*waves hello*

I'm alive! I'm super well! Have not had any time to get online since the move but I hope you're all doing well - you are missed! Am taking "before and after pics" as best I can but with all the rain the past couple of days and another wet week in the forecast - gaaah! One can only do so much in the mud, LOL!

Up at 6am today, sipping latte to the tune of morning sunshine, dissipating mist in the field, grazing horses and the song of happy birds. It's so green and peaceful here, it feels like a vacation.

I'm so happy I'm bursting at the seams!! :-D

/end of Back Soon! post/

So... tired...

Just a quick note to say we're alive and well!

We survived a 17-hour nightmare of a move (7am to 11:45pm... that's a story for another time), the propane tank guys came yesterday afternoon to relocate the monster so that my brother and Vegas could demo the rotten deck in the rain this morning, all the crap is now in the huge container that arrived at 7am.

The John Deer lawn tractor also arrived today, at the exact same time as the washer & dryer were being delivered. Hysterical! Two giant trucks in our driveway trying to figure who went where :-D

The contractor and Vegas also went to shop for floor tiles and other stuff last night, which Vegas then went to fetch this morning... all 33 boxes plus grout and then some. How he got all of it down in our basement without passing out, I'll never know - I tried lifting ONE box of tiles and went nowhere.

Holy sh*t.

I've got most of the kitchen sorted out, we can eat at least... will start doing laundry tonight as we need clean sheets and towels, if only this stupid nausea and migraine can leave me the hell alone.

Five days of almost no sleep, stress, physical exhaustion and then the moving nightmare - we're so tired it's hard to speak.

Thank goodness for super calm and amazing doggies.

Over and out, I'm dizzy and keep macking spilling misteaks.

Pics to come later, alligator.

/end of OMG We're Home post/

And now it's about death :(

First Farrah Fawcett, 62 - and now Michael Jackson, 51.

Both heroes of my youth.

Fuck. :(

Property virgin, no more!

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!

At long last, the house is ours... my very first (and Vegas' second but the first one didn't really count) - oh good jolly joy, what an awesome feeling!! Let's celebrate!

Everything went without a hitch! We set a schedule and it flowed like cold lemonade on a hot summer's day - which is appropriate, considering the sweltering humid heat wave that's blanketing the city these days.

The bank peeps were amazing, the notary was an absolutely lovely woman, the paperwork went smoothly and the property was left impeccably clean - even the chicken coop was spotless as was the stable, which we weren't expecting at all. The lawn is freshly mowed, the flowers are in bloom and the seller even left us a bouquet of flowers and a sweet "welcome home" card on the kitchen counter :-)

And yes, Vegas carried me over the threshold, LOL!

*cheesy but oh so fun*

The last bit of packing has to get done tonight - movers are here tomorrow morning at 7am and theeeen the fun begins. I can't wait to finally be there.

So weird to own a house now but still be stuck in this shitty apartment. GAAAH!

I'll be incommunicado for a couple of days so I wish you all a wonderful weekend and will be in touch asap via your blogs - I'll post again as soon as I have a minute to catch my breath!

ps: thank you for all your good vibes, so far they've helped a lot!!

/end of Not Poor, Just Happy! post/

...aaaand we're off!

Please wish us luck that all goes well!

Losing one's property virginity is something to be excited about... scared... nervous... giddy....

We're driving to the new place in 10 minutes (it's an hour away if there's no traffic), the notary's this morning and then we get the keys to the house!

*fights panic attack*

Today is horrendously hot and humid, we're leaving the A/C on in the bedroom for the dogs and hope they'll be OK... they haven't been alone for an entire day in months. Pray they don't freak out - the little one already puked her breakfast this morning, she looks calm but the stress is getting to everyone.

Vegas got soaked packing up the car with all the tidbits... If we bring a load of stuff over today then that saves time with the movers tomorrow - we're looking at 6 to 7 hours of moving time at $120 per hour so every little bit helps!

Must also get the new car registration done today, some banking, unload the car, get the groceries done and the propane tank guy is also coming over to the new house this afternoon.

I just hope we can come back in time to avoid all the disgusting traffic (road construction is the pits in the summer) and before the dogs eat the furniture or pass out of heat stroke. A/C, please do NOT conk out! We needs you!

All right.

Here we go.

*deep breath*

On reinventing oneself...

Francesca from three bay b chicks asked me an interesting question in relation to the below quote...

"Is that possible, my friend? Is it possible to reinvent yourself as you get older? I'd like to think so, but I am not sure. Have you been successful? :)"

I can wholeheartedly answer YES! and then some!

2009 has been phenomenal so far in terms of personal growth... my dad said I procrastinated through my 30's then looked at my watch and went uh-oh I better hurry up and end this decade with a bang, as I had said I would. Of course he said this with a smile but there is a lot of truth to that (I turn 40 next January).

After suffering a terrible marriage at a young age, going through a divorce and living through one disappointing relationship after the other, I had grown bitter, distrustful and certain to grow old alone surrounded by dogs.

Cuz I don't do cats.

Then came Vegas and the healing started... so much so that we took the leap of faith and got married earlier this year - I now feel connected, trusting, happy and amazed at what love, real love, can do to a heart that I thought was broken for life.

I reinvented myself in love.

I also reinvented myself in confidence... I spent too many years getting up in the morning, going to work and wondering "what for?" - was that what life was all about? Earn money to pay the rent to live close to work to earn money to... well, you see the pattern. I never liked being stuck in an office like a rat, pushing invisible paper and following corporate rules.

But being born with a horseshoe up my butt... I had mostly awesome employers, made decent money, got to travel, had wonderful colleagues and was blessed with losing my job often enough to realize I needed to do something else with my life, something meaningful - something I could be passionate about.

So I'm following the dream and starting my own business, opening my luxury dog hotel by end of this summer. Can you say "excited"?!

This is all tied in to taking another huge step, buying my very first house - we move in three days!

Again we got super lucky and found an incredible property, we cannot wait to finally be in a place to call our own.

So I reinvented myself on the home front - I shed the security blanket that was this apartment and this city the past decade. I don't need the chaos around me anymore to serve as a distraction. I have found inner peace and am not afraid of being alone and surrounded by quiet anymore.

This year isn't over yet - I am sure it will bring many more adventures, like the new family member that's joining us in five weeks (I posted about little Dante earlier this week). I look forward to reconnecting with relatives and friends, old and new, to finally be able to stretch my wings - it took three decades but now, watch me fly!

Have I been successful in reinventing myself?

You bet!

Am I done yet?

Hell no!

I'll be done when I die - and that won't be anytime soon, if I can help it! :-)

/end of Hope This Answered The Question post/

Reinvent yourself

The important thing is this:
To be able at any moment to sacrifice that which we are
for what we could become.
~Charles DuBois

A mid-pack pause

Holy crap is this ever a lot of work!

Just when you think you've packed most stuff up you realize uh-oh, I forgot this corner... this cupboard... behind this door... all the while scrambling to do the last loads of laundry in a room that's turned into a maze of boxes, taking care of two confused doggies, cleaning and dusting, planning meals that will empty out the fridge and freezer and time all the paperwork that's due - it's enough to make a hulk out of anyone, LOL!

My hands are cracked and creaky from washing dust and dirt off them every 15 minutes.

*creak creak creak*

Ah well, all part of the adventure - no pain, no gain right? We sign for the house in three days so focusing on that makes it all right!

The city is doing its best to bid us a grand farewell: super loud neighbors, construction work even on Sunday, crazy church bells and an endless stream of car alarms and sirens: police, ambulance, firetrucks, you name it - we've timed them on average every 12 minutes pretty much 20 hours a day the past few weeks.

Last night there must have been a police chase that was going around in circles around our neighborhood because the wailing sirens went on for a good 40 minutes, if not more - we just laughed because it's so ludicrous, what else is there to do?

Anybody who tries to tell me that living in the city rocks, I will personally challenge them to spend ONE DAY in this godforsaken apartment and then we'll talk!

*clears throat of pollution*

LOL I just noticed the walls now sport rectangles of dirt where the paintings used to be. Oh well :-D

The more I de-clutter, the more I like living with less. I think I surrounded myself with "stuff" over the years to compensate for feeling so empty inside. Now it's all dusted, cleaned and packed in boxes and I don't remember half of what was there before.

I might need therapy!

/end of Happy Monday, Everyone! post/

I am pleased to introduce...

...the newest member of our family, little DANTE!

Dante is a Dogue De Bordeaux (aka French Mastiff) and as he is only 3.5 weeks old now, he will join us on the farm at the end of July.

This is Vegas with Dante and Goliath, the gorgeous sire with an amazing temperament:

Goliath is only 15 months old so imagine his mug when he's all done maturing!

Vegas has been wanting a puppy for a long time now (and he LOVES mastiffs), so we figured what better time than the present? Life flies by at a breakneck speed so let's enjoy it while it happens...
We had initially wanted to adopt a puppy that was a St-Bernard and Bouvier mix but the lady who was "looking after them" was so horrid, a real redneck with no concern for dogs whatsoever, that it would have been reckless to get into that mess. Then we happened upon this litter of DDB pups, went to visit and were absolutely blown away by the love, care and attention given to the dogs - plus Goliath had us at hello :)

Of the litter of nine pups born (six males and three females), Dante was the last one out - yeah, the runt! All the males were sold immediately but nobody wanted this little guy because he was so dark and small. Well, wouldn't you know it.. he's now the biggest boy, second only to the first born pup, a huge female.

We went there wanting a girl but oh, how could we not take this gorgeous big boy!

Plus of the two remaining girls, one was really small and pale and the other was too dominant, she growled at you in her sleep if you tried to pick her up. Bitch! LOL

So our wee boy, Dante's Inferno, is suuuuper laid back, mellow and happy-go-lucky, just like his dad. He will get along splendidly with the pack and add spice to the farm! Now, if we can only endure these last few days in the cave...

*groan*

Wishing you all a lovely Sunday!

/end of Happy Fambly post/

Say yes to adventure!

I am always doing that which I cannot do,
in order that I may learn how to do it.
~Pablo Picasso

Holy crap!

The poll is skinny, go feed it your vote!

This is our last Friday in this small city apartment... in a week we're gone! Still seems unreal, despite the mountains of boxes and piles of furniture crowding our floor space.

*pauses to sip hot latte*

I'm flat like a pancake today, energy-wise. Slept well but not enough or maybe it's the heavy grey weather... dunno. My camera is finally ready so my biggest task of the day will be to walk over there with the dogs to get it... I might pack a couple boxes, we'll see.

My brain is humming nap, bubble-bath, hot tea and a book, la-la-laaaa!

Trying to tune it out.

There's a fucking dog barking non-stop somewhere on the street. Yap yap yap. Shaddap already! Gaaah!

I read a good joke the other day:

A butcher saw a lawyer passing by his shop one day, and asked him: "Atty! What would you do if a dog came in here and stole my meat?"

The lawyer replied: "Why, I'd make the owner pay for it!"

The butcher said: "Is that so... Well, now you owe me $15 because it was your dog!"

The lawyer replied: "Very well, just deduct the $15 from the $25 you owe me for the legal advice. I’ll collect the remaining $10 the next time I pass by here."

I'm trying to keep this post light and airy as 'tis Friday and nobody wants to read about doom n'gloom, big emotional dramas and whatnot. What can I say? Life is good lately and I've nothing much to rant about... I'm keeping that for after we move and discover a whole lotta crap about the property that we have no idea about and no money to fix!

That dog is STILL barking and I just took a 20-minute break from writing this post.

Motherflipper.

Um, it looks like we maaaay get an addition to our family at the end of July... I say may, as we still need to get more info on the puppies this weekend. They're 3 weeks old now and the mom died last week, they're being bottle-fed and whatnot. Dad is a saint-bernard and mom was a saint and bernese mountain dog mix. Supposedly.

We did say we wanted a big farm dog... if we can give a girl a good home and the timing is right.... OMG are we getting in too deep??

Happenstance

I don't like standard beauty - there is no beauty without strangeness.
~Karl Lagerfeld

I fell off the wagon

No bruises, but thanks for asking!

Um, it's the Kijiji and craigslist wagon. Uh-oh. While looking (unsuccessfully) for a bedroom set, I've stumbled across some really great and super-affordable items that couldn't be passed up so...

What? I'm nesting!

*rolls eyes*

I hardly got anything accomplished today, thanks to the flippin' migraine. Woke up at 8am in horrendous pain, suffered through torture until mid-afternoon and then it kindly took a hike after a second round of meds. My hairdresser kept asking if I was ok or if I needed to lay down, LOL!

I don't think she often sees pale green clients.

Stupid House.

The TV show, I mean. It's on weekdays at 11pm and even though we swear we won't watch it... can't watch it... too tired to watch it... Two minutes and we're hooked until midnight.

Sooo tired.

*shakes fist at über-sarcastic mister fantastic*

Anybody else love the guy?

I think Vegas' favorite gift was the camouflage swiss army knife. He really didn't expect that one... although the other stuff made him go "yey!" too. I dunno. Buying stuff has never been my forte, I'd rather give an experience such as a home-baked cake and a blowjob. OK I'm kidding about the cake. He he.

Too tired, can't brain. Sooo many little knick-knacks to take care of the next few days, I'm afraid to forget important stuff. Thank the beejus for my day-planner, it's my life-line.

The headache's coming back, oh no.

Time for drugs!

/end of Don't Worry Be Happy post/

Happy Birthday to my darling Vegas!

What do I think today is?

Woo hoo!

Today my husband is a year older, a year wiser and yet sexier than evar! Please join me in wishing him the sweetest of birthdays, even if I had an accident with his cake earlier:

I hope he forgives me..!

Marshmallow & granite

Hurrah! Yay! w00t!

Our new mattresses will be delivered two days after we've moved into our new house!

Vegas will have his slab of granite and I will have my lovely marshmallow, we'll finally be on a King bed (two Twin XL's pushed together) and all that's missing is a platform or frame and we're all set!

It cost a mint but a good night's sleep is priceless :-)

I'm already sick of shopping: yesterday was for tools, a shop vac, phones, house supplies and the like. We still need a sooo much stuff, I don't know where to begin!

*insert a scream of sorts*

Hope my bro will lend us his chainsaw and sledgehammer...

Tomorrow is Vegas' birthday so I need to get busy making his ice cream cake (it's what he wants!) and there is still tons of packing to do, plus laundry and other ickies. Thankfully the bday gifts are wrapped and ready to go, all that's missing is mmeeeeeeeeeee!

Yep, 10am appointment tomorrow morning chez la hairdresser.

Tired of looking like an old skunk.

Any of you Canadians have good long-distance calling plans that are NOT with Bell? I'm looking at Primus but am open to other suggestions - thanks in advance for recommendations!

/end of Tuesday Track Run post/

Untitled

In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
~Thomas Jefferson

Two peas, one pod?

The two peas are me :-)

I was looking at some goofy pics snapped in the car yesterday and it's sometimes quite noticeable how asymmetric my face (well, my whole damn body) is. Seems to be getting worse with age, too.

I wonder if my mom was smoking or doing the jig on the back of my dad's motorcycle when the little eggs that were the future me fused together.

That would also explain my Jekyll and Hyde moments...

He he.

Anybody else out there have a leg longer than the other, a bigger foot, an ear higher up or a crazy nipple?

Also, how do you deal with panic attacks when so much money goes out of your bank account but so little flows in?!

breathe breathe breathe crap it's not working!

PS: NEW POLL IS UP!

/end of Just Wondering post/

And my point is...

...that this post is easier in point form since I've no blogging mojo tonight yet still want to feed the diaries (cuz that's how I roll):

• spent Friday evening with my youngest bro (unplanned but great fun)
• ate ice cream cone and jellybeans
  
• spent nearly all of Saturday packing boxes with Vegas
• ate hot dog, fries, fudgesicles and bacon
• spent today at our new house with contractor
• got sunburn
• ate Junior Whopper, fries and a chocolate shake

I need a major diet overhaul.

Damn PMS!

/end of Greasy Pores post/

I'll say!

Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
~Fran Lebowitz

Another reason to hate the city

Check the time.

I've been up the past half-hour pacing the apartment, cursing the thick acrid smoke that woke me from precious sleep.

There's a huge fire going on somewhere and I've no idea how close, but it looks like morning fog outside - the kind where you can't see the other side of the street. I have to suck air in not to suffocate but oh, the stink is so, so bad.

I've lost count of the fire truck alarms wailing by.

I even went out to try and take photos despite Vegas' admonishments "It's 3am! It's full of drunks out there!" and yes, he was right but they're all teenagers spilling out from the night clubs - nothing dangerous.

Didn't find where the fire was, so will have to check the news tomorrow. The only pics I snapped were dark and blurry, I tried to capture the stench but didn't get lucky.

Damn inefficient cameras!

Trying to back to sleep again - I think I had managed a meager hour between two and one am, now that's all fucked. Sooooo tired. Gaaah!

This city blows.

What's up, sugarplum?

I haven't had the time to pack anything the past two days - insanity! My back decided to act up again, too, so I really have to be careful. Frustrating!

*shakes fist at throbbing sciatic nerve*

I've started to spend money as if we actually had it to spare... Um. Yesterday we got one of these and it will be delivered to our new house the day after we move in:Although it looks like a BOY TOY, no doubt I'll be riding that thing as much as Vegas will... I've been told we'll need about 5 to 6 hours per week to keep the lawn looking sharp. ACK!

At lunchtime today we're going shopping for a new washer & dryer (my first in a decade!! woohooo!) and we're not leaving the store until we have a new bed, too. Not just any bed - we're going for one mattress each. Yep. Vegas can sleep on his slab of concrete and I can sleep on my marshmallow, and when he moves I won't be jiggled like jello anymore. Add one big topper to join the two and ya got a super awesome king size bed!

At least, that's what we're aiming for.

Cuz sleeping on the couch sucks, it really does.

Anyhoo.

Yesterday was for driving way too far (considering the nightmare traffic) to get these two lovely antique tables:

Now before you go "WTF?", they were free and they will be stunning once I've sanded down the water-damaged tops and re-stained the wood. You should see the gorgeous detailing that goes all around the tables, it's amaaazing! In the meantime I will just cover the tops with some leopard-print material that I have on hand, add a cut-to-size glass plate and voilà, unique side tables for our living-room couch!

Did I mention they were free? LOL

OH! OH!

Guess who got her business cards yesterday afternoon??

*meeee! me! meeeeeeeeee!"

They're gorgeous and perfect and I'm thrilled! I got a box of 2000 so they should last for a while...

Sometimes I get freaked out and wonder "What if I don't get any clients? What if I fail?" and then I try to picture myself working as a glorified secretary again in a stuffy office pushing paper to earn a meager living and I know it would suck every atom of my soul so I cannot fail - I just can't.

One life to live, evaporating one day at a time. This is it. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow doesn't exist, it's now or never baby.

It's quite brilliant, isn't it?

/end of Are You Glad It's Friday? post/

Life's crazy moments

Madness takes its toll.
Please have exact change.
~Author Unknown

S'gooood!

Well!

Yesterday certainly took a turn for the better after I posted that rant, LOL!

An angel we haven't even had the pleasure to meet yet (soon "neighbors" though, yey!) gave me a lifeline to a very good local contractor that he knows - I placed the call and hallelujah! We're all set for an appointment at the new house this weekend to go over the projects that need to be done the first week of July and to get an estimate - how amazing is that?

*bows down to awesome new friends*

Talk about a huge weight lifted off our shoulders... Plus the farm insurance is all set now, which is another relief. Screw city brokers, man - go local!

Two more weeks to go... are you all starting to sweat for me? :-D

Today is for packing and for ordering things to be delivered to the house the day after we've moved. Now that I've got a day planner to scribble in I don't feel quite so disorganized and flappy.

You know, like a bird with a broken wing.

Flap flap flap.

Vegas is horrendously busy with his job again this week so it's pretty much up to me to keep things going. I wouldn't mind so much if my back hadn't started acting up again... blaaah!

Stupid old thing.

My back, I mean.

Buying a new bed isn't a luxury at this point, it's a medical necessity!

My god I talk a lot.

Wishing you all a lovely day, toodles!

/end of I Love My New Old Bike post/

Scary, much?

Most of you know this freak by sight, right? The infamous Marilyn Manson... What most of you probably don't know is that he's got a great sense of humor, well either that or this guy's completely mental!
Here is an excerpt from a Guardian Q&A interview, do click on the link for the full article!

When were you happiest?
About 15 minutes ago: I'm on medication and it's starting to wear off.

What is your earliest memory?
When I was seven or eight, I was playing with my Scooby-Doo and Daphne toys, and had a strange feeling. It was my first sexual arousal. Now I feel that all girls with red hair are of the devil.

What is your most treasured possession?
Either Hitler's coat hanger or my bedroom walls, because I've written all my lyrics on them.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
That it causes so many girls to cry.

What is your favourite smell?
Cocaine.

What is your favourite word?
"Etcetera."

What do you owe your parents?
I support my parents, so I think I owe them only an apology for being me.

||| yep, he's a nutter |||

In other news, we got completely screwed over by the contractor who was supposed to do work on our house the past two months - nothing's been done and nothing WILL get done. Vegas had to back him up against the wall yesterday to finally get an answer from this guy that um, no, sorry, he ran out of time so too bad, so sad eh? That's the way it goes.

Fucker. I'm sooo peeved.

Trying to find a contractor now, at the last minute, will be impossible!

Plus he charged us 8 hours of work for "project planning & estimation, ordering and fetching supplies". What a crock!! There are no project plans and we still have no clue how much the renos will cost us, he refuses to give us a number! The stuff he bought, where is it and what's going to happen with it? It does NOT take a bloody 8 hours to make two phone calls!

Vegas said he never trusted this guy in the first place so next time we'll follow our instincts, lesson learned. GAAAAH!

I've got to make a short trip off the island this afternoon to go fetch a bicycle - yep I finally found a decent, 2nd-hand city bike that will allow me to run errands the days Vegas takes the car to commute to the city for work. Nobody will want to steal an older bike, it looks comfy and easy to ride: what do you think of my find for $40, all equipped? It even matches the house! LOL

OK, I'm offline for the day now so y'all be good kiddos, don't forget to vote on the latest poll and please send us good vibes that we find a contractor to start work on our place in two weeks, we need all the help we can get!

/end of Over And Out post/

Carving the stone

For souls in growth, great quarrels are great emancipators.
~Logan Pearsall Smith

Tu-tu-tu-tuesday

S'cold. Pissing down rain. Yack!

Glad you all liked the pics of the house n'stuff... To be honest, I'm pretty nervous to be stepping into such an unknown world in two weeks - right now it all seems like a helluva lot of responsibility and a lot to learn all at once, am not sure where to stick my head.

So this is what my head does when I'm not watching:

Two nights ago I dreamt that I was sitting at a bar with Vegas, having a drink and chatting about stuff, when the talk turned to "sexy things" he used to do with an ex.

I remember saying "I guess you two deserved each other then" and he replied "well yeah, that's why we were married for 10 years - um, oops, I did mean to tell you..."

My jaw dropped open, my glass shattered on the floor and all I could do was gasp for breath and run, run as fast as I could to get away from this man who had betrayed me so terribly - how could I be wife #3 and not have known until now? Who was this man and what had I gotten myself into? WTF?

It was dark and cold, a slushy rain covered the ground and my rubber boots kept flying off my feet, I could hear him running after me in the distance shouting "Wait! Wait! You don't understand! I love you!" but I needed to hide, couldn't find a place as I was sobbing too hard to see anything. Finally ducked into a doorway and then watched cars fall into deep, giant potholes hidden under lakes of watery slush, the drivers screaming for help as they drowned.

Yep.

Too much rain, methinks... too much rain.

This afternoon will be for hot tea and biscuits after I'm back from running errands, need to focus on my website and take a break from packing. For dinner I'll make pasta in a rosé vodka sauce with shredded chicken breast and a salad of sorts. Mmmm.

Stay dry!

/end of Stupid Dreams! post/

It's going to be a shock...

In less than three weeks we shall be surrounded by all this calm green & fresh air, quite the change from the loud dirty city we're currently still crammed in...

Thankfully the days are flying by so, there's still a LOT to do before we're ready to go - kinda hard to pack because there isn't anywhere left to put any boxes but I'll be creative, just you watch! LOL

Here are a few shots we took on Saturday... first, "The House":

View of the chicken coop from the back garden:

Vegas wondering WTH we're going to do with 12 acres! LOL

The front yard is mostly occupied by grape vines:

Yes we're goofy... but oh so happy :-)

I reckon there will be more photos after we've moved in and made it our own place... I'll try to spare you the chaos and focus on the beauty shots, yes? he he

Hopefully these pics softened the Monday Ugggs a bit, don't forget the coffee (or the tea) and stay tuned for more stuff! For those liking it furry, I posted a new video in the dog blog, also updated the Snapshots blog and posted a new recipe in the yum-yum blog.

Better enjoy it while it lasts... I have a feeling that blogging will have to take a major back-burner soon! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

/end of Now You See It, Now You Still See It post/

Green acres make happy

Answer me this:

If you checked your online local weather report for the day and it said "Sunny with cloudy periods, 0% probability of precipitation" - you wouldn't think of rain, would you?

Of course not!

But apparently Montreal weather-people were on crack today or were enjoying a joke at our expense because the big fat pregnant clouds rolled in with a vengeance around lunchtime and as we made our way out of the city to go spend "a sunny summer afternoon" in the Eastern Townships, it started to piss with rain! WTF!

I might have ranted about it in the car for a bit. Just a tad.

*ahem*

The clouds followed us east, we got rained on again while visiting with my grandmother (I hadn't seen her in two years... she's 86 now and has quite a bit of alzheimer's) and my mom (who lives in Quebec City but goes to care for my gramma every other week, I hadn't seen her since I got married in early January, mon dieu!) and then the sun burned through the greyness and all was beautiful again.

We stopped by our soon-to-be house and snapped a few pics of the lush green gardens with Vegas' tiny camera - since they turned out fine would you like to see a few?

/end of A Beautiful Day post/

Written

True love stories never have endings.
~Richard Bach

Do you really love meh?

Um... I sort of started another blog... LOL!

For those interested in food, glorious food, all kinds of food but mostly the cooking and baking part... You might enjoy my new Bubblegum Recipes blog.

Who will be the first in my fan club, I wonder?

Blissed-out happy

I spend way too much time bitching and moaning on this blog, when in reality I'm pretty damn happy with my life right now.

I may be stating the obvious when I say "Daaaamn Skippy, what more could anyone want?" cuz the answer is "not much more than this!".

Still taking ages to fall asleep at night but at least I was in bed at 11pm last night, as I had planned, so that felt good. Ended up sleeping on the couch again after a couple of hours of tossing and turning - gaaaah stupid hard mattress! - how is that supposed to help marital bliss?

*shakes fist at expensive, no-good latex mattress*

It's Friday, it's sunny and warm, my back waaaay better and I've gotten a few stressful things taken care of thanks to the kindness of people.

For example, I've got a new family doctor in the town we're moving to (appointment is set for end of August) and if you know anything about Quebec Health Care and its Lack Of Services, you will know this is like finding a needle in a haystack - and I didn't even have to look, it was a gift that fell from the sky!

Wayne & Christine, if you're reading this: THANK YOU!

Also waddled my way through the logistics of purchasing a first home without a real-estate agent and I believe we're all set with banking, insurance, notary and the like. I feel all proud :-D

Blissed-out moment:

I've just eaten one of the best organic peaches of my life, you know the kind that that bursts with sweet juices that run down your fingers, has thin velvety skin that caress your teeth and tongue and leave you craving for more?

Yeah, that!

I even got some awesome mangoes for my man - gotta love summer for its perfect fruit, as we suffer from lack of anything edible for most of the year.

One can get sick and tired of green bananas, dry oranges and pasty apples!

It feels good to take a break from stress and packing. I'm enjoying the lovely warm day and my doggies and will head to the kitchen in a bit to make a soup... I made a lovely spicy chicken broth two days ago and it's ready for the chicken bits, potatoes and rolled dough that will puff up into chewy dumplings.

Yes, I know it's winter food - I am a woman of ambivalence, what can I say? LOL

Wishing you all a gorgeous day!

/end of Miss Skippy post/

Taking it easy... for a change!

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.
~Stephanie Piro

I'm better now! LOL

In a bout of temporary insanity, I decided to snack on a light bulb to see if I'd get any bright ideas on how to fix a major PITA problem:

And it worked!

Been frustrated to death the past three weeks with my dumbass insurance broker who calls me incessantly with stupid questions from insurance companies re: getting a quote to cover our new place in the country - THREE WEEKS NOW! Our notary needs confirmation by next week, dammit!

So I got the bright idea to ask our house's current owner for her insurance info, since they already cover the place we could perhaps just transfer everything...

Doh! Brilliance!

Just got off the phone with the guy and he'll have an answer for me by Monday but doubts there will be any problem at all since all the legwork was done before - and the monthly rate is a bit lower than we had budgeted, too.

Oh me, oh my!

Did I mention how I love small-town interactions, where people know everybody and doing business is both friendly, fast and efficient? Fuck big-city red tape, I've had it!

On this note, I've packed enough boxes and bags to feel good about my day, ran my errands and am now going to bake a lovely casserole for dinner (shredded potato & onion with eggs, cubed pan-fried chicken breast and spinach topped with grated cheese - makes a sort of quiche).

I'm so allowed a second piece of apple cake today!

*grin*

/end of Happy TD post/

Must. Find. More. Hours!

I really, really need to shift my sleeping schedule and hour or so back. Going to bed past midnight and getting up past 9am is just shit, by the time my morning chores are done it's noon and I'm panicking about wasting another day!

*breathe, breathe, breathe*

Yes, I know, I'm the master of my own destiny so quit cryin'.

At least the weather has been super gorgeous lately and there is a nice weekend ahead... Vegas and I are making the trip out east on Saturday to visit my mom & gramma (yey!) then stopping by to see our house... dreamy!

And then it's back to paperwork, packing, annoying phone calls with incompetent insurance brokers and trying to keep from exploding.

Oh and Murphy and his law can go to hell.

You know how certain things need to be dealt with here and there? For some sick reason everything seems to be happening NOW when I'm so broke I could cry! Fuck's sake!

• Passport is due every five years, which falls on now so I need to get the renewal paperwork and stuff in asap. $100.
• My camera is 2.5 years old and decided last week that it needed a professional cleaning, since all pics have dust spots on them. Another $100.
• Yearly car registration is due now. $260.
• Too many family birthdays to mention in June. *insert lots of money for prezzies*
• Moving costs, notary fees, mortgage payments, the famous "welcome tax" and countless stuff we need to buy for the new house are all looming and I'm not sure we can afford it all!

So yeah, stress thinks it's my new BFF but I just want it to take a freaking HIKE already.

Kay, am going offline to pack some boxes and we'll call it therapy.

Yey!

/end of She's Going Crazy, Folks! post/

Hiding

How do people go to sleep?
I'm afraid I've lost the knack. I might try busting myself smartly over the temple with the night-light. I might repeat to myself, slowly and soothingly, a list of quotations beautiful from minds profound; if I can remember any of the damn things.
~Dorothy Parker

Can't be bothered

No bloggins' tonight, am not in a social mood.

No particular reason, just had a super bad night of sleep and a long, exhausting and frustrating day. Feet are throbbing and I need a long hot shower, but too tired to drag my ass to the bathroom.

Dinner was leftover macaroni fried up with fresh hot italian sausages and parmesan cheese, green salad with radishes and shrooms and dessert was warm, home-made apple cake (highlight of my day, LOL).

Will try to catch up on blogland tomorrow, y'all be good, yes?

/end of Ain't Got Nuttin post/

A Day In The Life

I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph.

He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords

~The Beatles

Bits and bobs

Check out this new awesome gadget by Microsoft called "Natal"... I want one! Well OK not really, cuz I can't be fussed with video games but if I were into them... I would really want one!

Things are progressing on track, I think...

My business cards arrive in two weeks, the lovely Chica is hard at work designing the accompanying website, boxes and bags are being packed a bit every day to keep it feasible, paperwork is being delt with on time and my back is slowly on the mend.

Oh and it's supposed to be dry the next few days - yey!

I'm afraid I haven't got much to blog about these days... no more craigslist treasures, no work gossip, no man issues, no emotional traumas or breaking news.

Why are you still reading me so faithfully? I be dull! Oh wait, is it the food? I can blog about food... Last night I made chicken fajitas but just ate a salad while Vegas pigged out, cuz my 2pm lunch of leftover macaroni au gratin just killed me. Urp. Tonight, no idea what dinner shall be - any suggestions?

I may not have a kitchen but I have the time so it's now or never!

Wait, that's not right.

I am totally going to love cooking in my big, new kitchen! Did I mention it has an island? Yes it does! And it's open to the dining room & lounge, woohooo! No more cooking alone in the back of a long skinny appartment... I'm not crazy about the tile counters as it's impossible to roll out dough on it and stuff but I'll just use the kitchen table in the meantime.

OK, I gotta get a move on... The dogs need their morning run in the field and then I've got to go buy the material to re-upholster those two funky antique loveseats. Reeerrrr! Leopard sexiness, here we come!

PS: don't forget to vote on the current poll ;-)

/end of Happy Tuesday To You All post/

Giggle it up!

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.
Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living,
it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.
Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.
~Theodore Geisel