Excuse me sir, when did the mongrels rule china?

Well, when I looked out the window this morning (and a few times during the night) the car was still there.
Neat. I've started calling it Awesomo. It's way too nice for the likes of us I tells ya.

I'm going to spend the day covering an old funky couch with some shaggy orange fabric (I was convinced away from blue and think I'm OK with it) to have a funky couch. It's an old sculpted eggy type couch from the 60s that we picked up at a garage sale for $10 but the cushions are swirled burgundy black and red...I can truly say that shaggy orange will be a huge step up -plus the fabric was not too pricey and hides mistakes well...so hopefully I'll get the couch looking rather funky (and hopefully not too neony) by the end of the day. The couch itself is scupted foam covered in black fake leather. I just have to recover the cushions...

I'll get my sewing badge for sure with this one!

If I haven't seen it it's new to me

So um...yeah.
Have a look at my new car.
It's still weird to say that....my NEW car. Well it's not new new, but 2002 and new to me.

What a whirlwind the past few days have been.
Our old car (whom I've nicknamed Peanut) has been running rough the past few weeks and burning as much oil as gas ever since we were gifted it a few years ago by my brother. It's been good to us, but when we took it in to get looked at we were told it was very ill and needed a new engine. Which was crappy. Poor Peanut is set for the auction yard.

But here's the thing...J and I have always talked about a Mazda protege 5. A loaded one...yellow if possible. And yesterday I called the dealer after our car cacked beyond repair just to see if they had a protege. Well, not only did they, but it was loaded, 5 speed and low low km (45000). It had just arrived. Even had window tinting. So we went to look at it and it's like new and we were able to get financing for what we had been planning to put away in savings until the summer and then make payments at from then on. So other than the fact that it'll be 3 years instead of 2 years plus saving for 6-7 months like we'd been talking about, we've only extended the payment thing by a few months and have the care we've always wanted (well the one we knew we could actually *afford* anyways).
So yeah.
Busy day.
New car.
Life sure is a rollercoaster. Yesterday I was on both sides of crazy and it's all ended up OK.

We get to pick it up this afternoon. We have to get our stereo out of peanut and put in it (need the mp3 stereo) and want a roofrack, but that will come in time. What is important is we have a new freaking car.

Sometimes life *is* good to you.

This sucks and blows at the same time

Well, our car is fucked.
Yes, this is one of those occasions where there is no other word for it - It is indeed fucked.
The compression is shot on 3 cylinders and it needs a new engine.
We were going to save up for a new car and buy it in summer...but now we're Sooo...that's a whole new situation coming on...with our plans being pushed up as rebuilding the car would be close to 3K and honestly, it isn't worth it...not with a new car on the horizon.

Bugger.

Anyone have a money tree?

Wish us luck -we're going to check into our options tomorrow and look at a car at a dealer tonight...it's the one we'd been interested in getting...in 6 months. But maybe sooner now. Or not. Ah...who knows. All we know is we need a car...and this is NOT cool. Neither of us deal well with lots of pressure...and this is a freaking 1000 pound extravaganza falling on our heads. And no small decision.

Boo.

My cat's breath smells like cat food

Well, it's over.
I'm kind of relieved.
Don't get me wrong, it was nice to see my family and I got to get things done around the house, but it was exhausting. We had a family thing every day from the 21-26 and 4 huge meals. Poor Jay didn't actually get any full day off before he went back to work today. A little dissapointing for him. I still have the rest of the week off, but I'm by myself for part of it, so I'm not sure what to do, other than more renos and clean up the mess form all the renos. I just want to veg and drink coffee for a few days.

Ah, don't mind me. I woke up with a headache and our VCR broke and our car isn't running, so I'm a bit moogy. I'm sure it'll all sort itself out with a few days and some money thrown at it. But for now, it's a bit of a downer after the holidays.
Even so, with any luck, we'll have a shiny new years. We're planning a shindig at our place...digging ou t all the lights and music and invited some people over. Good music, good company and tasty eats. We plan to decorate up the place as well and drape some fabric and use lights to fill up the space.

But for right now, I'm just sitting and listening to "The In Sound From Way Out", sipping some coffee and petting the Geek.
So far so good.
Hope you all had a good holiday. Happy 2 days after Christmas.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas everybody.

I am full of nog and no less than 3 turkey family meals over the past day or so.
One more tomorrow and we can finally explode...I mean, relax.
This holiday thing is exhausting!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Handy me

Hey hey hey!

My back creaks like an old lady but guess what?
Dad & I have already ripped out moldy drywall and insulation, reinsulated and put up drywall and installed the laminate floor in my room. I'm more than impressed.It's a walnut pattern and reminds me of a Jaguar dashboard, only, you know...it's fake...and not in a Jag.
I still have to mud the drywall, but Dad is still helping us by running some new outlets, put in baseboards, fix a toilet and a few other things that need fixing around here, plus make a run to the dump. I will likely mud the walls myself come January and then I can paint my room and J can put in put in a new light fixture.
I've learned so much from my Dad over the last few days - soon I'll be a very handy woman. I want to learn how to fix all these things...properly. I like knowing at least how to figure out what is wrong with something.
Otherwise I'm just running around in circles like Fry going "fix it! fix it! fix it! fix it! fix it!"

But I have done much today...I'm exhausted. I must finish up some cookie bars for J's coworkers and then sleep as we have another long day tomorrow...

Ho ho ho Me me me....

Because it is my last day at work for TWO WHOLE WEEKS (WOOOOOOOOOOOOO...ahem) I have only a moment to post a bit, as I've lots to do before I bugger off for the holidays. So, just so you don't all doubt that I love you, here's a quick meme, courtesy of Surly Girl.

1) If my shoes don't match my handbag....I get scared, as I don't own a handbag. It must mean that I've cleptomaniacally stolen it from a shop unawares. Which is bad. And I don't really ahve enough shoes to mach a handbag...expecially in winter. It's blue stomping snow boots or nothing. So you see my dilemma in that situation don't you?

2) The first record I bought was..... If we're talking from birth, then I bought a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie story record when I was 7 or 8. The first actual music I bought was "Freeze Frame" on 45. As for full album, I think it was one of those horrible KTel compilations with whatever was on the top 20 at the time...and the first full real album I recall owning was Corey Heart's first album. Feel free to mock me starting........NOW!

3) One of the things I like to eat is.... cheese. All kinds of cheese. It is my favorite thing. My favorites are Wensleydale, Herb Gouda and Lester Herb Swirl...which I'm picking up after my folks leave to nibble on al new years.

4) A few years ago I considered..... QUitting my job and doing something charitable like Food Bank work. But then I realised that doing disease research is charitable...and I like it. So I stayed.

5) I miss.....riding my bike. I can't wait for the snow to melt so I can be back on it again. This taking the bus thing is very inconvenient. I didn't realise how car dependant I was until last weekend when J was gone. I actually walked 30 minutes to the stores in a near blizzard as the buses running on the weekend would've taken over an hour to get there. For where w are, that is rediculous.

And so, that's that.

Have a good day all. I know I will!

What a difference a day makes...

1 day left.
Just one.
Then I'm off for two weeks.
Hot damn.

Interesting reaction, but what does it mean?

I have sampled my beer...and my oh my it is delicious. A light brown ale, fully of hoppy goodness.
After sampling it, I went out and sang Roxanne at Karaoke that evening...
Not sure if it's related though, so I'll have to carry out further analysis over the holidays and let you know my conclusions...
Science can be fun.

Silent Night, Blurry Night

J's away visiting friends in Edmonton so I'm here finishing off the holiday decor, and I'm done with the lights....almost.
Observe...




Very blurry I know, but I have a distinct inability to take photos that are NOT blurry unless I can use the flash..
It's just something I've learned to deal with. Hope they convey the massive amounts of light in the house. There's even some in the kitchen.
Now if Geek would just get out of my trim to go around the door I'll be done!

Twilight Zone time

(cue Rod Serling)
Picture if you will, a quiet home. The computer sits quietly humming...as a dog humps the USB port.
Have you gone mad? Off your meds? No...you have entered the Twilight Zone...

The You Tube video clip is particularly disturbing...
Sometimes the world frightens me.
"Global poverty? Nope, can't solve that...but hey! Want a tiny plastic dog to hump your laptop and amuse your friends...we're ON that!"

*shudder*

Here's a special phone number, so you can call me

So we finally got our digital phone set up last night.
I'm happy - unlimited long distance and call display.
Plus - No more dealing with Sasktel anymore, but same phone number. As a poor broke student they were awful to me on a number of occasions and I'm glad to tell them where to get off.

The thing is, after the hookup guy left I sat around waiting to see who would be the first to call on our "new" phone (yes I lead a very busy life can you tell?)

And who elase should call?
A telemarketer...

bugger.

6 Wierd Things About Me

Here are the rules: Each player of this game starts with the "6 Weird Things about You." People who get tagged should write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names.

Six Weird Things About Me:

Pacian inspired, geek powered...

1. Whenever I spill water I use the nearest cat to me to clean it up. They're very absorbant you know.

2. I like to drink beer in the bathtub.

3. I'd forget even my name if it wasn't on my liscence. I have a HORRIBLE memory. Someitmes I'll look at an object and not have the word for it. When I get old I'm in for it.AND I can't SPELL licsence either..license? Lisence? *sigh*

4. When reading I block out the whole world. You could probably blow a air horn in my ear and I'd just blink and keep reading. Drives my husband crazy.

5. I have a complete inability to keep a pair of mittens for more than a week. And I always lose the right hand. SOoooo consequently I have about 6 black left gloves at home. Just did it again this morning with my newest replacement pair. Wish you could buy just one...

6. I like tunafish sandwiches with catsup.

I have decided to tag Betty, Pete, Magnus, Thoth, Corey and Chris. Yes I know some of you don't have weblogs. Just put them in the comments. I'm nosy and curious! I choo choo choose you.

Christmas Quiz

I saw this while wandering the weblogs.
I'm a sucker for any quiz.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Nog I s’pose. I can have cocoa anytime. I’m a mulled wine nut actually. I’d rather have it than the other 2. But eggnog pancakes? THAT is another story…

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Not wrapped, but by the stocking. This flags a memory for me - I remember sleeping on the hide-a-bed on my sister’s living room one Christmas and snagging my little nephew going round and transplanting gifts he liked from Santa from other stockings to his stocking…I was laughing so hard he heard me. I said nothing and he timidly put them all back where they were, I winked at him and he ran away…

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored. White. I'll take them all! I have a thing for blue at the moment. I go nuts with lights at Christmas, although we don’t have any outside in our yard, just all over inside. My newest cool thing are star lights with LEDs inside that slowly change color...cool

4.Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope. Silly stuff.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
In the first week of December usually.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Hmm. My Mom makes these awesome nuts and bolts. J’s Mom makes awesome poppycock and chocolate covered pretzels. J’s Grandma makes the BEST cabbage rolls ever at family supper.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

We spent Christmas up at the cabin when I was 12. My nephew was only a few months old and the cabin was BURIED in snow. We all went out in the woods and got our tree and made all the decorations for it and spent a week drinking hot chocolate and eating nuts and bolts and playing cards by kerosene lanterns with the fires blazing to keep warm. My brother and I played Hoth out in the snow with our action figures and made snow forts and had snow fights. It was the last time our whole family was all together and it really was fantastic.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Sometime around 5 or 6 I just put it together. Mom & Dad still did a stocking for years though.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Nope. My Dad was adamant that we “fellowship” on the eve and visit (OK and eat lots too) and on Christmas day we wake up, have a huge breakfast, read the Christmas story and then open gifts one at a time. We’re not really big on gifts in our family, so it’s not a big deal to wait.


10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
I’ve got 2. Nana’s old white tree that has blue and silver lights and ornaments on it. We have a smaller fakey tree and it has all the family ornaments and sentimental things from when we were younger as well as all the other goofy Christmas ones.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it. We have the bonus of living near lots of hiking paths and a toboggan hill so I LOVE the snow. Bundle up well and you’re set!

12. Can you ice skate?
Yup. I used to figure skate actually and got up to the flying camel spin stage before I realize it was safer for me and those around me if I stopped…plus I just had to face the fact that I wasn’t going to be in the Olympics… It didn’t help that in grade 9 I jumped the triple jump in track and field practice into a pit that wasn’t dug up. I totally screwed up my feet for a while and screwed with my arches enough that now when I wear skates they hurt like a damn, so I don’t skate much anymore.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Hmmm…not really much for the gifts. I DO remember getting a giant smurf when I was 5 though, and I loved him. He was as big as I was. Santa brought him and I didn’t go in to the living room to check my stocking for hours because I thought Santa was still in there.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?Relaxing and being with family. I love just not working, eating food and being with those I love.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
I have a few: Blueberry pie, pumpkin cheesecake, scuffles, shortbread,

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I really like going to candlelight Christmas eve service. I’ve always believed that if you’re going to celebrate Christmas then you should really do so. It’s a nice time to sit, sing old songs and look around at the happy smiling people in the candlelight and remember what the whole deal is about.

17. What tops your tree?
The white one – a silver snowflake. The green one, a tiny, red, knitted toque (that's a hat to you non-canadians out there)

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving, although not gifts. I like making things for people. I wish I could tell people to not buy me stuff, just make me something or give me nothing at all. I don’t need gifts for Christmas.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
The Coventry Carol (and the entire Roger Whittaker Christmas Album)

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy?

YUM

So far so good

I'm still on the blinky shiny things project. Oh it's lookin good...but I'm not done yet.
Here's a bit of what I've gotten to so far...
The tree, R2D2...
And with Gavin's help I'll finish the rest.
Cats are good with blinking dangly things right?
Oh, wait...

Twimming the Twee

The tree went up last night.
JOY
I love Nana's old tree. I've never seen another like it - a white plastic tree that looks like a big cedar. It's very old - I'm so grateful that Nana gave it to us. J lived with his Mom at his Nanas until he was about 5 and his Mom & stepdad got married, and he remembers it always being around. It's really beautiful. And now with LED lights we can put lights on and not melt it or make it smell like plastic in our living room. I've put lots of blue and silver and glass decorations all over it. AND a new decoration this year - R2D2. He's kind of heavy, so he's at the foot of the tree examining the star lights I have blinking under the tree with all the white fabric I've put at the base of it (I'm scared R2 will be too heavy and break a branch).

I am insanely busy today...but it's friday. So I get to go home and try and make homemade Baileys, so it ain't all bad. We'll see how that goes...

Gotta run!

Nothing to see here...

A Meme For December
(stolen shamelessly from Betty):

Write the first sentence from the first entry of every month:

January: As 2006 begins, I find the need to answer a series of random, nosy questions I found.
February: I am SO bored
March: So much snow!
April: I am such a vegetable.
May: I am so stiff...I think if you listen closely when I walk you can hear me creaking!
June: I love these people.
July: Well it's over.
August: Well, I'm off on a crazy kick again.
September: People - I AM the man.
October: It's been a busy weekend so far...all sorts of obligations we forgot, but one of the things we went to has filled me with really happy hopeful thoughts.
November: I had a grand experience last night.
December: Don’t I know it…

Oh well...I was hoping for a secret message or something lucid and insightful.
Unfortunately all I learned is I use short sentences and never get right to the point.
SOOOOOO…a new year’s resolution of mine should be to try and be more forthcoming and concise. J often sputters in frustration at my ability to take 5 minutes to say one fact. Perhaps I should work on that and not try and give every detail...
Or not.

Note to self

Never eat again...

Man I'm still full the next day.
There is really too much food in my life this time of year. AND I have to go out again today for a lunch with one of my bosses. I think I'll just have tea and moan. I mean there's no room for it to fit. I really feel like the bad girl who ate the blueberry candy in Willy Wonka...like I'm going to puff up and float away. And really, as much as I love to eat (and boy do I) there is a point where you just don't want to. I'm already at that point and the main holiday feasting isn't even here yet...

On the theme of food, here's a foody meme I found a while ago...seemed fitting, what with all the edibles I've crammed down my throat in the the past 24 hours...

Favorite food to crunch: popcorn or pretzels
Favorite comfort food: oatmeal with cream and LOTS of brown sugar
Food that makes the best noise: celery when you chew it. Crunchy.
Favorite picnic lunch: salsa, cheese and avocado on ryvita or cheese and crackers.
Favorite food scene/lines in movie: No contest: I'll have what she's having." I'm also fond of "I like oysters AND snails" but it's also a bit creepy...
Favorite food lyrics: "I know my chicken. You've got to know your chicken" ties with "Extra sugar, extra salt, extra oil and MSG, Shut up and eat,to bad no bon appetit" both by Cibo Matto. They had a whole album about foodish type songs (Viva! La woman).
Least favorite food lyrics: "You've got the peaches, I've got the cream" Def Leppard-so very tacky
Best food smell memory: Mom's blueberry pie baking in the oven, and barbecues on summer nights
Favorite summer snack: apples and strawberries
Food that reminds me of the ocean: salmon
Favorite winter snack: cheese and crackers
Most likely to eat for lunch: whatever I had for supper the night before
Least likely to eat for lunch: shrimp.
Makes me gag: steak and kidney pie...and don't even get me started on chitlins or haggis…
Food tradition I don't like: My family's need to put copius amounts of salt on or in everything. How can you taste anything?
Saturday night food: Pizza or curry.
Favorite wild foods: blueberries. (can I include venison?)
Favorite food for sex play: whip cream and chocolate.
Favorite medicinal food: peppermint tea. Makes me feel better every time.
Food that reflects my heritage: apple streudel and fresh baked potato bread
Food most like me: any kind of fruit…:)
Favorite raw food smell: garlic and lime

Gotta go.

Gibberish

The junk email people are getting amusing in their attempt to get through spam filters to sell me cheap viagra. Here's the latest I recieved today:

"He was very honourable, Traddles was, and held it as a solemn duty to somebody in Peregrine Pickle. He said nothing at the time; but saw a plainer perception of him, with a red ridge across my back."

As my friend's mennonite Gran used to say: I gotta give them an A for effort...

Slow days

So there's a new Beck album and a new Gomez album out. I like the electronic...but some good strange rock and blues can really help you make a duvet cover. I listened to these albums while finishing the duvet cover. It's now a giant geometric patterned colorful pillowy awesome marshmallowy thing on our bed. All warm and fluffy - I LOVE it. I'd post a photo, but it's of a duvet and it's on my bed...which just seems a little odd to do...so unless anyone out there has a deeep desire to see it just take my word for it - it's very nice.

As for the new Gomez and Beck albums, go listen to them. They're both great. The Beck is his best album yet (in my humble opinion)-plus you get to decorate the cover with stickers. How cool is that? AND every CD has different stickers. The Gomez album is a "best of" 2 album set with a lot of unreleased songs and B-sides on it and they're all (except for 1) great songs. Royalty one of my favorite new tracks at the moment. I mean with lyrics like these, how can you go wrong:
"Well, treating me like royalty doesn't really matter - cuz I'm the king.
And the king ain't listening to anyone who isn't wearing leather...at all."

Anyways.
It's a good day today. Only -10 with fluttery snow and no wind. Beautiful. I get to go to a potluck at lunch (I made apple crisp with vanilla ice cream)and a supper Christmas party out at Amigo's so I'll be full and happy like the good Bacon Queen I like to be. If you hear a sonic boom it's me exploding after 2 huge meals. Yum.

Because I really have nothing else to say, here's a meme:

Current attire: Jeans, grey wool sweater, blue shoes
Current mood: A bit tired, and moody. It's that time of year when the constant dark days make you a bit off...I can't wait until the day sget longer again so I can see sunlight for real instead of jsut through the windows during work.
Current music: "From Creation" by Thievery Corporation (Richest Man in Babylon)
Current annoyance: The short days. Too little sun makes me want to eat sleep and hibernate. I think I need MORE blinky christmas lights to compensate...
Current thing: Planning my basement room. I have ideas of what to do and I'm finding symbols for hope, peace, serenity and creation from other languages (like japanese, sanskrit, hindi and hieroglyphocs) to paint on the 4 walls...which will be red and yellow. I can't wait to have my own space.
Current song in head: Royalty by GOmez (the song I quoted above)
Current video in player: THe tape we used to tape Doctor Who last night. Very good episode. Part one of a "waking up ancient evil" story. Very spooky..
Current DVD in player: Season 2 of Arrested Develeopment.
Current refreshment: Coffee
Current worry: How to get the obligatory Christmas crap out of the way (gifts) and still get things I'm sincere about giving. I hate "giftin" and shopping for them, but our families really want them...I don't liek to shop at the best of times and christmas season is NUTS. Some gifts we've found as the year went by and picked up, but there are lots yet to get. *sigh*
Current thought: Where can I order another thermometer for myself? And will it be as cool as the other one...or should I just wait until I see one that wants to come home with me?

Things that make me happy:
-Christmas cookies (ginberbread, shortbread and scuffles)
-Hot cocoa with marshmallows
-snuggly naps under the duvet

I'm thankful for:
-my warm toasty new duvet. It's like sleeping under a marshmallow.
-my family
-not having to stress about $$ at least for a while.

Three nice things I will do soon:
-Bake a bunch of cookies for all the single grad students we have here...they're missing their families terribly and I know some of them would appreciate some tasty baking.
-Put up the Christmas decorations.
-Exercise...so all this christmas food dosen't make a home on my butt

3 Words that make me smile:
-Phosphofructokinasekinase (it's an enzyme...)
-Foophy
-unitard


Cheers!

Sniff...

I've always been a bit of a geek.
One of the things that fascinated me as soon as I learned about it was a Galilean thermometer. The idea that someone centuries ago used weights and liquid densities to create a beautiful yet functional thermometer filled my head with crazy ideas. They were so beautiful and came in many colors and shapes. For years and years I dreamt of having one and using it to tell the temperature, just like they did way back then when the earth had just started revolving around the sun and not the other way 'round.
Just after I started seriously dating J my wonderful Mom-in-law bought me one for Christmas and I was ecstatic. I used it to tell temperature and loved to watch the color filled glass drops float up and down for hours at a time. We used it as our thermometer in our first apartment together. I remember that when the last ball was sunk to the bottom it meant to call the landlord and tell him to turn up the boiler...it meant it was 14° in the house and he'd turned the heat down too far again! After we moved, I'd put it near one of the heat vent in the house and then move it away, watching the color filled glass beads move up and down. Often the cats would join me and try to figure out how the little things inside were moving about and walk in circles around it sniffing and batting until they gave up for a bit of a nap.
Lately, my theremometer was in the kitchen where I could see it every day and note the temperature whenever it took my fancy to do so...you'll notice I said was.
*sniff*
Last night it broke. I was getting a pan down to warm up supper when it somehow set the thermometer to wobbling..and like a slow motion piece of film it wobbled bath and forth more and more until it tipped off and fell to the floor, shattering spectacularly into a squillion pieces. After some moping and tears I cleaned it up. The little coloured drops from inside that floated about to tell the temperature survived, oddly enough. I've put them somewhere safe until I can bear to look at them again without my lip quivering. Maybe I'll do something with them as they are awfully pretty.
All I know is, for the next while until I can replace it I'll have to use the thermostat to tell the temperature like all you normal people out there.
*sigh*
How boring...

Cuddle power

Don't I know it...