I'm a good wife, oh yesireee

Because I am a supreme geek I was at HMV right after work picking up the original widescreen releases of the first 3 Star Wards DVDs that came out yesterday. I'm very excited about them...they are still my favorite films after all...I mean Star Wars was the first movie I ever saw as a wee little girl and it blew me away. To me it was real. It really tweaked my imagination and how I looked at everything. So having the original unmucked versions has always been something I've wanted...and now I have them. May I say - Woot.

Now here's the monkeywrench...J is so busy he doesn't have time to watch them this week and I start a volunteer night shift for 2 weeks at the community radio fundraiser this weekend so if I dont' watch them right away I won't get to see them until Sept 30.
And, let me tell ya ladies and germs, that's a really long time for my little brain to wait.
And will I wait? Well of course silly - I have a whole lot of love...I can be patient...and when it is watched it will be gooooood and the choldhood joy will be shared.
Till then I'm just looking at the boxes and making meep sounds.
And contemplating swinging my lightsaber around in the back yard while wearing a jedi costume. Halloween is soon...perhaps soon enough to break out the goods early. I could always be that Twilek jedi again. Hmmmmm.....

We are a justice sandwich

My birthday present arrived really early - J ordered it to be sure it would come in time and it just came by courier. He and the courier were too smart - he put it in a doublebag and packing taped it shut so I can't peek. I have no idea what it is (which is cool) and no clues to go on...and I have to wait a month and a half to open it.
May I just say this:

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

man...I hope it's cool.

Da dweeeeeee da da daa dweeee dowww

For some reason I woke up with the theme song from The Tick in my head. I'm listening to the latest Gomez album now to chase it away...

I should be more stiff than I am, but over all I feel pretty OK. I filled in the entire trench and pipe last night - our yard looks normal again and dirt mountain is no more (sniff). And hopefully - no more floods. I'm very proud of myself for doing it all on my own, but if I don't have to use a wheelbarrow for another year or so I won't mind.
I celebrated my success last night with my new favorite beer: Innis & Gunn
It's aged in oak barrels...and is absolutely scrumptious. It actually surpasses Guinness as my favorite...smooth and flavourful amber ale with flavourful aftertastes. Yum...

And now, before I wander off in to another busy day, here's the monthy meme I seem to have forgotten about this month:

Current clothes: Jeans, white tank top and cropped denim shirt, with my moonstone necklace and purple holey sole shoes. Black specs.

Current mood: Optimistic. I felt like crap most of the night from something I ate (????) but feel much better now and have a busy day ahead of me, so I feel optimistic.

Current music: "See the World" by Gomez off the "How We Operate" album. Good stuff.

Current annoyance: Well, we have a friend who's maxed out his friendship points and is being a PITA and has no clue...we're hoping he figures out how miffed we are at him by the lack of communication we've had with him lately...I'm guessing he's so self absorbed that he won't notice. I have issues with friends who only call when they need something from you. I'll give the shirt off my back to help someone, but lets just say he's taken a large part of our wardrobe with no thanks, gratitude or any sort of help or return and our patience is wearing thin...

Current thing: Making lists of all the things to do around the house...not that I actually get TO the list, but it's a start. I'm starting to realize how much I could get done if I just get off my ass and get busy, so before I collapse into lazyland again I'm going to go with it for a while.

Current desktop picture: A bright red picture of a gerbera flower. They're my favorite at the moment.

Current song in head: Well it was the theme from a favorite cartoon of mine called The Tick, but now it's "Girl Shaped Love Drop" by Gomez...mostly because it just played on my iPod.

Current book: The Drawing of the Three by Steven King. I've finally had time to sit down and read his epic set of books everyone keeps blathering on about. So far so good.


Current DVD in player: The second disc of the 4th season of Futurama. I was watching it last night to unwind with a beer after my landscaping extravaganza.

Current refreshment: Cheap coffee with cream & sugar.

Current worry:Hoping J will be ready for his DJ set next weekend...the learning curve for the software is pretty steep. He's got the song list, but all the little technical bits are a lot to do, and work out all the transitions and all the twiddling eh wants to do live...and all this working all evening and weekends while starting a new job that starts at 5:30 in the morning at the same time...my poor love is so very tired.

Current thought: Where'd the summer go? I know i enjoyed it fully, but I"m not quite done with it yet. I was shocked to see the leaves turning this morning...fall is my favorite season, but I could use a bit more sun yet before I'm banished to the white wastelands...

Later.

Tragedy

Boo.
I was all psyched up to go about and move dirt and do some horrible work in the yard...but as I was getting ready to start I discovered that my iPod is dead and I have to charge it.
It'll take hours. And J has the nano at work...
Dear God...
I have to work without music!

And so I enclose a gratuitous cat shot instead...

OK, wish me luck. I've got to quit wasting time and I'll just have to get busy and do without.... *sniff*

Tea, Earl Grey, Hot!

I am currently brewing myself a steaming cup of Twinings Earl Grey in milk.
I feel ever so smart having just learned all there is to know about Earl Grey and bergamot. I've always loved it and knew Twinings were the first to make it, but now I know more. Apparently in the 1830s the second Earl of Grey was given a gift of bergamot flavoured tea as a thank you - some say from a chinese merchant whose son's life was saved. His fellow lords contracted Twining to create a tea just like it and so - Earl Grey tea was sold by Twinings...and it still is. There's another company that swears to sell the original chinese blend, but nobody knows for sure. I just bought a tin of Twinings the other day - In my opinion it is still the best. I've loved it ever since I was a wee lass. Bergamot oranges are an orange that is a cross between a pear lemon and a seville orange or grapefruit. It is a small, pear shaped fruit and the peel is used to make essential bergamot oil that's in marmalade and tea and is supposed to help with depression and digestion.
I just think it's yummy...with or without milk and lemon.
Twinings makes a Lady Grey tea too which apparently has a few calming citrus additives to remove the hot wild attitudes believed to be given to women by tea. I like tea...maybe that's what makes me so crazy...perhaps I should switch to the lady version...

edo magis caseus

I'm starting on my new logo.
Oh yes it will be cool.
I've got afew ideas and tonight I plan to work on them a bit.
I also worked out a window idea for my glass studio which will be set up in my basement over the winter (involving a little paint and some new drywall to replace the many flooded moldy bits). It will have dragonflies. I will also paint my new logo on the wall in my studio if I can. Since J is hard at work on his DJ det for Symmetree in Edmonton in 2 weeks I won't get to the Mac to photoshop for a bit, so it'll take a bit longer than planned. I admire him - he's starting a new job and working his ass off at it and then spending all evening working on the set, as he's been lucky enough to be offered to play a 2 hour ambient, mellow set at an event. He has so many ideas, but he's still learning the Ableton software, so I think this set won't have too much noodling in it, just some nicely mixed tracks...there's just not enough time for him to get it all the things he hears in his head in there. But, hopefully there will be a next time. He's a whirl of energy right now - it's fantastic.
Me? I'm playing in the dirt and fixing large appliances...and catching up on all the stuff I always say I'll do but never get to. Plus I've been helping my brother paint and unpack. Tomorrow he wants some help assembling some furniture. They want to hang out tonight too, but tonight I just want to be a vegetable and relax and drink tea and work on my logos...it's odd. I really want to see them, but it seems like a bit of an overload....I should just be happy they're here.

I am glad it is the weekend soon. So very soon. Just another full day of work to go and then...vegetation of the highest order (or would that be lowest order?)

Gotta go do stuff and things and stuff. Bye.

My profound mound with an emblem conundrum

I am now the proud owner of a big pile of dirt.
It was delivered yesterday and is in my back yard and though it's not quite big enough to play king of the hill on, I think I might roll around in it a bit and make a few dirt castles before I fill in the trenches with it on the weekend.
I also think I need to make a little flag for my dirt kingdom to fly proudly until then.
Any emblem ideas??
There's the obvious, like a Seal of Rassilon...or an atom...but I'm looking for something classy. Unique.
I just can't decide....

Biking through the mists of time

I got to drive through fog this morning on my bike! At times I couldn't even see down the riverbank to the water or more than 10 feet in front of me. The sun was a big orange haze and the river was all mist and fog...and then as soon as it came it was going away again - by the time I got to work the sky was clear and the pelicans were out fishing for breakfast. I like living here... :)

Now, I'm in a fanfreaktastic mood, but very busy today, so to cheat and still feel like I'm not ignoring this weblog I present a list that I found somewhere...I'm not sure where actually. If I remember where I'll post it. If not...you'll just have to live with the empty gaping hole in your field of knowledge.
And so - another list of questions:

What curse word do you use the most? F*ck a duck …but not often. Or the german pronunciation of sh*t. I honestly try not to swear though. Usually there is a lot of pain involved when I do. I just think there’s so many better better words to express myself than just a few crude ones.

Do you own an iPod? yessiree

What time is your alarm clock set for? 6:15 a.m. during the week. It doesn’t exist on the weekends if I can help it.

What color is your room? Light lime green

Flip flops or sneakers? Flip flops unless I’m sneaking.

Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? take. I know what I look like.

What was the last movie you watched? Pirates of the Carribean 2

Do any of your friends have children? Yes. Loads. It’s making me feel old…and rather barrenish. Not enough to have any, just enough to think about it.

Has anyone ever called you lazy? Not today…

Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? Pah – never. I can fall asleep anywhere.

What CD is currently in your CD player? Futureheads, by the Futureheads

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Regular…I am hooked on Earl Grey tea brewed in hot milk though.

Has anyone told you a secret this week? Nope

Have you ever given someone a hickey? Not for a long time…

Who was the last person to call you? A coworker

Do you think people talk about you behind your back? Most likely.

Did you watch cartoons as a child? All the time. Still do.

How many siblings do you have? two

Are you shy around the opposite sex? Heck no. It’s the women that weird me out.

What movie do you know every line to? Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally, and It’s A Wonderful Life

Do you own any band t-shirts? Yes – U2, Lemon Jelly, Thievery Corporation.

What is your favorite salad dressing? Any greekish type of stuff

Do you read for fun? Yes, often shouting “wheeeeee!” at the top of my lungs while doing so.

Do you cry a lot? Not really…I just have my moods. Any serious stress makes me blubber. And in PMS I’ll cry at the drop of a hat.

Who was the last person to text message you? No cell, no text.

Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? Both

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? Yes. My belly is pierced. I’d like a tattoo, but the pain factor is holding me back.

What is the weather like? Sunny and warmish, with fading mist (~14 C).

Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? Well, not now that I’m married, but if single I wouldn’t care...as long as it wasn’t a Tazmanian devil or something equally cheesy/unoriginal like that. That’d be a big warning label for me to stay far away.

Is sex before marriage wrong? To be bluntly honest, I’m not sure, as I don’t see the act of marriage changing your relationship into one that would be better and thus better for it, BUT, I would say it would take away from the closeness of it being especially bonding with your partner. I personally can’t imagine sleeping with anyone else. I figure if you’re in it just for the shag, it’s not enough…

When was the last time you slept on the floor? Ages ago. Probably in high school.

How many hours of sleep do you need to function? I like 8 but 6 1/2 - 7 will do. Any less and I’m a cow.

Are you in love or lust? Both

Are your days full and fast-paced? Depends on the day. More and more it’s busy and I’m trying to keep it so. It’s so much more fulfilling than sitting around going “MAN I’m bored…”.

Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? Only if it’s for truly bad junk food. Even then it doesn’t really matter - I eat things because I like them…just not a lot and not all of the time and I seem to do OK. I’m more of an ingredient snoop than a calorie snoop. Certain things can make me very ill so I’m on the lookout for them.

How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 33

Are you picky about spelling and grammar? On many things, yes. I can’t type very well, but some grammar misuse (like not using English spellings) drives me nuts.

Have you ever been to Six Flags? No. I have no idea what that is.

Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex? Opposite sex usually.

Do you like cottage cheese? Only in lasagna. Other than that the texture is too odd...like some sort of animal brains or something. My imagination is too vivid to get through more than a few bites of it.

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? Side and stomach…and back. I move around a lot.

Have you ever bid for something on eBay? Yes

Do you enjoy giving hugs? Well, it depends on the person. I've got a bit of a personal space thing. Lets just say I hate “forced” hugs…they seem counterproductive and a wee bit creepy.

What song did you last sing out loud? Yellow by Coldplay in the shower. I love this having the house to myself in the morning...I'm the shower diva

What is your favorite TV show? BSG the new series.

Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Dead - Marie Curie or Carl Sagan. Alive? James Watson or David Suzuki. Or, to be frivolous, the lead singer of Coldplay and his wife- but with him I’d just drool and gibber a lot and forget what I was talking about, so it’s less humiliating if I meet one of the others and talk science.

Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? A few days ago when asked an awkward question by a family member.

What one thing do you wish you had? No mortgage

Favorite lyrics? "You mean more to me than any colour I can see” - Coldplay

Misty morning muncheon

It was really cool this morning. As I walked and jogged along the riverbank the river had mist rising off of it. It's been chilly in the mornings of late, so this is becoming the regular thing...but on the soccer field near our hose the sprinklers were on so the whole field had a cloud of mist all over it, blocking out the sun in a huge orange haze. It was very beautiful. The world was saying good morning in a very nice way.

I feel like I need another weekend! Between all the work on friday with our house and then J's birthday and then my brother moving to Saskatoon, it was a busy weekend. Jay had a good birthday - the Galaxy theatre finally opened so we went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean (finally) and had some of my really dissapointing Dalek Cake. It was supposed to be 3D but it kept tipping over, so eventually It just ended up on it's side. It had white chololate panels and pocky plungers though...I think the image I tried to make in my head was just too complicated. It tasted good though...I also helped my brother and his wife move a bit of stuff and paint a few rooms in their new house. The movers come with their stuff this morning, so they were living with us over the weekend. I felt guilty about it, but having the house all to myself this morning with them away and J at work already was wonderful after a weekend of rushing and working.
Jay and I started a wonderful new tradition this weekend. He came with me on my morning walk/jog on saturday and we found a tiny little beach in the wooded area off the trail I usually take, so sunday morning, when the house was seeming very overcrowded and life was a bit too hectic we loaded up the backpack and went down and sat on a giant rock and watched the sun glint off the river and ate some ryvita with salsa, cheese and avacado on top until we felt ready to hop back into it.
Good for the soul.
But, alas, I am babbling. There is much to be done here....

Oh yes, I am the man

People - I AM the man.

While J was at work I supervised the 2 hours of trenching and then glued the pipe together and put it in the trench and pured some water into it...it drains out the right end...WOO! It cost more than a bit, but now I just have to wait until the dirt is delivered in a few days and bury the pipe and then all is cool...It's not totally done, but the pipe is in so even if the world falls apart and it rains a lot, the pipe is there and ready to go...and with any luck THE BASEMENT WILL NEVER FLOOD WHEN IT RAINS AGAIN!! (knock on wood) Oh yeah.

Plus a plumber and city people came and now our house drains properly and I can do a full load of laundry without flooding the place...even better.

BUT

The best part - the thing that is making me so freaking proud of myself is (tadah!) I fixed the dryer all by myself. Yessiree I diagnosed the problem and took the old belt into an appliance repair shop - they gave me a new one and some advice and I took the whole thing apart and put the new belt on and whaddaya know? $10 and I fixed the dryer. So now I can wash AND I can dry them too. I have an actual working dryer. Woohoo! It's like Christmas. I am now a fully functional laundry household. It's been a while let me tell you!
Oh yea, yes, I am the man...

But, now I am off to make my dear love a Dalek birthday cake.
It's his birthday today you know...

More mumbling...

Well...I think tomorrow will be a very busy and expensive day. I'm psyching myself up for it. Hydrovac trench digging at $180 and hour, then plumbers....yeesh. I mean we spent a bunch of money on a laptop and software last week but that's fun stuff. I can play with the laptop and J will can use it for DJ sets. This? Well I'll buy dirt, bury a pipe and then I'll do some laundry...and everything will be EXACTLY the same. Well, no flooding IF it works, but that just seems rather far away at the moment. Plus it's just damn expensive - about 3X the cost of a "normal" trench...because we're special. It had better work, that's all I have to say about it. Because I know of a lot of other things I'd rather spend this on.
I just hate when things have to be fixed..it's paying lots of money for things to stay just the way they are. With any luck it'll only take 2 hours for the trench (oh please oh please...).
I still have to find a truck to borrow to get some dirt. Then buy some dirt and move it. It feels wierd to buy dirt. Then I have tohaul it around the yard. It was left up to me to look after as J is so busy, so I'm gonna do it...I just hope I don't screw it up and cause us to spend obsene amounts of $$ for a useless trench and pipe...Nothing like a little stress to get the job done!!

Ah, don't listen to me, I'm just obsessing and I didn't get much sleep from the heat.
Just had to get that out of my system so I could get some work done.