today I'm going out in search of The Lonely Planet books for both Germany and Greece and get one of our cellphones unlocked so we can get a local SIM card in Greece. Gotta be prepared, as the offspring would say...

While all this is happening my best friend is in Montreal at the bedside of her 93 year old father, who is very ill, may or may not survive and all I can do is send prayers her way and hope for the best. She was with me every step of the way when my Mom was hospitalized this past April and now I can't do that for her. It breaks my heart.

Still No Wireless, Grrr

After complaining to Bell Sympatico yesterday, a new wireless router arrived by special delivery today. I was so excited, I mean its been almost two weeks of being stuck to this stupid desktop computer I could almost not contain myself.

After hooking everything up and installing and configuring the new router both desktops computer worked just fine. I turned on the laptop keeping my fingers crossed the whole while (I'm superstitious). Well, it didn't work, no network, no service, no nothing.

I spent one hour on the phone with the techie guy, who I'm sure is sitting at a desk in India somewhere judging by how difficult he was to understand and with the amount of outsourcing that happens these days, to no bloody avail. It wasn't going to work.

Now I just had my laptop checked over this week by my own computer guy, who assured me the machine was "clean" and purring along so I knew the problem was not from my end. And here's this guy telling me that I had the problem. I thanked him very much, hung up and called back an hour later. Got the same guy I'm, same accent, same language problem, only this time he couldn't understand me. The long and short is another router is on the way, hopefully by mid next week. Meanwhile, live goes on and at least the DSL is still running...