HO HO HO

Merry Christmas to one and all!
I am full of lasagna...I must sleep now.

I'm done!

In the words of the great poet Jem Rolls
"We're done! we're done we're done we're done we're done we're done!"

We have met the requirements of the season. All is got and paid for (and mailed). All that remains is the shiny wrapping.
J just left to go visiting friends in a far away land for a few days and I am bored and lonely already. Pathetic aren't I? :)
Sure I have the whoe house to clean in the next few days before my parents come to visit for the weekend, but somehow I'm not bored enough yet to look into that.(funny how that works)
I did make a candy cane cheesecake tho...tomorrow it will be tested.
As for my 4 zillion cookies...the hounds have come and gone and there are 2 left. Hard to imagine 8 dozen cookies going to 2 in 2 days, but what can I say? People like the cookies.
Anyways..I must go tuck in my cake and grab a cat and be off to sleep.

And then there were gryphons...

I can die happy now.
I've seen gryphons.

I finally went to see the Chronicles of Narnia last night. As I watched I reverted back to my youth and I felt like I was reading the book again and lost in my head for the first time at 5 years of age. Oh sure, I had the odd little quibble, but then the fawn and beavers came...and then finally gryphons flew in and the animals I obsessed over as a child and daydreamed about all my life were real and right there and speaking to Peter. Then Aslan breathed on the statues to bring them back to life and I knew I had to be dreaming. Ever see something that is exactly how you imagined it?

I've always wanted to see a gryphon.
Utterly Fantastic.

Later:

ok...having read this over it sounds like pure treacle, but so help me, even a day later I can't remember having seen a film since LOTR that captured what I had in my head as much as this film did. And so help me there were gryphons. There aren't even words to express why that is such a big deal. It just is.

If you had a pair of pants made out of potato chips, *then* you would have a party

I have baked 4 zillion cookies. And let me tell you my friends...they are good!
I'm eating one as I type this. Given that I am bored, please find the following as I try to amuse myself:

What's Going on in My Life Right Now

Current attire: Blue jeans. Striped wool sweater, black specs, work boots/winter boots (and cookie crumbs)

Current mood: Bored. Not a lot to do today.

Current music: "Christmas in Frisko" webcast from Soma FM. A bizarre mix of all things Christmas.

Current annoyance: People who talk during films. I realise there is less and less of people being in theatres, and more renting - or maybe movies aren't such a big deal anymore. i don't know, but to me a movie is a big deal. I have a kickass system at home and if I wanted to stay home and watch a film I would. But when I pay to see something in a theatre nothing wrecks it more than some idiot yakking to his friend through the whole film. *sigh*

Current thing: Painting a christmas present for my sister in law. It has to be mailed tomorrow if its to get there in time so I gotta finish it (ah procrasatinations sweet company!)

Current desktop picture: A photoshopped picture of me as a jedi fro the Star Wars party...it's all sketchy and abstract.

Current song in head: Staunton Lick by Lemon JElly.

Current book: "What Einstein Told His Cook". A cookbook explaining why things happen by a biochemist. So very cool.

Current video in player: A blank tape with the very final 7th doctor episodes on it ("Battelfield"). It was on BBC kids late last night so we taped it...man the last few 7th doctor show were fantastic! Dark stuff.

Current DVD in player: Princess Mononoke. Watched it on Saturday.

Current refreshment: coffee and a sour cream cookie (Mmmmm)

Current worry: How do I get my Christmas presents to my brother ad his wife on time. If J goes to Edmonton to visit his friend for a few days, will he be safe on the roads. I worry too much.

Current thought: I should put up Nana's Christmas tree soon. I've got lights slathered all over the downstairs, but out big tree still isn't up - I haven't had the time. I suppose I'd better get on it if I'm going to.
___
And apparently I'm a green anarchist democrat...Hmmm...how I can be 17% nazi is puzzling. I am pleased that I'm even less of a republican than I am a nazi though!

"What political party do your beliefs put you in"
Green 100%
Anarchism 92%
Democrat 92%
Socialist 75%
Communism 67%
Fascism 25%
Nazi 17%
Republican 8%
(www.quizfarm.com)
___
There. That killed at LEAST 10 minutes.
OK...back to the lab.

An open letter to the stoners at the theatre last night

Hi.
I'll speak slowly so you get this.
I did not pay $12 to listen to you and your friends talk and giggle and play Mystery Science Theater 3000 to this or any film. If you wanna smoke up before the film I can't stop you and I honestly don't care but SHUT UP DURING THE FILM. If you were as funny as you seem to feel you are, others would flock to you for your wisdom and pay to hear you instead of telling you to shut up from all directions during the film. So guess what? It's late on a Thursday night on the freezing prairies and we just don't care if you've created your own squeaky monkey voice to say "wassup" and do voiceovers every time Kong appears. It's bad enough we have to watch commercials before the film - we don't need your help with the movie itself. I'm sure the director thought it out well enough for me.
Stay home and rent it. The movie I paid to watch is just fine without you.

Thank you.
Now go about your business...if you can remember what it is.

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

Saw Kong late last night. I'm bag-tired at work but it was worth it.
Great monkeys godmother, I've been waiting for ithis film for a while and I have to say - it was great. Other than the talking giggling stoners sitting behind me (who, thankfully, were quiet once being humiliated by many people telling them to shut up) the film was as great as I expected . I'm so glad to see Jet girl doing some great work and Kong was magnificent. I love the style of the times as well...just a good movie. GIven my apprehension about the Narnia film (still haven't seen it yet - likely will this weekend) this was a great relief.
What a great film.

Freedom of the press can try your patience

OK.
I just learned of a book and have read a few quotes and sections from it and I am already angry.
It's called "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science". I have to read thru it completely to fully make sure I'm not misreading it but I'm already mad.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/089526031X/ref=pd_lpo_k2a_2_img/103-4212707-1996653?%5Fencoding=UTF8

*sigh*

I do hope it's a tongue in cheek piece or else, whew. Where do I begin? If you are going to attack science it is helpful to actually know something about it. I mean if, for any religious or faith reason you are opposed to parts of scientific theory then by all means, state so and try and refute it. That's what science is all about - challenging and learning. I read a brilliant book a while back that summarized the history of science up to the 1900's in all areas - unbiased history. It's fascinating to see how science developed and has changed, contradicted itself and ultimately advanced over time. Who is to say our theories now won't be refuted in the future? It is constantly repeated to me and others in our lab that we can't bias or place our hopes of results ahead of our actual true results. Results are what they are and theories have been "proven" by "tweaking" data and others that have been thought to be canon law have been proven true or false accurately. Many have been and many will be. That's what we're here in the lab for - to learn with an unbiased and interested mind. Part of learning what is true is finding out what is false. Refuting what is your theory of what science is is not helpful. Taking the crap associated with science and exposing it is fine - a lot of what is called "science" today should be closer examined. But jeez...

This books appears to just spout reactionist theory. If it was written as a opinion piece or even humor I could stand it, but it's nothing more than crackpot who hasn't made the effort to study the many things he opposes or more accurately the legitimacy of what he opposes in the scientific community, with responses that quite honestly make me angry and ashamed to have a belief and religion. Why oh why are we so frightened to honestly examine something analytically? Is our belief not strong enough? And if it isn't - why do we keep it around? We have minds - what we can accomplish with them for the betterment of all is staggering when it is focused on doing good. Science, like religion can be used to do bad things. People are bad...theories are not. They can be wrong, but I don't really think that makes them bad.
Burying your head in the sand will not make society better. Science is itself in many ways a religion of sorts. There are theories and beliefs, many things based on unproven (and often later disproven) concepts, but we work with what we have and try to learn. I mean Evolution is just a theory. Creationism if you break it down is just a theory (from a literal pont of view). Faith does not mean turning off your brain. Literal mindedness is not scientific. There are not enough scientifically minded people out there to read this book and go "Whah?". The more I learn as a scientist I worry when books are aimed at the non-scientific trained person and sell them the "many evil holes" of scientific theory. I am not a bad person. I am not a stupid person. In fact the more I learn about the intricacies of life and the way we work, I am more and more convinced things couldn't have "just happened". The fact that science and scientific method have nothing to do with that seems to fade ito argument for argument's sake.

I have seen both sides of this argument. I mean, I like to hope for interesting and unexplainable things (so I can try and explain them..!). There was a time after seeing "What the *&$@*! Do We Know?" that I got excited about the water scientist who calaimed to observe physical changes in the property of water when exposed to anger and joy and other thoughts and words and music styles and that he'd "published" his results. Turns out he was a quack as his work was not consistent and it is not reproducable - although I still like the idea behind it. I just can't accept it as a fact. Pretty pictures tho and I like to think that there are still people out there who believe in the impact of emotion and surroundings on nature and science. I've seen things I can't explain and I like it that way. I like to think that there are some mystical creatures still hidden away and that there is still magic in the world.
But apparently magic is bad too...
*Sigh*
What's a scientist to do?
Put her soapbox away and get back to the lab I guess...

Jiggly

I'm finally getting the Christmas thing..I've been so crazy busy helping out publishing a cookbook for our community station (OK doing most of it) and there was no snow, so I haven't been feeling too festive BUT we got a huge dumping of fluffy snow and the neighbors put the lights up and we went on a sleigh ride through the city's Festival of lights and I'm now in the holiday spirit. I have to get to our 8 zillion lights and put them up, but I pulled up some lights and pine garland to go around the door last night and that helped satiate my need for blinky shiny things.
Plus I watched the Invader Zim Christmas episode while waiting for an eggnog cheesecake to bake for a potluck at work today. I've never tasted it before but it looks gooood. (It took forever to make and I didn't start it til 9:30 so I finished around 1....so I'm really tired. Too tired to write a poem about how tired I am...but not tired enough to eat it). I love Gir...


I've started my christmas shopping out of necessity (as most of it has to be mailed and I just realised I'm screwed if they're not mailed by friday). I am a happy camper as I found that one of my favorite old shows Nowhere Man is finally out on DVD in January - joy. I know what I want! Honestly -I don't really care if I get any gifts for Christmas. It's never been about that - IF anythihng I hope to not have to dwell in a store or get too sucked into the commercial stuff. I'm just looking forward to a week off with J and lots of snow. I plan to race the neighborhood kids on the tobaggan hill down the street and drink eggnog and rum and mulled wine. My Dad makes wine and I"m not too fond of his red, but when it's mulled up, it's goooood.
If this eggnong cheesecake is approved by my guinea pigs at work I'll make it for the family over the holidays.
Ho Ho Ho. My jiggly friends.

So very tired

I'm so tired
So very tired
And there is nothing else to keep me occupied

Yes I am tired
So very tired
And I think I may just take a walk outside

Well I must wait until my break
But there's a path that I can take
And I can go and sit and watch the river run

And I can take my coffee time
By walking on that path sublime
Before I go back to my lab and have some fun
______________________________________________

Your 2005 Song Is

Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz "Love forever love is free. Let's turn forever you and me." In 2005, you were loving life and feeling no pain.

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

How true. It's been a good year.
Just sitting here with a big dumb grin on my face and trying to pass the time.
And now I have a groovy tune in my head to help me along.
Hope you all have a good day.
I think I will...

Apparently I have an ego problem...

But only as my alterego....

How to make a geosomin

Ingredients: 1 part pride 3 parts crazyiness 5 parts ego

Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Serve with a slice of fitness and a pinch of salt. Yum!

My real name gives this....

How to make a me

Ingredients: 1 part friendliness 1 part humour 3 parts empathy

Method: Combine in a tall glass half filled with crushed ice. Add emotion to taste! Do not overindulge!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Fun with google

In checking out Roximoons blog she had a neat idea I tried out and barring any scary pornoish images, I've posted the first pic google image search comes up with when I looked for: The name of where I was born, the name of where I live now, My name, My maternal grandmother's name (you can choose your favorite image for this), and my favorite food, favorite drink and favorite smell (in that order below):
So here ya go. The image that came up for where I was born was too awful (really-trust me) to post so it's' the 2nd one (Other than that it's all #1 result...
Where I was born:







Where I live now:








My name:






My late Grandma's name (Grace if you're curious):





Rice pudding...








Chocolate martinis


tied with what must be flowing through my veins by now - coffee...




And the fantastic smell of juniper





I'm curious - what do *you* come up with??

Batgirl to the rescue

I got a cool picture sent to me today - *proof* that I'm known to the world (or at least the people I work for) as Batgirl!

Lemme explain...I work in labs in an old building where above the the 4th floor (where I happened to work) is the ventilation system for the whole building. Basically there's a whole floor of space full of fans and such above us for all the labs in the place. Where I live there are lots of bats living in the trees down by the river - you can sit and watch them hunt mosquitos at night by the wier if you feel so inclined - very cool. Where I work is also right by the river. Soooooo...when hibernation time comes a few of these little guys sometimes end up in the gap between the floors to sleep away the winter. Now once or twice a winter one of them will wake up and not be able to keep hibernating and set out to find food inside where it's warm. So they flut about the hall, classroom or lab all scared and people run around covering their head (especially one of my coworkers) and shriek and eventually try and catch it to release it. The problem is winters her can get down to -35 C..not good weather for *anybody* especially bats. The only option was to put them to sleep - I didn't like it. And so, after doing some investigation, I've worked out a deal at work to be able to safely catch them and take them to a lady I found in the city who takes in injured bats and birds and helps fatten them up and has a cold room for them to hibernate in until spring. So, last winter I managed to help out two little guys I ended up naming Zeus and Apollo (don't remember why). Unfortunately Apollo never made it, but Zeus survived and was healthy and I had the unique privilege of setting him free back in to the trees this spring, once the skeeters were back for him to eat.
Very cool experience.
The long and the short of it is that over time, it's become known around work that if you find a bat call me, the "batgirl" on the 4th floor. I've even cleared it all with my supervisors and made sure I'm officially trained to handle them - my supervisor keeps teasing me that he's going to get me a shirt with the batman symbol on it if I keep it up this winter...I can only hope!
Bwahahahaaa!
I am Batgirl!
Defender of critters!
Savior of all squeaky things!

I'd actually forgot about Zeus until I got a picture of him today that we took before he was set free.



....isn't he cute?
(for a bat :) )

Evil Bono

So I was watching Shaolin Soccer again yesterday (so help me I love asian films..the humor is different).
We were watching the final soccor match and J said "hey-the head guy of "Team evil" looks like Bono!" And so help me he does - an evil asian Bono.
Anyone else notice this or am I going crazy from winter isolation?
This movie is a howl...I mean seeing the various translations on the versions we've rented is even better..the Team Evil has "Special training" which in the version we first rented was "American Steroids" and later on PPV was just special training...the fact that Team Evil *is* called that and *1s* so Evil is fantastic. I hope this guy makes many more films.

Now I have to rent Kung Fu Hustle tonight...

Waiting for snow...

It just doesn't feel like winter yet. No snow. It's wierd...I like the not cold part, but I want to put up my Christmas lights soon (I'm crazy about christmas lights) and it seems wierd with no snow.
Well, as a sign of how exciting my day has been no far, I'll fill up a bit of it by filling this out again - it's been about a month since I pulled this out and dusted it off so here goes...

Current attire: Blue jeans. "happy" shirt. burgundy zip up bunny hug. black specs. superstars. rainbow glow in the dark belly ring.

Current mood: Happy. I have invoked the power of the shirt, and it appears to be working....

Current music: Nothing. None allowed where I'm currently sitting.

Current annoyance: Advertising in theatres. I went to see Goblet of Fire last night and was subjected to 20 minutes of ads (including a saladressing and Walmart ad) before the lights went down to...more ads before the trailers! I'd honestly pay more just to get this off the screen. It's like the theatres are rofiting off us as consumers cuz they know we are there...god forbid we'd want to talk or relax before a film....grrr. It's bad enough I have to look at ads when I pee in their bathrooms, but now my personal time before a film isn't safe....makes me very angry. The movie was good tho. :)

Current thing: Planning my ice castle that I'm going to make in my front yard...of course if it would snow I could get on with it. It'll have lights and everything. Just you wait and see....

Current desktop picture: the "No Cat Farts" international logo...should change it I suppose

Current song in head: Square One by Coldplay.

Current book: Nothing right now. Need to go to the library.

Current video in player: Dr. Who episodes taped off BBC kids last night (A set 7th doctor episodes...haven't seen them before-cool)

Current DVD in player: nada - I had to return it to the video store (it *was* Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - I loved it..)

Current refreshment: coffee

Current worry: How do I get my Christmas shopping done without actually going into a mall? And, more importantly, should I buy tickets to Coldplay in Vancouver? *And* can I afford to go even if I manage to get tickets?

Current thought: What if they had one night a week during the holiday season where all the stores played NO holiday music. Wouldn't that be cool? I'd go then. Heck I'd even pay admission...I was in a mall last week and just about went nuts with the endless Frosty the Snowman. Glad I never had to work retail...I'd have gone postal.
__________

Anyhoo...back to the lab.

Do or do not - do be do be do

Well... I can now cross a few thing off my list of things to do in life...some I'd only dreamt of and even a few I didn't even think of until they happened.
This weekend Jay and I went to an event with incredible PsyTrance and Breaks spun all night by live DJ's and get this - it was a Star Wars theme party - costumes encouraged! My exact words when Jay told me about it were "holy crap - well I guess we're going then". I would have settled for just the music, but luckily for J and I there are other people out there who love live electronic music *and* Darth Vader! Kindred spirits indeed...
All night long we got to dance in Dagobah, Jabba's palace and Endor. Three different rooms and DJ areas - and some crazy costumes.
I even got to dance in full costume to a break remix of the Cantina song from the original Star Wars...joy of all geeky joys. Black light added to the absolutely fantastic decorations. You could tell the GOMP crew (the self titled "grumpy old men" that put it on) that put it on were all Star Wars geeks...the attention to detail was staggering.
Downstairs in Jabbas Palace there were robots, a big lounge area with a stuffed Jabba you could hang out with while watching the films (without sound they're much better!) and a huge area to dance, with the walls and ceilings all decorated up. Princess Leia spun discs for a few hours (among others) and the music was fantastic. My favorite tunes were in Dagobah - some of the best were spun by a guy named Kevin who was dressed as Han Solo. There were Psy Trance and Breaks all night and the decor was great - they actually built a crashed X-wing into a blue lit pool with clouds coming off it and Yoda's hut in the corner where you could go and relax and take a break from dancing. Then in the main area of Endor the walls were painted like space with a image of Endor on the wall and the Death Star and Star Destroyers flying from the ceiling and mostly house played off the decks. Over the bar was the perfect finishing touch - Jar Jar's head mounted on the wall!
Even the stairwell downstairs was decorated with hanging asteroids and the mellinium Falcon flying through them. Last but definitely not least, someone had welded a fullsize replica of a speederbike outside in the smoking area with two working flames coming out the back. About half the people were in costume (a mix of vaders, lukes, darth mauls, leias, jedis and even Lando from his hippie years - even one other twylek!)
Man - I had a fantatic time - one of the best nights of my life. Fantastic music that made you dance *and* all the Star Wars stuff I could imagine. A few people even had an official replica of a lightsaber there (Jay had an older superbright one he'd "modified" himself to be superbright with some LEDs). The guy was cool enough to let me play with it a bit and take a pic or two.
I even won best costume! I didn't know there was a contest - I just had a great time making my costume...and a great time wearing it too - I spent a few days making our costumes the week before. J was a sort of Jawa happy alien character - I made him a black jedi robe and he made a mesh face mask with blinky green eyes...he looked great! I decided to be a Twylek - you know, like Oola in Jabba's palace and the Jedi woman in the 2nd and 3rd films. I was rather proud of my work - I danced like a monkey all night and it stayed on! Plus, near the end of the night one of the GOMP came up and handed me a few prizes and said "Cool - I found you! You've won best constume - thanks for coming to our party!"
I was blown away - I mean *I* thought I looked cool, but now I am officially cool and not just one of the biggest geeks around!! :) Jay even got an X-wing model as a runner up - we're gonna hang it in a place of honor!
Can't recall having such a great time for a long time...Man...the whole night was *Shiny*!

From the mouth of babes...

Soooo... I had a birthday over the weekend. It was a good one - having a birthday near halloween has always been great. I spent the day with my husband (our first day off together for a long while - very nice) and the night before we went out into the woods with some friends and lit a fire and toasted mashmallows and drank coffee and watched the moon. It was great, although I ate enough sugar to keep me up all night! It was a beautiful night with so much natural light and not that cold. A friend of mine was dressed up in full fireman costume for the halloween party he was going to later that night and it just made the evening better - he does firebreathing as a hobby and he brought his gear with him. He shot off quite a few fireballs in to the sky...very cool! I'm amused noone came to check it out or called the police...rural Saskatchewan can be cool that way. Our firebreathing friend ended up going to the party smalling of smoke and kerosene - so authentic. I still think it's great that the old uniform he got at a surplus store had a badge that said Sgt. Cox...heh heh heh :) I know, I know. Beavis & Butthead would be proud :P. Nothing like a great evening with friends to make you remember why life is so great - a good birthday over all. One of my faves in fact. My lovely hubby got me the ubercoffeemaker of my dreams...it grinds the beans and boils the water before brewing and keeps it warm in a steel carafe all day...joy! Jittertown here I come!

Anyways...I wasn't feeling old (I *am* only 32 after all) until I was back at work a few days ago and a coworker had me fill out a survey for her daughter's school project. In the age category part of the sheet there was 10-20, 21-30, 31-55 and 55+. I stopped and blinked "Thirty one to fifty five??"
*sigh*
I'm now officially really old to all kids everywhere. One step away from senior citizen in fact. Man what a blow to the ego...:)

Lazy evening

I'm having the tail end of a lazy evening. Jay's out and I'm getting ready for sleep....but first, in my avoidance of sleep, my second entry in what I hope to be a monthly peek at my dull and tedious life:
_________
Current attire: Blue jeans. Purple long sleeved shirt. My black specs. Fuzzy slippers. Green belly ring. Cat in my lap (Geek).

Current mood: Inquisitive. I just got back from seeing a documentary on the schizophrenia LSD research done in Weyburn and Saskatoon in the 50's and 60's. Fascinating stuff...they were the first to presuppose a biochemical cause for the disease and isolated adrenachrome as a possible cause for some of the symptoms. They were also very succesful in using LSD together with therapy to cure alcohol addiction (50% success). Very cool stuff...science *is* cool you know

Current music: Nothing. Odd really, I usually have something playing. I wasn't planning on being on the computer for very long. I should be in bed.

Current annoyance: People who change their personal history to feel better about the way their life has gone and tell this made up stuff to their friends (even if they were thereall along). I've run into a few people doing this lately and I have to say it really bothers me...and saddens me too.

Current thing: Talking about how my Ed Grimley costume will look. ("It will be totally excellent I must say.."). Still looking for a triangle to complete it.

Current desktop picture: the "No Cat Farts" international logo

Current song in head: Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen. Yes, yes I know I hate the song too. We just got the 6th Season of South Park and the first Episode "Jared has aids" has a part where Jered the Subway eating guy is walking sadly through the street and there is a mock of the Philadelphia song playing in the background...now I cannot for the life of me get it out of my head or figure out why that particular thing is even *in* there...I've found myself humming it all day. Seeing as I don't really know the words it's all that more wierder... I really don't like Springsteen. I think I'll have to listen to a little Lemon Jelly before I go to bed to banish it. Just typing this has brought it back to my head again. Actually my brain has been flip flopping back and forth between this and the Mario Brothers theme music (the old nintendo one). I have no explanations for *that* one...

Current book: Wings of Fate by Mercedes Lacky. Haven't read it in a few years. An old favorite first of a trilogy.

Current video in player: Dr. Who episodes on tape - "The Doctor Dances" to be specific.

Current DVD in player: First disc of Season 6 of South Park

Current refreshment: milk (warm)

Current worry: How am I ever going to unpack my new lab?

Current thought: Chinese people in space! Neat.
__________

Well goodnight. Me and my cats gotta go to sleep...the warm milk thing really does work.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Garsh...ain't she purdy?

I'm done!
I am so completely done with the bathroom. And so for your enjoyment (assuming that you may actually care!! :) ) are before and ater pics. Now I didn't try and make the before pics crappy - I'm just a lousy photographer....
Before...















And...after - Tadaaaa!















See? Much better.
I know I know, I'm probably the only one reading this, but hey....*I* think it's cool!

Variety is dead, Conformity lives.

Venting time...
So we're trying to buy towel rods and shower stuff for the bathroom. We're not that fussy -A dash of style would be nice but at this point I won't fuss. In the entire city I have been to nearly all the stores and they all have the same 3 or 4 towel rods...It is at the point that I am going to have to order out of a catalog. Perhaps I have to become a metalsmith or something...I don't think I'm THAT fussy, I just figure if I'm going to have to spend money on a towel rod it might as well be one I like.
Go figure, there were 80 zillion shower curtains to choose from....
Man, sometimes I wish I lived in a bigger city. But I bet there there would just be MORE stores with the same 3 or 4 towels...

For the love of God people....read the label!!!!

So I'm repainting my bathroom....my hideous hideousbathroom.
Why you ask?
Well, it is quite a horrid room at the moment. Never liked it at all. All the fixtures and tub surround are (wait for it) pink marble. For those of you who know me you know how I HATE pink. Add in the brass accents, pink light fixture, four thousand nail holes from the previous owners and a cheesy floral trim and and you've got one spectacularly crummy bathroom. Now we'd never have gotten our house if it didn't need all the work it does, but man...pink fixtures? A bathroom is a sanctuary. Me, I like my baths. I'd love to renovate the whole place and put in new fixtures and a new tub that you can actually bathe in (currently the water comes up to maybe your bellybutton (I had a clawfoot soak tub in my old apartment...I'm going through withdrawal)) BUT since that would cost a small fortune we're painting the room and replacing the towel things and shower curtain. This sounds simple...it isn't. We have to still use the bathroom while I renovate it. AND the previous reno on the room was NOT done well at all....

Which brings me to the topic of my post (ahem): PEOPLE! When the renovating people tell you how to patch and repaint a bathroom LISTEN TO THEM! Read the labels on the damn products...better yet - FOLLOW THEM! Step out on a limb and actually get the right paint for the bathroom (it's only 3$ more) and wash the walls - take the time to do things properly. Otherwise the people like me who buy your house from you will curse you within an inch of your lives when they try and renovate a room you have wreaked your horrible magic on. This isn't Trading Spaces! You are not smarter than the people who do this for a living! You have more than one day to do it-Take the time! Actually take all the wallpaper off the walls before you paint over them. Prime the walls and USE THE RIGHT PAINT so that when you wash the walls, it doesn't just come off again (my house is notorious for this...). Then you won't ever have to do it ever again.
OK.
There.
I feel better.

I'll post a pic when I'm done the bathroom in a week or so. Having said the above things, I can see why people don't like to "do it right"...it is SO much fiddly work to get to do it properly and get to the fun part at the end where you actually put the color on the walls. I've spent two days washing, scraping and filling. Tonight I will sand and prime. Then the trim and *then* (finally) the cool color on the walls. Soon my bathroom will be much better...metropolis grey with metallic fixtures and a new shower curtain to hide the pink shower land. SO much better...AND it'll be done *properly* so that when I die and they sell my home, the new owners won't curse me!

A little riding and a lot of bones

I just got back froma cool weekend. I went out to a local holiday ranch and had a weekend of horseback riding, and hung out with a bunch of women from work. We ate a lot, drank a lot and found time between horseback riding to play pool, go on hikes, play pictionary and play a new game called Bunnock or "bones".
Bones is a fascinating game that is simple to play, but challenging and fun for everyone. (Man, listen to me-I sound like the back of a game box...)The game involves a set of 52 bones divided between 2 teams of 4 people. Each team has 8 red bones (2 per person for throwing) and 2 blue marker bones and 16 white bones. You set up all the white bones in a row and plac ethe two blue marker bones 16 inches from either end of the row of white bones. The teams then stand 30 feet away and toss the red bones at the lines of bones to knock them down. The catch is, the blue ones have to be knocked down before any other ones and if you accidentally hit a white one first, it gets stood up again right next to the blue ones. You continue playing and throwing (each team takes turns with their bones set up at their opponent's feet) until the first team to knock down their bones wins.....


Sounds easy, I know, but the bones are of different weights and because thay are bones they are uneven and often bounce off in wierd ways, making it all that much harder. The set is actually made of real hardened and treated horse ankle bones. You can apparently get "fake" ones, but a set of real bones is a real prize to be had here in prairie land - there is actually an annual bones tournament in Macklin, SK. I hadn't heard of it until I moved to Saskatoon, but I think I'm hooked. It's a great game that can be played by everyone...challenging but fun. The way we played where you get a drink every time you knock down a bone *definitely* added to the challenge of the game!!
I had a fantastic time riding horses..it's been years since I've rode a horse. We got to ride twice for about 2 hours and spent lots of time on the farm playing with their 8 zillion cats, pigs, chickens, roosters, geese and ducks. There was even a donkey named Larry. I was excited to find that they have sled rides and rides all year - even at Christmas time...I'll definitely be back with friends or family. Everything was simple but fantastic. I feel recharged and ready to face the world....after a nap.

What I'm up to at this very moment

After reading Betty Ragan's blog, I came across one of her intriguing entries...a bit of a "what am I up to right now" view of her little world.
Seeing as I love the "what are you up to" surveys, I Ihought I'd give it a whirl and fill in the blanks...here goes:
_______________

Current attire: Blue jeans. Blue scoop neck t-shirt and burgandy zip up hoodie, blue socks and my superstars. My silver frame specs. A dazed expression.

Current mood: Bored and tired. Not a lot to do right now and I had apple crisp right before going to bed last night (mmm...) so I couldn't sleep til about 2 am because of the sugar.

Current music: Theivery Corporation on the lab PC...

Current annoyance: Foreign spice packages with no english instructions (the tandoori chicken I'm marinating and plan on having for supper may be very good or very bad....)

Current thing: Talking about all the things I'm going to paint and fix up around the house and not actually getting the paint to do it...paint chips or taping paint chips in the rooms to help pick colors doesn't count!

Current desktop picture: A photo of Jay on the dock at the cabin at Little Bear Lake at sunset

Current song in head: The last song on the new Dandy Warhols album (can't rember the name)

Current book: Just finished the newest Harry Potter Book last week. Thought it was nifty. Haven't had the time to get into the next book yet.

Current video in player: The tape I used to tape the rest of the "Some Kind of Monster" documentary that was on late last night and had to go to sleep before it was over...have to finish watching it tonight. I was surprised at how good it was. It was just something to kill the sugar based insomnia at first...

Current DVD in player: Last disc of the 1st season of Arrested Development. That show is turning out to be a favorite of mine...it's great seeing it for the first time with no commercials.

Current refreshment: Cold coffee

Current worry: How I'm ever gonna paint my living room??

Current thought: How do I win a vacation off this planet??
__________

And so I ask - what are YOU all up to??
Me? Not so much...well breaks over...back to the lab.

Just one word...

Cuteness

NEWS FLASH! Wasp commando nearly breaks her toe

...So we noticed we have a few wasps moving into our yard...in between the railway ties that edge the stairs going up to our front door to be exact. As usual, my best defence was "ingore them and they'll go away".
Well after a few weeks of ignorance they didn't take the hint so my husband pestered me into doing something about it, as I was not that inclined to get off my but without a nudge. I found some wasp killer spray (*not* easy to do on a sunday evening in Saskatchewan as everything is closed...but that is a rant for another day), waited for evening when the little buggers are less active and then donned my garb to become...



Wasp Commando!
A balaclava, snowboard goggles, workboots, old jeans tucked into socks over tights and a bunnyhug. To top it off (and make me feel a bit braver) I donned my old German army coat that I got in Ireland (long story).

Oh yes I was ready.

I went out and used a flashlight to see the hole they were flying out of and sprayed nearly a whole can of the insecticide stuff in there. A few flew out and writhed around but I hav to admit it was less dramatic than I'd thought it would be...

The irritating thing about it all is that after a week or so I can see some wasps flying in and out of the hole again, so I didn't get them all. Next step is trying to drown the little guys in traps I guess. I don't want people like the mailman getting accosted when they come to our door. I suppose wasp commando may have to go on another mission before all is said and done. (hee hee...I hear the million dollar man music in my head ... "we can rebuild him")

Further complicating my mission plans, I stubbed my toe last night so hard that after all my dancing and screaming I think I may have not broken it. It's bruising and although I can still move it it feels stiff and hurts to move. I probably just sprained it really badly, but I'm in a bad mood as I have to go and weed the front yard right now and the prementioned wasps hopefully won't take revenge and chase after me as I can't run away right now. I could hobble off, but they'd catch me pretty quick. Plus it's too hot a day for my balaclava right now...

Wish me luck.

Happy Love Day!

Yup..it's my anniversary. Our 5th to be exact. I've been doing some web research and apparently it's our wooden anniversary. I'm not sure what to do with that information actually (I *also* found out our third was leather...sorry I missed that one...) It's Fringe time so we'll likely go and see some plays, maybe check out the new ethiopian restaurant in town next week.

It's funny...I've never been one for the convention of having to celebrate events or things on specific days, but our anniversary always makes me smile. It's not like I love Jay any more or less today than any other day...it's just kind of nice to have a day to remind ourselves that we've been together for so long...over ten years...that we both still can't believe we found someone so wonderful to share our lives with.



I know I'm being sappy, but I can't help it. Love *is* grand.

hee hee...:)

A lighter shade of grey

I noticed that lately the weather has been reflecting my mood...today was grey and coudy and drizzly (made for a damp bike home) and on the weekend and evenings I've been at the fringe festival the weather has been warm and breezy to compliment my day.
I'm usually a happy go lucky person so I am never sure what to do when I get blue...or in the case of today grey.

Think I'll go sit in my dayglo yellow mad scientist closet (aka craft room) and try to shake this funk. Nothing like an obscene amount of color to jog the senses.....wish me luck

do be do be do

I have discovered the addiction that is the iPod.....It is the one thing I've wanted since I first put my shiny little hazel eyes on it and have thought and thought about how I could take ALL my music with me ANYWHERE. Working in a shielded lab with no radio and not great internet speed I crave music and sometimes you just need to hear a song and it 's nowhere around....so, when the campus store was sellingn off their old inventory of 4oG iPods to make way for the new spiffy ones with the color screens and photo capability I bit my tongue and plunked down money I didnt really hav eto finally own my dream. My husband was sweet enough to say OK, as he knew how badly I wanted it. (Sweet man...)

Having had a while to fiddle with it I have to say my little dose of Serenity is very pleasing indeed. Despite the fact that you can name it (a bonus to all women everywhere...) we now have every single song around on it...over 10 days of constant music according to the display. Joy....we went on a few car trips to Edmonton and my parent's cottage and it's great to have an endless random play. Some of the song sequences are enough to laugh out loud....Beck, then Moby then Bach...I am waiting for the Cantina theme from the Star Wars sountrack to come up....haven't heard that one on random yet.

All my music...all in one place.

Joy.

Now I have to fight the addiction of the iTunes store.....

Weather with a capital W

Oh the Storms and Floods and the like. Usually here in Saskatchewan we don't see much of those. Lately the river is over it's banks, the weir in the river is not visible, a huge wind and rainstorm whipped through the city last week and took out a huge tree in our back yard...Now 70 cm of rain overnight...ah the sweet trickle of water in the basement! Weather at it's most extravigant.
Crazy I tell ya.
I've been reminded vividly of late of the true powers of nature. My grandfather told stories when I was little of when he moved out here to clear his homestead and lived in a tarpaper windowed shack for a few years and now I am beginning to be in awe of him and the others who came out here and braved this kind of weather to make a home for themselves. During the last big storm it was actually scary to sit and watch the storm outside...I kept backing away as the winds would whip things around and the rain came down in whirling sheets...some of the trees are still bent over on top. I can't imagine a full out tornado... I do not know if I would have had the fortitude to just be out in that kind of weather in a small shack or house, soaked to the skin and clinging to the furniture (or just anything heavy for that matter) until the storm had quenched.
Even moreso I can't imagine a Saskatchewan winter spent like that...
Nature is truly a force to be reckoned with.

reafracting sunlight

I do believe I'm truly going to take a while to get into the regular blogging. I never seem to have the time to sit down long enough to type out my thoughts...and then what do I say?

I've been a busy little gnome lately and have finished building a stained glass window for my uncle. Considering it's only the second piece I've ever made, I'm damn proud of it. I went and promised him I'd build it for the new cottage he's building and then went on holidays for a week or so and then procrastinated as always...so the past week and a half have been consumed with building this thing in my spare time, as it needs to have a window built for it to be mounted in the wall and delivered to him in the next few weeks. I managed to only mortally stab one of my fingers and just merely mangle all the others, but I stayed up late last night to finish mudding it and well...it's better than I'd hoped. i'd had these serious dreading daydreams of presenting Uncle George with the macaroni picture of all windows and am glad to know it worked out. Not perfect, but considering it's my second big project, it's great! If I can manage it, I'll put in a photo of it when I post.

(Aug. 12 addition: hope this pic works!)

Just saw Batman Begins last night. I loved Batman as a kid and the Batman of the comic books appears to have come to visit me out here in Saskatoon....amazing. I enjoyed it. So much better than the previous cheese tat was batman.

Gotta go. My jungle awaits.

blog huh?

So I think to myself "hey. A blog is a great idea...been thinking about one for a while".
And so now now that I've taken the time to set one up......I find I have nothing to say. *nothing*
Phoosh!
Gone....