What's a Canadian doing in North Carolina?

I'm thinkin' of just forgetting about blogging

2008-03-23T10:08:00.003-04:00

I really have nothing of interest to talk about or post anymore, and I figure there's only 2 people who read the blog anyhow, and I talk to them more frequently than I post. So I really see no purpose to this anymore.

Perhaps I'll change my mind if a meteor lands in my backyard, or if I win a mulit-million dollar lottery, or a burning bush starts up a conversation one day while we're out walking the dogs. Other than that, life is boring and why would anyone want to read such drivel? E-mail works just as well, and sometimes better.

Close Calls

2008-03-09T12:52:00.002-04:00

Well, this past week we had a bit of a scare with our Bruno. For those of you who got the emails, excuse the rambling post please! For those of you who didn't get the emails, he's fine, but it was nerve wracking for a couple of days!

Bruno has been not feeling well for a couple of weeks, and then one day week before last, we went to the dog park to play, and Bruno fell out of the back of the truck! He just fell out! That night he was crying in his sleep, and the next day he wasn't very happy. So on Saturday (a week ago) we took him to the vets.

The vet palpated his back legs, and said he's likely got arthritis, and she took some blood to do the "senior wellness" tests, thinking he may have a slow thryoid because he's gained more weight than the amount of food we feed him. If you follow.

She gave us 2 prescriptions for him, Dasuquin and Derramax.

A couple days later (Tuesday) she called and said that his thyroid is within normal levels, but his calcium is really high, and something else that James couldn't remember is also high, and these combined are usually markers for bone cancer. So we had to take him back in on Thursday for x-rays and additional blood work. So the 2 days wait was a bit nauseating.

Turns out however that he's just got arthritis in his knee, and something else wrong with his back (again, James couldn't remember what she said exactly was wrong with it. Should have got him to write stuff down). She said Bruno needs to lose about 50 pounds, or his back could break! EEK!

If he lost 50 pounds though he'd weigh the same as George (who is a healthy 140 pounds) and he'd be too skinny. We figure he'd be better around 160 or 165 or so. He has a much bigger frame than George, we don't want him to look anorexic!

So now he's on a diet and walking twice a day rather than just once a day. We're trying to cut his food down from 4 cups a day to about 3, but he just went and ate his lunch, and because George wasn't there watching, he ate hers too! We'll have to pay better attention to what he's sneaking from her bowl! This is probably why she steals his treats right from his mouth! LOL!

She added Tramadol to his list of prescriptions, and he gets 4 of those twice a day. So now with his medicines and George's medicine, it'll be about $100+ per month for all those pills. That, on top f the almost $600 for the x-rays and anesthetic and pain injections, and the $200 for the Saturday visit and blood work and prescriptions, we'll be eating cheap for a while I think :-p

We're still looking to get out of this area, and had someone look at the other house the other day, but she didn't call back so we can only assume she's not a do-it-yourselfer. It needs quite a lot of work done still. But the kitchen is all painted, now we just need to put down new floor tiles and hopefully we can get out of there with enough money for a downpayment on something else closer to the border and my family.

Maybe somewhere close to a veterinary college where we can get cheap care for the dogs! Sheesh, these two cost us a fortune in medical bills!

Purty eh?

2008-02-17T15:40:00.003-05:00

This is what I woke up to the other morning. I took these photos from our back door.

You have to admit, Mother Nature sure does paint a pretty picture!

I found this interesting, and insightful

2008-02-07T07:14:00.001-05:00

re-posted from a message forum that I frequent:

By Sara Robinson, TomPaine.com

2008 is shaping up to be the election year that we finally get to have the Great American Healthcare Debate again. Harry and Louise are back with a vengeance. Conservatives are rumbling around the talk show circuit bellowing about the socialist threat to the (literal) American body politic. And, as usual, Canada is once again getting dragged into the fracas, shoved around by both sides as either an exemplar or a warning -- and, along the way, getting coated with the obfuscating dust of so many willful misconceptions that the actual facts about How Canada Does It are completely lost in the melee.

I'm both a health-care-card-carrying Canadian resident and an uninsured American citizen who regularly sees doctors on both sides of the border. As such, I'm in a unique position to address the pros and cons of both systems first-hand. If we're going to have this conversation, it would be great if we could start out (for once) with actual facts, instead of ideological posturing, wishful thinking, hearsay, and random guessing about how things get done up here.

To that end, here's the first of a two-part series aimed at busting the common myths Americans routinely tell each other about Canadian health care. When the right-wing hysterics drag out these hoary old bogeymen, this time, we need to be armed and ready to blast them into straw. Because, mostly, straw is all they're made of.

1. Canada's health care system is "socialized medicine."
False. In socialized medical systems, the doctors work directly for the state. In Canada (and many other countries with universal care), doctors run their own private practices, just like they do in the US. The only difference is that every doctor deals with one insurer, instead of 150. And that insurer is the provincial government, which is accountable to the legislature and the voters if the quality of coverage is allowed to slide.

The proper term for this is "single-payer insurance." In talking to Americans about it, the better phrase is "Medicare for all."

2. Doctors are hurt financially by single-payer health care.
True and False. Doctors in Canada do make less than their US counterparts. But they also have lower overhead, and usually much better working conditions. A few reasons for this:

First, as noted, they don't have to charge higher fees to cover the salary of a full-time staffer to deal with over a hundred different insurers, all of whom are bent on denying care whenever possible. In fact, most Canadian doctors get by quite nicely with just one assistant, who cheerfully handles the phones, mail, scheduling, patient reception, stocking, filing, and billing all by herself in the course of a standard workday.

Second, they don't have to spend several hours every day on the phone cajoling insurance company bean counters into doing the right thing by their patients. My doctor in California worked a 70-hour week: 35 hours seeing patients, and another 35 hours on the phone arguing with insurance companies. My Canadian doctor, on the other hand, works a 35-hour week, period. She files her invoices online, and the vast majority are simply paid -- quietly, quickly, and without hassle. There is no runaround. There are no fights. Appointments aren't interrupted by vexing phone calls. Care is seldom denied (because everybody knows the rules). She gets her checks on time, sees her patients on schedule, takes Thursdays off, and gets home in time for dinner.

One unsurprising side effect of all this is that the doctors I see here are, to a person, more focused, more relaxed, more generous with their time, more up-to-date in their specialties, and overall much less distracted from the real work of doctoring. You don't realize how much stress the American doctor-insurer fights put on the day-to-day quality of care until you see doctors who don't operate under that stress, because they never have to fight those battles at all. Amazingly: they seem to enjoy their jobs.

Third: The average American medical student graduates $140,000 in hock. The average Canadian doctor's debt is roughly half that.

Finally, Canadian doctors pay lower malpractice insurance fees. When paying for health care constitutes a one of a family's major expenses, expectations tend to run very high. A doctor's mistake not only damages the body; it may very well throw a middle-class family permanently into the ranks of the working poor, and render the victim uninsurable for life. With so much at stake, it's no wonder people are quick to rush to court for redress.

Canadians are far less likely to sue in the first place, since they're not having to absorb devastating financial losses in addition to any physical losses when something goes awry. The cost of the damaging treatment will be covered. So will the cost of fixing it. And, no matter what happens, the victim will remain insured for life. When lawsuits do occur, the awards don't have to include coverage for future medical costs, which reduces the insurance company's liability.

3. Wait times in Canada are horrendous.
True and False again -- it depends on which province you live in, and what's wrong with you. Canada's health care system runs on federal guidelines that ensure uniform standards of care, but each territory and province administers its own program. Some provinces don't plan their facilities well enough; in those, you can have waits. Some do better. As a general rule, the farther north you live, the harder it is to get to care, simply because the doctors and hospitals are concentrated in the south. But that's just as true in any rural county in the U.S.

You can hear the bitching about it no matter where you live, though. The percentage of Canadians who'd consider giving up their beloved system consistently languishes in the single digits. A few years ago, a TV show asked Canadians to name the Greatest Canadian in history; and in a broad national consensus, they gave the honor to Tommy Douglas, the Saskatchewan premier who is considered the father of the country's health care system. (And no, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was also Kiefer Sutherland's grandfather.). In spite of that, though, grousing about health care is still unofficially Canada's third national sport after curling and hockey.

And for the country's newspapers, it's a prime watchdogging opportunity. Any little thing goes sideways at the local hospital, and it's on the front pages the next day. Those kinds of stories sell papers, because everyone is invested in that system and has a personal stake in how well it functions. The American system might benefit from this kind of constant scrutiny, because it's certainly one of the things that keeps the quality high. But it also makes people think it's far worse than it is.

Critics should be reminded that the American system is not exactly instant-on, either. When I lived in California, I had excellent insurance, and got my care through one of the best university-based systems in the nation. Yet I routinely had to wait anywhere from six to twelve weeks to get in to see a specialist. Non-emergency surgical waits could be anywhere from four weeks to four months. After two years in the BC system, I'm finding the experience to be pretty much comparable, and often better. The notable exception is MRIs, which were easy in California, but can take many months to get here. (It's the number one thing people go over the border for.) Other than that, urban Canadians get care about as fast as urban Americans do.

4. You have to wait forever to get a family doctor.
False for the vast majority of Canadians, but True for a few. Again, it all depends on where you live. I live in suburban Vancouver, and there are any number of first-rate GPs in my neighborhood who are taking new patients. If you don't have a working relationship with one, but need to see a doctor now, there are 24-hour urgent care clinics in most neighborhoods that will usually get you in and out on the minor stuff in under an hour.

It is, absolutely, harder to get to a doctor if you live out in a small town, or up in the territories. But that's just as true in the U.S. -- and in America, the government won't cover the airfare for rural folk to come down to the city for needed treatment, which all the provincial plans do.

5. You don't get to choose your own doctor.
Scurrilously False. Somebody, somewhere, is getting paid a lot of money to make this kind of stuff up. The cons love to scare the kids with stories about the government picking your doctor for you, and you don't get a choice. Be afraid! Be very afraid!

For the record: Canadians pick their own doctors, just like Americans do. And not only that: since it all pays the same, poor Canadians have exactly the same access to the country's top specialists that rich ones do.

6. Canada's care plan only covers the basics. You're still on your own for any extras, including prescription drugs. And you still have to pay for it.
True -- but not as big an issue as you might think. The province does charge a small monthly premium (ours is $108/month for a family of four) for the basic coverage. However, most people never even have to write that check: almost all employers pick up the tab for their employees' premiums as part of the standard benefits package; and the province covers it for people on public assistance or disability.

"The basics" covered by this plan include 100% of all doctor's fees, ambulance fares, tests, and everything that happens in a hospital -- in other words, the really big-ticket items that routinely drive American families into bankruptcy. In BC, it doesn't include "extras" like medical equipment, prescriptions, physical therapy or chiropractic care, dental, vision, and so on; and if you want a private or semi-private room with TV and phone, that costs extra (about what you'd pay for a room in a middling hotel). That other stuff does add up; but it's far easier to afford if you're not having to cover the big expenses, too. Furthermore: you can deduct any out-of-pocket health expenses you do have to pay off your income taxes. And, as every American knows by now, drugs aren't nearly as expensive here, either.

Filling the gap between the basics and the extras is the job of the country's remaining private health insurers. Since they're off the hook for the ruinously expensive big-ticket items that can put their own profits at risk, the insurance companies make a tidy business out of offering inexpensive policies that cover all those smaller, more predictable expenses. Top-quality add-on policies typically run in the ballpark of $75 per person in a family per month -- about $300 for a family of four -- if you're stuck buying an individual plan. Group plans are cheap enough that even small employers can afford to offer them as a routine benefit. An average working Canadian with employer-paid basic care and supplemental insurance gets free coverage equal to the best policies now only offered at a few of America's largest corporations. And that employer is probably only paying a couple hundred dollars a month to provide that benefit.

7. Canadian drugs are not the same.
More preposterious bogosity. They are exactly the same drugs, made by the same pharmaceutical companies, often in the same factories. The Canadian drug distribution system, however, has much tighter oversight; and pharmacies and pharmacists are more closely regulated. If there is a difference in Canadian drugs at all, they're actually likely to be safer.

Also: pharmacists here dispense what the doctors tell them to dispense, the first time, without moralizing. I know. It's amazing.

8. Publicly-funded programs will inevitably lead to rationed health care, particularly for the elderly.
False. And bogglingly so. The papers would have a field day if there was the barest hint that this might be true.

One of the things that constantly amazes me here is how well-cared-for the elderly and disabled you see on the streets here are. No, these people are not being thrown out on the curb. In fact, they live longer, healthier, and more productive lives because they're getting a constant level of care that ensures small things get treated before they become big problems.

The health care system also makes it easier on their caregiving adult children, who have more time to look in on Mom and take her on outings because they aren't working 60-hour weeks trying to hold onto a job that gives them insurance.

9. People won't be responsible for their own health if they're not being forced to pay for the consequences.
False. The philosophical basis of America's privatized health care system might best be characterized as medical Calvinism. It's fascinating to watch well-educated secularists who recoil at the Protestant obsession with personal virtue, prosperity as a cardinal sign of election by God, and total responsibility for one's own salvation turn into fire-eyed, moralizing True Believers when it comes to the subject of Taking Responsibility For One's Own Health.

They'll insist that health, like salvation, is entirely in our own hands. If you just have the character and self-discipline to stick to an abstemious regime of careful diet, clean living, and frequent sweat offerings to the Great Treadmill God, you'll never get sick. (Like all good theologies, there's even an unspoken promise of immortality: f you do it really really right, they imply, you might even live forever.) The virtuous Elect can be discerned by their svelte figures and low cholesterol numbers. From here, it's a short leap to the conviction that those who suffer from chronic conditions are victims of their own weaknesses, and simply getting what they deserve. Part of their punishment is being forced to pay for the expensive, heavily marketed pharmaceuticals needed to alleviate these avoidable illnesses. They can't complain. It was their own damned fault; and it's not our responsibility to pay for their sins. In fact, it's recently been suggested that they be shunned, lest they lead the virtuous into sin.

Of course, this is bad theology whether you're applying it to the state of one's soul or one's arteries. The fact is that bad genes, bad luck, and the ravages of age eventually take their toll on all of us -- even the most careful of us. The economics of the Canadian system reflect this very different philosophy: it's built on the belief that maintaining health is not an individual responsibility, but a collective one. Since none of us controls fate, the least we can do is be there for each other as our numbers come up.

This difference is expressed in a few different ways. First: Canadians tend to think of tending to one's health as one of your duties as a citizen. You do what's right because you don't want to take up space in the system, or put that burden on your fellow taxpayers. Second, "taking care of yourself" has a slightly expanded definition here, which includes a greater emphasis on public health. Canadians are serious about not coming to work if you're contagious, and seeing a doctor ASAP if you need to. Staying healthy includes not only diet and exercise; but also taking care to keep your germs to yourself, avoiding stress, and getting things treated while they're still small and cheap to fix.

Third, there's a somewhat larger awareness that stress leads to big-ticket illnesses -- and a somewhat lower cultural tolerance for employers who put people in high-stress situations. Nobody wants to pick up the tab for their greed. And finally, there's a generally greater acceptance on the part of both the elderly and their families that end-of-life heroics may be drawing resources away from people who might put them to better use. You can have them if you want them; but reasonable and compassionate people should be able to take the larger view.

The bottom line: When it comes to getting people to make healthy choices, appealing to their sense of the common good seems to work at least as well as Calvinist moralizing.

10. This all sounds great -- but the taxes to cover it are just unaffordable. And besides, isn't the system in bad financial shape?
False. On one hand, our annual Canadian tax bite runs about 10% higher than our U.S. taxes did. On the other, we're not paying out the equivalent of two new car payments every month to keep the family insured here. When you balance out the difference, we're actually money ahead. When you factor in the greatly increased social stability that follows when everybody's getting their necessary health care, the impact on our quality of life becomes even more signficant.

And True -- but only because this is a universal truth that we need to make our peace with. Yes, the provincial plans are always struggling. So is every single publicly-funded health care system in the world, including the VA and Medicare. There's always tension between what the users of the system want, and what the taxpayers are willing to pay. The balance of power ebbs and flows between them; but no matter where it lies at any given moment, at least one of the pair is always going to be at least somewhat unhappy.

But, as many of us know all too well, there's also constant tension between what patients want and what private insurers are willing to pay. At least when it's in government hands, we can demand some accountability. And my experience in Canada has convinced me that this accountability is what makes all the difference between the two systems.

It is true that Canada's system is not the same as the U.S. system. It's designed to deliver a somewhat different product, to a population that has somewhat different expectations. But the end result is that the vast majority of Canadians get the vast majority of what they need the vast majority of the time. It'll be a good day when when Americans can hold their heads high and proudly make that same declaration.

bitch bitch whinge whinge

2008-02-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

There's not a whole heckuva lot goin' on around here. Just the usual get up go to work, come home walk the dogs, make dinner, eat dinner, sit and watch TV, go to bed, repeat.

Even this weekend of the double-header Imbolc sabbat and Superbowl (and yes, I know some people who are combining the two :rolleyes: ) there's nothing to do. There was an Imbolc open ritual up in Asheville yesterday, but we're so broke we can't really afford the gas to get there.

We had thought about going up to Asheville to see Sweeney Todd maybe, but its not playing anymore anywhere. So I'll yet again have to wait for DVD. What is with this area that it'll keep dreck like Alvin & The Chipmunks playing for 6 weeks in one cinema, but stuff that I actually *want* to see is gone in less than 3 weeks? Hickory had Sweeney Todd for about a week, maybe 2, but only 2 shows per day, one at 4:10 and one at 9:50pm. So we never got there. It didn't come to Morganton at all. Other than Pirates of the Caribbean, I can't think of any Johnny Depp movie that got to Morganton. They didn't even show Finding Neverland! :-p

bleah...

But, as mentioned, I'm so broke I can't even afford a movie really. I went and rented a couple movies yesterday, and I had a freebie, so it only cost $5 for 2.

I hate being broke. I'm old enough I should be well past this point in my life! But living in small town USA as we do, where wages are about equivalent to what I was making 20 years ago back home, and cost of living going up every day, I really can't see a way out of this hole unless we leave here and can find jobs that actually pay people what they're worth. With better health benefits, and steady hours.

This is what really bugs me about this country. The richest country on the planet, and they somehow "can't afford" for universal healthcare? I'm paying about the same in income taxes here in North Carolina as what I would be paying up in Ontario for equivalent wages, and yet I have nothing to show for it! On top of my income taxes, I also pay into the Medicare coffers, but as a sponsored immigrant, I'm not eligible to ever use Medicare. :-p And as a non-citizen, I'm not allowed to vote. Howzat for taxation without representation eh? :-p

bleah...

I pay more than $400 per month for health insurance for me and James. But we still have to pay for doctor's visits because we have a $1500 annual deductible. I had 2 doctor visits this month with the endocrinologist to test my thyroid levels, we haven't got the bill for them yet, but I expect it'll be over $200. bleah...

If I didn't have that $400+ to pay per month, I might be able to keep up with some other bills. As it is, we're not starving, but we sure are fuckin' bored I'll tell ya that! When you can't even go to the local cinema and spend $15 for 2 people to see a movie (yeah, its cheap here, back home it costs $15 per person!) its pretty pathetic. Talk about working poor. UGH.

We gotta get outta this place.

Sad

2008-01-27T10:04:00.000-05:00

I'm sure by now everyone has heard the news that Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment, of an apparent accidental prescription drugs overdose, on Tuesday this week.

I've been trying to process this information in my head all week. I quite liked Heath Ledger and his movies, what I've seen. He was an incredibly talented actor, with so much more potential to be unleashed. Now we'll never know what he would have done with the rest of his life. Dead at such a young age of 28. Way too early.

His death makes me remember other talents taken from us too young, like River Phoenix, and Kurt Cobain. Both incredibly talented, and unfortunately very messed up young men.

Heath doesn't seem to fit the mould of drug overdose victim.

Heath was different. Apparently not a drugged out spoiled celebrity, but just a bloke having a difficult time trying to sleep on a regular basis. The role of The Joker wreaked havoc with his psyche and he hasn't slept well for quite some time. I can totally understand the desperate need to get some sleep, and the possibility of overdose is immense. If you take one, and it doesn't work, so you take another, and still it doesn't work so you take something else, and then you can't remember how many you've taken. When you finally fall asleep, it may be for the last time. Did he know it was happening? Or did he just fall asleep and that was it?

Reports are confilicting. I've read both that he was found ON his bed, and that he was found on the floor at the foot of his bed. His housekeeper said he was in bed and snoring at about 1pm. When his masseuse arrived at 2:45 they were unable to wake him. So sometime between 1 and 2:45 he died.

I feel very bad for his family, including his ex-fiancee Michelle Williams, and their daughter Matilda. They were in Europe when he died, and they had to fly back to New York for his funeral. Poor Matilda is only 2 years old. Her daddy is dead. Heath's parents and sister live in Perth, Australia and had to make that long trip to New York to get his body. I think he's being buried in Australia...I just can't imagine that trip.

Some people are probably sitting and thinking why the hell would anyone mourn for someone they have never even met? I've certainly never met Heath, but I've enjoyed his movies, and I will miss his talent. He'll be forever 28, just as James Dean will forever be 25, and River Phoenix will forever be 23. The world is a bleaker place without them brightening our movie and TV screens in my opinion. The last completed movie we'll see of Heath Ledger's is The Dark Knight, in which he plays the Joker. It'll be difficult to watch, I'm sure.

I've only got a couple of his movies that I own on DVD. A Knight's Tale, and The Brothers Grimm. I've seen a few others as well though, Brokeback Mountain, Ned Kelly, The Four Feathers, The Order, 10 Things I Hate About You. Maybe I'll go rent a couple today. I haven't seen Candy or Cassanova yet.

Sleep well Heathcliff Anderw Ledger. Speedy journey to the other side.

Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?

2008-01-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

It was a couple of months (or more) ago that my Mum sent me this email with these photos of a polar bear playing with sled dogs up in Churchill Manitoba. Since then, I’ve been using the photos as desktop pictures on my PC at work, alternating them every other week or so. The other day I was experiencing some down time (read: I was bored) so I made a screen saver and power point slide show with them.

The more I look at them, the more I have to wonder, what was this bear thinking? I’m actually more curious about the bear’s state of mind than the dogs’. I have dogs, I kinda know how their brains work. If they feel threatened, as these dogs no doubt did at first glance, then they’ll bark and growl and do whatever necessary to scare off a threat.

Once a dog realizes someone/thing is not a threat, then they’re curious and always happy to make friends. Whether person, squirrel or bear I suppose.

This bear appeared every day for a week to come play with these dogs. The owner of the dogs of course first thought that his team was about to be eaten by a hungry bear, and why he’d take out his camera to photograph the carnage is beyond me. He lucked out though, and got likely the only photos ever taken, ever to be taken, of a polar bear making friends with a dog.

Despite the plight of polar bears in recent years of early ice melt and food sources becoming scarce, this one appears to have been well fed. If she had been hungry I have no doubt she’d have eaten the dogs. Why then did she decide to come and play? Why did she return every day for a week? And what happened to her after that? Where’d she go?

Was she orphaned and lonely? She doesn’t seem full grown, she’s sort of small. Did her mother die, or send her off on her own too early? Did she move on somewhere else with more opportunity, more food, a mate, or maybe other dogs to play with? Did she die hungry and alone? The fate of too many polar bears unfortunately.

Why does it eat at my mind, wondering what happened? Why does it matter? It’s a bear, playing with a dog. Hugging a dog it seems even. And the dog reciprocates willingly, even stretching up to sniff the bear’s muzzle, as dogs do with other dogs, as if to say “hey, you’ve got a bit of seal meat stuck in your teeth there…”

When the bear did not return one day, did the dogs wonder where she was? Did they sit and wait for her? Did they pine for their lost friend?

Bears are special to me, my totem, my spirit animal. I have a rather large collection of stuffed bears, of every shape, size and colour. Quite a lot of them are polar bear like. My sister and brother-in-law even “adopted” a polar bear for me from the WWF as a gift a few years ago. One of my most treasured gifts ever. They also gave me a stuffed polar bear to go with it, which after we saw the movie The Golden Compass, I’ve been thinking about making him some armour and changing his name to Gandalf.

The other evening we were watching a programme on TV about global climate change, and the presenter was up in the Arctic with a research team when they tranquilized a polar bear. The team knelt on the ground next to the bear, which was paralyzed from the tranquilizer, but still conscious. His eyes darted back and forth, tongue flicking out now and again, drool collecting on his chin. I envied the presenter the opportunity to be that close; to be able to touch the bear; feel the warmth and rare vulnerability, smell it, tangle his fingers in its fur. I envisioned myself in that situation, would I have rubbed the bear’s tummy, like I do with my dogs? Would I have hugged it, lied down with it, talked to it? I have no doubt I would have. I also have no doubt that I’d have cried at the beauty of it.

As I cry at the wonder of this young bear who decided to make friends with a sled dog.

Snow and water

2008-01-19T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally got some snow the other day. The first significant (for here anyway) snowfall since I moved here 3+ years ago. It was only about 2 inches, but work was closed for the day so we had a day off. Without pay I might add :p That'll hurt.

I got some pics of the dogs playing in it. James and I didn't get out in it though, we're wimps, and it was already raining on top of the snow by the time the sun came up and I took these photos! It was just slush by lunch-time. Its all gone now of course, but we're supposed to get more today.

This is our holly bush in front of our house

And the big pine tree at the front corner of our lot

The other day we were in Hickory and stopped by Sam's Club to get some Pig Ears for the dogs (cheapest place to get them, $10 for 25 pieces. They're about $10 for 6 pieces in the grocery stores!) and they had the Brita tap filter with 2 Nalgene bottles kits on sale for $25 (or so). We picked that up as well. Now I don't have to wait for the water to filter thru the jug when I need to fill a pot for cooking, or to make coffee or tea, now filtered water comes directly from our tap! We still have the jug in the fridge of course for cold water, I drink nearly 3 litres per day!

Check out the Filter For Good website. You can download coupons for Brita filters and Nalgene bottles.

Just by using re-usable bottles, filtering our own tap water, and not buying bottled water, we're saving about $500 per year and several tonnes of CO2. Which we've been doing for a few years now of course with the jugs already, but its extra convenient to also have the filter on the tap too. The bottled water industry is one of the worst rackets on the planet! All they do is filter tap water and put it in a bottle and then charge you $1.50 for a half litre. When it could cost you mere pennies to do that yourself at home! Mind boggling, it really is!

Didja know it takes them about 3 litres of water to bottle just 1 litre and send it to stores? How wasteful is that? Now how stupid do you feel for buying bottled water? Kick yourself in the butt and go buy yourself a Brita!

We've also been saving rain water (and snow!) in the doggie pool and bottling it for the dogs use. Check out the set-up

The other day when I was filling up some jugs my hands got so cold my fingers ached for an hour afterward! So yesterday when I was grocery shopping I bought some rubber gloves, like you use for washing dishes, and I put those over regular woolie gloves to insulate from the cold water. This morning when I was filling up the jugs, I couldn't feel the cold at all! I'm just bloody brilliant I am! :-D

We've got 3 - 7 gallon jugs and 1 - 5 gallon jug filled, plus a bunch of re-used 1 gallon milk jugs. I just re-fil them when necessary from the pool. The water is pretty clear (despite the mud at the bottom of the pool, as long as we don't stir that up!) and the dogs don't mind. With the current drought, we all need to do our part to conserve, and we're just doing a little bit extra. :-)

And if for some reason the tap water dries up or the pipes freeze, we've got purification tablets to put in the jugs so it'll be potable for me and James.

We're ready for the apocolypse...bring it on! ;-)

3rd Annual

2008-01-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

Well, we created 3 more Haggis heads last night!

Enter The Haggis was playing their annual show in Asheville last night, and we went up with Beth, JD and Ashley. Even though the band was not sounding quite up to par (more of a sound mixing issue than the guys methinks) we all quite enjoyed the show. Of course :-)

Here's a video from their website

I don't think Brian Buchanan's hair has ever been the same colour twice any time we've seen them (and I've seen them a couple times in Toronto as well). It's even a different colour on all 3 of the videos posted on their website!

How F*#@ing Stupid is This?

2008-01-11T18:49:00.000-05:00

Ok, any reader here is well aware of the current drought we are experiencing in the South East of the United States. Its been going on for months, and its only getting worse. Water is scarce, and unless we get about 3 WEEKS of constant rain, we will soon be out of water. Completely.

So, what does the local County office intend to do about it? Raise our county sales tax by a quarter of a cent to pay to put in more water lines to households whose wells are running dry so they can be connected to city water sources.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat the FUCK are these people thinking?

How the hell is raising our sales tax going to help the drought? If they actually do this, the county will run out of water even sooner, and then where will we all be? Geezus! GAH!

Check this out:

With the area seeing no relief from the drought, commissioners say they've been getting a lot of phone calls from residents whose wells are going dry. That's why commissioners say if voters approve a sales tax increase, the money generated will be solely dedicated to extending water lines throughout the county.

"It's going to take millions of dollars for us to come up to speed on water," said Commission Chairman Wayne Abele.

Commissioner Jack Carroll said, "We don't have any choice, the way I look at it, because it's not going to get any better."

I suppose the higher sales tax, and the additional water mains will somehow make the heavens open and send us rain?

Does this hurt your head, or is it just me?

This seriously has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever read! Here's the article

What we've done to conserve water, James and I that is, is we've put a large hose at the end of one of the downspouts, and put the hose over the kiddie pool that we had for the dogs. Yesterday when it rained for a while, it completely filled the pool! We're using this water for the dogs and to water the houseplants. Once we've got some proper containers, we'll store it for our own emergency use, should the need arise. We just need to get over to the sports supply or K-Mart to get some water jugs. Its not much, but IMO, its a helluva lot more than the frikken county is doin! :-p sheesh!

I also finally used up all the cleaning fluid in my Swiffer Wet Jet, and now I'm gonna hack it to put in my own Enviro-Friendly Watkins cleaning stuff :-) Just cut a hole in the bottom of the bottle, put in the stuff, then put a cork in it! James is drinking the wine from which we got the cork as we speak ;-)

Well, gotta dash...supper is ready!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T12:04:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning, got out of bed, shuffled to the kitchen to make coffee and bleah....the coffee maker crapped out on me! :p I had to go to K-Mart and buy a new one. Luckily, Proctor Silex were on sale for only $10. I'm tired of paying more than that for an appliance that's only going to last a couple of years. I don't remember what I paid for the Mr. Coffee that just died, but its about 4 years old maybe. I know I brought it with me when I moved here, and I've been in NC now 3 years+.

It was a nice fancy one too, with a clock and timer function so that I could set it to have my coffee ready for me when I wake up. Which I never bothered to use really, because it always ended up tasting funny from the water sitting in the machine overnight er sumthin, plus to save electricity, I always unplug the machine after we've finished the pot. So the el-cheapo without clock and timer will suit us just dandy.

I tried to find a French Press, but I guess folks here in Morganton don't need such things, because K-Mart didn't have any. I may check the Kitchen Store sometime, but they're so overpriced on everything over there! Maybe the sports supply will have a lexan one in their camping gear section. Or maybe I can just order one on-line from somewhere. I dunno what I'd do without coffee if the power were to go out for a couple of days. We're due a good ice storm, it seems to have missed us the past couple of years, but 2 years ago, the power was out here for about 3 days. I don't even want to imagine the headache and cranky from no coffee for that long! Of course, I have my one cup drip in my camping gear, but ... *sigh*... that's just too much work, and only one cup at a time, it'd be a waste of stove fuel to have to keep boiling water every half hour. ;-)

Well, we didn't do much of anything last night for New Year. I did buy a bottle of bubbly and some strawberries and I made some chocolate pudding and put the strawberries on for dessert, and then we drank the bubbly while watching Top Gear and then Whose Line Is it Anyway, and then went to bed.

Forecast for tomorrow is calling for snow. I'll believe it when I see it. Today is sunny and warm (yesterday was 55F!). Where is Winter?

Well, that didn't work!

2007-12-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

I was going to post some video we took on Christmas day of the dogs opening their stocking presents, but alas, our video camera software seems to be incompatible with my PC, or t'other way round. My PC won't seem to let me install Macromedia Flash, and the Sony Picture Package needs it to run. So, I will have to try and figure out some other method to transfer the video to my PC, and then to my blog. Some other day when I have nothing else to confound me for 6 or 7 hours or so :-p We have to be somewhere at 5 today, and I've already been fussing with this for a couple of hours, I give up!

In the meantime, maybe I'll go chase George around with the Dalek again. That was fun ;-)

Ciao.

Countdown...

2007-12-23T10:09:00.001-05:00

Well, its just 2 more days until Christmas, and other than wrapping a few things, I think we're ready.

I was baking all week, I made gingerbread men, chocolate raspberry thumbprint cookies, and stollen, wrapped 'em all up in Christmassy plant pots and gave 'em to the neighbours. With enough left over for our family of course! I just need to roll out what's left of the gingerbread and make another stollen. And pie. James said I have to make pie.

Christmas at E.J. Victor was interesting. As mentioned in my last post, for our "holiday lunch" we all (well, office employees) went out to a local buffet restaurant. The company also has an anual holiday drawing, where they pick out 6 furniture items in stock and "raffle" them off to employees. I didn't win anything, but it was fun to watch a couple of the others win. Their reactions were just hillarious! And, apparently, they don't mind if you turn around and sell the item. Most people don't, but one year one lady won a bed that wouldn't fit in her house, so she sold it. EJ Victor furniture sells for thousands of dollars! I imagine one could pay off Christmas credit card bills by selling one bed! ;-)

EJ Victor also gave us a $40 gift certificate to Ingles, a local grocery store, so I was able to get a turkey breast AND a roast beast. We'll be having lots of left-overs! :-)

Last Sunday James' gaming was cancelled so he was home and decided to decorate the house. He hacked up Christmas all over the place. Including George's crate! Here's some pics...(Photobucket has a new bulk uploader which is absolutely brilliant! It took about a quarter the time it usually does to upload these!)

Here's George's crate from the side (yes, it sits in our living room, taking up more space than the piano!)

And here's Bruno, sitting in front of it. He doesn't like crates, he's very suspicious of them!

This is the stuff on top of it, sorry its a bit blurry!

And here's our wee tree, next to the fish tank. Notice the stocking taped to the tank ;-)

'nother angle of the wee tree. We have a larger one, just no space to put it, what with piano and dog crate in there!

Yesterday was Yule of course, we didn't do much of anything to mark the day, other than exchange a couple of gifts. I posted about giving James the tiger already, and he did quite appreciate it. I found a small stuffed holiday tiger the other day at CVS drugstore, its white and goofy lookin' with a floppy green holiday hat on. I got to open 2 gifts. One he had found an old gift bag from a few Christmases ago (yes, we recycle!) that said "From Jack & Nixie" (his parents). That was a Kokopelli wind chime, which is apparently tuned to an old Navaho song. Kokopelli is my fave North American Spirit. Mischevious, and musical. What more could you want? ;-)

AND! TA DA! After we had gone and spent part of the afternoon battling crowds at Sam's Club (also James' idea!) and grocery shopping at Bi-Lo (a few items I couldn't find at Ingles) he told me to open another gift. We flipped a coin, and I opened the one from Bruno. My very own, remote controlled Dalek! It even says 5 phrases and its ray gun makes noise. You should have seen George running from it and trying to save herself from extermination! HA HA HA !!! Bruno just ran and hid in the den, as far away as caninely possible. He hasn't managed to figure out how to open the sliding door to the back yard yet. *snarf*

So, Christmas dinner will actually be turkey breast and lamb roast, because our foray to Bi-Lo resulted in me sayin' "hey, here's a lamb roast, lets try that!" Ingles didn't have part-skim ricotta, which I need for the stollen recipe, and was our downfall. We somehow ended up with a whole cart-load of food! After I'd already been grocery shopping on Friday evening! One main reason I don't take James with me, we get too much stuff! I don't think I'll need to shop now for about a month! EEK!

More Bah Humbug!

2007-12-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Friday for lunch we had our "Christmas Dinner" at work. We all went to a local restaurant called AJ's PrimeSirloin. Its a buffett restaurant, fairly cheap, and totally un-healthy greasy Southern fare. But it's close to both plants, and the boss-man was buyin' so who am I to pass up a free lunch? ;-)

While sitting eating however, I suddenly missed having holiday luncheons at the Board of Trade restaurant when I worked at J.D. Edwards in Toronto. They had some really awesome food on their menu I tell ya! The venison was particularly good. And we could linger a couple of hours, relax and enjoy the food and company, and have a glass of wine or beer with our meal. Not so here, no way, uh-uh!

There are a lot of things from back home that I miss, especially at this time of year. Like snow. Apparently Southern Ontario is expecting a record breaking snow accumulation this December, and the best I can hope for here is some cold drizzle. The last decade or so that I lived in Ontario we hardly ever got snow in December, and rarely had a white Christmas. Now that I'm gone, it seems to happen more often than not. *hmph*

I don't miss shovelling it, but I do miss playing in it, and I miss how pretty it is when its newly fallen and still clean and sparkly. I don't expect I'll ever see a significant snowfall here in Morganton. The most I've seen so far since I moved down here is maybe half an inch, which is usually gone by the end of the day. And yet everyone panics and empties the grocery stores of milk, eggs and bread at the sight of the first flakes! *snarf*

We had some really cold miserable rain yesterday, and of course we were out at a handfasting in Hickory. It started out as just a drizzle, but then turned later to pouring rain, just in time to drive home. The house was packed! and of course I'd forgotten my cloak in the car, which then had to be taken down the road to the community centre parking lot, so whenever I was outside to get away from the crush indoors, I froze. Luckily the ritual was indoors, but my it was crowded! There's just sooooooo many people with this bunch all the time, I always feel very overwhelmed and just want to go hide in a corner.

We also had pot-luck Yule feast (I made a punch with vodka, pomegrante juice, and Cranberry Sierra Mist pop, it was very yummy!) and played Dirty Santa game. We used to play this at JDE Christmas parties, but we didn't call it that. I think we called it Secret Santa. Anyhoo, its when everyone brings a wrapped unlabled gift, we all pick numbers and then we can either choose a gift to unwrap or steal someone else's. I got a nice Chinese tea mug, with a dragon on it and a lid, with some loose leaf Jasmine tea, and James got a 2008 Herbal Almanac book. This may come in handy for our garden next planting season.

We got home about 11pm, and the dogs were about desperate to get out to pee! And despite the time and the rain, they really really wanted to go for a walk but we were just too tired and worn out from the party. Maybe they'll get an extra long walk today, if James ever gets out of bed. It sounds really windy out there now though, I may need a toque. The rain has stopped though, and its sunny. Perhaps this is the Winter Winds clearing the way for the Solstice next weekend.

By the way, for James' Yule gift, I adopted him a tiger :-) Check out these links from MSN You can donate money in someone's name, or in honour of, and send that person an e-card or print out a card that tells them a donation has been made. You can choose tigers, lemurs, gorillas, African Savannah, or donate a goat to an impoverished family. I will get James a little stuffed tiger, and put the card with it, and he'll also get the e-card on Yule.

Really, we just have so much "stuff" and not much room for more. Tigers are his totem animal, and they're nearly all gone from the world. I know he'd appreciate to help save them. A few years ago my sister and brother in law adopted a polar bear for me at Christmas, and it was the best gift I ever got! If you've got someone on your list who you just don't what to get, if they're a charitable person, perhaps they'd like something in a warm Orangutan...? ;-)

Just one more week to go, and it'll all be over for another year. Maybe next year we can go home.

Candy makin' fiend...

2007-12-09T11:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I vended my Watkins wares at a Vendor showcase in Winston-Salem. During the week, I decided in order to show off a couple of the holiday special Watkins extracts, I'd make some candies from scratch.

Honestly, its not as hard as I thought it would be, however I did learn one thing. Do Not Use a Rubber Spatula To Stir The Hot Candy mixture! You end up with bits of rubber in your caramels! I had to make another batch. And stir it with a wooden spoon. *snarf*

I made some Irish Cream flavoured caramels, and Anise flavoured hard candies. They both took about half an hour to mix and stir to reach the correct temperature (very important to have a candy thermometer!) and then about an hour and a half or so each to wrap all the candies in waxed paper. Very time consuming that bit. But well worth it IMO. They're very yummy :-)

The vendor showcase unfortunately was not all that well attended, but the other vendors were good folks, and we all exchanged information and catalogues, and in some cases money for goods. I got a nice smelly bar of soap from the Body Works lady, a bag of home made dog cookies from another, an activity book for my nephew from the Discovery Toys lady, and a few wee Smidges from the Tupperware lady. Oh, and a half case of energy drink from the Vemma folks. Very tasty that stuff, not like what you get in convenience stores at all.

A few people purchased some of my Watkins items, but I still came home with more than I would have liked. I guess I'll be well stocked in a few items for this year. Still. bleah...there's really only so many bottles of extract a household of 2 needs yanno! ;-) And I've no idea what I'll do with 2 containers of Country Gravy mix. Neither James or I like it. hmmm...maybe I will donate it to the local food bank.

Anyhoo, here's the recipes for the candies. I'm quite certain they can both be altered for whatever flavours you have on hand. I've thought of making honey lemon candies and cinnamon candies, and chocolate caramels, and and and...one has lots of time to ponder new recipes when one is standing stirring the pot for half an hour at a time. ;-)

Crystal Cut Candy

Ingredients
2 cups/500 mL sugar
1/2 cup/125 mL light corn syrup
1/2 cup/125 mL water
2–3 tsp/10–15 mL Anise Extract
Dash salt
Few drops red food color

Directions
Combine sugar, syrup, water and salt. Bring to a boil over mudium heat. Cook to hard crack stage or 290°F/145°C on candy thermometer. Add food color and extract and allow to set for a few seconds before stirring. Mix well and pour into 8x8x2-inch/20x20x5-cm pan that has been sprayed with Watkins Cooking Spray. Let stand a few minutes until slightly cooled and a film forms over the top. Score candy into “puffs” 3/4 inch/20 mm square using a metal spatula or pancake turner (because candy is cooler at edges, start scoring at the outside and work toward the center). Press a line across pan 3/4 inch/20 mm from edge. Be careful not to break the film. Repeat around pan, intersecting lines at corners to form squares.If lines do not hold shape, candy is not cool enough. Retrace lines, pressing spatula deeper but not breaking film, until spatula can be pressed to bottom of pan on all sides. Cool thoroughly and break into squares. Store loosely covered in a cool, dry place. Makes approximately 100 candies.

Irish Cream Caramels

Ingredients
2 cups/500 mL whipping cream
1 cup/250 mL granulated sugar
1/2 cup/125 mL light corn syrup
2 tsp/10 mL butter or margarine
1 tsp/5 mL Irish Cream Extract
1 tsp/5 mL Vanilla
1/3 cup/80 mL chopped walnuts (I didn't put walnuts in mine. I don't like walnuts and can't figure out why anyone would want to ruin a perfectly good caramel by putting a nut in it!)

Directions
Combine cream, sugar, syrup and butter in large heavy saucepan. Using a candy thermometer, heat to 245°F/125°C, stirring constantly. Remove from heat at once. Stir in extracts; pour into buttered 8 x 8 x 2-inch/20 x 20 x 5-cm pan. Cool just until firm. Loosen candy around edges with a knife; invert on cutting surface. Cut into 1-inch/25-mm squares with a sharp knife. Cool completely and wrap each in waxed paper. Store in a cool place.

Note: These caramels keep well, and may be made several weeks in advance.

T'is the season to go shopping

2007-12-02T11:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we took a drive up the mountain to go shopping in Arden at World Market. We stupidly got directions from mapquest, and got horribly lost in the middle of nowhere. I guess Arden just isn't completed in the mapquest database.

After wasting about a quarter tank of gas, we finally stopped to ask directions and a nice lady in the Ingles gas station told us how to find it.

When we finally found the store and got in there, I intermittenly loved and hated it. Loved it because I was finding so much yummy international junk foods but most of the stuff on the shelves didn't have price tags on them, it was annoying! We ended up spending way more money than I wanted to, but we've got enough munchies to last a week or two. ;-)

We also got a few holiday gifts. They not only sell junk foods, but beers from around the world, so we picked up a few bottles (at $5 each!) for our holiday dinner. And they also have some nice trinkets, knick-knacks and gee-gaws that we'll have to go back for sometime.

I wanted to get some Christmas crackers, but they were $12.99 per package, and I thought that was a bit too much. Maybe we'll go back closer to the holiday and see if they get reduced in price to clear out. For those who don't know what a Christmas cracker is, it is NOT something you put cheese or peanut butter on and eat, it's a kind of party favour, that you pull apart and it's got a cap in it so it "cracks" when you pull it. Each has a paper hat, a toy and usually a riddle or trivia of some sort.

My Mum had some really awesome ones last year, with some really good toys in them. A few years ago I had bought some Harry Potter ones, and the paper hats were big pointy wizard hat types. James said no way would his family wear the hats, but they did! And they had fun with them too!

After our shopping excursion we stopped at a restaurant called Black Forest and had some yummy German food and beer. I had goulash for starters and James had the potato pancakes. For our entrees I had the smoked pork, and James had sauerbratten. The wait staff was awesome, so friendly and happy. Unlike most that we've run into who seem to be annoyed that they have to actually talk to customers in order to get their orders, and who just figure they're entitled to a tip because they showed up to work. :-p

We were so stuffed we couldn't do much of anything after we got home. Except fan the air, because I'm tellin' ya, that sauerkraut is potent stuff! peeeyeww! LOL

But of course we had to munch on the gingerbread and Tim Tams that we picked up at World Market! I couldn't believe they actually have Tim Tams (labelled Arnott's here of course, not Tim Tams, but I knew what to look for!) I'm not kidding when I say we got lots of junk! There's also a bag of German pfefferneusse, a bag of Belgian wafers, a box of 3 different types of scone mixes, 2 boxes of Scottish chocloate coated ginger shortbreads, 2 sacks of Belgian choclate coins (its just not Christmas without chocolate coins!), a package of Jaffa cakes, a huge bag of Hawaiian potato chips, a jar of Devon cream (to go with the scones), a couple of little tree decorations (stuffed bear and stuffed moose) and I'm sure a few other things that I can't remember at the mo.

It's probably a good thing that the store is more than an hour drive away! ;-) The lady who helped us find our way around the store (she was so incredibly helpful, she found us a buggy, found the Arnott's and then she also saw us waiting in line for check out and she went and opened another station just so we wouldn't have to wait!) she was amazed that we'd drive an hour just to go shopping. It was well worth the trip though.

Now I'm sitting here resisting the urge to go eat all of it! I think I shall have to leave the house for a while to remove myself from temptation!

TTFN

Holidays and stuff...

2007-11-25T09:41:00.001-05:00

Here in the US (and perhaps at home in Canada too...I dunno its been a while) for some inexplicable reason, Christmas now starts in October. Before Halloween. I'm not kidding, stores around here had Christmas decorations out before Halloween, and the radio was already playing the "all Christmas all the time!" station.

Truth to tell...I'm sick of Christmas already. And we've only just barely got through Thanksgiving!

Christmas is not my favourite time of the year to begin with. One main reason of course is that I can't be with my own family for the holiday, and I haven't spent Christmas with them since 2000. Sure, I've got to have "Early Christmas" or "Late Christmas" but not actual Christmas. And I won't be getting there again this year at all, because I'm flat broke.

So, I'm a Grinch, and I'm tired of it already and I'd just like to crawl into a cave until its all over and done with, sometime around the end of January or so.

We've already had Santa parades here in North Carolina. A lot of towns had them the weekend before Thanksgiving. Kids sitting on Santa's knee in the middle of November! Just what the hell is this holiday all about anyway? I really wonder sometimes!

Don't even get me started on "Black Friday"! Stores opening at 4 freakin' am so people can get a jump on their holiday shopping! People get trampled trying to get into stores when the doors open. Such sad displays of consumerism make me ill. I'm sure they could sell just as much if they opened their stores at the regular hour. Why hype it and have people camping out in the parking lot just to make sure they're first in line?

I haven't even gone grocery shopping this weekend, I stay completely away from stores this weekend after Thanksgiving. And the very few holiday gifts I'll be buying this year will be purchased on-line. Other than James, no one over the age of 8 is getting anything this year. We can't afford it.

Some of our neighbours even put up their Christmas trees the day before Thanksgiving. Doesn't that just make it drag on far too long, and diminish the purpose of the holiday? It's like saying the same word over and over and over again until it no longer means anything in your mind.

Try it... say tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet tartlet ... it's just meaningless syllables now.

We get 4 days this year because the company I work for gives Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, and they happen to fall on Monday & Tuesday. Could be a good weekend to just sit and watch all the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings DVDs.

In the meantime, I have to somehow figure out how to drown out my co-workers radios. They switched them from the country music station to the Christmas station the other day. bah...humbug!

Hug a Veteran Day

2007-11-11T10:09:00.001-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day in the US, and Remembrance Day for the rest of the world. The US doesn't do poppies, which I still find strange after so many years spending Novembers here, maybe especially so considering I am married to a USMC Veteran.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the USMC, so I baked a birthday cake :)

Remember our veterans at 11am.

Halloween used to be fun

2007-11-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

Halloween used to be my favourite day of the year. I'd love getting dressed up and having fun, whether at work, or at home handing out candy to kids.

Folks around here don't do Halloween. We've never had any trick-or-treaters at our house, not ever, not even one! At my current place of employment, costumes and fun having on Halloween is forbidden because of ONE particular person (C level exec) who thinks the day is evil and doesn't want to let the Devil in. pshaw! and phooey! Apparently before this guy came to work at the company, they used to have a Halloween party and costumes and everything. Now we get nuthin' :-p

On Halloween night we had our last Obedience class with George. She graduated, yet again! from Basic Obedience. And she got to play with the trainer's new pitty puppy. He's only 8 weeks old, but George was amazingly well behaved. Her foot is bigger than the little guy's head though, so when she started to get too excited I pulled her to the side to sit and be quiet a while. She's been doing fairly well with other dogs lately, except yesterday on the Greenway she was going nutz every time another dog passed by us. Foaming at the mouth and everything. *sigh* Dress her up, can't take her anywhere... ;-)

We've had some frost here already (early for here I think). I've even had to find my mittens its been so cold a couple of mornings this week!

Still no sign of an end to this drought though, and experts are saying if it doesn't rain significantly soon, by March we'll have no water left. All that rain last week only accumulated to about 2 to 5 inches across most of the state. Hurricane Noel may or may not get us some more rain this week. If there's any at all, it'll hit the coast and not reach us at all up here in the foothills.

Its been really difficult to think of new ways to conserve water. I take shorter showers, and only shower every other day (its not like I have a dirty smelly job anyway). Laundry and dishes only get done when the machines are full, etc etc etc...And yet there are some people around here who laugh and don't give a damn. I seriously want to smack them and ask them how they expect to survive when there's no water left at all! Or when the Governor finally enacts water rationing. Will they be scoffing then? sheesh...!

It boggles me how people just can't see it, or see it and not even care. Do they not understand what's going on? :-(

With that...I'm off to make myself some brunch. I'm in the mood for eggs n toast. I made a fresh loaf of bread yesterday and its calling to me.

Throw it all in the pot...

2007-10-27T10:56:00.000-04:00

That's what we do with leftovers, so this is my "left-overs" post. Got lots of stuff tucked away in my head, and people adding to it on a daily basis, so I'm gonna put it all in the pot and cook it and see what we come up with :)

First, Happy Samhain to you and yours! We celebrated last night, after I got home from work. I cooked a roast beast, colchannon (mashed potatoes, with cabbage and oinions), turnips, and sweet potato pie (which I had for breakfast...yummmmm!). James made some pan friend taters for his Pop. We stuffed ourselves, and put a plate and a light out for the ancestors on the front stoop. If that doesn't tip the neighbours off as to why we don't go to church, nuthin' will! ;)
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We've thankfully been getting some rain this week. It's rained nearly every day, but sadly it is still not enough to reverse the drought. The river is still not up to "normal" levels. Most of the state is wondering if there will be water stores in the next couple of months, and the governor is considering state wide water rationing.

The sun is shining today, so I'm guessing that's it for the rain again. Which is a shame, George & Bruno looked so cute in their rain coats! LOL!

They were fussing the other night about going out for a walk, and it was raining, so James decided they MUST have rain coats on. He got a couple of his old Domino's delivery jackets and put them on them. He called me upstairs and when I saw George standing there like this, I nearly pee'd my pants laughing!

Every time George put her head down to sniff at the ground, which is often, the hood fell down over her eyes and she'd stumble around trying to get it off. The sleeves were too long on both of them and they'd end up walking on them, and flapping over their feet! The whole time we were out, I spent bent over laughing at them. It was just too funny. James says he's going to alter the jackets so they'll fit better. Trim the sleeves and take in the hood for George. Bruno's head is big enough that the hood on his didn't bother him at all.

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You'd think that in a town that has a rather large immigrant population such as Morganton, (mostly from Latin America, but quite a few from other parts of the world as well) the one and only Post Office would be better stocked for Global Priority mail packages! I spent the better part of my lunch hour the other day trying to find something to send my nephew AJ's birthday present in because there was NO global priority boxes left! NONE! Not anywhere in the entire post office >:-| They didn't even have any APO packages left either. And there's a fairly large population of people here who send care packages to soldiers overseas. I'm tellin' ya...sheesh!

Not only does the local post office suck, but recently a co-worker had to call 911 AND SHE WAS PUT ON HOLD!!!! For 10 minutes! When they finally came back to her, she said "nevermind, I'm dead now!" and hung up! Luckily for her, the threat had left (she works part time at a local gas station, and there was some kids hanging around making people nervous), but jeezus, she could have been shot and bled to death while she was on hold!

Another chalk mark in the column for "reasons to move away from here". Far, far away...
******************************
I do love the fall, it is my favourite time of year. Finally the summer heat and humidity is gone, the leaves are starting to change colour, the air is fresher, and hopefully soon I'll be able to find parsnips at the grocery store (they're rare around here apparently). Maybe today since it is not raining we can take the dogs for a good long walk on the Greenway. Maybe have a picnic in the park. That would be fun. :)

Our wedding anniversary is on Tuesday next week. 6 years. Can you believe it? I can't. Feels like forever, and not quite that long all at the same time.

I'm trying to convince James to take me out to dinner at Churchill's Pub on Tuesday. I don't know why he has such an aversion to the place, but one of these days I'll get him in there!
*******************************
And I think last but not least, a friend of mine from back home posted this YouTube on my Facebook FunWall, and I'd like to share it with all my other friends who are not on Facebook.

I've been big on trying to help out the environment for quite a few years, and the argument that this guy uses is similar to one I've used previously to folks whove said "nope, its not us, its normal!" I also use the financial angle, the workshop I led at PPD was "How to save money by being and environmentalist".

Check out this guy's presentation, he's got some valid points.
(hopefully I post this correctly...I've never done a YouTube link before)

Well, I'm glad that's over with!

2007-10-20T09:54:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was our Pagan Pride Day. I think I mentioned before that I had been "voluntold" as the Entertainment Co-ordinator for the event. Well, I won't go into details, but suffice to say that I am very glad the event is over and done with, and that I will not be volunteering for anything of the sort any time soon! UGH! and GAH!

Not to mention of course the sunburn on the nose and forehead that is now peeling...

We took the dogs with us for the entire (very long) day, as both James and I would have been away from the house for over 12 hours, we couldn't leave them here. They were marginally well behaved, considering. By 2pm or so (we arrived at 8am) they were ready to leave, after being mauled by children who just wouldn't get the hint to leave them alone.

We got back home just in time to catch Torchwood at 9pm. So we did indeed have a very long day. We had left the house that morning at 7am. The dogs ate their supper and then slept until about 3pm the following day. And one of my goldfish died that night. The other is not looking too good either lately. *sigh*

***************

Other than that, Autumn seems to finally have found us. The temps have cooled off some thankfully, and leaves are starting to change colours. They've had frost up in the mountains, though it hasn't touched us here yet. We had a bit of drizzle the other day, but we're still stuck in an extreme drought. The governor says that most cities in the state have only 90 days worth of water in storage. If that runs out, we're in trouble. The state of Georgia is not fairing much better.

We've been trying to conserve water as best we can, but crikey, if the city runs out in 3 months, what are we gonna do?

Some selfish bastards in Charlotte are having wells drilled because the city has put restrictions on watering gardens and lawns for customers of city water sources. If they had half a frikken brain, they'd realize that they're not helping themselves or their neighbours any just to have a green lawn! When the water runs out, their own well (for which they'd just spent $5000 to drill!) will also run dry! selfish eejits...I think the city should ban well drilling for households who are already on city sources. I mean really...how stupid and selfish can people get?

It has even gone to the extreme that the governor has suggested to restaurant owners to not serve water unless a customer specifically asks for it! Some pretty scary stuff :-(

Well, this weekend I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to try and get some stuff done around our own house that we haven't had much time to do because all my spare time the past few weeks was taken up by PPD stuff.

Next weekend will be busy with Samhain up in Boone with a new Druid friend and her family. I'm going to take a roast beast, and maybe some mashed taters with cabbage. mmmm...mmm..mmm...I can't wait! :-)

catcha later!

Poor George

2007-09-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

Last week or so, George hurt her toe and ripped off the nail. Again. She was due for a visit to the vet for a booster shot anyway, so James took her over there and had them look at her foot. They ended up keeping her to do a wee surgery on the toe to fix the nail because it was broken so far down that it was still bleeding and had got infected. She is now effectively de-clawed on that one toe.

She had to stay at the vet overnight, because they over-anesthetised her >:-| and she came home the next morning with a bucket on her head. Poor thing...

You can see in this one above that the bucket is right to the end of her nose, so it was really difficult for her to eat and drink. Especially cookies, because she couldn't get her paws around the cookie to hold it. I had to hold the cookie for her so she could bite it.

She just more and more pathetic...

She finally gave up and decided she'd have to live with the bucket on her head.

Bruno just thought it was the funniest thing ever! heh heh heh...

Finally! Rain!

2007-09-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

We here in North Carolina are suffering a terrible drought. But finally yesterday, it rained! And for more than just a few minutes. It started sometime in the wee smalls, and kept up til well after lunch time. Still, we're not caught up to normal precipitation levels for this time of year (last I read, we're about 17 inches less than usual for the year), but at least it was something.

About 3 weeks ago we had a wicked storm, knocked down trees and power lines, thunder lightning, I was driving down precarious mountain roads in the dark etc etc etc...but it didn't rain for long, so it did more damage than good. Luckily, we didn't lose any trees at our house (I had visions of coming home to find the big maple tree in our front yard moved to our front room, but it stayed where it should!) I had to drive around more than one rather large tree branch in the middle of roads. And Hwy 321 is hazardous at the best of times, I seriously thought I was going to blow out my brakes that night! I couldn't see a dang thing other than lightning, it was very scary!

Anyhoo...the lake about 20 minutes from here, Lake James is about 8 feet below normal levels, and receding about an inch more every day. Yesterday's rain may have slowed that some, but likely not much. Local farmers are really hurting, and the State Governor has asked the Feds for assistance for them. That's how bad it is here.

The Catawba river that runs right through Morganton has been so low all summer that you could pretty much walk across it and not get your feet wet. All the debris that was washed downstream from the flood 3 years ago is now visible. It used to barely break the surface, now its just junk lodged in dirt.

And yet, in Texas, Kansas and other Mid-West states, they're floating away! Flooding has been getting worse all summer long. While we're parched, they're water logged. Its just crazy!

Hopefully yesterday's rain is a sign of more to come. Probably not though. Today is bright and sunny, although not as hot as it has been. Its a nice "pretty day" as they say around here.

***

In other goings on, we've been crazy busy around here, what with Dragon*Con, then last weekend friends' Beth & JD & David's bar The Underground closed its doors, so we were down there on Saturday night to support them. I did my liver some damage, and couldn't move most of Sunday at all! Its been a long time since I had a hangover, hopefully it'll be a long time til I have another! OUCHIE!

Next weekend is Mabon already, where has the year gone?

Weekend after that we're having a yard sale to try and raise some money for PPD to pay for the park rental and the event insurance. Its going to be in the parking lot of The Underground (which next weekend is re-opening their doors with a new name and new format..."alternative lifestyle"...well...gay bar) and they'll be "renting" tables for $25. I've got several boxes full of crap...erm...stuff to go through to sell. Hopefully I'll make my $25 back plus some.

The weekend after that Jeff Dunham is playing at the Lenoir Broyhill Center. Yes, he of the many puppets, Peanut, Walter, Jose Jalapeno on a steeeek, and I think a couple new ones. We still need to book our tickets for the show, so hopefully its not sold out yet. We tried to buy them from their on-line boxoffice, but kept getting error messages. Its broken :-( I may have to drive to Lenoir :-p

Then the weekend after that is Pagan Pride Day. Check out our website http://www.cvhcppd.com It is still a work in progress but there's some info there. If you're in the area, you're more than welcome to join us! Bring a donation for the Humane Society or the Hunger Coalition. Stay til after dark and bring a drum or noisemaker and something for the feast table! We'll be there til about 11pm! Its going to be a long long long day! oi!

I'm tired just thinking about it. I think I'll go have a snooze.

Dragon*Con Atlanta, GA. August 30 - September 3

2007-09-08T11:32:00.001-04:00

Wow, what a weekend! I'm still recovering and trying to catch up! Here's a quick run-down of our weekend, with lots of pics and links!

We left Thursday morning, dropped the dogs off at K9 Cabins (the best dang doggie resort in Western NC!) George & Bruno just love it there, and always have so much fun! From there we made our way to Hotlanta! The car was loaded up with suitcases full of costumes and coolers and boxes full of food (we can't afford an entire weekend of hotel food so we loaded up on quick snackie foods and brought our own drinks).

As soon as we hit the Atlanta city limits, traffic stopped DEAD and we nearly crashed the Escape into the back end of a pick-up truck who slammed on his breaks suddenly. After our hearts re-started, it wasn't long til we found our hotel, the Hyatt Regency . We pulled up in front for the valet and he poked his head in the window and said "you're going to be a problem". Gee...thanks! You hardly know us! ;-) The problem of course was we're in an SUV with a luggage carrier on top, too tall to fit in the cars underground, so we had to drive around the hotel to their SUV underground. Which was also too low in the ceiling with our luggage carrier on top. So, we had to wait around for a trolley with me in the garage waiting, and James up street-side waiting with the truck parked illegally. I got my first con-hug down here :-)

Finally we got the truck un-loaded and the carrier off the top (after backing up Atlanta downtown rush hour traffic for a while, y'see James parked the truck in front of the receiving/delivery entrance of the hotel!) and headed to check into the hotel. So far, not so bad...not dead yet anyway...

We checked in, took our gear up to the room, tipped the bell-hop (nice guy, all the hotel staff are wonderfully friendly, considering the madhouse that is Dragon*Con!) and headed down to Registration, where we met our First Long Line-Up.

This line only took us not quite an hour, but it was a taste for what the weekend was to be like! We spent the greater part of the weekend standing and waiting for stuff to happen! If you ever go, wear comfy shoes!

After registration we headed back to our room to map out our plan for the weekend and highlighting things in our Pocket Guide. Then we wandered around for a while before the big party started with a few bands playing in one of the rooms. We met Hagrid

umbrella and all

The bands playing on Thursday night included Emerald Rose, who finished up the evening, but we didn't quite stay up to see the end of it. We did meet up with some fellow Charlotte Browncoats, Danny, Scott and Cole. It had been a very long day so we were all out of there by midnight I think, and in bed to get ready for the next big day of standing in line for stuff! ;-)

Friday, what did we do? Dangit, I wish we'd had internet at the hotel so I could have posted a daily run down, but the Hyatt charges $10 per 24 hours of internet service, and I refuse to pay that much for it! I refuse to pay for it at all frankly, I'm already paying them more than $150 per night for the room!

Anyhoo...

So much to do, so little time! Each guest panel is about an hour long, and there's a 30 minute break between schedules, and hour long line ups for just about everything. Which means of course, if you go to see one panel, and want to see one in the next time slot, you'll end up at the back of the line. Which happened quite often. Which means you're sitting at the back of the room, and too far away to get any decent photos with a crappy idiot box digital camera. So I didn't get many from the panels at all unfortunately.

On Friday we tried to see the Ghost Hunters, but apparently their flight was delayed by weather so we weren't told until everyone was in the room and sitting down that the panel was cancelled. Would have been nice if they'd told us that while we were standing in line >:-p but nooooooooo! So instead we headed to the bowels of the hotel to the Stargate Fandom Track opening. We got SG Atlantis posters and A Dog's Breakfast posters (they're double-sided, but we got 2, so one of each, if you follow). We didn't get to meet (m)any people really, everything is just so rushed! Which is a shame, its always nice to share time with folks who share an obession ;-)

I think (memory is fading! GAH!) we went from there to the first Stargate Panel of the weekend, with Paul McGillion, (Dr. Carson Becket - Atlantis) Alexis Cruz, (Skaara - The Movie & SG1) Corin Nemic, (Jonas Quinn SG1) and John de Lancie (Frank Simmons - SG1). These guys are funny! Especially Paul and John! We were very happy to find out that Dr. Becket will be returning to Atlantis, despite his rather untimely death last season! Yay! He couldn't tell us how of course, but still, its SciFi, nobody stays dead for long. Right Daniel Jackson? ;-)

From there I headed right on over to spend an hour with Ron Glass and Mark Sheppard of Firefly/Serenity. These two are REALLY funny together. And no, Mark Sheppard is *not* the voice of the Geiko gekko, quit asking him that! James headed in another direction to see something else, but didn't make it, so ended up coming back and couldn't find me in the huge huge room full of people. We met up again later in the room for something to eat.

Friday night was Apophis' Birthday Bash with the Stargate fans, where we all got branded with Apophis' hyroglyph

And after that, An Evening at Bree with the Tolkienites, with the Brobdingnagian Bards and Emerald Rose playing. We were lined up down the hall, and outside the hotel and around the corner to get in!

I recognized quite a few people from The Tolkien Gathering I had attended last year in Toronto with Mum. Some of them in the same costumes even to make it easier ;-). We met Lucius Malfoy there, looking quite spiffy as usual.

Saturday was a big day, we planned to see the Harry Potter stars Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) and James and Oliver Phelps (George & Fred Weasley), so we dressed up in our Hogwarts costumes. James was Dumbledore, and I was just a Weasley witch (what with my red hair, what else would I be?). We got SWARMED in the hotel lobby and couldn't move for about 20 minutes with people taking photos of us with Gandalf, who we'd just happened to meet up with that morning.

And, strangely enough for some reason my most fave costume of the entire weekend was this guy...

The whole time he was in costume, he never said a word!

We did get to see Matthew, James and Oliver, but I didn't get any photos of them, as previously mentioned because we had been swarmed, we were late for the event and got sat too far away. I did however get some nice shots of others in the room in costume.

Here's another of my fave costumes, it takes 3 to do it right, and these folks even won an award at Masquerade.

We also saw the Stargate Mega Panel on Saturday, with ooooooo, whole bunches of people from both shows. By this time we were crazy tired and worn out from standing in lines all day, and our costumes were getting way too hot. Velvet cloak in Atlanta in August? We stood at the top of the stairs and saw the line go on and on and on and on and said fuck it, we'll wait til the end of it passes us then join in...lucily our good friend and fellow Browncoat Danny was smart enough to have skipped the event prior to this one, and he "saved" us a spot. ;-) Thanks again Dan! You're the bestest!

The Stargate mega panel included Corin Nemic, Vanessa Angel, Pierre (sorry can't remember his name...he's on the Conan O'Brien show), Chris Judge, Jason Momoa, Paul McGillion, Michael Shanks, Lexa Doig, Alexis Cruz, gods I hope I didn't forget anybody!...and may I just say that Chris Judge has a potty mouth! And some strange fascination with poo! These guys are hillarious!

Saturday was also time spent in the Buffy-verse with James Marsters, Juliet Landau, Elisabeth Rohm and Ken Feinburg (who blew off a panel he was supposed to do with the Trek Track!). I got a couple of shots at this one, I just had to scrunch down and make my way to the front of the room!

Ken & Elisabeth

James & Juliet

And all 4

They're dark because as mentioned, my camera is not the greatest, and the room is dark!

Gosh...what else did we do...oh yeah, stood in line for I dunno how long for the Whedon Shindig that night and still didn't get in because the room is too gorram small and they were turning people away. So, like any good Browncoat who aims to misbehave, we snuck in the back door! From the Charlotte browncoats there was me and Danny Andy and Kathy. Already inside were a few others. The Bedlam Bards played for our enjoyment (I'll post the video I got later maybe)

whew...on to Sunday...this is getting long so I'll just post some more pics and maybe run down later its getting late and the day is getting away from me and we have things to do...

We saw one last panel on Sunday with Ron Glass. By this time we had given up on line ups, and started to take full advantage of James' disability (having previously spoken with disability services and learned that we were allowed to take the service elevator) and were able to get to the front of the line. I saw a bunch of friends furhter down a bit, and promised to keep some seats for them. We managed to get front row.

He was always always laughing!

And, I don't remember exactly when we saw this costume, but I just had to get a pic! Brilliant!

And then Dorothy happened by...

I do have a few other shots and links, but I'll put them up later. Gotta go for now!

Oh, and sorry I missed it but if you're reading this, Happy Birthday Layne! Hope yours was as much fun as mine was! And maybe sometime we can celebrate together at Dragon*Con, cuz that would be really cool! :-) And if you tag along with your celebrity girlfriend, perhaps you can get the con to pay for your room and stuff ;-)

Life in general

2007-08-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

We got the airconditioner fixed, thank the gods! Originally, the guy said it was the compressor, and that we'd need a new one at the price of $1400! Turns out, it was only a burned out wire that cost $150 :-p

Goes to show that you should get a second opinion not just on medical issues, but electrical as well! Meanwhile, the heatwave and drought continue. Its really getting a bit old.

Cousin Dee delivered her baby girl Xena who remains in hospital due to heart problems that will require surgery. She is in Toronto's Sick Kid's hospital, one of the best in the world, so we know she's in good hands. Thoughts and prayers would of course always be appreciated! Course of action will be determined tomorrow (Monday Aug. 20th), of when and what they'll do in surgery.

George & Bruno have once again completed basic obedience training at Pet Smart, and of course George will be going back AGAIN, because she went and attacked one of her classmates! The poor little thing, she scared the bejeebers out of him! We'll be going back until she finally decides that other dogs maybe aren't so bad :-p Probably til she's so old and senile she won't even recognize another dog, let alone be able to attack it! sheesh...rotten mutt...

Not much else goin' on really. We're still getting ready for Dragon Con, and we've been out shopping the past couple of days looking for bits and bobs for our costumes. James got himself a rather nice waistcoat type vest, and a dress shirt for his wizard costume. I have yet to find myself an affordable peasant blouse for my pirate costume, nor can I find just the right type of Hogwarts Professor type blouse to go with my witch costume. I have a pointy hat, velvet cloak and nice linen skirt, but no top. I was also looking for a corset for a vampire costume maybe, but the only affordable one we found didn't quite fit right. I may just go back for it and see if I can alter it a bit, take in the sides to make it fit better.

Problem is that 98% of my clothes that I have now don't fit because of all the weight I've gained. I also am finding it rather difficult to find every day clothes that fit me that I could bear to wear. And that I can afford. At the mo, I have 3 pairs of trousers that fit that I can wear to work, and maybe half a dozen tops, and 2 skirts. On the weekends lately I've been wearing sarongs and t-shirts. Its too hot for much anything else.

Shopping yesterday up in Asheville and there are half a dozen shops that sell skirts and tunic/peasant blouses, but for some odd reason, they're priced right out of my range! Back home, a broomstick skirt (you know the ones, hippy chicks and witches wear 'em!) in Little India and other neighbourhoods are like $10 or less. I didn't find any for less than $30 here, and they're the same dang thing! Wonderful Nepalese and Indian made tunics are $30 on up to $60, when I could get them at the Himalaya store in Toronto for less than half that.

We did get ourselves a small jar of Imladris Farm raspberry jam though!

And a couple of candle holders and paper streamer decorations (for PPD maybe) at a shop called Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade shop with handmade items from around the world. Some beautiful work in there, I could have spent $1000 easily, if I'd had it! I will most definitely go back there when I'm doing holiday gift shopping!

This week I have another follow-up appointment with my Endocrinologist. I still haven't been able to pay for the last one :-p I dunno if they'll be drawing blood this time. Probably. Which of course just costs more, on top of the $90 visit fee. My insuarnce doesn't pay for anything yet, because we haven't met the deductible. Probably won't before the end of the year when we start all over again either! I can't tell you how glad I am that Cousin Dee and baby Xena are in Canada and won't have to worry about debilitating hospital bills on top of everything else!

What a crazy system this is here! Just nucking futz! About one third of my wages go to pay health insurance premiums, and then I still can't actually *use* the health insurance because I have to pay $1000 deductible first! And I can't afford to pay the deductible, because so much of my wages go to pay for the premiums. Round and round and round we go...

If we don't go back to full time hours at EJV soon, I will have to start looking for a second job. Or a first job that'll give me 5 days a week. So far, there's been no mention of going back to 5 days a week. I just don't have the energy to hold down 2 jobs...bleah...

I am sooooooo ready for winter!

2007-08-05T14:03:00.000-04:00

I can't handle this heat anymore! Its like 90F outside, and probably hotter than that inside. I breathe and I sweat, its disgusting. I hate sweating.

Bruno is pretty much living in the basement now, but I've got the dryer on doing laundry and its getting hot even down there. Poor thing :-(

ugh...someone please send large blocks of ice!

This'll put marzipan in your pieplate, Bingo!

2007-08-03T09:55:00.000-04:00

Well, here's some photos from my short trip home. I really only took pics at Mum's birthday party, and as most of the party goers were family whom I don't know if they'd appreciate me putting their photos on the internet, I've only got 3 to post.

How's that for a run on sentence?

Me, Mum, Chrissy & AJ

Me & Charlene (not very flattering, but my arms are not quite long enough for the self portrait method of photography!)

The Party Tree. Quite fortuitous that my Mum is a hobbit with a big tree in her garden eh? ;-)

Plus, here's some pics of a couple of little trinket boxes I painted recently and donated to our local Pagan Pride Day ewitch auction to raise money for our PPD.

I bought blank boxes at AC Moore and painted them. The first I did was the Celtic Cat, and then did the Green Man. The boxes are fairly small, only about palm sized, so the detail work was really difficult. Each box took me about 3 hours to paint.

I'm totally new at painting, I haven't done any artsy painting since highschool, which was a very loooooooooooooooong time ago indeed! Well..except some wine glasses that my sister and I painted for her wedding 9 years ago. I have a tonne of art supplies that hubby got me last year, and that my Grandmother gave me, so I feel kind of obligated to get with it and do something!

My (paternal) Grandmother is an awesome painter! She's got some really impressive stuff hanging in her apartment. Mostly she works with watercolours lately, which is even harder than using acrylics or oils. As she says, with oils if you make a mistake you can just cover it up with some more paint. It doesn't quite work that way with watercolours.

She did one amazing portrait of Mother Theresa, it is so life-like, I'm just in awe of Momma's talent, and wish I could have at least a third of it!

I asked her why she doesn't sell any of her paintings, she could make a few extra dollars for sure!

She also does landscapes and city scapes, not just portraits. And, I believe she is self taught, I don't think she ever took any lessons.

My Muse left me several years ago though. I think it coincides with the thyroid problems, and when that started wreaking havoc with my brain, my artistic talents and ambitions all flew out the window. Its sort of coming back, but its really difficult to get into, and very daunting. I have so many pictures in my head I'd like to paint, but I just can't seem to get them to come out the frilly end of the brush. If you follow...

*sigh* Maybe some day...

Home again, home again...

2007-07-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

If only home really was where you hang your hat. ;-)

I went "home" for a visit last week for my Mum's birthday. We surprised her with my arrival, and then again with a party on Saturday. It was funny, she had no clue, and honestly, I was very surprised that nobody spoiled it before I got there!

Now of course I'm totally broke, and wondering how I'm going to put gas in my car *and* buy milk this week. Y'know, for a "civilised" country, the US really needs to re-think its vacation policies! I don't have paid vacation time this year, and I took 3 days off last week, so my paycheck (once they took all my deductions) was paltry to say the least. My paycheck next week will be only slightly more, with 3 days of pay.

But, I got to pig out on Canadian goodies for 5 days, so not all is lost! And I got to see family and a few of my friends. I just wish I had thought to have my camera out to get a picture of Mum's face when I walked into her house! It was hillarious! LOL!

I got back to NC on Monday evening, which was James' birthday (more than half the family has their birthday in July...its a rather expensive month!). My Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was here waiting for me, and I got maybe one chapter read that evening. I finally finished it Thursday evening, and now I'm waiting for James to read it so I can have another go at it.

There were some bits that dragged, but all in all, not a bad read really. Despite her assurances that 2 people would die, more that that did, and I was more than a bit angry at the final death toll. (I won't go into detail in case there are any readers who have not finished yet!) There was one in particular that had me sobbing like a baby. And one or two that shocked the heck out of me. When this movie is made, it'll be a tear jerker for sure!

Not much else has been going on really. I had a short trip home (I'll post some pics maybe once I get them uploaded) that I wish could have been longer, and work is stil work. There's not much of it to go around, so we're still on a 4 day week, which really hurts the wallet, as I'm sure you can imagine. I've thought about getting a second job for the weekends, but then that leaves me with no life. Plus, I'll be taking time off again to go to Dragon Con at the end of next month, so what's the point? *sigh*

Oh, and our air conditioner is broke, the hot water heater is leaking, and so is the roof to one of the downstairs bedrooms.

I don't know yet if this "slow down" will continue thru September, but if it does, I'll have to consider looking for a different job. I can't afford this one. We all just found out by a round about way that it was continuing through August. It was only supposed to be for July.

Dragon Con is going to cost us a small fortune, but when I booked it, I was working 5 day weeks, and had no idea we'd be cut to 4 day weeks. When I booked my vacation time off for Mum's birthday, we were working 5 day weeks, plus, at the time I had no idea how much my weekly health insurance premiums were going to cost me. They took up pretty much my whole paycheck this week :-p *sigh*

Ah well...live and learn. Maybe we can get these houses sold soon and move somewhere with better jobs and closer to home. blah blah blah...

Oh yeah!

2007-07-12T18:36:00.000-04:00

How could I have forgotten already? Must have been the ooey ooey gooey goodness of Spike staring at me ;-)

We went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night! For some reason, quite a lot of the critics are complaining its too long, but its only 2 hours and 18 minutes, and I thought was not long enough! So much had to be cut out of course, as the longest book in the series somehow ended up as the shortest movie so far! There was a couple of spots where I went "huh?" and more than a few others where I was like "wow, cool!", like flying over London at night time. If only...

I forgot to take a kleenex, and I forgot (going in) who it was that dies in this part. Then I remembered, and almost started crying before he even arrived on scene. If you follow. I'm such a sap!

It felt kind of rushed to me, I guess because so much was missing, but all in all it was a darn good movie. The younger principles are getting better and better at their craft, and the actor who plays Delores Umbridge is absolutely fabulously horrible! And clad entirely in bright pink during the entire movie except when Harry is on trial for using magic outside of school in the presence of a Muggle no less. Umbridge's office is also one of the more creepy ones, what with all the decorator collector plates with mewling kittens all over the place! LOL!

There is a lot that is left out, understandably, but some of it leaves questions and confusions. While some other scenes left in are kinda "why'd they put that there?"

Kreecher the house-elf is cranky and creepy as he should be, but we missed the family portraits at Grimmauld Place. The extendible ears are freakin' hillarious! And Cruikshanks the cat even moreso!

Well...I think I'll go see what's for supper now. It ain't gonna cook itself for some reason. Where's my magic wand...?

Aha, a Title!

2007-07-12T18:24:00.000-04:00

imagine that! ;-)

My darling hubby just got home from a day out with his buddy at the comic book shop and lo & behold, he brought me presents! Yes pressious! Presents!

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8 comics 1, 2 & 4, and Spike Asylum #3. The latter of which I will have to take to Dragon Con to see if I can get autographed by James Marsters.

I was looking on-line today at an army-navy surplus to see if I can get an inexpensive Stargate-ish costume for con. This weekend we may go check to see if the guy is still at the local flea market, it may be cheaper. We can't afford to go all out of course, but maybe just a pair of BDU pants, combat boots and a t-shirt should do. Maybe a hat.

A costume like Claudia Black's PVC get-up in her first visit to the SGC would be awesome, but I think is a bit out of my price range. And weight range :-p

No idea what I'll wear to the shindig. Maybe there'll be a frilly dress at the flea market somewhere ;-)

2007-07-09T19:20:00.000-04:00

again with the not letting me put in a title! This is annoying! I must write a harshly worded email to the webmaster.

Anyhoo...did you know that Tippy Hedren, oh she of "The Birds" fame, is still around? I didn't, but holy cats was I surprised to see her added to the guest list for Dragon Con!

Also added today were Juliet Landau, most notable (to me anyhow) as Drusilla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Paul McGillion, recently on Stargate-Atlantis as Dr. Carson Beckett (killed off this past season, the bastards!).

Just too many sexy people going to be there. I may need to carry a cushion around with me, in case I swoon. ;)

Yay! I need a countdown ticker...

2007-07-08T10:26:00.000-04:00

What's up with my blogger? It won't let me enter a title. Stupid thing :-p Ah well...

Last weekend we went to a Canada Day celebration at a couple of fellow Canucks in NC house near Charlotte. They graciously hosted a backyard party for a couple dozen people. They even supplied Canadian beer, which was a nice touch. It was nearly a 2 hour drive to get there and back again, but a fun time was had by all. Even my grumbly hubby :-p

Check out the hat on my fat head

My t-shirt says "I'm being chased by angry beavers". I got that several years ago at Thrifty's in Toronto. I thought it was absolutely hillarious at the time. Now it comes in handy for Canada Day parties as the only red t-shirt in my drawer ;-)

With thanks to Charlene for sending the hat, along with a whole bunch of other stuff that was well received at the party. I was really popular with the kids I'll tell ya! They kept coming up to me "what else have you got in the bag?" LOL! Mostly they had fun with the stickers (from Cara) and the tattoos (also from Char). The frizbee disappeared somewhere, but I managed to get another one from the box of swag that the Consular guys brought with them. They also brought rubber Canada bracelets, stickers, lapel pins, and Cold-FX, cuz, you know, its Canada and we get free healthcare. ;-)

I also had a string of lights with Canada flags on it that Mum sent, and a maple leaf citronella scented suncatcher that Cara sent. That is now hanging in my front kitchen window. Not sure what I'll do with the lights yet, maybe hang 'em here in my office.

On Wednesday I had the day off of course for the Independence Day holiday here in the US. James and his friend Eric and I caught the 12 noon showing of Transformers movie, which I was quite pleasantly surprised with. Then we came back here for backyard cook-out and to get eaten by the mosquitoes and midges. My legs are covered in bites, I should have put on the insect repellent, but I was too busy cooking while the guys played video games inside :-p

Not much else goin' on really. The week was kind of weird, with a holiday on Humpday, and then back to work for Thursday and off again Friday (4 day work week for summer).

I got my bike goin' yesterday. Finally got it out of the basement last weekend, and got air in the tires yesterday and took it out for a *very* short ride. My legs just take soooooo long to get used to that kind of work, and its surprising how much it bloody hurts! Plus, its very hilly around here!

But I need to lose this fat, so hopefully with work I'll be able to go further and further each time. Maybe someday even make it to the store and back. ;-) Maybe.

My anti-thyroid medicine was reduced again by half, and my last blood work shows my thyroid levels at "normal". I'm doubtful, but hoping that the reduction will help me to lose weight. But the last reduction didn't, I actually gained a couple more pounds, despite eating less food and working out more. It is just so disheartening I tell ya! GAH! Very frustrating.

I'm hungry.

How the world goes 'round

2007-06-30T12:26:00.001-04:00

Let me preface this by saying that I've been surfin' the internet since probably 1995 or so. Yeah, I guess you could say I was a late bloomer. But I didn't have a computer at home, and I'm guessing as to when we got internet hooked up at work and I had time to surf. Surfin' was actually a part of my job for a little while, lookin' up information on prospective clients and such. I became a master surfer.

But it wasn't until 1999 that I first discovered message boards. That was when my friend Matthew told me about this little movie in the works called The Lord of the Rings. Now, being a fan of the books as I was, he knew I'd be interested in knowing about the movie. So I went surfin and found the message board that is now known as The Council of Elrond, and coincidently, my husband now owns it. At the time, a guy named Aram in Alabama ran the site, and it was called Lordoftheringsmovie.com, and then Imladris.net (which will still route to our current site btw).

I am still not quite sure what made me make myself at home at this particular forum and not any of the other dozen or so that were out there. I did post a few times at other sites, but Imladris became my internet "home". And is still set as my homepage. Imladris was different. Not nearly as big as a couple of the others, so nowhere near as daunting. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was mik and Kelandra goofin' around. Or maybe it really was Dr. Evil seemed to need some help bashing the Americans ;-) I dunno...but life sure got different real fast!

And it was on this particular message board where I have made quite a lot of friends. Some I've not yet met face to face, and others, in the dozens, I've travelled to meet, or have hosted at my house at some time or another. That's where I met my Dark Lord husband (his nicname there is Melkor...if you're familiar with Tolkien's works, you'll understand the Dark Lord moniker that goes with the name Melkor).

I also met Carcharoth, who in real life goes by the name of Layne. I haven't seen him in a few years now sadly (gosh when was it last Layne? When I went to Regina?) BUT, despite the vastness of the Real World, and the Internet, we become connected yet again in a way, in less than 6 degrees ;-) After last weeks' charity screening event of Serenity, someone on the Charlotte Browncoats list posted a link to WereGeek comic celebrating Browncoat Day. Its a really cool comic, and wonder of wonders is drawn by none other than friend Layne's girlfriend Alina! And there it was, posted on the Charlotte Browncoats list.

So of course I hop on over to Layne's blog to let him know, and low and behold, he's got a post braggin' how the comic made it to Whedonesque.com which he found by clicking the link to Joss' rant from right here at my little ol' nothin' of a blog!

Kinda makes my head swim a bit.

I also wanted to say that I'd watched my DVD "Done the Impossible" last weekend, and I must say, that despite the fact I have never posted on any of the Firefly or Serenity boards (other than the Charlotte Yahoo list) but I Totally Get It. We have much the same type of experiences at our Lord of the Rings forums, only going back a lot further, and we're still goin! We even still get the odd new member sign up, which considering the movies were released several years ago now is pretty cool.

I don't get to travel anymore like I used to (that was one major benefit of working for a multi-national software company!) and nobody wants to come visit middle of nowhere Western North Carolina lately, so I haven't got to see anyone for quite a while. The last CoE-er (as we are now sometimes called) other than immediate family was Cousin Lanen (aka Elizabeth Kerner a celebrity in her own right. Or "write" ;-) in Edinburgh last spring. But I still would like to make a few more trips to far away places to meet some new friends, and see some old friends again. Sometime before I die. Seriously, its on the list! ;-)

Anyhoo...in a round about way what I'm gettin at is that even though those Browncoats on the DVD think perhaps they're the only website out there that has the same connections, the same comraderie etc (and don't get me wrong, Browncoats are wonderful folks!) We Ringers have been at it for far longer, and we do it just as well. And with hairy feet! I am quite certain however that if ever the 2 groups should meet, they'd get along very well. Afterall, there is some crossover. :-)

Can't Stop the Serenity

2007-06-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

The signal just keeps getting bigger and bigger and...

Last night was the charity screening of Serenity in Charlotte. And being the second annual, it was a might better organized than the first annual, and better attended too. The Charlotte Browncoats raised over $2400 for Equality Now, and we all had a great time all together talking about, and watching our favourite BDM (big damn movie for those uninitiated )

For me, the shiniest part of the whole night was when they announced that the next door pizza joint Fuel Pizza, would be offering a portion of their proceeds from sales to Equality Now. They handed out a couple hundred vouchers to attendees, and anyone who turned one in when they ordered they'd donate a portion. Of course the poor sods in the pizza joint were understaffed, probably not realizing just how dedicated we Browncoats are to Equality Now, and even if we don't like pizza, we'll buy some just to send them some more money.

It was damn good pizza though! I was impressed. We ate ours on the drive home. Being an hour and a half away, and the dogs had already been cooped up in the house for 8 hours, we didn't have time to socialize.

It never ceases to amaze me how different a movie is when you're sitting in the cinema watching it with 200 other dedicated fans. Everyone knows the proper spots to laugh, or cry, or yell at the screen, or quote dialogue. No one has their phone on, no one is texting their friends one row over, or rudely talking about something or other that has nothing to do with the movie. Its just a great night out. And for a good cause. There'll be another one next year, so save the date. June 23.

There was a silent auction that had some really cool Serenity and Whedonesque stuff but we didn't have enough money to bid on anything because we wanted it all If you follow.

I did buy a copy of the documentary DVD "Done The Impossible" which I'm looking forward to watching today sometime. And, because this is Joss Whedon's birthday week, if you buy a copy of Done the Impossible before the 30th, you'll get a second copy for free to give to a friend, or a copy of the CD soundtrack, your choice. Cool eh? Wish I had known that last night! ;-)

Now, for any readers who are wondering why or how Joss Whedon and his millions of fans get involved with a charity such as Equality Now, I urge you to read his rant posted at Whedonesque.com.

Joss has always been about empowering women, or at the very least, showing that women can be strong, and in charge, just as well as, or perhaps better than, men can. But there are some cultures in this world who quite litterally beat women down to less than nothing. Equality Now, and Joss and his army of Browncoats around the world, wish to stop that. You can help too. You don't have to send money. Money is nice yeah. But another voice is always helpful.

And maybe I'll see you next year at the 3rd annual Can't Stop the Serenity screening. :-)

Well, its been a week!

2007-06-23T08:29:00.000-04:00

My car is fixed, and certified for another year. But let me tell ya what they did...

Monday James took my Escape to the shop to get the door fixed. They took it all apart and called later to say they need to order a part, they'll have it all ready for us Tuesday in time for us to get to George & Bruno's obedience class.

Tuesday rolls around, they call back and the part that was delivered was the wrong part. But we still need to get to obedience class in the evening, so we go over at lunch time to pick up my truck. With the driver's side door still taken apart and for some stupid reason, the front passenger side window wide open. And because the driver's side door is torn apart, the master controls for the window and door locks are in-operable. No worries, we'll drive to Hickory with the window down.

Then it started to pour down rain about 4:30 - 5:00! Of course! I got drenched driving home from work, the car interior got soaked, and we had to call and tell our instructor that we would not be at our first class because our car is broke.

James took the truck back the next morning and told them he was not at all pleased that they'd left the window open. Me, I'd have made for damn sure just *exactly* how I felt. Which is why He went, and not me I guess :-p

Thursday morning I took George to the vet where she spent the day anesthetised and being x-rayed. She's got hip dysplasia. The vet gave her some pain meds, and said to start her on the glucosamine/MSM supplements again in a week. But they made her throw up all over the place when we gave them to her before, so I've been feeding her the Watkins Linnimax glucosamine supplement for a couple of weeks now. She doesn't throw up with that one. I think *not* throwing up is much better! So does George!

James went to pick George up in the evening, and the vet in the office for the day was the woman one. I've never met her, but she really rubs James the wrong way, and is apparently quite rude. She showed James the x-rays and I guess tried to make him feel responsible for her dysplasia. Kinda stupid really, considering its generally understood to be a genetic disease. :-p I think for George's follow up appointments, we will ask specifically for an appointment with Mark the head veterinarian there. He's much nicer. And not so rude.

Y'see this is part of the dangers of puppy mill breeding. This is how we figure George came into the world, as we never did find out where her "breeder" is. The young woman we got her from had conveniently "forgot" where to find the breeder, her name, and phone number so we were unable to contact her to get George's background information. We suspected we'd be in for some later health problems, and well, here they are. Our poor George is whining and groaning in pain most of the time because of selfish greedy back-yard puppy mill owners. IMO, they should all be tied up and publicly dragged through town behind the dog catcher's truck, and then tossed in a cage 3 sizes too small and live there for the rest of their sorry little lives. :-p

Hopefully we will be able to treat George's pain and reverse some of the joint damage with supplements. Hopefully she won't need surgery. I couldn't stand it just being at work while she was having x-rays!

Last night was the series finale of Stargate SG1, and now I'm all sad. It was a good episode, and when it was over I just had to wonder if Sam ever got together with Cameron or T'ealc in all of that time. Or even General Landry. Or all of them ;-) 50 years on a ship going nowhere, Daniel and Vala can't be the only ones gettin' any!

I will miss them. But I'll get to meet some of them at Dragon*Con on Labour Day weekend! ;-)

Tonight is the Can't Stop the Serenity screening in Charlotte. We'll be leaving here at around 3:30 to go down there and help get set up for the evening. George & Bruno will be home alone for a really long time! I think we'll have to just leave the back door open for them and turn the a/c off. Hopefully it won't be 90F today. Its been pretty muggy the past few days. But 8 or 9 hours without getting out for a pee is a long time. They're usually quite desperate by the time we get home if they're left that long. As I'm sure you could imagine!

I have an extra long weekend this week. With the slow-down at work, I had Friday off, and I have Monday off as well. Its inventory next week, which was already scheduled for Friday, so they couldn't make that our day off, and switched it to Monday. The following week we'll be on our Summer schedule of Friday's off until further notice. They're hoping (they say) that it'll be just for July, but I get the feeling it'll likely run through August as well.

At least I have a job...

Well, that's enough. I'm going to go see about getting my hair cut today, and need to get that done before we head out to Charlotte.

Catch ya later!

Can I just be a kid again?

2007-06-17T12:32:00.000-04:00

I seriously don't like being an adult sometimes. Too much pressure!

Its getting a bit crazy around here lately, mostly financially because of the lack of finances and the growing list of things that need to be fed money.

Like the other house. We moved out of it in December, and we've been paying the bills for it ever since because for whatever reason James only just now got around to hiring a contractor to do the renovations work that will be required in order to sell it. That's a few thousand dollars. Which hopefully we'll get back with the sale of the house.

Then there's the house we're living in. First and foremost we need a new water heater. We still have hot water (for now), but its been leaking for a couple of months now and it'll probably blow up eventually. I'm sure the leaking is costing us extra in electricity and water as well. bleah.

Then there's the 20 year old refrigerator sucking up probably half our electric bill. Its frost free, and its getting all frosty inside, so I'm guessing that'll be going soon too. The air conditioner is also showing its age and is struggling to keep the house cool. I'm sure a new more efficient one would save us some money on our power bill, but finding a couple thousand dollars to have a new one installed is tricky.

And the other day we had a terrific storm here, which believe it or not, tore the gutters (eavestrough) right off the side of the roof! So now we need to call a roofer and have all the gutters replaced.

The driver side door lock on my truck is jammed so we can't open the door from the outside, and that's going in to be fixed tomorrow. I also have to take it in before the end of the month for its annual emissions test.

Plus I have a doctor appointment because I'm also falling apart at the seams.

George is having hip problems and is going in for x-rays on Wednesday for which they have to knock her out. The anesthetic will probably cost a couple hundred bucks. The joys of living with Giants!

And, to top it all off, my hours just got cut at work to 4 days a week because of slow down. I suppose I should be happy to have a job at all, but this will severely cut into my already paltry weekly paycheck.

Crappy part of it is that I'll have long weekends all summer but no money to enjoy them :-p

I have that old song by The Pursuit of Happiness stuck in my head and it won't go away. Of course, only my Canadian readers will know it. And maybe only the ones from Ontario at that!

ah well...maybe I'll check my lottery ticket and see if we won.

Finally, some rain!

2007-06-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

We have not had rain here for several weeks. I think for the past 4 weeks, every Wednesday or so "They" say to expect rain, and it never came.

The other day we got a few minutes of rain, but hardly noticeable. Finally last night it started, it is still going now, and its nearly noon. We really needed it. It was about to become a dust bowl here. Grass was turning brown on those lawns that get mowed far too often and far too short, and our vegetable garden was suffering. As I'm sure is our water bill!

Speaking of our vegetable garden, it looks as though we are going to have quite a good potato harvest, and beans. Our tomato plants each have 3 fruits on them at the moment, and more blooms. They're still green though so it'll be a while til I have a fresh tomato sammich. Our carrotts and parsnips however are nowhere to be found. They either don't like the soil, or the groundhog got at them. Some of our squash survived the goundhog, but not much. We may also have some watermelon. The birds ate ALL of the cherries though. The grapes were starting to look a bit dry, but this rain should help them considerably.

I also put out a few of the house plants for a shower, some of them were a bit dusty.

I think today will be a lazy rainy Sunday. James will be going out shortly for his D&D game, leaving me to my own devices. I think I'll just sit and watch Stargate Atlantis season 2 DVDs. James was in Hickory the other day and picked them up for me at Best Buy, while the dogs were at the groomers.

Heeeyyyyy! I think I've got the cure for drought! Take the dogs to the groomers! :-p Seems every time they get a bath, it rains and then they get all muddy again. *snarf* For the time being, they still smell nice, and their coats are all shiny and soft. Won't last long I'm sure!

I won't get many more of these lazy Sundays. We're pretty much booked solid through June and July now, what with PPD planning and other events.

I also just checked the Dragon Con website and see they've added a few celebs to the guest list. The other day my fave vampire James Marsters was added, and today I see everybody's favourite Star Trek - TNG villain (villain? No! he was just misunderstood? antagonist certainly...) "Q" John de Lancie, was added. That for sure will be busy weekend! So much to see and do. We've got our hotel reservations and our tickets booked...only thing left is to save our money so I can pay off the credit card later :-o

Oh, we watched the funniest thing on TV the other night. Henry Rollins had William Shatner on his show. Seems the two of them are fast friends, as well as "fans" of the other. And, I had no idea, but they'd recorded a song together. It is on Shatner's album "Has Been" (that's an amazon.com link, you can have a listen there)

I love both those guys. Strangely, I have none of either of their records/CDs. hmmm...

Well...I'm off to go be lazy!

So...

2007-05-29T19:49:00.001-04:00

Well, along with the hole in my arm where they drew blood I now also have a piece of paper to show for my $138 at the Endocrinologist the other day.

Seems now my thyroid is a bit on the hypo side, rather than hyper, so he's reduced my meds. Maybe now I'll lose some weight, but holy crap, I feel like crap! I could barely stay awake at work yesterday :-p Yes, I had to work the holiday. bleah...

Anyhoo! We have seen Pirates of the Caribbean twice already, and I must say, we quite enjoyed it. Obviously, or why go back the second time right?! Both of us enjoyed it I will add. James as much as me, if not more!

ITs funny really, when the first one was released he refused to see it, just because it has Johnny Depp in it, and because I"d seen it so many times and kept going on about it. Not that he doesn't like Johnny Depp, but I guess he gets jealous that I don't go on about him as much. But then he only wears his pirate garb once in a blue moon so what's he expect? :-p LOL!

But then of course as soon as he caved in and watched the first movie, he loved it, and then was nearly as quick as me to see the second one, and was just as anxious to see the third. Then didn't blink an eye when I made plans with friends for usto see it the second time!

I'm debating on costumes for Dragon Con. If I can lose some weight and get into my garb I won't have to make anything new really, I could likely have a different costume for each day, and not have to buy anything. Oh the wonders of having a previous life as a goth chick and Rennie. I've got garb for all sorts of genres, vampires, Sci-Fi, pirate wench, hobbits (a lot of it can mix and match you know...the Sci-Fi Matrix outfit can double for a vampire with just some super red lipstick and black nail polish, and the Rennie wench can also be a hobbit lass with a bit of tweaking). That is of course, if I can lose about 20 pounds before then. If not, maybe I'll go as Jabba the Hut :-p

Now...do you think I can fit in a Spiderman 3 + Pirates of the Caribbean double feature at the drive-in this weekend? Probably not...

*sigh*

Culture Shock

2007-05-23T06:54:00.000-04:00

Do you know just how weird it is for me (as a Canadian) to have to pay for medical services here in the US? At home in Canada there are very few "regular" services we'd have to pay for. Certainly not a routine visit to a doctor, or even specialist.

Yesterday I had a follow up appointment with the endocrinologist. It was supposed to have been in February, but I kept having to re-schedule either because of work, James' surgery, and it kept getting put back and son on. So finally 5 months after my Graves' Disease diagnosis, I got back there. With no insurance. Ouch.

$138 later, I honestly think I should have something to show for it. But I don't. Just a small spot in the crook of my arm where they drew blood, and a little piece of paper with a new prescription on it. $138.00! And I haven't filled the prescription yet! It would have cost me nothing back home. Nada. Zip. Niente. Zilch.

So I asked the doctor, what can I do about all this weight I'm gaining. Know what he said? "Stop eating". :-p ugh...but apparently my thyroid is a teensy weensy bit smaller than before. Unlike the rest of me.

*sigh*

I go back in another 6 weeks for more blood work, then another visit 6 weeks after that to discuss the results and maybe lower my methimizole dosage. By then I'll have my insurance though. Which is good, because I'm paying so much for medical insurance that I can't afford anything else!

bleah...richest country on the planet, and they can't give everyone affordable health-care. I'll starve to death before we get this thyroid thing under control I tell ya! It's nutz!

Bead For Life

2007-05-21T07:24:00.001-04:00

This link was posted at one of the message boards I frequent, and I quite like the looks of the jewelry, plus I like the fact the beads are made from recycled materials, and the money goes to a good cause.

Happy shopping! Bead For Life

ooooooo, I almost forgot!

2007-05-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

There's also Pirates of the Caribbean III opening in just less than 2 weeks, can't wait for that.

Plus, the 7th Harry Potter book release on July 21, and the 5th movie Order of the Phoenix on July 13th. (its going to be a busy July!) The trailer looks absolutely brilliant!

What else have I missed...? I'm sure there's more, but I just don't remember now.

Can I lose 40 pounds before my 40th birthday?

Can the local grocery stores ban cookies and cakes for the next 3 months? :-p Maybe I should call Jenny...

Planning ahead...

2007-05-12T14:18:00.000-04:00

How far in advance do you plan things? A couple of days? Weeks? Months? For the next few months, I seem to have quite a lot of things planned. It is going to be a busy summer!

I've somehow managed to find myself on the planning committee for Pagan Pride Day. See what happens when you make a few suggestions as to how to make the day fun! You end up as the Entertainment Co-ordinator. :-p Our event, which will be called "Catawba Valley-Highcountry Pagan Pride Day" will have a website of our own, but at the moment it is still under construction. We have yet to find a venue either. But we have a name, and we've picked a date, so I guess we're on our way. October 6th, btw, if you'll happen to be in the neighbourhood. I'll let you know which neighbourhood as soon as we find one! ;-)

The planning of course is taking up a few weekend hours over the course of the summer. Plus, along with that, every other Sunday or so is spent with the host group, of which I have also found myself a member, Spiritual Pathways. Its a local Pagan group that gets together for discussions and sometimes fun stuff. Usually there's food involved. Of course.

I'm also hoping to get home for a visit sometime this summer, likely in July. I don't get paid vacation at my new job this year, but they will allow time off. So any trip I take not only costs me for the travelling, but lost wages, so I'm not going far, or often this year!

I also want to get to the Granfather Mountain Highland Games, which is July 12 thru 15. Also, co-incidently the same weekend as the Highcountry Pagan Wilderness Weekend. The Highland Games won out simply because we can go up for just the day, and wouldn't have to kennel the dogs. And because there will be men in kilts. ;-) Of course. I do however want to see about getting myself a bodhran drum, if there are any vendors there with affordable ones. And then somehow learn how to play it before Pagan Pride Day! ;-) *snarf*

In June we have the Big Damn Shindig that is Can't Stop the Serenity. This will be the second year for this event, and it benefits a great cause. Events are planned so far in 47 cities around the globe. I'm very much looking forward to it. Plus, we're also looking forward to getting together with the Charlotte Browncoats to go view Nathan Fillion's new movie Waitress next weekend.

And, TA DA! on August 30th I will be celebrating my 40th birthday! I'm getting old, so to try and keep my youthful sense of fun, we're heading down to Atlanta, GA for Dragon*Con on Labour Day weekend. ;-) I plan on partying all weekend long, and will likely make a fool of myself in public. Yay! And there may be costumes. *snarf*

So, what are your plans this summer? Anything?

Gas Out - Fake Out

2007-05-01T19:17:00.000-04:00

I recently received the email yet again telling everyone not to buy gas on a certain day because then the oil companies will get the hint and will lower prices.

Hogwash.

Its a hoax, and its been going 'round the internet and email since the 1990's. It didn't work the first time, and I'm quite sure didn't work the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or or or either. It won't work this time. All its doing is clogging up everyone's email. Please, give it a rest!

If you're so concerned about the price of gas, buy a smaller freakin' car :-p Or better yet, WALK! Ride a bicycle!

See, this is what gets me about Americans complaining about the price of gas. Its cheaper here in the US Than Anywhere Else on the Planet! My friends and family in Canada and the UK and elsewhere are *really* paying through the nose. And here in the US we grumble about $3 per gallon. And then continue to drive monstrosities that get 6 miles per gallon. UGH! Ok ok...its really difficult to afford the $3 per gallon when we only make $7 an hour...but seriously, get a smaller car then! Sheesh!

Do you know how many pizza delivery guys I know who drive monster SUVs and pickup trucks? Its just crazy!

Most of the gas here in the US comes from Canada, and yet Canadians are paying twice what Amerians are. For the same dang product, drilled from Canada, and piped to the US.

Check this out...

Spike in gas prices across country; some in Vancouver pay about $1.28 a litre
2 hours, 49 minutes ago
By By Merita Ilo

ADVERTISEMENT

TORONTO (CP) - A spike in gas prices is putting an extra squeeze on drivers' wallets.

The latest hike, which has motorists in the Vancouver area forking out $1.28 a litre at some pumps, was being blamed on the kidnapping of six oil workers in Nigeria, low gas inventories and growing demand for gasoline in the United States. Whatever the reasons, the result is the same for Canadian drivers.

"Consumers are exhausted and frustrated," said Bruce Cran, the president of the Consumers' Association of Canada.

"We've got no satisfactory explanations as to why these huge price rises take place year after year," said Cran, whose group received hundreds of calls Tuesday from consumers frustrated with steadily rising fuel costs.

Gas prices rose sharply across Canada to as much as $1.28 a litre in the Vancouver area and $1.10 in Toronto.

According to MJ Ervin & Associates Inc. a Calgary-based consulting firm, the national average price of gas on Tuesday was reported at $110.2 a litre, up five cents from the average price in March.

Average prices in some other cities were $1.16 a litre in St. John's, N.L., $1.22 in Victoria, $1.17 in Montreal and $1.09 in Ottawa.

Analysts blamed the recent hike on strong demand and low inventories in the United States, tension in the Middle East and Nigeria, production cuts by OPEC and problems at oil refineries.

"At this point it doesn't even matter any more what the reasons behind the price rise are," said Cran.

He said his group was surprised the constant price hikes have not led to civil unrest.

"We're probably too nice in Canada," he said.

"We don't see riots. I don't know at what figure Canadians turn nasty."

The "there's nothing we can do about it" attitude was obvious at several Toronto gas stations Tuesday.

Toronto cab driver Ali Hasnoo said rising gas prices are inevitable and for him, it's just the cost of doing business.

He covers about 200 kilometres every 12-hour shift so for him, it's a cost that amounts to about $30 a day.

"You get used to it eventually," he said.

"There's nothing you can do. There's no alternative. You can't use any other substitute for gas so basically you have to buy it."

Some analysts predict the higher gas prices are here to stay.

"Because of the decline in the gasoline inventories (in the U.S.), the difference between what it costs to buy oil and what it costs to buy the refined product has skyrocketed . . . almost to record-high levels," said Bart Melek, Global Commodity Strategist with BMO Nesbitt Burns Economic Research.

Six foreign oil workers were kidnapped and a Nigerian sailor was killed when dynamite-wielding militants attacked an oil vessel early Tuesday.

A Nigerian spokesman for California-based Chevron said four Italians, one American and one Croatian were abducted.

The company had shut down an oil station, decreasing production by 15,000 barrels a day.

Liberal MP Dan McTeague thinks the solution to the current situation of rising gas prices in Canada is to stimulate competition in the petroleum industry and "to get some new players in this field."

Otherwise, he said, we'll continue to have these problems every couple of weeks "with the industry coming up with its usual summertime excuse of warmer weather means higher prices."

Canadians are not the only ones to suffer at the pump.

The average price of a gallon of gas at U.S. pumps rose to US$2.96 on Tuesday, nearly 80 cents US a litre.

That is up more than a penny from Monday and more than 29 cents from a month ago.

Driving the U.S. market are concerns that an inventory report, expected Wednesday, will again show an increase in crude oil stockpiles, and a decrease in gasoline supplies.

Last week's U.S. Energy Department report showed an unexpected drop of 2.8 million barrels in gasoline stockpiles and said U.S. refinery use declined to 87.8 per cent of capacity.

Refinery problems cause a bottleneck in the refinery supply chain. Oil inventories build behind the refineries, causing the price of oil to fall. On the output side, gasoline supplies fall, typically causing prices to rise.

"Until we start to see refineries come back from the maintenance season ... the market's going to continue to be led by gasoline," said Erit Wittenauer, an energy futures analyst at A.G. Edwards & Sons in St. Louis.

"There's a fear built into the market that there won't be enough gasoline for the summer driving season, " Wittenauer said.

Now, my maths skills totally suck, so doing the conversion would make my head explode, but a US gallon equals 3.79 litres, and the Canadian dollar is about 89 cents US. In the UK, they're paying about 89p per litre. One US dollar = about 50p GBP.

The only thing this "don't pump gas on May 15th!" may do, is increase sales on the 14th. :-p

Well...I must go walk the dogs...talk amongst yourselves. ;-)

In the garden 'n' stuff

2007-04-30T18:36:00.000-04:00

Well, the past couple of weeks have found us on Saturday afternoons outside in our gardens, cleaning up brush, tilling and planting.

In our front yard we have a cherry tree, a couple of grape vines, and a pear tree. These have been here for several years now, inherited with the house. I've also put a strawberry pot in the front, I got it for $5 at a local store, it comes with a brick of coconut fiber that you soak in water for 10 minutes, then you put in the 3 shoots of strawberry plants and wait. There's already leaves on 2 of them, but it looks like one of them got broken by something.

The cherry tree looks like it will be fruitful this year, if we can keep the birds off it. James figures he'll sit out on the front yard with a b-b gun to shoot them away! Or get a net to throw over it...that may be the more humane way.

The grapes look also like they'll give us a few bunches, again, if we can keep the birds off.

The pear tree however looks like its got some sort of blight that has taken most of the pear trees in the neighbourhood, and we may or may not get any from it this year.

There is also a wildflower shade garden in the front, I just tossed in some seeds, and I'll have to distribute the plants once they fill up.

Out back, in the vegetable garden that once was a swimming pool, we've put in some carrots, parsnips, peas, beans, ocra, tomatoes and blackberries. James also wants to put in some corn, but he needs to clear out a couple of small saplings first.

Yesterday I was in the fenced dog yard portion of our garden, clearing out some rather invasive vines and a few small trees that have sprung up since the yard had not been tended in a couple of years. There are 2 big trees, perfect distance apart for us to hang a hammock from, but we need to clear out that corner first. It'll be a perfect meditation and relaxation garden, its shady and private. As I was tossing dead tree branches behind me however, I heard a small rattle and decided to let sleeping snakes lie, and I came back into the house to watch a few DVD episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. :-))

We do have several types of venomous snakes in the area, including rattlers. We found a dead baby in the driveway 2 weeks ago. We don't know what killed it, but we hadn't run it over with the car, it wasn't squished, it was just dead. With its mouth gaping open like it went down fighting. It wasn't even old enough to have developed a rattle yet, but apparently the young ones are more venomous than the adults, so James picked it up with the pooper-scooper and tossed it into the vacant spot next-door that big brother Randy doesn't use.

The prominence of snakes is another reason we're clearing out the dead brush and opportunistic vines and trees from the dog yard and surrounding gardens. If we give them fewer places to hide, they'll go hide elsewhere!

I am however quite fond of the wee lizards and salamanders we have around here. All of these are harmless, and they're kinda cute.

If our cherries, blackberries and strawberries all give us fruit this year, we'll have some nice bumbleberry crumble at harvest feasts! Fingers crossed...

Earth Day

2007-04-22T10:01:00.000-04:00

sorry for the lack up updates lately, but we've been having ISP problems. Its been down more than up the past couple of weeks. They suck. :-p Not only does it knock out my internet, but also my Voip phone. bleah.

Anyhoo...Today is Earth Day. What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint today? Or any day for that matter. We've replaced pretty much all of our incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. I buy organic when I can. Yesterday I re-potted a whole bunch of houseplants, and James started our vegetable garden. We're growing our own, and yes, organic.

I bought a permanent coffee filter for my coffee maker last week. And when I do my grocery shopping, I take my own, re-usable canvas shopping bags. I've been doing that for several years now, but I think I'm one of very few, if not the only one, in this town that does! Its fairly common back home, but apparently not so much here.

I've been thinking of getting a couple portable solar panels. We can't afford to convert entirely to solar, but maybe we can take a couple of small appliances off-grid. Like our cell phones and coffee maker, maybe the bread machine.

I have been looking at new car price-tags, and wondering how I'll be able to get something a lot more environmentally friendly. I can't afford a hybrid (not with my wages and with our medical bills!), but I may be able to finagle a smaller car that uses less gas than our gas guzzling Escape. We'd have to keep the Escape to take the dogs when they go anywhere with us, but for me to just get back and forth to work or shopping, I don't need the monstrosity.

Here's a website that has a list of things that we can all do to help reduce greenhouse gasses.

Well....Happy Earth Day. What will you do to make a difference?

Pet food recall extended...

2007-04-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

More pet foods have been added to the recal list. Alpo (made by Purina) canned foods have now been recalled.

Please, please please! Everybody, read your pet's food labels to make sure they Do Not Contain wheat gluten! Wheat Gluten is the common denominator in all of these foods being recalled. The supplier in China (where they do not have the same regulations as we do) is sending contaminated wheat gluten to pet food manufacturers in North America, so far it is just Menu Foods (who manufacture several dozens of brands of foods) and Purina.

However, it is Only the canned and "wet" pouched foods, and some treats. The wheat gluten is being used as a thickener in the gravies in these foods, and as a binder in some "chewy" treats from Purina.

Just read the labels, and if it has wheat gluten in it, stay away from it! Buy something else. DO NOT feed your pet any food that has wheat gluten in it, just because they are not currently showing any signs of illness. They may already be sick, and by the time they start showing symptoms, it could be too late!

There are several brands of foods that do not use wheat at all. Chicken Soup brands does not. Most dry foods do not have wheat gluten (but most have too many other grains in them, which are not generally good for pets. corn especially). We are currently eating Nutro Ultra Holistic. Its a bit expensive, but there's no wheat, and no corn, and no soy. Just chicken, lamb, salmon and rice and brewers yeast. But we will probably switch back to Chicken Soup brand again. The Nutro doesn't seem to fill them up and they need to eat more of it. The Chicken Soup keeps them full and healhy on just 2 cups per feeding. The Nutro they keep looking for more a couple hours later. Maybe its like Chinese food. ;-)

If anybody's pet has been affected by this nasty recall, please take care of them. I hope they recover.

If you have not been affected by the recall, just remember to keep reading those food labels! If it says "wheat gluten" on it, don't buy it! And stay tuned to the news, we never know if more products will be added to the list of recalls.

Paws crossed, this will be over soon. Eat safe!

Amazing Grapes...

2007-03-24T20:15:00.000-04:00

how sweet the taste, that fed a lush like me...

We just got home from Ostara celebrations. Its a bit early to be home, but our hosts (Beth & JD) also own a bar in Hickory, and had to leave early for a benefit concert for a friend who was in a car wreck last week. And James wasn't feeling well after his rootcanal earlier this week. So, here we are. And here I am.

I had a couple bottles of wine with me. I'm ready for a nap. ;-)

The weather here is (for me) unseasonably warm. Over 80F and shorts and tank top wearing weather definitely. Too bad I don't have any shorts that fit me. :-P Oh well, wrap arounds work just as well! And tank tops were on sale at K-Mart this week.

I'm still getting used to the difference in the season changes down here. Y'see, the Wheel of the Year that most neo-Pagans and Wiccans follow is geared toward the season changes in Britain, more toward the northern half of the northern hemisphere. Not the southern US. The earth has already warmed up and awakened down here, so tis strange to have Ostara rituals to wake up the earth. Heck, James and I had an earth worm crawling on us during ritual this afternoon! I wonder what that means....?

At home, I'm sure friends and family are still awaiting the snow to melt. Here the trees are in full bloom and baby birds have hatched. We're scrambling for the sunscreen and bug spray already. Back home, we'd still have the snow shovel out, just in case.

Even last week here there were cars from up the moutain with snow on them. Now we're stripping down to the bare minimum. And opinions vary on just what that minimum is. ;-) James is upstairs watching hockey on TV, and the dogs and I are downstairs panting saying its too hot in here!

I'm loath to turn on the a/c just yet though. Its just too early.

Anyhoo...Ostara...As a Celt, this particular "holiday" isn't part of my tradition. Ostara was a Germanic Goddess. The Celts are strange. We celebrate "the in-between times" moreso than the obvious days. The Wiccans created the Wheel of the Year methinks, and the 8 Holidays per year, combining the Germanic/Saxon with the Celtic seasonal celebrations. Which is fine. Just more reason to get together with like minded people and have a few sips of wine and eat way too much. ;-)

...I drank too much wine at the festival, and lost my virginity...

With apologies and thanks to Pasha & the Pagans for their rendition of Amazing Grace/Grapes.

The Celts major celebrations are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (April 30/May 1), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31/November 1). These all generally fall between the Solstices and Equinoxes.

If you're at all interested, here are some articles about Ostara (which some people may notice the similarities between the names of the Christian Spring celebration of Easter and the Pagan Ostara. Co-incidence? I think not.

Here's one at Witchvox

Wikipedia

from The History Chanel, The History of Easter

And, one of my favourite websites, almost forgotten til now Religious Tolerance

and here is the song in its entirety. Please, don't burn me at the stake. The Discordians will just bring weenies anyway. ;-)

Amazing Grapes

Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Festival
and lost my virginity

T'was grapes that taught my friends to cringe
Through grapes, my stress relieved
Obnoxious words come out my mouth
That you would not believe

Through many vinyards east and west
I have thus come so far
The grapevine has brought me comfort sure
While driving in my car

Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Wiccan Fest
and lost my virginity

How sweet the sound of popping corks
To this great lover's ear
It sooths the thirst upon my tongue
Don't drink it after beer

Most raisins shrivel in the sun
While other grapes go free
Lets give the juice to everyone
Especially to me

Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Ravenwood
and lost my virginity

I drank too much wine at Winter Star
And lost my virginity

just a note...I've been to Wiccan Fest...I'm sure more than one person has lost their virginity there. ;)

Life...or something like it...

2007-03-21T21:20:00.000-04:00

This week in the news I've seen a couple of things that just about made my head explode. The first was a letter to the editor of our little paper here, a (seemingly) unprovoked rant about abortion and the evils of it. This woman went on and on for quite a few paragraphs how no matter where you're from, no matter your age, race, creed or religion (or lack thereof, she even mentioned atheists), if you become pregnant, you must have the baby, because it is God's will. Even if you were raped you must give birth to that baby, because it is God's will.

There is no choice in the matter. God meant for you to be raped at the age of 12 and to get pregnant. Go forth and multiply. And if the baby is a result of pre-marital or extra-marital sex, well then you still must have the baby, but you're still going to hell I suppose. Damned if you do, damned if you don't so what the hell eh? ugh.

Boggles me. Really does. I'd just like to hear her opinion though when her teenaged daughter comes home pregnant after being violently raped and beaten er summat. sheesh.

Another mind boggler was the animal rights activists who say that a baby polar bear at a zoo in Germany should be euthanized because its mother had rejected it.

Their rationalization of course is that it is unnatural for a baby polar bear to be fed by hand and raised by humans.

Apparently the fact that a polar bear being conceived and born in captivity in Germany is perfectly normal. :p sheesh. Get a grip!

It hurts my head it does. Really.

Happy Spring-tide btw. Didn't do much of anything to welcome the day, other than go shopping for new clothes after work because I'm getting so fat nothing in my drawers or closets fit anymore. I'm hopelessly depressed about it too. Its the thyroid medication. I've gained more than 2 sizes since I started taking it and getting fatter by the day. I'm not eating more. I'm actually excersizing more, and yet I just get fat. If it keeps up at this rate, by the end of summer I'll be about 300 pounds. No kidding.

Just call me Buddah. Too bad enlightenment didn't come with the extra weight.

Everything's a repeat

2007-03-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

Pretty much everything the past couple of weeks has been re-runs, except Lost, true to their word are running all new eps til the finale. I'm tired of re-runs. bleah.

Anyhow, I got me a new job. Again! After the newspaper was giving me chest pains from stress and anxiety I started looking. I interviewed 3 times! at EJ Victor, and they offered me a job at the third interview. It is slightly more money, but the medical insurance premiums are higher, so it'll be about the same, or maybe even less, than I'm making now. But, A LOT less stress! I just couldn't take any more of it. It causes me pain just to think of it!

Hopefully I'll stick this job out longer than 10 months. ;) Honestly, I could have stayed at the newspaper had they just left me in my hidey corner where I started out. But NoooOOOoooo, they had to go and move me to the freakin' front desk, and plop 3 more jobs on top of it! Including circulation complaints. Of which there are hundreds pretty much every day. In a town of 17,000 at a paper with distribution less than 10,000, that's pretty fricken bad wouldn't you say? bleah.

Anyhow, the new job is at a furniture manufacturer called EJ Victor as their receptionist/data entry. No end customer complaints likely here, and hopefully no death threats or threats of violence upon my person.

AND! I already know someone who works there! Momma Beth, of the local Pagan community works there, and is "out". She also mentioned that she hasn't heard anyone blaring inspirational music from their offices there. The Publisher did that one day at the newspaper, it was rather distracting to say the least.

Well...as there is nothing on TV tonight, I'm going to see about watching the dowloaded (legal!) copy of The Holiday I have waiting. Or maybe I'll just go to bed. Its been a long week. Plus it rained all day today, and that's always tiresome.

When Kings went to war

2007-03-12T21:41:00.000-04:00

We just saw 300, and I gotta say, I enjoyed it. Rather than have to type something twice, I'm just going to copy what I just posted
over at CoE for those of you who do not frequent there. Minus a line or word or few.

History aside, its a damn good story, that makes a damn good movie.

And as I said to James on the way home Friar Faramir is looking very....hmm mm...Greek...

I was surprised by a few things, monsters notwithstanding, but the sheer size of Xerxes; and the fact that he is Goa'uld (see Stargate) would explain his ego. But not the piercings.

I didn't like the last movie by the same folks, Sin City, and had my reservations about going to see this one, but I thought it was much better done. ... The colours, the madness, the monsters. It is after all, just a movie.

No, it was totally not politically correct. It was not historically accurate. It was not entirely meant to be. It is a Movie, based on a Graphic Novel. Take it as that, and enjoy.

It got me thinking about when kings went to war. When and who was the last king to walk on a battle field with arrows (or bullets) whizzing overhead, swords dripping blood, shields breaking forearms? Was it in recent memory? Or lost to legend? In my own lifetime, only 3rd or 4th in line would get to the front-lines. Next to the throne is usually far off the coast, listening in. If at all. Sure, Charlie can fly a few aircraft, or sit on a boat. But did he see combat? I don't think so. His son Harry however, has asked to be sent to the frontlines. And off he goes. He's 3rd in line.

I honestly do have to mention of course I know next to nothing about any other monarchy but the British. Mostly tabloid interest of them at best too. And Princess Grace of Monaco. But I was more interested in her movie career prior to her marrying Rainier than her reign as Princess.

In this movie however, the King leads his small but formidable army of 300 to fight the Persians. The Persians have thousands upon thousands. Lionidas led his army into legend. And it is the legend, more than the history that is this latest movie. He leads them to glory and death. And a bloody one at that. If the Greeks had a special heaven for warriors, they all got there I'd have to guess.

I won't give away too much of the movie, you'll just have to see it yourself. But please, it is rated R here in the US, it is Very violent, and there's sex and nudity too. Of course. They're Greek.

Like I said. I enjoyed it. But remember, it is a Movie. Based on a Graphic Novel. Which really is just a fancy word for comic book. Leave reality at the door. ;-)

Dogster

2007-03-04T11:29:00.001-05:00

Bruno & George now have their own webpages on Dogster. I'll get them completed some time later, I have to get ready to go out in a bit, but here's the bit I've got done so far.

George

and Bruno

Let me know what I should add to their webpages. And if you've got a dog, set up a page for them, we'll be friends! :)

River Rituals...

2007-03-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

As a Celtic Recon Pagan, this article in the Toronto Star today caught my interest...

Adrienne Duff noticed them three years ago, drifting in a Brampton branch of the Credit River.

Clusters of flowers, plastic statues, coconuts – some still wrapped in plastic – even jewellery and money.

"We started receiving calls from landowners, not just on Fletcher's Creek but also in the main Credit area," said Duff, a watershed-monitoring specialist with Credit Valley Conservation.

The mystery was traced to devout Hindus who were making river offerings as a means of conveying blessings, part of their traditional worship.

Tossing votives into a body of water is also a very Celtic thing to do, and I have been known to toss a flower or two. I have yet however to toss any ashes...I'm not dead yet though!

I must admit, that as an amateur environmentalist, the tossing of human remains into small rivers and streams can become worrisome. But as a practitioner of an alternate religion where it is a custom, if I wanted to do this myself, I'd be annoyed if I were told I can't.

I suppose one solution would be to find a much larger river, one where small amounts would not harm and would become dissolved by the water. Smaller rivers and streams of course have less water to work with cleaning itself up. And the rivers and streams of Toronto and the GTA have enough problems with idiots tossing in garbage as it is, plus the airpolution of Southern Ontario falling into them whenever it rains....what to do what to do?

The suggestion as they've done in England may work. Find one or two rivers in the province that could allow votives and death rituals, bigger ones that would be better capable to handle it I suppose.

I know its a hassle, but it is a religious ritual and should be allowed. My cousin struggled with trying to find a final resting place for her mother; my aunt wanted to be scattered on a beach in Florida IIRC, and that wasn't allowed. My (same) cousin's friend, being First Nations however, was permitted to scatter her parents' remains in a lake in Central Ontario. It seems to be allowed in some places, and not others. And for some people, and not others.

As a Celt, with a bit of historical knowledge, I know that throwing votives in water is long tradition in a lot of places in the world. Rivers, lakes and wells in the UK have been dredged and lots of "treasure" has been found. Anything from gold and silver coins, to swords and armour, to wooden replicas of body parts would be thrown in as offerings to the Gods, or as prayers.

Depending on what you prayed for would depend on what you'd throw in. If you wish for the speedy transport of a loved one to the Otherworld, you may toss in their battle gear. If you prayed for recovery from illness or injury, you'd toss in a replica of whichever body part ails you, made of metal or wood depending on your wealth and/or skill.

This article, titled River and Well Worship, (which annoys me a bit, but that's another post I s'pose) from SacredTexts.com tells of how the Celts throw votives to the rivers.

I believe the Romans did too, as well as other cultures, including Indian Hindus, and North American tribes.

In this day and age however, we have to consider not just our own religious rights, but the environmental impact our sacrifices to the Gods may cause. I try to stick with indiginous plantlife when I throw anything in, and if I burn something I try to ensure it is non-toxic. Native North Americans burn or leave tobacco as offering to the Spirits, but to just crumble up a cigarette is not the same! It should be clean, un-adulterated tobacco, organic whenever possible. Cigarette tobacco is full of all kinds of toxic stuff, that I'm sure would not receive the same medicine from the Spirits that we'd get from organic tobabcco. Not to mention the filters are disgusting to burn. :p It bothers me to see anyone toss in a cigarette to a sacred fire without even thinking, or protesting when asked not to. Even when I smoked.

Anyway, the article posted from The Star got me thinking of what would happen here in Morganton if I or any other non-Christian were found to be tossing votives into the Catawba river. I somehow think we would not be offered the same compromises as the Ontario and Toronto governments are working with the Hindus there. We'd be charged with littering er summat, and made to pay a fine.

I don't know that I'd be brave enough to even try.

To my Pagan friends back home, be happy with the rights and freedoms you have there. Not everyone enjoys the same.

Yep, we're goin' to a hockey game!

2007-02-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

"Oh, the good old hockey game, is the best game you can name
And the best game you can name, is the good old hockey game"

There's a group down here in NC called CanSouth, and they've arranged a day out at the Charlotte Checkers game on Sunday March 11th. The Raleigh chapter often goes to Hurricanes' games, but its just too far for us to get to, with a 4 hour drive each way!

Charlotte Checkers is a farm team, and only an hour and a half way. It should be a fun day out. James has never seen a game, pro or amature, except on TV, so it'll be interesting to see how he enjoys it. Plus, there's a tailgater beforehand for the group to all meet up have some munchies and get our tickets all sorted out.

This will be something to look forward to. The last few weeks, and today in particular, at work have been absolute hell. I'm actively looking for another job, and it can't be too soon I tell ya! This one will have me right round the bend in no time, and I'm just too freakin' old to put up with this shit anymore.

Maybe I'll find something with some decent salary and who treat their employees fairly.

*snort*

I'm not holding my breath. :-p

Huh? What'd you say?

2007-02-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

Hopefully, there will be no more of that here in my house!

James had his ear fixed today! Yay! *happy dance*

He had surgery this morning and they inserted a prostetic into his ear and now he can HEAR! Not perfect, but much better than before. I think his hearing was down to about 20% in that (left) ear, which is pretty much nuthin' really. Now he should be able to hear quite well the doctor said. And I must mention, the doctor did seem quite proud of himself indeed! ;-)

James still has a huge bandage over his ear at the moment, and he's in bed with both dogs guarding him, but as soon as we get all the cotton wadding out, he should be able to hear.

Woo Hoo!

Now, I'm going to go finish watching The Illusionist. Surgery wasn't quite long enough. ;-)

Did you $%&**!!! SEE THAT!?

2007-02-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

I got sidetracked this afternoon and finally remembered the Daytona 500 and joined in with only 41 laps to go. I was suprised to see so many cars still on the track.

But holy shit, the last half lap was tongue chokingly intense! Check this out..

In his 23rd Daytona 500, Mark Martin came within .02 of a second of winning his first Daytona 500. Instead, Kevin Harvick completed the fourth Busch-Cup weekend sweep at Daytona. The win comes six years to the day this team lost its driver and NASCAR lost an icon, Dale Earnhardt. Behind Harvick and Martin, Harvick's Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton finished third and then all heck broke loose as several cars crashed and another RCR driver, Clint Bowyer, crossed the finish line on his hood in and was able to escape his car as it caught fire.

He slid across the finish line, upside down, and on fire! That's gotta be a new one!

Wooooooooo! George thought I was having a seisure or something, I was flailing and yelling at the TV "get out of the car, get out get out! Holy $$** dijoo see that? He's upside down! He crossed the finish line upside down George!"

James isn't home, he's out playing D&D.

I gotta say I LOOOOOOOOVE my HD TV. The race looked awesome, almost as good as being there.

Woo, what a finish!

2007-02-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Vodka and Home Theatres

What do the two have in common you may ask…or you may be asking “what? There’s CHOCOLATE VODKA?!” So, I’ll tell ya.

Last night James and I went to Charlotte for the Charlotte Browncoats shindig. Co-incidently (probably not ;) ) scheduled for Chinese New Year. We had Chinese food, good company, and we watched the movie Serenity, which is the whole purpose of any good Browncoats shindig. For the uninitiated, the TV show Firefly and resultant movie Serenity, take place in the future, when the world’s 2 superpowers, the US and China have merged, and Everyone speaks both English and Chinese. It’s kind of a futuristic western in space. With Chinese curse words. ;-)

Our hosts Tod and Maricia (sorry I don’t know if that’s spelled correctly!) were most gracious, and they have the most awesome home theatre set up I’ve seen in a long time! One room in their home has been given up to movies, …and Maricia’s toy castles fetish, but that’s a whole n’other story…they’ve got a big movie screen, an HD projector and a great sound system. PLUS, reclining seats with cupholders! There’s two levels of course for proper viewing pleasure. Pics can be seen at the CLT Browncoats Yahoo group photo albums. linked above

Ok, on to the chocolate vodka….Danny, the group’s resident pharmacist, brought the booze. And he brought a bottle of chocolate vodka and I just gotta say that if this had been invented when I was a teenager, I’d be dead now from cirrhosis! Wow, it is very yummy, and goes down very nicely, no mixer needed. Although, Tanya said it would probably be good mixed with some Godiva liqueur for a good chocolate martini. I’ll have to get to the ABC store and see if I can find me some! For my non-North Carolina and Canadian readers, the ABC store is the liquor store, ABC stands for Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. Beer and wine are sold in grocery stores and convenience stores down here, but spirits are sold at the ABC store. Can you believe I’ve lived here over 2 years and I’ve never stepped foot in one? Horror and nightmares! ;-)

Here’s Danny’s CLT Browncoats myspace

I’m not a myspacer, but I know lots of people are, including some of the Firefly/Serenity cast, so ya never know, you may make some new friends.

Well, it was a good night. And now I’m wondering which walls I can knock out here to make us one of those shiny home theatres like Tod’s.

Who are you?

2007-02-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

Your results:
You are Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)

Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		0%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		0%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		0%
Inara Serra (Companion)		0%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		0%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		0%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		0%
River (Stowaway)		0%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		0%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		0%
Alliance		0%

Honest and a defender of the innocent.
You sometimes make mistakes in judgment
but you are generally good and
would protect your crew from harm.

Click here to take the Serenity Firefly Personality Test

I picked that up from Nathan Fillion's myspace. Strangely enough, he's Kaylee!

Shindig

2007-02-11T12:55:00.001-05:00

Well, once again we’re boosting the signal, and on June 23rd, around the world people will be gathering to watch the movie Serenity.

Why? Because we can. And because we’re probably just a little bit weird.

Yesterday I spent the day with a couple of Charlotte Browncoats http://lifeandstuff.com/cantstoptheserenitycharlotte/ at the Morganton Comi-Con. It was kind of pathetic turn-out sadly, but it was subsidized by the city, and for some strange reason, not at all advertised! I work at the newspaper, and I didn’t even know about it til the Charlotte Browncoats emailed me to say they’d be there! Pathetic! Which is a remark on the city and Con organizers, and not at all directed toward the Browncoats.

It was a fun day regardless. We sat watching episodes of Firefly on a laptop, and talkin’ about Joss Whedon, comics, comics written by Joss Whedon (there are lots!) and Sci-Fi/Fantasy in general. As well as other topics that meander their way into conversation.

We got ourselves some comic books, (Astonishing X-men and Serenity for me and some Deathstroke for James) and a couple of promo cards (Firefly and Stargate – TV show) and Stargate movie collectible cards set.

Anyhoo….remember last year James and I went to Charlotte to see the movie? We’re doing it again this year, and again proceeds will be raised for the charity Equality Now. http://www.equalitynow.org/ It’s happening all over the world… Canada, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria…

If you don’t see a city near you listed, why not get one going yourself? You’d be surprised how great it is to sit in a movie theatre to watch a favourite movie with other people who feel the same way you do. And it’s a good cause.

This could be the next Rocky Horror Picture Show. ;-)

Yeah yeah, someone somewhere is yelling “blasphemer” at me, I know. So sue me :-p

But I am seriously considering getting myself a nice frilly dress for the shindig.

*snarf*

**edit** sorry if you're getting the dreaded scroll bar, but for some reason, I can't get the pic to shrink. I shrunk it! It won't shrink!

An ode to my boots.

2007-02-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

This is me, a couple of months ago when I went home for a visit, and an evening out at Savage Garden, an old watering hole o’ mine on Queen Street West, Toronto.

These are my boots. My second favourite pair of boots. Now dead.

I got these boots at the Goodwill store on Coxwell Ave. when I shared a house with Cousin Dee. When we used to go out dancing every Friday and Saturday night. When I was rich and single.

These boots were comfy, and sexy. They went with everything. Fishnet stockings. Jeans. Casual. Goth. They were my “witch” boots. Now they’re dead.

When I first bought them, for all of $2.50, they were old already. I wore them a couple of times, then the sole started to separate from the upper. So I took them to the cobbler and said “fix them” he replied, “why not just buy a new pair, there’s not much sense fixing these lady”. I said “hey, I paid $2.50 for them, you can fix them for $20. A new pair will cost me well over $100. Fix them!” He fixed them.

That was probably 6 years ago. Now they’re not fixable anymore.

I wore them to Imbolc ritual last week, and noticed that the seam at the back was split, I thought “oh well, they’ve been good to me…a few more times…” then I wore them to work the other day, and noticed the leather is cracking up around the toes, and I thought “well, maybe it’s time…” and then after work I went to the recycle centre to toss in some boxes, and well…I stomped on one to flatten it…and both heels completely split away from the upper. They told me “it’s time”

So here’s to my boots. My comfy, sexy witchy boots. I will miss them. It may seem odd to some that I would lament a pair of boots I paid $22.50 for. Plus a set of laces. But it is the fun that I had in those boots, in such a few short years that I lament. A part of my life, for better or worse, that I miss. The few years of my life that I had that were Mine. Not my parents. Not some egomaniacal boyfriend. Not some other coke-head boyfriend. Mine. When I was Me.

Is that bad? Wrong? Am I the only person in the world who has ever missed “the good ol’ days” after getting married and moving to a strange country? A strange country where people who wear comfy sexy witchy boots are frowned upon.

I’ll miss my boots.

If anyone knows where I can find another pair, please let me know. Half – calf, lace ups. No zippers please. Big heel, no stilettos. Preferably under $30. ;)

2007-02-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well, today is Groundhog day. And I don't think any groundhog anywhere in North America saw his shadow. Did the sun come out anywhere? And does that mean 6 more weeks of winter, or what? I've never figured that out.

Groundhog day, is relatively a new thing I think. Though it is derived from older Pagan traditions. Or a Bill Murray movie...one or t'other. ;-)

here is a quote from the Wiki entry on Groundhog day:

Around the fifth century, the European Celts believed that animals had certain supernatural powers on special days that were half-way between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Folklore from Germany and France indicated that when marmots and bears came out of their winter dens too early, they were frightened by their shadow and retreated back inside for four to six weeks. This may have been adopted by the Romans as Hedgehog Day. In Scotland the hedgehog has long been revered for its healing powers (as referenced in Robert Burns' Ode to a Hedgehog).
The earliest known American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Historical Society of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania. The reference was made Feb. 4, 1841 in Morgantown, Berks County, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris' diary: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the
day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.

So, I guess its an early Spring then? Isn't is strange that this first mention of Groundhog day in America took place in Morgantown, Berks County, PA when I now live in Morganton, Burke County, NC!? Ok, well I thought it was strange! :-p

Tomorrow evening, James and I are going with friend Juli to an Imbolc celebration in Hickory. Imbolc starts off the Celtic Pagan light half of the year. The days are getting longer, and signs of Spring are showing.

Here is the Wiki entry on Imbolc:

Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Originally dedicated to the goddess Brigid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid's Day. In Scotland the festival is also known as Latha
Fhèill Brìghde, in Ireland as Lá Fhéile Bríde, and in Wales as Gwyl Ffraed.
Imbolc is traditionally a time of weather prognostication, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to Groundhog Day.

Traditional foods are breads made with seeds in them, as seeds are of course a symbol of Spring. I'm going to make some poppyseed bread, and maybe make some hummus, just because I like hummus!

I've been feeling rather ambivalent about things lately, so we'll see how I fare tomorrow. Even after 2 and a half (or so) years here, I've made sadly few friends, and even them, I hardly ever see. Not a single one I can call on when I need someone to talk to, lean on, rant with. I was sick when the Yule ritual was, so didn't see anyone, and a few calls and emails have gone unanswered. Work isn't any better, I've even tried to invite myself to lunch with the other ladies in my department, and they left without me with nary a nod or "sorry, no room". I've been there 6 months and not once has any of them invited me to lunch. And they're usually gone before I'm thinking about it. Southern hospitality :-p

What to do, what to do? Not much I can do I s'pose eh?

Oh, almost forgot

2007-01-29T20:41:00.000-05:00

My dog has been possessed by some sort of demon. If anyone can tell me what type of demon, and how to get rid of it, I'd grately appreciate it! ;-)

Issues...

2007-01-29T19:54:00.000-05:00

I've been having issues with Google and trying to log into my account for the past 2 days. For some reason even though I've got cookies enabled, it wouldn't let me log in. Right pain in the butt. But it seems to be fixed now. Til tomorrow :-p

Anyhoo...about the dog. First thing this morning when I arrived at work, I called the shelter to find out if anyone had called to claim the dog, the guy said "I dunno, we just got here half an hour ago, we haven't even looked at the drop off sheet yet!" ugh....so I let him know that I would put an ad in the paper, and I asked him how long they'd keep him. He said til Wednesday only, then if Burke County Friends doesn't want him, he'd be euthanised. I said I'm not going to let that happen! Nope, no way!

As I was on hold with Classifieds, I asked around if anyone could fit a dog into their family, and one of the ladies at work called her boyfriend's mother, who is apparently looking for a dog.

Then I went about my usual morning business. Back and forth from the front desk to the sales area, and back again. On one such trip, maybe about 10am I guess, when I got back to my desk, Glenda said "hey, this guy is looking for his dog!"

Turns out the dog was just here in town visiting for the weekend. The gentleman who came into the office to put an ad in the paper said it was his mother-in-law's dog, and she had come to visit and the dog had managed to get out the door without anyone seeing. They didn't notice for a while, when it was already too late. They looked all over, but couldn't find him,
and Mother was devestated.

I told him I'd found the dog wandering around Bi-Lo parking lot, and he said "wow, we live in Drexel, that's about 3 miles!" No wonder the poor guy was hungry!

I told the man that the dog was up at the shelter and I hoped he'd not been too traumatised by living the weekend in a cage all alone. He left without me getting his name or anything to check up on the poor dog later.

I do hope he is ok, and none the worse for wear. He's an old dog, and maybe not many years left in him, but he's a good dog, and I'd hate to hear that he'd been so scared by his experience that he's not the same.

Maybe the gentleman will call or stop by to let me know. He seemed very grateful that I had done what I did, even though it wasn't much.

My good deed for the week. :-)

What would you do?

2007-01-27T20:28:00.000-05:00

This evening I was at the grocery store and as I was leaving with my groceries, heard a couple of guys talking about a dog wandering around the parking lot. One of them said "he looks lost, I hope somebody didn't just drop him off, he's a good lookin' dog". I looked around and spotted him a couple of lanes away, looking nervous and jittery.

I got my groceries into my car, then carefully walked over to the dog, where he was now munching on some what looked like left-over Chinese food that someone had dumped on the pavement. It was right next to a big pick-up and I didn't want the little ol' guy to get hit. Of course, I say little because my own dogs are so big. This one was a full grown, fairly old chocolate lab. His chin is all white, so maybe middle aged, whatever that is in lab years.

I walked up to him and crouched down and he kinda jumped, but he realised I wouldn't hurt him I guess, and he followed me over to my car. I dialed my cell phone to try and call James, but as we all know, he's half deaf, and was in the basement on his computer so didn't hear the phone. ugh...need to get a phone in the basement...anyway, so I called the animal control, whose number I have on my speed dial list on my cell phone. Why? Because there are so many dang strays wandering around this town! They're closed on weekends, so they have the no-kill shelter number on their answering machine. I called them, and they don't come and pick up strays, so she gave me the number for public safety. I called them, and there were 2 cruisers there within a minute and a half!

Luckily I had some Scooby Snacks in my car and this little ol' guy seemed rather hungry. He may have just wandered off from home, but he seemed confused and lost and really really hungry. Or he may just have bad manners which is why he nearly took my fingers off when I offered the biscuits. ;-)

For whatever reason, when the two male officers approached him, he growled and tried to run away. I had a hold of his collar though, and he happily followed me to the open door of the cruiser and hopped in. I felt so bad when I started to walk away to my car, his face was so sad like "hey, aren't you coming with me?" *sigh*

I gave the officer my phone numbers and told them to call me if no one claims this guy. I'd have brought him directly home if I thought George and Bruno wouldn't beat him up, but if we bring another dog home, they'd have to be acclimated to each other on neutral ground first. He's little, and old, he may not be able to defend himself well enough against these two beasts!

Hopefully he just wandered off and someone is out there looking for him. But for tonight and tomorrow night, he's at the animal control shelter, waiting for the Monday shift (they have weekend shifts to care for the animals, just no administrators to take lost dog reports or post found dog notices.)

In the meantime, when I get to work on Monday I'll put an ad in the paper (I get free classified ads) that I've found him and he's at the shelter. If no one claims him, I guess I will have to help find him a home. I feel kinda responsible. But I just couldn't leave him out there wandering around lonely and hungry, to possibly be killed by a car or shot at (which is fairly common around here).

What would you do?

Google's coming to town!

2007-01-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

Ok, besides the fact that it would seem Google has taken over BlogSpot (I just noticed that now!) Google has announced they are opening up a facility nearby in Lenoir, North Carolina!

Woo Hoo! I checked their website for job listings, but nothing yet. They have to build it first I think, so it may be a while. But I emailed them just to check to find out when :whistle: ;-)

A tech job at Google would be sooooooooooooo much betterer than I'm doing now at the paper. Money aside, I'd be dealing with a computer farm, and not irate subscribers who haven't received their paper since Christmas, and not Sales reps who have forgotten the definition of "deadline".

I had such a day today, to top off several weeks of such days, I made no bones about the fact that Google will be hiring soon. :-p And a lot of them know my background is with computers.

Can you imagine? Most folks around here aren't used to making much more than minimum wage. Apparently the "average wage" at Google is over $48K per year, plus benefits. Honestly, that's more than twice what I make now. But still less than what I was making at my last job at JDE in Toronto. Near the end there I didn't much like the job anymore, but the $50+K per year and 4 weeks vacation almost made up for it. ;-)

Well, we'll see how quickly Google gets built. I may go completely round the bend by then and end up in Broughton. (the local loony bin).

House isn't on tonight. Stoopid state of the union address. bleah.

Update

2007-01-21T14:38:00.000-05:00

Well, we decided to move suddenly one day. Or rather, James did. He called me at work one day and said "I'm moving stuff over to the other house, it will now be our primary residence". So, here we are now. And we were without internet access here until the other day, as it took an entire month for the local cable company to hook us up :-p They suck.

Anyhoo...for those who didn't get caught up in the mass email that I sent out earlier this week, James also recently decided totally *against* starting up his own Domino's franchise. So, no move to Hendersonville either. The former being just fine and dandy with me, I wasn't too keen on it to begin with, but I really would like to move out of this hick town with nothing to do! Which of course is still an option, but we'd have to find jobs first in order to do that. bleah.

So I'm still at the Morganton News Herald only now I'm working at the front desk as co-receptionist/data entry. I don't much like it, but we need the medical insurance so I'm kinda stuck for the time being. I was recently diagnosed with Grave's Disease which is an auto-immune that knocks the thyroid totally out of whack. I'm taking 20mg of methimizole per day to try and get that all back into order. According to the endocrinologist I saw, he said Graves' mostly goes into complete remission after a couple years of treatment, and usually doesn't come back for most patients, so I guess that's an ok diagnosis. Left untreated however, it could have killed me eventually, so its lucky that Burke Primary Care does Thyroid levels in the routine blood work at yearly check-ups!

It is freezing rain today here, we had hoped for snow, but no luck. Again. Should be fun at work tomorrow. NOT.

We are currently considering a trip to Ireland perhaps this year sometime. If we can find the money, what with James being an unemployed bum at the moment. I thing what would really kill us is the airfare, otherwise the trip could be done "on the cheap" as they say. We'll see.

And congratulations go out to friend Becky and her husband Jerry on the birth of their first child Emma.

More congratulations to Cousin Dee and her boyfriend John as they are expecting a baby in the summer. Her first, (at age 41!) and his 3rd. He has 2 girls from a previous relationship. Both girls are in their teens, and are excited about a baby sister or brother. If its a boy, Dee says John wants to name it Junior. Yuck! There are quite enough John's in the world John! Be original! Sheesh! ;-)

Our smelly fur-kids are going for baths on Tuesday. Thank the Gods! They were supposed to go the other day, but it was freezing rain and yucky and George had broken one of her claws completely off when she tripped UP the basement stairs, and I figured she's not going to want to spend the afternoon standing in soapy water. But my goodness they stink! Its been a while since they had a bath. Like before Halloween. Yuck!

We had a great Christmas here, I got lots of new music CDs, and a ZUNE MP3/Video player. So next time I'm travelling by air, I won't have to lug around my portable CD player and CDs. YAY! Woo Hoo! I got James a CD player stereo for his pick-up, it sounds pretty good.

Oh, and last weekend we made our annual pilgrimage to Asheville to see Enter the Haggis in concert at the Grey Eagle. They're now playing larger venues because the pubs just won't fit all their fans anymore. We got there early enough for close seats :-) They're still great, and we bought their latest CD Soapbox Heroes, as well as their PBS special DVD Live at Lanigan's Ball.

And hopefully by summertime I will have my Bowflex body! We got new exercise equipment all set up in the basement, with a Bowflex and another weight machine of namebrand I can't remember at the moment. James somehow cracked his sternum the other day, so can't do anything for a few weeks, and with my Grave' disease my muscles are always sore, but I worked on the Bowflex a bit yesterday, and its a pretty good workout. I'm stiff and sore today, but should be ok to do 15 to 20 minutes tomorrow after work, depending what type of day it turns into. If the past 2 weeks are any indication however, I'll be completely knackered when I get home and will just want to crawl into bed. I swear, you'd think you need to be a brain surgeon to deliver newspapers around here :-p

Well, I think that's about it. Drop a line so I know you're still alive!

It’s the little things, eh?

2006-12-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I had a wonderful trip home for a few days (only 5) and got to see a few friends, saw Wicked, got out dancing, celebrated “Early Christmas” (this may become tradition) and got to eat some foods I’d been missing. Like back bacon (Canadian bacon to you Yanks) in a really decent Eggs Benedict at Pickle Barrel. Fish n Chips at the pub (Duke – Yonge & Eglinton) and of course Tim Horton’s donuts :-D

BUT, lo and behold, here today, in Morganton, North Carolina, I found CRUMPETS! At Ingles yet! Ingles is a North Carolina chain of grocery stores, and like most other grocery stores around here, was sorely lacking in “foreign” foods. I could find some Dare cookies (they used to carry the Crocanolie a la Canellies, but not anymore. Canucks will remember that commercial I hope!) but that was about it other than Mexican food. Today for some reason I decided to go there instead of Bi-Lo which is closer. And I found not only the crumpets, but 3 different brands of Tahini paste! 2 years ago I searched and searched this town for Tahini, and now its at Ingles! And crumpets!

This place may have some promise. Maybe.

We are however planning to move up to Hendersonville, which is about an hour and a half from here up the mountain. 15 or so minutes from Asheville, and maybe only half an hour or less to guess….World Market! They carry a whole whack of imported foods…hence the name. I have to make a trip up there before Christmas to get some Lebkuchen and Pfefferneusse cookies. Mmmmmm, my favourites 

I also received my Pub Grub that I ordered. Some bangers, scones, clotted cream and some haggis. Very yummy. I haven’t tried the haggis yet; I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to eat the whole pound of it on my own. James doesn’t want any. Hmph.

I also put in our regular Christmas order for Canadian Favourites . I’ll get my Shreddies, Kraft Dinner, Campbell’s Tomato soup (added to the line up especially for Me!) and James’ favourite Bits and Bites. Of course I also ordered Tetley tea. I’m almost out.

Oooh. The toaster oven just dinged…there’s my hot dog! Yumm! I found organic hot dog buns today too! No high fructose corn syrup!

I have to finish off my roll of film from Early Christmas; I know I got a few good shots of the kids opening presents and stuff. I also got video. I had 3 cameras with me a 35mm, digital, and video. I need to transfer the video to DVD and send everybody copies. I may finish up the tape and send them pictures of the dogs playing er summat.

It’s a beautiful day here today. About 60F/15.5C. The other day was cold tho! It went down to less than 20F/-7C and I nearly froze to death at work! I was shivering, plus I caught a cold from Tracy while I was home, and my head was all stuffed up I was sneezing and my nose was running. No fun at all. I actually came home at lunch and grabbed one of my fleece shawls to use as a blanket I was that cold! They need to have those windows looked at; I don’t think there’s insulation under them! And at the back of the building, they were roasting to death. Ugh!

Well, I think I shall go gorge myself on chocolate and cookies and tea. My nose is still stuffy and I’m kinda tired. I’ll go see what’s on the telly.

I'm Going Home!

2006-12-01T07:01:00.000-05:00

The Official Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart

50 ºF (10 ºC)

New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.
Canadians plant gardens.

40 ºF (4.4 ºC)

Californians shiver uncontrollably.
Canadians sunbathe.

35 ºF (1.6 ºC)

Italian cars won’t start.
Canadians drive with the windows down.

32 ºF ( 0 ºC)

Distilled water freezes.
Canadian water gets thicker.

0 ºF ( -18 ºC)

New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.
Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

-40 ºF (-40 ºC)

Hollywood disintegrates.
Canadians rent some videos.

-60 ºF (-51 ºC)

Mt. St. Helens freezes.
Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

-100 ºF ( -73 ºC)

Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Canadians pull down their ear flaps.

-173 ºF (-114 ºC)

Ethyl alcohol freezes.
Canadians get frustrated when they can’t thaw the keg.

-460 ºF (-273 ºC)

Absolute Zero: all atomic motion stops.
Canadians start saying “cold, eh?”

-500 ºF ( -295 ºC)

Hell freezes over.
Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

Growing up Canadian

2006-11-19T11:56:00.000-05:00

This article in today’s Toronto Star hit a sympathetic nerve with me. It appears that the Great Canadian Tradition of outdoor hockey rinks is going away. In Southern Ontario at least.

On Melting Pond

Skating on a natural pond or a homemade flooded rink: What could be more exhilarating, healthy or fun? And, more recently, doomed?

Not one of Toronto's natural ponds, for years maintained by the city for public skating, opened last winter. Centennial Park in Etobicoke closed its natural ice rink in 2000. L'Amoreaux Park in Scarborough, also closed. Toogood Pond didn't open last winter for the first time in five years because it didn't freeze to the 20-centimetre (eight-inch) thickness the town of Markham requires for safety. (Markham, which has no artificial outdoor rinks, has optimistically introduced an ice-rink program for community volunteers to flood rinks in their neighbourhoods.)

As winter temperatures appear to be rising, skating on natural ice may be a thing of the past, something we remember, the way we remember wearing scratchy woollen socks when we go out in the cold instead of smooth, modern polypropylene ones.

I grew up in a place called Musselman’s Lake. The lake froze pretty much every winter and we could skate and snowmobile over it. Plus there was Mud Lake (a small pond really) that we’d all shovel off the snow and practice our figure skating, and play a shinny game of hockey. Heck, the street I grew up on would flood and freeze and we could skate and play hockey on the street! Or skate right from our front door to the hockey rink cleared off on Mud Lake. We learned to skate fairly young, even me and my sister, daughters of an Englishman who’d never had a pair of skates on his feet, and the Canadian Mum who had the worst balance in the country and couldn’t skate. She got the older girl up the street to teach us. Bernadette. That was her name. I think I was 5 when I got my first pair of skates. Kids these days get skates about the time they can walk 5 steps without falling. ;-)

But, they can’t skate outdoors like we could. The ponds and lakes aren’t freezing like they used to. Flooded back yards and parks aren’t freezing either. The only rinks that freeze are the ones artificially made and refrigerated, and the indoor ones. Its such a shame. It really is a lot of fun, playing hockey, or practicing your triple lutz and falling face first into a freshly shoveled snowbank. If you’re properly dressed of course. When I was 12 I got a horrible case of frostbite from my middle back down to my toes because I was out skating and the boys decided to tackle me and hold me down on the ice. I only had jeans on, no long underwear, and no snowpants. I had a light winter coat on, and a couple pairs of socks. But I got frostbite and man o’ man did it hurt! I still suffer from it to this day. 25 years later. Gods, I’m getting old!

Its such a shame that my nephew and niece will probably never get to skate on a frozen pond, unless my sister and brother in law take them far enough up north where its still cold enough to freeze. But they won’t likely ever be able to put their skates on at the front door and skate down to the rink. South Central Ontario hardly ever gets enough snow anymore, let alone cold enough to freeze a community outdoor rink.

*sigh*

No one here that I work with in Morganton has ever skated, has never frozen their backyard, or the park, or the tennis courts to play hockey. One of them has a cousin in Minnesota who plays hockey, and loves to skate. They just don’t get it here. They don’t even have an indoor rink.

Perhaps if we move to higher elevations there will be a rink somewhere. Apparently some of the ski resorts here in Western NC have outdoor rinks sometimes. And its already snowed up in the mountains, and more than one of the resorts have started making snow and plan to open next week. So maybe…

Maybe when I go home for my visit I can rent a pair of skates at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto and go glide on the ice. Or fall and break a hip…I haven’t been on skates in a few years!

Here’s hoping for a cold winter, and some smoothe firm ice.

mmmm Haggis

2006-11-16T19:42:00.000-05:00

I'm gettin' haggis! I'm gettin' haggis! Among other things :-)

From British Pantry

AND Canadian Favourites is adding Campbell's Tomato soup to their products. Just for me! I emailed to ask them to add it, cuz all the stuff here in the US has high fructose corn syrup :-p

Yay! Food, glorious food!

And I'm goin home in 14 days for early Christmas!

I think I'll get me a sign!

2006-11-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

Free Hugs

From Wiki:

The Free Hugs Campaign appears to have begun in 2004[1], and was widely publicized in 2006 by a music video. It involves individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public settings. The campaign is an example of a random act of kindness, a selfless act performed by someone for the sole reason of making others feel better. The original organizer has stated in interviews that the purpose is not to get names, phone numbers, or dates.[2]

[edit] History
Juan Mann in the original Free Hugs video at the Pitt Street Mall, Sydney, AustraliaA video on YouTube was released on September 22, 2006, and by November, 2006, had gained over six million[3] views. According to the video summary, it was recorded in Sydney. In the video, the main character who is giving out hugs, (identified as "Juan Mann", a pseudonym[4]), walks through the Pitt Street Mall holding up a sign with the words FREE HUGS written on it. Music for the video is provided by Sick Puppies, an Australian band that "Mann" met a year earlier.[2] Shimon Moore, the lead singer of the Sick Puppies who worked at the mall, shot the footage which he later compiled into a video for the song.[2]

Initial distrust of Juan's motivations gives way to a gradual accretion of people willing to be hugged, with other huggers (male and female) helping distribute them. After some time, security guards, then police tell them they must stop, as Mann has not obtained public liability insurance for his actions[4]. Mann and his companions then began a petition which reached 10,000 signatures. At that point, the authorities walk away, but not before being hugged by some of the participants.

[edit] Publicity and expansion
In the video Juan Mann is interviewed by reporter Angela Bishop from Ten News.
The video clip has received a largely positive reaction on YouTube, with over 23,000 ratings at an average of 4/5 stars, and more than 5.4 million page views (as of November 5, 2006), making it the 18th most viewed of all videos on the site.
On September 27, 2006, the video was played on Good Morning America in the United States.
A college student, Yu Tzu-wei, began a local campaign in Taipei in October 2006 to "hug everyone in Taiwan".[5]
On October 7, 2006 A free hugs in Tel-Aviv Israel video was uploaded to YouTube.[6],
A mass "free hugs" day was scheduled at Pitt Street Mall for the New South Wales Labour Day (October 1, 2006) following the massive YouTube and media coverage.[7]
On October 15, 2006 the Free Hugs Campaign was broadcast on Channel 9's "60 Minutes" as part of a segment on YouTube.
In late October 2006 several Free Hugs Campaigns were organized all over Italy, in a number of city centres: Milan[8], Rome[9], Novara[10] and Bari[11].
On October 27, 2006 Students from McKendree College were featured in news media, including MLB.com, for giving free hugs before game five of the World Series in front of Busch Stadium.[citation needed]
The Free Hugs creators were interviewed by WHO.com.[12]
On October 30, 2006, "Mann" was invited by Oprah Winfrey to appear on her show Oprah after her producer's doctor saw the Free Hugs video on YouTube. Juan Mann made an appearance outside her studio that morning, offering free hugs to the crowd waiting to see the taping of that day's episode. Oprah's camera crews caught several people in the audience hugging Mann as the morning progressed.[13]
On November 4, 2006, a new video entry was added to YouTube by Juan Mann thanking the people that watched the video for their positive response to his video as well as the support they've shown in addition to starting Free Hugs campaigns in other countries. Mann took the opportunity to promote the launch of a charity initiative founded by himself and Shimon Moore called Free Help, intended to cut out the middle man by allowing dedicated good Samaritans to render any assistance they can to those in need.
On November 6, 2006 an eleven-strong group led by a twenty-four year old man named 'Baigu' tried the same campaign in Shanghai, only to be detained for one hour for not having a permit to hold a gathering in a public place[1].
Since the clip first aired on YouTube, Free Hugs Campaigns have been started in over 24 countries.

on the 11th day of the 11th month, at the 11th hour, a moment of silence please

2006-11-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

This was posted at a forum I frequent, grab a tissue, its a tear jerker. Click here

Here is a true story and video I have been saving to share with you for Veteran's Day:

"On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be of the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.

Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time".

I think that you will find it to be a moving video and song. "

Something I think the US should adopt

2006-11-09T19:10:00.000-05:00

I miss the poppies for Remembrance Day. Here in the US its “Veteran’s Day” sans poppies. So, I saw one on the Toronto Star.com today, and printed it and I will wear it tomorrow and Saturday. I hope it survives. I’ll have to ask Mum to get me a few and save them so I can bring them back with me after my trip home next month.

Anyhoo. Canadians, Brits, and other Commonwealthers wear a poppy on November 11th to remember and honour the dead from World War I initially and now also dead and veterans from WWII, Korea and others since.

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

And about the poppies from today’s Toronto Star

Lest we forget...

Wow, I am messed up!

2006-10-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

Reba took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Demands that ideas and emotions shall merge and bl..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Ouch…how do I get a smaller foot?

2006-10-25T20:51:00.000-04:00

This article in the Toronto Star today worries and hurts me. For a lot of reasons.

On average, every person on Earth needs 2.2 hectares, but the planet has only 1.8 hectares of capacity. That means demand is 25 per cent greater than resources.

…

This time, the Emirates' average footprint is a whopping 11.9 hectares, but a small population means its global impact is small. The extravagant American lifestyle requires 9.6 hectares and that heavy footprint combines with its 294 million population to make it by far the biggest drain on Earth's resources.
China has a small average footprint of about two hectares but its 1.3 billion people give it a massive total impact, and rapid economic development is swelling its footprint.
The average Canadian's lifestyle requires 7.6 hectares, a figure that dwarfs the international average and Earth's capacity. And it continues to expand: In 1998, it was less than six hectares.

Seriously, how do I get a smaller foot?

The other day I was browsing Ford’s website. Apparently as an employee of Media General, I can get an employee discount on new Ford cars. So, I looked up the Escape Hybrid. It’s the only hybrid Ford makes, and I’m currently driving the “regular” Escape model. With 2 giant dogs, we need a rather large vehicle. But I feel guilty driving it. The mileage sucks; I’d rather drive something a lot more efficient. So, with need of a large vehicle (and domestic, hubby won’t buy foreign cars, even if they’re made in the States) I looked at the Hybrid. The employee discount is a couple thousand dollars. We could trade in the Escape we have now. That puts the price of the brand new Escape Hybrid still at more money than I can make in a year here. Not to mention sales tax, and property tax (yes, vehicles are charged annual property tax here in North Carolina!).

I’ve also considered just buying a little sedan of some sort, something that gets better mileage than the Escape and my hubby’s 14 year old F-150. Something to drive back and forth to work, which is only a couple miles. But we can’t afford insurance on a 3rd car, the dogs won’t fit in anything much smaller than the Escape, and hubby’s not getting rid of the pick-up. We bought it from his Mother after his Pops died. Its about all he’s got left of his dad. So, we’ll have that til it falls apart I’ll bet.

So, how do we get a smaller foot? We already turn off all the mini-fluorescent lights when they’re not in use. And apparently just by switching one bulb to the mini-fluorescent, its like we’ve taken 20,000 cars off the roads. The thermostat is turned down so the heat doesn’t come on all that much (yep, its on already. Seems we’re actually going to have winter this year), and we had my car tuned up recently so I’m getting 2 to 5 more miles per gallon.

Still, I feel guilty.

Solar panels are an option. A very expensive option! More so than a new hybrid car. We’re not close enough to the river to make hydro, and I think there’s a city ordinance against windmills. Not to mention, we’re really hoping to move somewhere other than here!

Perhaps I’ll just turn off the light and the computer monitor and go sit in the other room to watch hockey with James. Its something, right?

Someone recently asked if we should inform our users that monitors in screen-save mode reduce energy consumption by only a few watts. At $.105 per kilowatt hour (kwh), turning off a 75-watt monitor outside 40 hours a week saves $4.38 a month (42 kwh). This saves 750 lb. of CO2 (greenhouse gas emissions) by burning 450 fewer pounds of coal each year! Flat screen monitors consume about one third this much energy.

Some typical consumption levels for computer equipment are:
* desktop computer: 60w (watts)
* CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor: 75w
* flat screen monitor: 25w
* laserjet printer: 7.2w

Using a 120-volt wattmeter borrowed from the public library, I made a quick check of some high-profile energy-consuming items at home, revealing the following:
* 32” television set: 90w
* coffeemaker: 980w brewing, 2w warming
* microwave: 1950w
* fan: 95w on low, 125w on medium, 180w in high
* 100w-equiv. compact fluorescent light bulb: 22w
* 17” Dell monitor: 84w active, 74w blank blue, 67w blank black, 69w screen-save, <0.1w active-off (standby)
* Laptop computer: 60w active, 25w idle, 1.6w standby mode.
* Dot-matrix printer: 3w idle; 13w max

Source

2006-10-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

Going Organic – Part II

As I posted a while ago, Watkins now has a line of 19 USDA certified organic spices (available in US only for now). Apparently, this is in large part with thanks to Wal-Mart of all companies. Yes, Watkins does business with Wal-Mart. As well as other large US retailers, (Target and others) as part of their retail initiative to get the Watkins brand name back out there. With larger retailers buying Watkins products to stock, Watkins can buy more, and sell at a lower price, even to direct customers through their traditional sales associates like me.

Well, a while ago, Wal-Mart decided that it wants to carry organic foods, to allow low income families the option of going organic (organics in most retail stores are pricey enough to keep a large percentage of buyers away). When Wal-Mart decides to eat healthy, that’s sayin’ something! Although, I’m really not sure how I feel about this, for various reasons.

I had read on a message board that the USDA had loosened the rules for organics just for Wal-Mart. This comment annoyed me enough to do some research, and it turns out, the rules were not relaxed for Wal-Mart, they were relaxed for other food manufacturers, like Dole:

And large companies have tried to use their muscle in Washington to their advantage. Last fall, the Organic Trade Assn., which represents corporations like Kraft, Dole, and Dean Foods, lobbied to attach a rider to the 2006 Agricultural Appropriations Bill that would weaken the nation's organic food standards by allowing certain synthetic food substances in the preparation, processing, and packaging of organic foods. That sparked outrage from organic activists. Nevertheless, the bill passed into law in November, and the new standards will go into effect later this year.

source

Further to that, now that Wal-Mart is going organic, organic farms are getting bigger and bigger. This is not necessarily better.

We have already seen what happens when the logic of the factory is applied to organic food production. The industrialization of organic agriculture, which Wal-Mart's involvement will only deepen, has already given us "organic feedlots" — two words that I never thought would find their way into the same clause. To supply the escalating demand for cheap organic milk, agribusiness companies are setting up 5,000-head dairies, often in the desert. These milking cows never touch a blade of grass, instead spending their days standing around a dry-lot "loafing area" munching organic grain — grain that takes a toll on both the animals' health (these ruminants evolved to eat grass, after all) and the nutritional value of their milk. But this is the sort of milk (deficient in beta-carotene and the "good fats" — like omega 3's and C.L.A. — that come from grazing cows on grass) we're going to see a lot more of in the supermarket as long as Wal-Mart determines to keep organic milk cheap.

source

In 10 (or less) years’ time, what exactly will “organic” mean? Who knows, now that Wal-Mart is writing the dictionary.

Good or bad news to the smaller family organic farms? Only time will tell I s’pose. I don’t shop at Wal-Mart usually. Our local doesn’t have a full grocery section. But the Super Wal-Mart is in the city plans, hopefully we’ll be gone by then. Target is also coming, so its not all bad. ;-) But for now, I’ll keep buying organics at Bo-Lo and Ingles. At $5 for a gallon of organic milk, or 75 cents for a serving of organic yogurt, its still a bit out of our everyday price range. But I still refuse whenever possible to buy products with high fructose corn syrup in them, so I buy organic cookies (Newman Os), and organic breads, and organic breakfast cereals (yep, the ones made by the biggies, who’ve apparently changed the USDA legislation).

Its all kind of bitter sweet. Sweetened with natural organic sugars, not hfcs of course.

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-10-08T13:14:00.000-04:00

To my Canadian family and friends.

I got up this morning, and made a pumpkin pie, and at the moment, I’m smokin’ a couple of turkey breasts out on the grill. It’s a wonderfully blah drizzly day. Just as Canadian Thanksgiving should be! Too bad its not snowing, that would cap it.

I’ve also got a pan of parsnips, taters and carrots in the oven. I par boiled them then put them in a baking pan with some grapeseed oil, salt and Italian pepper. James doesn’t know if he’s ever had parsnips before. Sheesh, what did his Mother ever feed him? Never had rhubarb before a couple weeks ago, and never had parsnips!

I smell all smokey. I put some hickory chips on the coals. It’ll probably take a while to cook those pieces of bird, but I’m sure gonna love it! James doesn’t like bird of course, so he’s having steak :-p Then he has to go to work this afternoon, so it’ll be an early feast. This is normal for him, but not so much for me. His family always had holiday dinners at lunch time I’m used to later in the day. But today its just the two of us, and the dogs.

And back to work tomorrow. Then it’ll be Happy Columbus Day, to celebrate the discovery of not America ;-) He actually found the Caribbean. But I s’pose if they want to continue the myth, it’s an excuse for a holiday. We need more holidays down here in the States. There’s not nearly enough.

Well, for your enjoyment, here’s an article from the Morganton News Herald.

Catching Up

2006-09-30T12:04:00.000-04:00

I was asked the other day how come I haven’t updated my blog in a while, and well, I’ve been busy and otherwise unable to get to it. I tried one day last week but Blogspot was down for maintenance, and then I just couldn’t get to it later. We only have one computer these days because if we plug in the other one, all the circuits blow. This house just wasn’t wired for modern technology :-p And James got himself a new computer game, and when I get home from work he’s usually playing. Until well into the wee smalls. I’m a Warcraft widow :-p

Well, last weekend I went to Boone Pagan Pride Day. Alone because James had to work. He’s been working Saturday’s now since I started working full time Monday to Friday. So, anyway, it was a nice day, tho it starts rather early for my liking. 9am to 6pm, because its held on the ASU grounds and they want us cleared out by 7pm I think er summat. I’ve suggested, (again!) that a pot luck feast and big fire would be fun, like I was spoiled with in Toronto, but I’m not sure there’s anywhere we could do that around here. Except possibly a state park, but I dunno if they’d allow that. I think the organizers like to have it at ASU because its partly hosted by the ASU Pagan Students Association, so who knows. But feasting and big fires can add so much to an event, doncha think?

I took some pumpkin bread, apple spice bread, and shortbread cookies to share. I guess some habits are hard to break. It’s the Celt in me. Part ritual means feast! ;-)

This evening is another open ritual in Hickory. This one is specifically to celebrate Mabon, and apparently attendance is usually somewhere around a couple hundred people. Why we can’t get that many to Pride Day is beyond me. Mabon is held at one person’s home, and everyone brings food to share. Which is proper for a harvest celebration! I plan to make a pasta dish, and take some bread and maybe an apple spice bread for dessert.

We had a wicked storm the other day. We lost a dogwood tree. James went out to try and move it closer to the street so the city would pick it up next time they come by (there’s a yard waste removal service that comes by on a regular schedule, like garbage pick up). He couldn’t move it tho, so we’ll have to take the chainsaw to it. He did notice that the trunk is mostly rotted somehow, so it was weakened and just couldn’t stand up to the winds we had. It was raining so hard, that at work we couldn’t even see out the windows for a while, and the wind was so hard that it was pulling the front doors open, and blowing rain under the other doors. It was pretty harsh. I was looking for the greenage, because the winds and rain were hard enough to make me think tornadoes.

The dogs were home alone, both of us at work. I had left the back door open for them so they could come and go, and I was afraid the door would be blown off the hinges! Luckily it wasn’t, and the dogs had the sense to stay in the house while it was storming. James said they were cowering when he got home, and Bruno never left his side, even when he tried to go to the bathroom!

The temperatures have finally fallen too. Our heat actually came on last night and this morning. Temp in the house was down to about 65F, and was expected to be down into the 40s outside at night time. Bruno loves it now, and won’t stay in during the night. Which for some reason drives James batty, and he keeps trying to keep Bruno in, which results in Bruno whining and then he gets put outside. I say if he wants out, let him out. He’s got a fur coat, he’s not gonna freeze!

This is my favourite time of year. During the day time the temperatures are comfortable enough to go play or work outside, and nighttimes now require a light blanket on the bed. Or a heavy Saint Bernard, depending on the dog’s mood! ;-) I love autumn, the air seems clearer and cleaner, the colours on the trees are inspiring, and we all seem to have a bit more energy somehow. I wish it could be like this all the time. I hate the summer heat, and the winter blahs. Spring is ok, but its just not the same. At least not here, there’s just not the same noticeable difference of the seasons here as back home. Except autumn. The heat breaks, the pumpkins are harvested, and we see more and more people out walking about and enjoying the outdoors. And the Halloween stuff is out in every store! It’s crazy, it’s not even Canadian Thanksgiving and there’s Halloween stuff everywhere! I’ve got myself a few new items to decorate the house, which hopefully we’ll be moved before Halloween!

We’re also still looking around at the mountain towns to find somewhere favourable to move to. Last Sunday we went up to Black Mountain, and it’s a nice little town. There used to be a Domino’s there until the city declared that no franchise operations could be within the historical downtown, so the guy picked up and left, rather than find another spout outside the downtown area. So we went to see if there was a building available, and if it was a friendly place.

Turns out there’s pretty much everything there that I wanted. There’s a dog park, there’s a proper coffee shop (NOT a Starbucks!), there’s a pub or two, and there’s a pet food store that allows the dogs to go in shopping too. It’s VERY small, but we went in to see what George could knock around. LOL. It’s a dog friendly town, and also seems to be “alternative lifestyle” friendly, so perhaps I wouldn’t feel as out of place there as I do here in Morganton. PLUS, its only about 15 minutes to downtown Asheville, where there’s even more to do, and more freaks to hang out with, say at the Pirate bar Jolie Rouge, or the Celtic pub Jack o’ the Wood. It’s an artsy fartsy town, with some nice independent shops due to the no franchise ordinance.

My only question is how well would a franchise do just outside the ordinance area? There’s a couple of pizza franchises already, Pizza Hut and some other one I can’t remember. Meh…I dunno, but I like the town, so maybe James can figure out something else he can do :-p Maybe an independent pizza place in the downtown area?

Well, I have to go start cooking for this outing tonight. We have to leave by 4.

Catch ya later!

OH! And for your viewing enjoyment, check out these pics from space

Go for the Geek!

2006-09-17T11:55:00.000-04:00

Yanno, when we’re in high school (and I guess, Jr. High for those who live in areas where there is such a thing), we start the separation into groups of like minded people. Somehow, in that summer between our last year of elementary school, to our first semester of high school, things change. Geeks become geeks, cool kids become cool kids, jocks are jocks, etc etc…it happens to the best of us, in the smallest of towns, to the largest cities.

Now, when I was in high school, I was pretty much a freak. I could stand on the fringes of just about any group except the coolest of the cool. Which where I went to school, was The Townies, as some who did not live right in town called them. I was also a Laker Chick. No, not a cheerleader. I lived at Mussleman’s Lake, ergo…Laker Chick. But even with the “cool” Lakers, I just barely fit in. And only because I lived there. :-p

Anyhoo…I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Probably since Anthony Michael Hall turned up with his TV show The Dead Zone. Check him out now, compared to 20 years ago when he was the geek of The Brat Pack.

And of course there’s also Patrick Dempsey. In 1988’s Can’t Buy Me Love, he played Ronald, a geek who paid the captain of the cheerleader’s to be his girlfriend for a month, so he could get “in with the in crowd”. Geek then, Dr. McDreamy now.

Or, as they said in the movie “From Geek, to Chic”. This movie won Patrick a Young Actor’s award, and his movie brother was played by then very young geek Seth Green, now red-headed hottie of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Austin Powers fame.

Another of my fave 80s geeks is John Cusack. I’ve always had a thing for him, and he’s been on my list of favourite Johns since…well, since forever I think. In Sixteen Candles I think it was, he appeared first with a full set of “head gear” braces. Most people probably wouldn’t recognize him from then til now. And most people don’t know much of his movies prior to Say Anything, with the infamous scene with the boom box at the window playing In Your Eyes. I’m tellin’ ya, that’s been every woman’s dream since, to have some guy stalk her while booming late 80s love songs outside her bedroom window ;-)

So of course, all of this just really makes me wonder, why are the geeks and freaks so vilified and ostracized in school, when really all they need is a couple years to fill out and grow into their legs? Like the ugly duckling, they all seem to grow into beautiful swans. Then I guess all the cool chicks feel bad about turning their noses up at them in school! I can’t recall if I ever did snub anybody at school for being a geek, and I certainly apologize if I did. But rather I think I didn’t fit in with the cool kids, because I actually talked to the geeks and was friends with some.

Sadly, some people never grow out of that high school mentality, and even well into middle age, still have to hang out with the cool kids, never getting to know the geeks. Unless they need to borrow money, or have a bug in their computer they need fixed.

As the freak who never really fit in anywhere but a very few places, I can relate. I can converse will a lot of different crowds, but rarely do I “fit in”. Ah well…

Well, just remember kids, no matter if that somewhat cute but gangly kid with the braces is on the fringe and just doesn’t fit in, sooner or later they will, and boy, will you be sorry that you snubbed them in school when they’re accepting their Nobel Prize, they end up being your plastic surgeon, or they win an Academy Award years later!

*snarf*

I’d show you a picture of James when he was 4 years old, with a little bow tie on and everything, but it’s packed

I wanna cry

2006-09-16T09:44:00.000-04:00

Check this out Dogs Deserve Better

This woman was arrested for rescuing a dog who'd been chained outside for days without care, and who'd collapsed and the Humane Society wouldnt respond to neighbour calls!

Jeez this just boils my blood! I cried when I looked at the video, how can anyone treat an animal this way? grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

George & Bruno would have a thing or two to say to the "owners" of Doogie, and to the Police who arrested and detained his rescuer! grrrrrrrrrrrr...

My teeth hurt! Some people should be outside chained to a freakin' tree! See how THEY like it!

**edit** to add:

I just shopped in her Cafe Press shop and got myself a sweatshirt, a shopping bag, and a 10 pack of buttons that says "DUDE, not my idea of a good time" with the poor cartoon dog snowed in in his dog house. I'll pass those out to friends with dogs with nice fences and who sleep inside on the couch at night :-)

...seriously...people piss me off. Why do they even bother to get an animal? *sniff*

Yummo! as Rachel Ray would say

2006-09-14T17:59:00.000-04:00

Last night I made the most awesome strawberry rhubarb pie Ever!

Ok so I cheated a bit and bought frozen pie shells, but I don’t have a counter to be rolling pastry out on so its allowed!

Anyhoo…I had 2 deep dish pie crusts, and 2 large stalks of rhubarb, and 2 things of strawberries (quarts? I guess). I just started cutting them up and filled up the pie shells. When there was enough cut up, I put all the fruit into a bowl, and mixed in 2 cups of sugar and ½ cup of flour and let that sit for about 15 minutes. Then in another bowl I mixed about 1 ½ cups of graham crumbs, 4 packets of plain instant oatmeal, and about ¾ cup of brown sugar and half a stick of melted butter. I mixed the melted butter in with that until there’s bits of crumbly goodness. Then put the fruit and sugar mixture into the pie shells, cover the tops with the graham crumb mixture and stick ‘em in the oven.

The oven was pre-heated at 450F, cook it for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 for about 30 minutes (ovens will vary because some cool down faster than others). When the outer edge of the crust was nice and toasty brown, I took ‘em out. And darn it, they had to cool for quite a while before I could serve ‘em up!

But WOW was it gooooooooooooood! A bit soupy, but very very yummy. I think next time I will add in a ¼ cup of custard mix or cornstarch in place of ¼ cup of flour, to thicken it. But it was still nice as a big crumbly mess on the plate. We both had seconds, and had to fight our taste buds to say no to thirds! I put one pie in the freezer to save for later, but I’m definitely having a slice for dessert again tonight.

And Aunt Jane is stopping in tonight for the night on her way up to TO. She’ll be my un-biased taste tester ;-)

I am quite proud of myself, that was a damn good pie!

Everything was goin' fine...

2006-09-08T18:45:00.000-04:00

...until about 4 o'clock this afternoon.

My supervisor came to me on her way out for the day to tell me that "someone" had complained that I was spending too much time talking to the sales reps. There is to be no talking or socializing, unless you're in the break room.

I had been back there for not even 10 minutes talking to the one rep who happened to be in this afternoon, and for about 10 or 15 minutes yesterday afternoon while I waited around for any one of them to have something for me to do, (two of them were waiting on something and said they'd have it before quitting time) or until quitting time, whichever came first.

Fine.

I'll just sit in my cube, isolated from everyone except the Publisher. He can see me through his window. If there's nothing to do, I'll sit and pick my nose. And I won't talk to anybody. Its not allowed.

Stupid frickin'...fer crissakes...

*sigh*

Going Organic

2006-09-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, I don't advertise my Watkins business very often here, but you just have to check this out! I know a lot of people who are concerned about pesticides and additives in foods and spices, and I know a lot of people who are going organic. Well, so is Watkins!

New USDA Certified, 100% Organic Herbs and Spices Available (US Only)
Watkins has been a pioneer in premium, gourmet herbs and spices for over 100 years, so it’s only natural that we offer a premium line of organic herbs and spices. Watkins new line of nineteen USDA certified, 100% Organic Herbs and Spices are packaged in beautiful gold tins, reminiscent of the Gold Medals we received for the highest quality spices in Paris in 1928. And according to the marketing research firm ACNielsen, these nineteen spices represent approximately 70% of the total spice demand for the every day consumer.

Watkins will continue to offer our current line of Gourmet All-Natural Herbs and Spices while meeting the demands of the growing consumer base that prefers organic foods.

Organic Herbs and Spices will be added to the online U.S. catalog September 1 and will appear in the 2007 U.S. Main Line catalog.

Watkins Organic Herbs and Spices

00503 Basil 0.56 oz $4.99
00590 Black Pepper 4 oz $5.99
00591 Chili Powder 1.6 oz $4.99
00598 Cinnamon 2 oz $4.99
00592 Cumin 1.6 oz $4.99
00505 Curry Powder 1.8 oz $4.99
00509 Dill 0.70 oz $4.99
00596 Dry Mustard 1.9 oz $4.99
00500 Garlic Powder 2.8 oz $4.99
00595 Ginger 2 oz $4.99
00507 Ground Cloves 2 oz $5.99
00589 Nutmeg 2 oz $6.49
00501 Onion Powder 1.9 oz $4.99
00594 Oregano 0.63 oz $4.99
00593 Paprika 1.9 oz $4.99
00508 Parsley 0.25 oz $4.99
00504 Rosemary 0.78 oz $4.99
00506 Sage 0.78 oz $4.99
00502 Thyme 0.99 oz $4.99

Why Organic?
A growing segment of North American consumers is seeking organic food for all or part of their diet. To meet these needs, Watkins now offers a new line of USDA certified, 100% Organic Herbs and Spices. These Organic Herbs and Spices are another way to expand Watkins Associates’ customer base.

Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers this definition of organic food:

“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.”

Watkins Organic Spices are certified organic by the USDA National Organic Program under its most stringent standards: 100% organic.

Watkins Organic Herbs and Spices complement our current line of Gourmet Herbs and Spices
Watkins will continue to offer our current line of Gourmet All-Natural Herbs and Spices. They are the highest quality spices available, gathered from the world’s best sources and processed within Watkins’ high standards.

Pepper, it’s not all the same
Watkins Organic Black Pepper is made from peppercorns grown in various parts of the world including such places as Mexico and Sri Lanka, while our Purest Granulated Black Pepper is made from premium Malabar peppercorns from the coast of India and Lampong peppercorns from Indonesia. As a result the taste profile between Watkins Organic Black Pepper and Watkins Purest Granulated Black Pepper is distinctly different. And while Watkins Organic Black Pepper is ground, our Purest Granulated Black Pepper is produced through our exclusive granulation process and remains the highest quality pepper that you and your customers have enjoyed for generations.

Summary of Watkins Herb and Spice offerings
Complete line of Gourmet All-Natural Herbs and Spices in glass bottles as well as Pepper and Cinnamon in 6 oz and 12 oz tins.
Selection of 7 Gourmet All-Natural Herbs and Spices in tins (U.S. only, available only during Watkins 2006 Gift Line).
A selection of 19 USDA Certified, 100% Organic Herbs and Spices (U.S. only, available September 1).

If you're interested in purchasing these new organic spices, or any other Watkins products, click into my Watkins website and "Watkins Products" on the left menu. My associate number is 363337. Or email me for more information.

This is going to be a great cooking and baking season, with all these new ingredients!

Week Two

2006-09-01T17:40:00.000-04:00

Well, as mentioned before, this job is particularly tedious, some times I'll just sit there with absolutely nothing to do, and other times I'm completely swamped. And nobody in the office seems to know HR policy, I didn't get my birthday off :-p Now, I knew that I should have gotten my birthday off, but my supervisor and her supervisor didn't know for sure if I was eligible because I'd just started. And HR wasn't answering her messages until after lunchtime on my actual birthday. So I ended up working. But its not all bad, I can take it sometime later as a paid holiday. :-)

SO, I'm hoping to be able to get home for another visit in November. I'm thinkin' that if I combine my missed birthday holiday with Thanksgiving and the 3 paid vacation days I'll be elgible for by then, I can have a full week off! I want to go see the musical play Wicked and it finishes up on November 26th, so I have to get there before then!

And hopefully I'll have enough points for another free airfare! I don't know if I can afford it otherwise.

**********************

Yanno, I often wonder if one works at a newspaper as an editor, writer or printer, shouldn't they at least have a basic knowledge of grammar and spelling? :-p

**********************

Ernesto turned out to be a wet blanket. Its been raining for a few days, yesterday was horrible, today its raining again, but nothing really hurricane-y. Of course he'd been downgraded to just barely a named storm by the time he hit North Carolina, but other storm fronts that came before him from the northeast had already drenched the eastern half of the state. We're soggy here in the hills, but I don't think we'll be flooded. Maybe.

**********************

Its Labour Day weekend and with it comes the SALES! Of course I haven't been paid yet, so I dunno if I can even put gas in my car to drive to the stores where the sales are. hmph. Will have to nick James' bank card tomorrow morning. ;-) I need shoes.

**********************

OH OH OH! James my wonderful husband got me a model of the Firefly ship Serenity. And a Serenity T-shirt.

We're still waiting for our Serenity birthday party T-shirts from back in June.

**********************

Did I mention that on Sunday last weekend we went for a drive up the mountains to Blowing Rock? There's a Big Dogs store there and we got a few new T-shirts. One of which is the "Big Dogs of the Caribbean - Dead Dogs Wag No Tails" *snarf*

Then we drove up to Linville Falls and took the dogs for a walk along the trail there. Its about half a mile in and then back again, but it wasn't too hot that day up in the mountains. It was a nice walk, and the dogs didn't behave too badly. We only came across a couple of other dogs, and steared far enough around them that I didn't get dragged down the trail. One of these days they'll give up the fussin' at other dogs and just be nice and polite. One of these days.

It was a nice day anyway, we don't get out nearly enough with the dogs, we usually just walk them around the neighbourhood at night time, like after 10pm. Most of the other dogs are either inside, or in their pens by then, so we don't worry much about them running out at us. And its cooler at night time, its still too hot during the day. A few days this week it was over 95F still, one day it was up to 99F! ugh. Too hot!

********************

Well, I'm off! There's a Stargate SG1 Marathon on tonight!

First Week

2006-08-25T18:08:00.000-04:00

Well, I've completed my first week at my new job, and it seems to be going well. I've had 3 people say to me that everyone says I'm doing a good job, and one of those people was the Publisher (he's the Big Cheese in the office). For the first 3 days, one guy would stop by my desk and say "wow, you came back!" like its such a surprise. My supervisor said the same thing to me yesterday and I said "yeah, and next week I may even put a picture on my desk!" *snarf*

I get a day off next week for my birthday. How cool is that? I get my birthday off as a paid holiday!

This company is pretty good, even hourly full-time employees get paid holidays on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labo(u)r Day (I tell ya, its hard to spell that without the dang U!), Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Plus the birthday of course. Not a lot of companies in the US do this, at least not in the south, or maybe its just this state, I dunno. Not for hourly employees that I've heard anyway.

Plus, my health benefits start on November 1st, I just don't know how much its going to cost me yet. James has only been working 1 or 2 days a week for the Domino's so that he can keep his medical insurance. If I can get him on mine for not too much money, then he can finally quit that sweatshop and maybe find something else. Or collect disability, I don't care. As long as he does the vacuuming. ;-)

*****

We bought a new computer the other day, just haven't got it out of the box yet. This one keeps crashing, there's a bug in it somewhere and we can't find it, its rather annoying. The new one has spyware blocker, so that'll be much betterer. Plus, its got one of those awesome new graphics cards, which is why James bought it. He plays games mostly, and this old monitor isn't all shiny like the new one. Its also got a TV chip in it, so we can watch and record TV shows on our computer. That's pretty cool! There's a few schedule changes this Fall Season, which was messing up our Thursday nights! Now we can record one and watch the other. This'll save us on having to buy a TiVo. :-) We're waiting to set it up after we move, so that it doesn't get all full of dog fur too soon. :-p

James also bought me an easel and some canvases and some sketch pads and paint brushes. Just before Christmas last year he had bought me an art set, with some paints and pastels and whatnot, but I never had any paper or canvas, or any decent brushes. The kit only came with 2 cheapo ones. Now I do. I think I will paint the dogs' portraits. I've never worked with oils before, only watercolours, so we'll see how that goes. I'll be lucky if it doesn't end up looking like a Salvador Dali or Pablo Picasso. ;-)

If I do any amazing masterpieces, I'll post 'em here.

Catch ya later.

Wouldn’t ya know it!

2006-08-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

Last weekend a bunch of us had planned to go drive up above the light pollution to watch the meteor showers Of course, the weather did not play along, and it was too cloudy to bother with the hour long drive up the mountain.

Yesterday Juli stopped by to pick up her Watkins order and I asked if we should try again this weekend. Yesterday the sky was clear and beautiful. Today of course, the fates are once again opposing us, and it is completely overcast, with a forecast of thunder storms well into the night. *sigh* I just checked the weather.com forecast for Asheville, and the High Country Web cams and it doesn’t look good.

Wouldn’t ya know it, whenever we plan celestial light shows, the clouds roll in. Of course, this is the last possible weekend to view the showers, and last weekend would have been the peak. We should have gone up sometime during the week when it was clearer. Ah well, maybe next year.

********
In other news, last night we watched the 200th episode of Stargate SG1 and holy cats, was it funny! This definitely was the “jumping the shark” episode, and that was IMO, confirmed in the lead-in special by one of the producers, or was it one of the writers? Anyhoo…there was something for everyone, and they poked fun at nearly ever popular Sci-Fi TV show ever made, as well as themselves. They also added in more than one nod to the fans, with O’Neill and Carter getting married, and the current SG1 team dressed in the Wizard of Oz costumes. My favourite part was the puppets; that was freakin’ hilarious! And the Furling freaking out after Sam and Daniel beam out just in time for the Furling ship to explode. *snarf*

If this was indeed the shark episode, by all accounts this is probably the last season of Stargate SG1. After 10 years, I guess they’ve run out of stories to tell. Actually, they ran out of stories a couple or 3 seasons ago, they’ve just been regurgitating, and changing the names and race of the Big Bad since. Not that that’s a bad thing necessarily, there are still story arcs that can me made, but too much of a good thing is not always good. The franchise can still grow of course, there’s the spin-off Atlantis, and I’m sure they can find another galaxy to stake a claim in for another spin-off. Look how many spawns of Star Trek there were, plus feature movies. There’s lots of life left in the Stargate universe. Just maybe not for SG1 specifically.

There is rumour of possible movie sequels, but with the movie cast and not the TV cast. I’m not sure how this would work, considering the time span since the movie (it was released in 1994), James Spader (Dr. Daniel Jackson) is now 46 years old, and I think the audience would find it hard to believe that Sha’uri has been able to feed him quite that well in the 12 years he’s been off planet. ;-) Not that I don’t like the original cast of course, I love James Spader, and Kurt Russell is ok, and I did enjoy the movie very much. But can we just totally discount the 10 years with the TV cast? And would the original movie cast even *like* to return for a couple of sequels? Plus, in the TV show, Skaara is dead and ascended. Can we just bring him back to life for the sequels? The same actor played both roles. Fans will be confused. ;-) (Alexis Cruz and Erik Avari were the only 2 cast members from the movie to cross over to the TV show).

From one article I read, they’d like to make the sequels as completely stand-alone from the TV show, but continue the movie story-line. Ok, sure, I’m not a Hollywood script writer, but I just don’t see how it can be done believably. Or at least as believably as a Hollywood SciFi movie can be. There’s too much history already, I’m not sure how it can be ignored. Or even if it should be. But, what do I know?...

Well, I think I will go into town and see about getting me some appropriate office wear type clothes. I don’t have many anymore.

Up early again

2006-08-18T10:43:00.000-04:00

I had to get up early again this morning to go to the newspaper office to fill out all the new employee forms. Yep, I got the job! Woo Hoo!

I forgot to ask if the health benefits include the hubby, so I will have to remember to do that on Monday when I start, but all in all, it sounds like a pretty decent place to work. The job itself is just data entry, which can be tedious, but they guy who interviewed me said its necessary to take lots of breaks so its not too tedious. I can live with that. ;-)

Plus, its only about 5 minutes from home, so I can come home for lunch.

This means that I will have a "normal" job, Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, no weekends, no weird shifts. I may be able to have some sort of life even. Which is difficult to have a social life when you work opposite shifts of everyone you know, like I was when I was at Domino's. And, I'll even have money to be able to go out now and again!

Well, that's all for now I s'pose.

Job interview

2006-08-15T15:45:00.000-04:00

I had to get up this morning at the un-godly hour of 7:30. I'm not used to such civility, I've been working second shift and been unemployed so long! :-p

Anyhow, the interview was at the local newspaper, for an Ad order entry position. Full time, pay's not bad, with pretty good benefits it sounds like, and 2 weeks paid vacation. Odd for this area I must say!

They didn't ask me about any of my previous work experience at all, just told me what the job is about, gave me a typing test, sent me for a drug test and that was it. I expect to hear from them probably tomorrow.

This may be something I can tolerate for a while until we figure out if we're going to move away from Morganton. At least it'll be some money coming in, and medical benefits so I won't be afraid of getting sick anymore. Which in itself can make someone sick...if you follow!

Well, that's about it. I think I need a snooze. I'm really not used to being up so early! Might have to get used to it tho eh?

What if I want to go to school?

2006-08-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

Or to be more specific, college.

I was just looking at a couple of the local community college curriculums, and wondering about registering for a few classes. I gotta say, it’s a whole lot different here than in Canada! In Canada if you want to take a few college classes, you show up during registration time, fill out a form, pay the money and there ya go. Not here! Nope nope nope…Back home, most of the classes that are available to full time students during the week days are also available to “continuing education” students on evenings and weekends. Not here! I don’t recall when I went to college night school classes in Toronto that I had to write entrance exams and give them my high school records.

According to what I’ve read on the CVCC and WPCC websites, you must write an admissions test, have your high school and any other college transcripts sent to them, and only Then can you attend classes. You can register, but you can’t attend until you get these things. I find this rather restrictive, and quite honestly, discriminatory.

There doesn’t seem to be any “mature student” allowances. I don’t get it. Why bother having “higher education” if it is so restricted? I can’t imagine how high school students feel when they’re contemplating post secondary schools. Maybe that’s why there’s so many American students in foreign schools, its easier to get in!

Now I know that Canadian universities require a pre-registration entrance exam or something, but not community colleges. This seems excessive.

I was thinking of taking some writing courses. English literature, journalism, stuff like that. CVCC even has some anthropology courses that look really interesting. I could be an anthropologist right? If I could just get in the damn door! Sheesh!

*sigh* I dunno…maybe I’ll email them and find out if they do have mature student allowances and they just don’t advertise it. I think I’m too late for the Fall Semester though, classes start next week.

Six Degrees

2006-08-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

Have you ever played the Kevin Bacon game? If you have, you know how frustrating it can be, and if you haven’t, well, it’s a six degrees type of game. Every actor on the planet can be connected to Kevin Bacon within 6 degrees. But it also works for just everybody, not just actors. For instance…I passed Keifer Sutherland on the street one time in Toronto; we exchanged glances, Keifer worked with Kevin Bacon in a couple of movies. Ergo, I can be connected to Kevin Bacon in just 2 degrees.

Well, I’ve been thinking that this can work for just about anyone, not just Kevin Bacon. But then even if you don’t use Kevin Bacon as the central figure, you can still likely connect everyone to him within 6 degrees anyway. I’m not sure how this game started, but Wikipedia says it was invented in 1994. However, I recall it first featured in an episode of Mad About You, but I can’t remember what season it was.

…btw, I wouldn’t recommend using this as a mode of trying to tire the brain if you are suffering insomnia. It has kept me awake more than once, rather than put me to sleep!

Anyhoo…recently I’ve been getting addicted to the TV show Stargate SG-1 . It has been on for 10 seasons, and I’ve watched it now and again since I moved here because James watches it, but I did not watch it since the beginning. It started in 1997, and I was otherwise engaged with other shows I think. If you miss the first few seasons, you’re pretty much lost, however I was familiar with the premise, as I had seen the movie it spawned from and quite enjoyed it.

So, after James went and bought seasons 1 & 2 on DVD a couple of weeks ago, we sat and watched, and I was hooked. We’ve since obtained seasons 3, 4 & 5, and finished watching season 5 last night. *boo hoo sniff sniff* Now we need seasons 6 thru 9, and of course 10 is still on TV this season.

Well, I went looking on imdb.com for some background information about the show and cast, and discovered that Michael Shanks who plays Dr. Daniel Jackson on the show, was also in the TV movie Door to Door about Bill Porter, a disabled Watkins associate. (I don’t remember him in the movie, it’s a small-ish part, but of course when I watched it, I wasn’t looking for him) So, not only can we connect Michael Shanks to Kevin Bacon (via Kyra Sedgwick) BUT now I’m just 2 degrees of Michael Shanks via Watkins ;-) *snarf*

Ok ok, that’s stretching the game a little but :-p

Unemployment Rate Climbs Again

2006-08-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

from the Morganton News Herald (Where I've applied for a job btw)

MORGANTON - Burke County's unemployment rate, along with the state's rate, was up slightly in June. Burke's rate went from 5.6 percent in May to 5.8 percent for June.

The state's unemployment rate climbed from 4.6 percent in May to 4.8 percent in June.

"The number of those unemployed increased in June mainly due to new students entering the labor force during the summer break," said ESC Chairman Harry E. Payne Jr. "We are continually encouraged by new job announcements and by the expansion of business across the state. Employment is up by more than 118,000 since June of last year."

Over the year, employment increased in all but four metropolitan areas, say employment officials. Rocky Mount, Hickory/Lenoir/Morganton, Greensboro/High Point and Goldsboro metro areas all showed losses.

The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan statistical area had the second highest unemployment in the state, going from 5.6 percent in May to 5.8 percent in June, according to information from the Employment Security Commission.

Burke was behind the Rocky Mount area, which was at 6.9 percent unemployment in June.

Catawba and Caldwell counties only showed a slight fluctuation in rates from May to June.

The national unemployment rate remained at 4.6 percent.

****

One thing to note of course is that unemployment stats only come from those who are collecting benefits, not from those who have been collecting so long that they've run out, but are still unemployed. Nor from those like me who are not eligible to collect for one reason or another. (in my case because I haven't worked enough in the US to collect). I do wonder tho how the rate can go up because students are out of work? I wouldn't think they'd be counted, but who knows!?

The job search continues! Yesterday I sent resumes and cover letters to a couple of companies that I had applied to either on-line (the newspaper) or in their offices on their standard application form. Just wanted to keep my name coming up for more consideration ;-)

Nah! You don't say!

2006-08-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

from today's Toronto Star

Heavy net users are loners, study shows
Aug. 2, 2006. 09:15 AM

OTTAWA (CP) — There's a new study that says heavy Internet users lead a considerably different lifestyle than people who do not surf the web.

Statistics Canada says it found that heavy Net users spent less time to socializing with their spouse or partner, or their children and friends.

And they tended to stay at home, showing less interest in outdoor activities than non-users.

Heavy Net users, defined as those who spend more than an hour a day on the web, also devoted significantly less time than non-users to paid work and chores around the home, and less time sleeping, relaxing, resting or thinking.

The agency says that what is striking is the amount of time they spent alone.

Heavy users were alone nearly two hours longer than non-users.

The study also found:

Heavy users spent an average of 33 minutes less time each day than non-users on domestic work, such as child care and housekeeping."

Spouses and children in particular bore the brunt. Heavy users spent about half an hour less with spouses and with children than did non-users."

Heavy users were less likely than non-users to say they knew most or many of the people in their neighbourhood."

Heavy users spent less time in active sports, engaging in civic and volunteer activities, or attending sports events, movies and other events. But they did express greater enjoyment in participating in clubs and social organizations.

And they remained interested in traditional media.

Both users and non-users spent about the same amount of time, just over two hours, watching television during the day.

ACK! Poor puppy!

2006-08-01T15:04:00.000-04:00

WARSAW (Reuters) - A man was bruised but alive on Wednesday after a Saint Bernard dog thrown out a two-story window landed on him as he was walking down the street in the southern-Polish city of Sosnowiec.

The 110-pound dog was pushed out of the window by its drunken owner Monday, police said.

"The dog had a soft landing because it fell on a man," said police spokesman Grzegorz Wierzbicki. "The dog escaped with just a few scratches."

"The man was also more in a psychological state of shock than physically hurt," Wierzbicki added.

The one-year-old dog, named Oskar, was placed in an animal shelter while police investigate its owners for animal abuse.

***********

I wonder if George and Bruno would like a brother? ;-) And how much it would cost to get him on a plane to the US?! The poor thing!

***********

Still no word on the job front. Someone from R-Solutions was supposed to call me yesterday afternoon but never did. I tried to call the company I had applied for the office job, but got company voice mail and didn't know who to search for. I will try again tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I'll keep looking I s'pose.

***********

James mentioned something interesting to me the other day. He said I should advertise Watkins products on Survivalist websites. I found out the shelf life of the Watkins Energy Bars (the chocolate mint are very yummy!) is 9 months, and the soup mixes are 2 years! I think the Soynilla protien drink mix is also 2 years. We have a fairly good supply of soup and Soynilla in the cupboards, just in case the Apocolypse is on its way! ;-)

Of course its not so far fetched for storms to come through here and knock out power for a few days. The ice storm near Christmas last year had half the town blacked out for 2 days. And a couple years ago the river overflowed and flooded the other half of town, knocking out power and other utility services. Its not such a bad idea to have a few non-perishables stored away.

With a few weeks still left in the hurricane season, ya just never know!

Still haven’t found what I’m looking for…

2006-07-31T15:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I still haven’t found a job, but I’ve applied to about a dozen and I went to another interview this morning. Today’s interview was at R-Solutions booth in Sam’s Club. No, the job is not for Sam’s club, R-Solutions is a division of Radio Shack and they sell cellular phones and cell plans, DirectTV satellites and internet services. Its part time, with base pay + commissions. I know I’m capable, but I’m not sure I’d like it all that much. For one, there’s no where to sit down if my feet hurt.

There’s another job I applied to that I wish I’d hear back on. It’s a full time office job, assistant to Customer service, and doing data entry on an AS/400. I can do that. And did for several years. There’s benefits and all that other good stuff that comes with a steady full time job. And I imagine there are chairs. ;-)

Job hunting

2006-07-25T16:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I had a “job interview” this afternoon in Hickory.

On Sunday, after having quit Domino’s promising never to return on Saturday, I updated my resume on Carreerbuilders.com and went job hunting. Monday morning I got a phone call for an interview, I had not applied for the job, but they saw my resume and thought I’d be a good candidate. Silly me didn’t think to ask them what the job was, I’m just that desperate. :-p

So, I get there this afternoon and it turns out its insurance sales. I’ve been getting A LOT of responses from insurance companies. Yes, I have sales experience, and took Sales & Marketing in college night school classes. Which is why I know I’m not particularly suited to doing “outside” sales. Nor do I have any ambition to drive all over hell and gone all day every day. I’ve removed most all mention of the word “sales” from my posted resume.

I’m sure insurance sales is an admirable job, its just not for me. The interviewer seemed rather put out when I said sales is not for me, and he said “is it the word “insurance” that’s stopping you?” I replied “no, it’s the word “sales” that’s stopping me”. He thanked me for coming in and pointed to the door. *snarf*

Now, had I known when she called me for the interview that it was outside sales I’d have said no thank you, not interested. But she didn’t, the word sales never exited her mouth. And a search on Careerbuilder and Google for the company name came up blank. I think its rather shallow and stinky to misrepresent an opportunity in such a way. I wonder how many people actually fill out the application form and say “Oh Yay! Goodie! Insurance Sales!” Next time I will definitely ask exactly what the interview is for.

Retail sales I could do easily. There’s a big difference in going knocking on someone’s door to say “hey, ya wanna buy some insurance?” to someone walking into a store actually looking for something specific, like a TV or pair of trousers.

Honestly, I’d rather have some comfy office job where I can sit at a desk and type or do filing or something. Mindless perhaps, but potentially less stressful. I’d like steady hours with a steady paycheque, if that’s at all possible. Is that too much to ask? :-p

I did apply for a few other jobs, none of which are outside sales. I haven’t heard back from any yet though. *sigh*

In other news today, while I was out driving to my interview, I passed by a movie theatre in Hickory that has now closed. I called James and told him to see if he can find out about buying it. He used to own a small theatre in Lenoir a few years back, and has said he’d enjoy doing that again. We don’t know why the theatre closed, or how much it would cost to buy it, but its worth looking into.

Not much else going on around here. Its still hot out, and I’m still broke. And the dogs are getting stinky again. ;-)

Caualties of War

2006-07-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

from today's Toronto Star

Abandoned pets trapped in war zone
Dogs of War | Ahava Project races to save animals on both sides of border.
Jul. 23, 2006. 07:04 AM
MITCH POTTER
JERUSALEM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They were having a perfectly good summer until the missiles came. And now it is the relentless Mediterranean sun, not bombs, that is likely to kill them.

But with so many two-legged refugees of the human variety at risk in Lebanon it may come as no surprise that almost nobody is thinking of the four-legged ones.

Nobody, that is, except the Ahava Project, a group of animal-friendly volunteers now scrambling to save the dogs of war on both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border.

After 10 days of dodging Hezbollah rockets in northern Israel, the Israel-based Ahava Project has rescued and given shelter to 170 freaked-out dogs and cats that either ran away or were abandoned by their Israeli families in the haste to flee danger.

For domesticated pets too frightened to be coaxed out of hiding, the group has spread an additional 2 tonnes of dry kibble and 4,000 litres of water throughout the stricken Western Galilee.

Now, if Ahava has its way, the next stop is southern Lebanon, where hundreds more animals are believed to be lost in search of water and refuge.

A non-profit group comprised of some 50 volunteers, Jews and Arabs alike, Ahava has secured a ship in the hope of sailing Lebanese strays to safety.

"We have the boat, we have permission from the Israeli navy to do this, we have the contacts with animal lovers in Lebanon," said Ahava spokesman Tamara More.

"What we don't have yet is co-operation from foreign embassies and aid groups to let people know we are ready to help. And we need it quickly, because the sun alone is going to kill 30 dogs and cats left behind in a matter of days."

Ahava volunteers were in contact with their Lebanese counterparts about the latter-day Noah's Ark mission until Friday when all direct phone links between Israel and Lebanon ceased.

Several kennel operators in southern Lebanon were in need of help as they prepared to run, More told the Star.

"We know one Lebanese man with 10 purebred German Shepherds and no idea what to do. Of course we are not asking that resources be diverted away from human needs.

"But let's get the word out to the Lebanese people that we have a solution."

An added urgency, said More, is that family pets have been excluded across-the-board from the mass evacuations of foreign nationals fleeing Beirut.

"Embassies are telling people, `No animals.' But they're not bothering to tell people we are ready to help. We are ready to take anyone's cat or dog, care for them and return them when this mess is over," said More.

"Even if you don't care for the animals, it should happen for the souls of the people. It is bad enough that people must flee their home, but imagine having to leave behind a dog that you love, knowing he will probably die."

For the 170 cats and dogs in Ahava's care, many will need a new home. Like the 250 family pets Ahava rescued last summer during the flight of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, many of the abandoned will never be reclaimed.

Some of last summer's animals ended up with adoptive families overseas, including Holland and the United States, with Ahava handling the complicated paperwork.

More said Ahava would happily arrange the same for any Canadians willing to take in the displaced pets of this latest conflict.

"We like to think we live in a modern democracy here, but the attitude toward dogs and cats is still very third world," said More.

"Some of our volunteers have witnessed dogs being tossed out of cars stopped at major intersections as people rush south to stay with friends and family in southern Israel.

"They are just dumped on the side of the road," More said.

"So we're looking for families everywhere, including Canada. Email animalsavers@gmail.com and we can send you pictures."

Drenched

2006-07-22T13:09:00.000-04:00

Last night as I was getting ready to go to bed, around 2am or so, Bruno was pacing the house, doing his pee-pee dance. Y’see, it was thundering and lightning and pouring rain of monsoon proportions and he just did not want to go out in it. James tried to get him to go out, even went with him. As far as the front porch. But Bruno wouldn’t leave the porch, so James brought him back in. And Bruno continued his pacing, pee-pee dance. Then he finally looked at me and said “I can’t hold it anymore Mum!” his tail was between his legs, it was rather funny!

So I got him and George on the leashes and went out the front door. James held onto Bruno’s leash while I took George to the front lawn. She quickly peed so she could get back inside. I handed her off to James and took Bruno. He took a lot longer to finally getting around to emptying himself. We stood in the rain getting completely drenched, while Bruno jumped at every lightning and thunder crack. He then decided to walk over to the car port to investigate there and peed on the pole.

James dried Bruno off and I went in to get myself a towel. George followed me into the bathroom, I was dripping from everywhere. Then I shook my head and sprayed her. *snarf*

Anyhoo…we’re expecting thunderstorms all day today again, but at least the temperature has gone down slightly. The high today is only about 82F/28C. That’s still too hot in my opinion, but not nearly as hot as it has been.

I told Kenny last night that he’d better start hiring some new CSRs because I’m looking for a new job. His only response was “oh, ok” and then about half an hour later he asked if I can work next week because he’s making the schedule. Wonder of wonders! This week’s schedule never did get put up, and next week’s is already done. That never happens!

But then later her tore it off the board and stormed out the back door, slamming it. Wonder what crawled up his butt? :-p

The only one there who seems concerned that I’m leaving is one of the part time shift runners Mike (the former driver now shift runner). He asked what it would take to get me to stay, I said at least 30 hours per week like I was getting when James was GM.

I still don’t get it. How do they justify 2 of the employees getting into over-time hours while I barely get to 12 hours most weeks? My paycheque yesterday was only $115.55; that really doesn’t go very far at all. We went grocery shopping after my shift, and the grocery bill was $109. I have $6 in my pocket to last me til next pay day in 2 weeks time. James is only working these days to cover his insurance premium; his paycheque was about $19 this week. That’s not even half a tank of gas these days.

My shift last night was 5pm to volume. Which means til the rush is over. I left at 9pm, and the idjit that took what should have been my job, was still there. She opened yesterday. So by the time I left at 9pm, I had 4 hours. She had 10 hours, and probably stayed til close. She gets more hours in one day than I get in an entire freakin week! And remember, every hour after 40 hours in a week, she’s getting paid overtime. How does this make any kind of sense? Unless she’s polishing things that ought not be polished, if you follow. *shudder*

Ah well…maybe I’ll get hired at Best Buy and then I can get employee discount on plasma TVs ;-)

I just hope I can find something else soon. I seriously hate working at this Domino’s.

Keeping Up

2006-07-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

Well, just to keep up with what’s going on around here…

Yes, I’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest. Three times actually. Twice in Canada while I was up there visiting, and once since I got back here. I could have seen it again yesterday, but James didn’t want to. :-p

I wish I could buy a tall ship and sail off into the horizon.

We took the dogs to Pet Smart for a bath yesterday. They’re all shiny and distinkified. They were totally exhausted when we picked them up. Which is nice, they don’t run around the house so much when they’re sleeping. ;-) They were there for 5 hours, and they didn’t tell us about them mis-behaving so I will have to assume they didn’t attack any little dogs! George is actually white, not orange! Whodda thunk it? I’d upload pics, but I forget where I put the camera USB cable.

I’m trying to find a new job. It looks as tho we’ll be staying here for quite a while now despite things, and I just can’t stand working for Kenny at Domino’s anymore. When James hired me there in February, he trained me to be a shift runner (equiv. of Assistant Manager basically), and I was working about 30 hours a week. To no detriment of any other employees I might add! Since James quit and Kenny took over as GM, my hours are cut down to about 12 per week, and I’m mostly in there as a “phone girl” (CSR). Occasionally he asks me to run a shift, but mostly only when he gets bored and doesn’t feel like working himself :-p. A few weeks ago the other shift runner Brittney quit and went to work at another of the franchise stores, so rather than move me up to her full-time position, Kenny moved up one of the UN-TRAINED CSRs who had been hired After Me! And who takes 5 minutes to take an order, and makes more mistakes than is cost effective, and not once since she started as shift runner have I ever gone in for second shift and seen everything been done that’s supposed to be done. If you follow. I usually end up washing HER dishes, and prepping things that should have been prepped hours ago. She’s even left food sitting out on shelves and such because she “didn’t put it there, don’t know who’s it is”. I should call the health department :-p

So, the other day apparently Kenny got wind that one of his driver’s wasn’t going to show up for shift. He had a shift runner scheduled who used to be a driver, plus me as CSR, who is trained as a shift runner. He could have had me run the shift and the former driver/shift runner do deliveries. Rather than do that, he called in a FREAKIN DRIVER with aspirations to be shift runner, who WASN’T EVEN ON THE SCHEDULE, it was his day off. So here’s the dickhead driver with aspirations complaining about being called in on his day off, who gets about 60 freakin’ hours per week, who’s girlfriend it was who got MY freakin’ job who also is well into over-time hours every week, and HE’S complaining! I barely make enough money these days to buy groceries and put gas in my car for pete’s sake! I was so angry and frustrated it was all I could do to hold it together until I got home. In tears I might add.

How do these dickheads justify having 2 ass kissing employees work OVERTIME, when there are others who can’t even eat on a regular basis? This is the state of things here. Its VERY difficult to adjust and find anything to like about here when I keep getting abused by employers like this. 3 jobs in just over a year and every single one of them has been pretty much like this. The labour laws here in NC are geared toward the employer, rather than the employee. At least the state is considering raising the minimum wage by $1, but that’s not going to help me any. Unless the only other job I can find around here is minimum wage. :-p I’ve complained to the franchise owner about things going on at the store, and he doesn’t seem to care so much. He just shakes his head and says something stupid like “yeah, that’s never been one of Kenny’s strong points”. Ugh. If even the owner doesn’t care, why the hell should I? I give up. I just have to find another job first.

Which means I probably won’t be able to get back home anytime soon. Employers don’t dole out vacation time very easily around here, and I won’t be eligible for time off for a few months at least. I guess depending on the employer, but as previously mentioned, labour laws here are not what they are back home. And vacation time is an exception rather than a rule. There goes the plan to see Wicked in the Fall. *sigh*

James is trying to figure out how we can make a living without actually having to work, but of course he’s having a heckuva time with that! ;-) With some of his investments he can be paid a monthly dividend, and there is a monthly income (once settled that is) from one of his inherited properties, but all of that won’t be enough to live on. Even without a mortgage payment. So, I still need a job :-p Damned if I do, damned if I don’t yanno?

And then of course there’s World War III brewing. I guess we’re lucky enough to be too old for the draft, if the unlikely event were to occur. I doubt it tho. Bush would be lynched if he called a draft.

Can you believe the stupid driver with aspirations doesn’t even know what the word “lynched” means? And he’s a southerner!

My brains are boiled. Its hot here, and the A/C hasn’t been working in the store for a few weeks now. It gets up over 90F/32C most days, which is really too hot. And if I’m working at the oven, its even worse. The oven temp is about 498F/258C. I go into the walk-in refrigerator to cool off. The temp in there is about 32F/0C, I stay there til I start to shiver ;-)

Could be worse I suppose. *sigh*

Well, I’m Back

2006-07-10T15:52:00.000-04:00

To borrow a line from Sam Gamgee ;-)

I feel so much better after having spent just over a week back home with family and friends. Sadly I didn’t get to see everybody because of scheduling conflicts, but got to see enough that I’m regenerated for a while anyway. I hope to be able to get back in the Fall because “Wicked” is re-opening and I’d like to see that!

First things first, my baby niece Amelia is the cutest thing you ever did see! She doesn’t know me of course, except for my photo on the wall. I hadn’t been home since she was a month old, last March. Mum and I went to my sister’s house and waited for them to all get home from work and daycare. James (brother-in-law…kinda creepy my sister and I each married a James!) brought the kids in and put Amelia down and said “go see Aunt Becky”, so she crawled across the floor, hauled herself to standing next to me, then I picked her up. She proceeded to start bawling and howling as if being tortured of course. So I stood up to take her to my picture on the wall. I said “where’s Auntie Becky” she pointed at the picture, and I said “I’m Auntie Becky” she pointed at the picture again and started to howl. I gave her to Gramma :-p I still don’t think she’s figured it out, but she’s only 16 months old, maybe by the time she’s 4. I need to get home more often is all!

Then the next 4 ½ days were spent at the Lord of the Rings – Tolkien fan gathering . We stayed at Mum’s house, but took the train into the city every day. Friday was just registration, so not a particularly long day (I did manage to get myself a Toronto street meat hot dog!). Saturday we were up at 6am to catch the bus & train, and not home until 1am. The same on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Long long days, but very enjoyable indeed!

Craig Parker who played Haldir the elf in the movies was there, along with Bruce Hopkinswho played Gamling of the Rohirrim. Both of these guys are hilariously funny, and I suspect would be very easy to get along with in real life. They seem rather down to earth, and probably more than a bit surprised by all the hubbub. Of course I could be completely wrong, and they’re really assholes, but I really don’t think so. They’re really super nice, tho I didn’t get any time to talk to them; they always had swarms of people around them or were rushing to their next session.

Unfortunately the organizers had some financial problems with the gathering (not well organized these folks) and there was quite a bit of things gone wrong. Then apparently one of the organizers insulted the movies, during a session with Craig Parker on the panel. Mum and I missed it, as we were in a different session, I think that was when we were at Fellowship of the Ringo, with Ted Nasmith, his brother Bruce and Mike Foster, a Tolkien scholar from Marquette University. These guys got together at the last gathering in 2003 and wrote some parody songs to Beatles tunes. Apparently the Beatles had wanted to film the movies way back in 1968, but were told it was “unfilmable”. Anyhoo…at the session with Craig Parker, apparently one of the organizers trashed the movies, being rather nasty, and of course insulting Craig Parker. Honestly, some people just don’t know when to hold their tongue, Craig was an invited guest at their bidding, why on earth would she then insult him? We’ll be lucky if he accepts any invitations from this group ever again! Which is a shame really, he’s such a nice guy. I hope he doesn’t hold it against the lot of us.

Bruce Hopkins hosted a session called Bruce Hopkins New Zealand Music Party. He played us some snippets of his favourite music from his home in New Zealand, most of the musicians are friends of his. Brilliant most of it, and I need to go look up a few of them to get some CDs if I could just remember the names! Transcripts from the sessions are supposed to be up on the gathering site sometime, so hopefully I can find them there.

Now I really can’t give you an account of the Gathering without mentioning a band that played for the opening ceremony, and did a couple of concerts for us over the weekend. They’re absolutely brilliant, from Italy, and totally Tolkien inspired part time musicians called Lingalad I DEFINITELY must buy one of their CDs (they sold out at the gathering before I could get one). I just loved these guys.

Another of the memorable sessions was put on by a professor from Germany named Marcell Bulles. The session was about his paper called Putting intoxicating substances to proper use in The Lord of the Rings (or not!): How Tolkien managed to sneak in some nasty habits of his. Marcell is sooooooooo funny, I wish I’d had teachers like him in school, I may have continued on to university! Also very cute, and has a tattoo almost like mine and James’ on his arm. ;-)

We also got out to see the Lord of the Rings musical at the Princess of Wales theatre in Toronto. Beautiful show, the set, the stage and the cast were all amazing (tho we went to the Sunday matinee and of course got half the second string actors rather than the principle actors). I spent way too much money on souvenirs, but it was well worth it. The show is moving on to London’s West End starting January 2007, and finishes up in Toronto as of September 3, 2006. Despite the bad reviews from critics it is well liked by anyone who has seen it. I wish more would ignore the critics; it may have stayed in Toronto longer. I urge everyone to get out to see it if you can, it is awesome! I told James we have to go to London next year so he can see it ;-)

Well, I’m off for now. Will post some pictures of my adventures later, right now I want to go watch our Firefly DVDs that got delivered whilst I was away.

You can't stop the signal...

2006-06-24T02:42:00.000-04:00

Tonight we went to the special screening of "Serenity" in Charlotte, as posted previously. We were afraid that we might not make it because of the weather, but it calmed down just in time for us to drive down there. Its about an hour and a half to Charlotte from here.

Anyhoo...its nice to see the movie with 100 like minded fans, and not just a bunch of folks filling a cinema who're saying "what's this about again?"

We didnt' get there in time to get any t-shirts tho, so hopefully organizer Tanya can find out for me if there's any anywhere to be had. They were nice shirts, with the ship's isignia and the dates June 22-24, 2006.

Hopefully it'll become an annual event. I like watching the movie on the big screen rather than just my little 27 inch TV. Which is fine too...but I think you get the point.

I also ordered the Firefly DVDs when we got home. I'd looked now and again whenever we'd gone out DVD shopping, but never saw it. Amazon's got it for $24.99. We should have it well before James' birthday.

Tanya if you read this, thanks for all the hard work you and the other Browncoats put into this. Sorry we couldn't get to the after party! Hope everyone had fun :-)

For more info, and to see the final tally of $$ raised for Equality Now, check the websites Can't Stop the Serentiy and Equality Now

Can't Stop the Serenity Part Deaux

2006-06-21T00:21:00.000-04:00

I just received an email from the Charlotte organizer, and at her request I am happy to post more information about the event. James and I hope to be able to go, but as previously mentioned, idiot boss man forgot that I had asked for the evening off and has gone and scheduled me in :-p

Anyhoo...here's some more info

Ms. Chapman -

Oh, there's plenty of tickets left. We are actually having trouble moving them right now. So if you know of anyone else who would like to come, please bring
them with you. I'm so glad you've decided to come. You shouldn't have any problem buying tickets on the night of the event. I would recommend bringing cash to pay for
your tickets. We won't have the ability to process credit cards at the theater (and the box office can't sell them for us). We'll have to send credit card purchasers across the parking lot to our ticket outlet at the Record Exchange.

It should be a lot of fun. There's plenty of Browncoats coming who can set the mood for us all. I'm more of a wallflower so don't expect to see too much of me. (Yes, I'm not sure either how I ended up organizing this shindig)

I have one favor to ask you. Would you mind putting a little info on your blog about the screening? I would really appreciate the publicity. Or maybe just
a link to the website? I'm afraid ticket sales aren't going to cover the cost of the theater and movie. My husband has been very
supportive of my efforts up 'til now. But if I have to shell out a few hundred dollars, that might change. :-D

If, by some miracle, ticket sales start to pick up and we start to sell out, I'll set a couple aside for you. Especially since I know you're planning to come.

All the Best,
Tanya Morris