Christmas Questions

From Alycia at The Curious Pug 

To get me in the holiday mood.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Gingerbread Latté or Hot Chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa Joanne wraps them meticulously. Like crazy all the lines match up. Sometimes the wrapping is fancier than the contents.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I like the Green and Blue combo or the Green and Red combo trimmed houses with white lights in trees. For us in our apartment, I prefer white twinkle lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Second weekend in December.

6. What is your favourite holiday dish?
Call me mental – I love my Mom’s Christmas Cake and of course the full on Turkey dinner with all the fixin’s.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Christmas Day. Christmas was always just my family – Mom, Dad & my Brother. After opening gifts in the morning I loved retreating to my room to play with my new toys and read my new Christmas Book.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I can't remember when. I just always knew that Santa had the same handwriting as my Mom & that she always stayed up really late Christmas Eve wrapping the gifts from Santa at the dining room table.  Plus, we didn’t have a fireplace in our house so…..??

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Never!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Ornaments are very special for me.  My Mom used to give us an ornament for Christmas every year and I’ve kept up the tradition of buying a new one yearly. Sadly, we haven’t put up a tree in a few years. Maybe this year.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
Love it during Christmas week. I get disappointed if it doesn’t snow Christmas Day. I love how fresh fallen snow makes everywhere look sparkly and clean.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes. I spent years figure skating. I miss it. I haven’t put on my skates in years.

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?

My stuffed Curious George. I still have him.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with family. Reflecting over the last year and counting my blessings.

Time off work at home relaxing.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Sticky Toffee Pudding.

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition?
Since my parents are now Grandparents, they spend Christmas at my Brother’s. Adam & I need to start our own tradition.

17. What tops your tree?
We don’t have a tree topper. Maybe that’ll be this years ornament purchase.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving. I love watching people open up gifts.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? 
 Yum!  Christmas morning toothpaste ;)

20. Favorite Christmas show?
How The Grinch Stole Christmas with A Charlie Brown Christmas coming in a close 2nd.

21. Saddest Christmas Song?
I don’t know the name of it – about a boy buying Christmas shoes for his dying mother.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?
All the Classics. I Love Christmas music.

You're A Mean One...

This time last year I was all up in the

Christmas spirit.

This year, not so much.

Maybe on account of the beautiful weather and

that it still feels like early October.

(Did I just jinx our weather?)

Is it because no one in the neighborhood have put

up their decorations or lights yet, me included?

Cause I haven't heard a Christmas Carol yet on the radio?

Most likely it's because I haven't been anywhere near a mall.

Tonight, I was in the kitchen making myself a late

supper of porridge & Adam called me to the living room.

My favorite Christmas Special was on.

It makes me smile and it makes me cry.

I LOVE it.

I love the Grinch & I especially love his dog Max.

I actually took photos of the TV screen!

Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. 

Cheer to all Whos far and near. 

Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. 

Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. 

Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand.

Thank you Dr. Seuss!

I'm A Lucky Girl

7 years ago today I changed my name.

Happy Anniversay Adam.

I love you.

Immunity

I agree with Adam that I have built up an immunity

to OTC headache medication.

I have a prescription from my MD to take

if the OTC drugs don't work but it makes

me nauseous and sometimes vomit.

It's a double whammy when I have a massive 

eye pressure headache and I vomit.

I kneel there in the washroom over the throne

asking God to take me. It's brutal.

Last night when I got home from work, Adam 

went & did the groceries while I spent some

cuddle time with Crockett.

As I was uploading the clip of him onto

YouTube, I got too comfy & fell asleep.

I woke up a few times to complain to Adam that he 

and/or Crockett were making too much noise.

Unfortunately I stayed asleep until this morning.

Unfortunate because I didn't put in my mouth guard

and I must have spent the whole night dreaming

and grinding my teeth.  The second I woke up

this morning, tears started to flow as my headache was unbearable.

It feels as though my eyes are in a vice, I've been punched in the jaw

and hit smack dab in the middle of my face with a shovel.

I crept out of bed and sat in a too hot bath hoping the steam

and heat would make me feel better.

I took 2 Tension Headache Excedrin and well, they did nothing.

I refilled the tub a few times and pretty much kept my head

underwater with just my nose poking out.

Rather than let this ruin my day, I decided to suffer and 

go outside as Crockett needed a walk.

I asked Adam to come with me in case I had an 

aneurysm crossing the street.

It is 10 degrees outside and absolutely

a perfect day for dog walking.

I really enjoyed the walk with my 2 boys.

As I turned on the computer, I took 2 more Excedrin

and I no longer have piercing pain, just a dull ache.

Here's my walk photos.

Crockett

I love our dog.

Blaaahhhhh

That's how I've felt during the evenings this week,

blaaaahhhhhh.

I want to do something, anything, but my body and

mind are disconnected.

It's dark, it feels like it's 10:00pm then I look

at the clock and it's only 8:00pm.

I'm not tired but my eyes are weary.

I took a hot bath and as much as I could've

laid there until I was a wrinkled prune, I got

out after about 15 minutes.

Crockett was lurking.

He loves the bath.

He has jumped in before but the last thing

I wanted to do tonight was shower after my bath to get

the dog smell off and then of course, bathe the dog and

mop up the floor after he gets out of the

tub and runs around the apartment like

the Tasmanian Devil on speed.

I sit here in front of my laptop with the cursor

flashing, begging for words and none are coming to me.

I've asked Adam to make me a cup of tea and I've 

put Season 2 Disc 3 of The Big Bang Theory so I will

enjoy my tea with a little Sheldon, the boys and Penny.

Good Night.

Sleep Tight.

Sandy & Ryan

Adam fell asleep on the couch this evening sometime

between 7:30pm - 8:00pm.

 

Our old school red phone that is on the side table rang

and woke him up long enough to get up & walk to bed.

I just wasn't tired enough to go to bed that early

so I watched a movie on TV! 

CHCH Channel 11 was showing the Sandra Bullock

Ryan Gosling film Murder By Numbers.

I really enjoyed it, commercials & all.

I just took Crockett out for his before bed tinkle

and it is wet, rainy, and windy.

The result of getting chilled to the bone is

that it's now 11:18pm & I'm wide awake.

Crap.

Gotye - Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You - Official Animation

My new favorite artist - Gotye

I was hooked when I saw his video:

Someone That I Used To Know

You can click HERE and watch that video as well.

Enjoy!

What A Waste Of Time

I had such great plans for this weekend.

Nothing came to fruition.

Crockett didn't get a lovely long walk.

I didn't get my Christmas twinkle lights.

I didn't knit or draw or paint or read.

I didn't have a lovely long hot bubble bath.

The only thing I feel good about was I made

us a phenomenal home made apple sauce this morning.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."  

                                                 Albus Dumbledore

A Promise

I've made a promise to myself to take better care of me.

This morning, I did not have time to prepare breakfast

so, along with my double double I ordered

a berry oatmeal.

It tastes great ergo it can't be healthy.

I'm convinced Tims add cocaine to all their 

products to get us hooked.

Thing is, another part of my promise to myself was to stop spending

my hard earned money on things I can make myself at home for less. 

So, coffee....you will become a treat

and oatmeal, I'll only see you when I'm running late!

I Get Physics!

Not really.

Although, I do understand it better now than

I ever would have in High School.

Tonight, I started to watch Nova's

The Fabric of the Cosmos - Quantum Leap.

If it wasn't for The Big Bang Theory, I would

have not recognized anything or anyone except Albert Einstein.

 Watching some TV programs gives me the illusion that I get Physics!

Quantum Mechanics.

Neils Bohr.

Erwin Schrödinger.

Electron Waves.

Probability.

It was like I understood all the equations

they were flashing up on the screen.

Of course, I did not, although I did enjoy it.

At least up until they started talking

about probability and Casino's.

I guess they need to dumb it down & make

it relate-able to us simple folk.

It did make me think about one of my favourite Big Bang

Episodes. The one where Sheldon & Leonard got robbed.

Sheldon's Pictionary drawings:

Hydrogen Atom......H

Plus Pigs minus P

HIGS

    Bow

     General Zod trapped in the Phantom Zone  
    BOW ZONE

Pear

Tickle

PEAR TICKLE

HIGGS BOSON PARTICLE

How could you not get that?

PMS or Perimenopause?

Either or, it's pissing me off.

I've never suffered from PMS.

I can be bitchy and irritable any day of the month.

I hit my 40's and BOOM, strange things have

started to happen.

What is this insane need for chocolate one day

and salty snacks the next.

Why am I either too hot or too cold?

I am never just right.

Why am I getting zits?

I didn't have zits when I should've had them, 

why am I getting them now?

Why am I forgetting things?

I can no longer pull meaningless trivia out of my brain

as quickly as I used to.

I lose words.

They're on the tip of my tongue.

The worst is....why do I feel like

I'm 11 years old & my buds are just popping in.

Seriously.

No one better brush up to me by accident,

I just might rip their head off.

I almost want to put pillows over

the girls and strap them down with tensor bandages.

I should try and find a crazy coupon lady

who can buy me a stock pile of Pamprin.

My Monday Morning With Crazy

It was a beautiful mild breezy November Monday morning.

The moon was bright and clear in the sky as I sat waiting for my bus.

Everything was running smoothly.

My bus arrived right on time.

Just as I got to the subway platform, the train arrived.

Upon arrival at Finch Station there were only a few people in

line at the Tim Horton’s counter.

I had the exact change needed for my large double double.

And it was so hot, the sweet girl double cupped it without me having to ask.

I got up to the bus platform with 5 minutes to spare and was first in line

So I could get the seat on the bus of my choice.

Seriously, it was a great start to my day.

When I got on the bus I did my usual routine;

place my bag perfectly on my lap, balance my coffee on my leg against

the seat in front in the corner, turn on my MP3 player,

take out my pen and newspaper to read and do the crossword.

10 minutes in, a gentleman sits on the seat in front of me.

He sits sideways on a seat that faces front.

He looks at me and says something.

I took out my ear buds and said, “pardon me?”

I heard, “ blah blah blah I need your pen,

blah blah blah can I use your pen?”

At that very moment, I felt like Sheldon when Leonard

asked him for a napkin. I wanted to say no.

I already have a thing about germs on the bus.

(I’m going to get my flu shot Friday on my way home from work.)

To give a man, who was less than hygienic to begin with,

my pen, caused my cootie alarm to go off.

I gave him my pen.

He then started writing on his plastic bag

while mumbling to himself.

I kept my ear buds in but turned off my music.

When he handed me back my pen, I held it in my right hand.

ONLY my right hand.

This is then how it went.

“I need your newspaper. It’s really important. Blah blah

blah. I need to check something right away. Blah blah blah.

That’s the way uh-huh uh-huh I like it uh-huh uh-huh.”

“I’m sorry sir, I’ve not finished reading my paper and

I will be doing the crossword.  If you’re still on the bus when I’ve finished

I’ll give it to you. If not, they are free and available at every bus stop”

“But I need it. Blah blah blah. Why are you being so selfish?

Blah, blah, blah. It’s important, blah blah blah.”

It is at this time that I stopped looking up

and engaging with him.

I continued reading my newspaper and doing my crossword

while he continued mumbling and invading my personal space.

He got up to talk to the bus driver for a bit and when

he sat back down, he sat in a different seat, thank goodness.

He kept looking at me though as he shuffled restlessly in his

seat waiting for my newspaper.

Magic to my ears. “Bing”.

He rang the bell to get off.

YAY!

I kept the pen in my right hand & didn’t touch anything else.

The second I walked through the door at work I used the huge bottle of

hand sanitizer the receptionist keeps on her desk on my hand and the pen.

When I got upstairs to my desk & got my jacket off

I went to the washroom and washed my hands again

like I was scrubbing up for open heart surgery.

Note to self: 

I can say no to strangers when they ask to borrow my pen.

Or

Carry a pen to give to strangers when they ask to borrow my pen.

More Reindeer Made Of Birch and Twigs

The sun is shining again today, how lucky are we?

I put on my hat and scarf, grabbed Crockett and my camera

and went to check out what's out for Christmas at

Sheridan Nursery just down the street.

They have a whole herd of Reindeer made of various materials, donning

red velvet Christmas bows.

Crockett enjoyed the walk and the leaves.

People, please, NEVER let your kids jump in leaves.

The second Crockett sees a pile of leaves anywhere, he tinkles on it!

I love this face.

I think it's the mouth that makes it!

Something here must have smelled interesting.

He was in this spot for at least 5 minutes.

A neighbourhood house for sale for a crazy $1.8 Million.

Click here to take a virtual tour.

I like the bones, I don't like the decor, it's too modern/magazine boring.

I'd make it warmer.

My favorite rooms are the library & bathrooms with the big tubs.

Crockett is smiling and happy.

We had a good walk.

When we got in, he had a drink of water, I fed him, and now he's 

curled up fast asleep on the bed behind me.

Remember

Flavour Country

I quit smoking on my 35th birthday.

That was a little over 8 years ago.

Wow.

I just decided that day to stop and it stuck.

If only I had that discipline in all aspects of my life.

Adam found this book of matches and I will admit,

it made me want to smoke.

I have had the urge every now and then when I see

someone light up in a movie or on TV.

It's that 1st puff...ahhhhh.....flavour country.

I enjoyed smoking.
Aside from being cool, I found it relaxing.
For me it was a habit, not an addiction.
If smoking wasn't so revolting, disgusting, stinky and unhealthy,
I'd probably take it up again.

Brouhaha

Seems one of the units across the street from my office has a gas leak.

On site we have Police, Fire, EMS, Enbridge Gas and the Haz Mat unit.

This along with some demolition work being done in our warehouse has

made for a rather interesting morning.

The Hobbit: Peter Jackson's Fourth Video Blog from the Set

I (We) Did It!

The room is tidy, the laundry sorted & my Adam

was a sweetheart & did 1 load of laundry yesterday.

This allowed me to set myself up in my little corner

and do some painting while I had

The Big Bang Theory Season 3 on DVD in the background.

I did a copy of a photo of my parents with my brother and his family.

I hope my parents like it.

I just started painting and although I like it,

I understand if people thinks it looks like the work

of a 10 year old & maybe can win a

spot on the fridge for a bit.

Laziness and Laundry

My plan today was to paint.

The sun is shining, the trees and bushes are swaying in the breeze.

But my mind is not at ease.

I have laundry to do.

Quite a bit of it.

I hate doing laundry on Sunday.

That's what procrastination and laziness will do to me.

It's 3:20pm and I've yet to get moving.

I had a nice sleep in this morning although,

I did wake up with another small headache &

a blood shot eye again.

Ahhhhh, stress, you heartless bitch ;)

Once this room is tidy, laundry sorted, done and put away,

my mind will be clear to be creative.

Keep Calm

and

Do The Laundry.

Pug Bum

This morning it is PERFECT outside.

The second Crockett stepped outside he perked up.

He wanted to walk so instead of the park, we went across the

street and around the block.

A perfect Pug Bum.

His tail was up & perfectly curly.

That signifies my Pug is happy :)



Good day sunshine.

All these flowers below were on 1 front yard.

This is the same house where I got my shot of the pot of Pansies.

The pot is now filled with these lovely pink flowers.

I love it.

Today, I wish we had a fenced in backyard.

I would wrap up, grab my rake an scissors and putter in the yard.

I'd bring Crockett's blanket out so he could sniff about and

take the ocassional rest.





Zero To Really Lovely

When I left for work this morning, the sky was dark,

I could see the stars and The Weather Network

told me the temperature was zero.

When I left the office this afternoon there was a briskness

in the air and the sun was shining.

I couldn't wait to get home & get

Crockett out before dark.

I let Crockett lead the way.

He took us on a different path.



Even though it's Fall, the park is full of color.



These are Crockett's scratch marks on the pavement.

He was trying to cover his tinkle ;)



These are FINALLY opening up.

They are late this year.



Pictures of Crockett make me smile.



The trees are thinning out.

I can see our building from the park.

This is from our front door towards the park.