Cute

Neat, I didn't know Chewie could play the tuba

Whew.
Star Wars last night was awesome! Forgetting my keys and being locked out of the house after? Not so much.
Thankfully we have company staying with us and they could come by let us in with their key...which is usually our hidden extra key. Yes. Good times.

There was a full orchestra. Video on a giant clear screen. Displays in the lobby including Chewbacca's costume, C3P0's costume, Imperial guard costumes, Kit Fisto's costume, Darth Vader's costume (my fave), Yoda (!!!!!) and lots of other props and costumes from the films... There was over 2 hours of music. They even started with the 20th century fox fanfare. It was lovely. And now I have a fridge magnet of Chewbacca playing the tuba. Excellent, no?

And yet...I am reaching critical mental exhaustion mass. Too much going on. Not enough sleep.
I do hope I can sleep and relax soon...
If I ever get a few minutes at home when I'm not asleep I will post some photos. They're still on my camera. I know I know. I'll get it together soon...maybe :)

I haven't been able to stop listening to the new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. it grew on me, as all odd albums do, but a few favourite tracks have been rolling around in my mind and still are there despite my best efforts at chasing them out with something else: Some Kind of Nature, Melancholy Hill (current fave), Glitter Freeze and Stylo...have a listen. iadmit I have a thing for the Gorillaz, and I think it was great that the lead singer of the Blur started this up. It made Blur's last album one I really enjoy from the influence of it all (not normally a Blur fan) and I've loved all 3 of their albums. Lots of guest artists and general weirdness. Their song Dare is still one of my all time favourites. Have a listen. If you can wade in through the slight weirdness you may find you like it too...

Good things some to those who work their butts off...

Busiest weekend ever.
We helped 2 people move, saw the Roots and DJ Questlove at the Jazz Festival, spent a long night setting up for, and then most of Sunday shooting the final episode of the 3rd season of the live music show J helps produce. It was set in space. We built a ship set for the local band theUltimate Power Duo to play in. I was a robot dancer. Oh yes-it was as cool as it sounds. When they edit it all together and post a bit online I'll post a link. It was a LONG day, a lot of fun (and a lot of work!).
Last night after some family visiting and yummy Thai/Loation food, it was flop exhaustedly into bed. Finally. Sleep is so good.

But tonight my pretties? Oh, tonight we are going to Star Wars in Concert.

I am so very very excited. I got my brother a ticket for his birthday. We used to listen to these soundtracks a lot when I was little - a bit of a compromise between my Dad and my brother and I. He liked that it was classical, we liked that it was Star Wars. I know this music all too well (even played the final march at my wedding to march out to doncha know...) Tonight a full orchestra will be playing John William's amazing score along with new special video montages on a huge screen...with a full choir...and there will even be some props on display. I've heard rumours of Yoda.
Meep.
We shall see.

Mee hee.
Just have to stay awake :)
(actually I don't think that will be a problem...)

Yipadeee!

We took the moon buggy to get reinspected today. Because the other shop was staffed by jerks, we went to a different vehicle inspector/shop today - one we heard was familiar with Japanese vehicles and with a reputation for being just plain old nice people. And yes, the people were great and friendly.
And, it passed with flying colours.
Yay!
Guess where we'll be going for any repairs on it from now on? :)

Now it just needs a functional stereo and we're good to go...camping modifications to come, but at least she's legal now (yes. it's a she.) and we can escape to the moon to destress if we need to.

Mee hee!!!

Sh*t Happens

Yesterday because of the tree roots blocking our sewer line we had our sewage backup into our basement. Oh yes. Having a houseful of family visiting made it more interesting. Not as bad as it could have been but much worse than it should have been if only J and I were at home.
After a day of cleaning and bleaching the heck out of my basement I am quite happy to be back in at work today where there is no bleach or mop or other...um... gunk.
Quite the adventure.
In the end after 9 hours of cleanup and the city derooting the drains I found that nothing of real value had been ruined. I had a shower, BBQd, had a nice Strongbow and relaxed. All is restored. And very very clean now.
And hey - I got the day off work!
Sure I would have liked a less smelly and slightly more sanitary way to get it, but I'll take it.

Heh heh...be careful what you wish for!

Grrrrr

We have 9 days to get our spacepod up to spec for plating. We want to go camping in 7. This poses an issue, no?

The first place we took it said at the last minute that we couldn't get it inspected there because the wheel was on the wrong side (???). The next place we found that could look at it the next day was just grumpy. Even tho it was imported, inspected and fixed up extensively and passed inspection in BC (where they are insanely picky) we happened to get Mr. Jerkwad inspector who kept finding weird things wrong with it...apparently having a cool unique vehicle from Japan is not always joy and giggles.

Sigh.

So we have mere days to get different daytime running lights (even though they are new LED ones we just had installed that other vehicles have ???), a rear light with a reflector in it (because for some reason he felt the one there wasn't bright enough if he stood far away at an angle ???) and a couple other little dumb things.

I just want to drive our moonbuggy into the woods and relax. I have planned destressing breaks throughout the summer to survive the MSc madness and I will explode in a ball of overdistilled subatomic polonium if I can't make them.

*pout pout*

Ah, I'm moping because I'm so tired. There is much to do and I am running out of muchness...

I would like another holiday please...?

Once 'round the lake Jeeves and then home for tea

I'm back!
Didja miss me?
(humour me...say you did! ;) )

I just spent 9 glorious days off. I was up at the lake with my whole family. All of them. That hasn't happened for many many years. We fished and hiked and walked and quadded and laughed and baked and BBQed and drank wine and remembered and cried together.

All of us.

Wonderful.

We celebrated Mum's life with family and friends. What was to have been their 50th wedding party was still held as a celebaration ofnearly 50 years of love and family. Then we tucked away her ashes and said goodbye together and then remembered and laughed and found we are a family again. We toasted her memory on the lake with pink champagne and watched the sunset over a beautiful lake and I admit that I have not felt so complete for a long long time.

You do not know how much it warms my heart to know that there is joy and love and happiness, and even tho Mum wasn't there in body, she was there in spirit.

Up at the lake I saw 2 bears (one only 12 feet away from me!), an eagle, a moose, zillions of bunnies and squirrels...I ate more food and drank more apple cider than one person should imbibe, but in the end, I am home, sun burnt and happy as a clam.
AND in the midst of all this my sweet man flew out and drove back our moon buggy. He and it arrived late last night and we zipped around by the river in it on a quick little tour. Oh I cannot tell you how incredibly cool it is. Honestly...cooler than I thought it would be...and I thought it was pretty damn cool already!
Pictures of all to come once I recharge the batteries on the camera.
Oh yes.

We now have some of J's family staying with us for a few weeks...Jazz festing and relaxing. It's so good to see them. I have been away from work and school for a glorious 10 days and now I must dive back in head on and try and swim upstream again...eep.

Waterwings anyone? :)

You're in the rhubarb now my dear...

Eat the rhubarb.
EAT IT.
I can't bring myself to cut the flower. It's amazing...

In a VAN down by the river!

Meep.
J and I are eagerly awaiting the call that we can go and pick up our new (to us) Mistubishi Delica L300 Exceed diesel van. It will be our new camper van/adventure podule. I am so excited. It has been many years in the making.
J has been talking about these since he saw the first one about 5 years ago. Our car can't haul a trailer, so we looked at all our options...and decided on a Delica. They're 4 wheel drive and convert nicely into camper-type vehicles and will haul all J's gear or our camping gear. We've wanted one forever and ever...so once we paid off our car we found a guy that had experience in arranging to find us one in Japan and have it brought over. They no longer meet Japan's strict emission standards so you can get one for a very decent price...and we lucked out - he got one that is in excellent shape, low miles and has all the main stuff we want option wise. We've been waiting and fidgeting since April to hear more news, but we now know that it has arrived in BC and is being made Canada worthy by him as we speak!
In a few weeks J can go on a mini adventure and go pick it up and we will have it for camping this summer. We won't get all the special little homemade modifications we want to do to it right away, but doodling off to a camping trip and not having to worry about rain (and driving on the wrong side of the cockpit)....it's going to be great.
It will develop into the most neat of things.
Me hee...
I have no pictures to post yet, but when I can I'll post 4 million pictures.
I can't wait!!

Sunshine :)

Yessiree folks - after what feels like a year of constant rain, today we have glorious sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. It's not toasty warm or anything but hot damn, I'll take it! I watched my cat slowly move across the living room this AM with the sunbeams to stay at optimal toasty warmth. Lucky guy...

I rode my bike to work this morning and it was wonderful. It's been way too long...I've been itching to ride it since I got it all tuned up. Unfortunately the clip that holds my helmet on is missing (??) so it's more like a strange and somewhat uncomfortable hat but it was wonderful to have my bike out again...whizzed to work in 15 minutes.

Yipadee.