Warning - This Is About Dog Poop

Our poor Crockett has had a bad belly day.

Yesterday, I cooked up some ground beef for him we had in the freezer.

Well, it didn't agree with him.

If I was Jed Clampett and Crockett's backside was sticking

out of the ground I'd have thought I'd hit bubbling crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

The poor little guy was sleeping in his bed in the living room.

Suddenly, he jumped up real quick, gave me a HELP look,

his ears went back and....BAM it happened.

Then , he walked and pooped, from his bed into the hall then back into and

across half of the living room to where I sat on the couch.

I held him still until the well ran dry.

It was the foulest most awful expulsion I've ever witnessed.

Good thing we have wood floors and not carpet.

If Adam or I ever get into movie creature making, we have

a good idea for the next goo-jelly-pod monster.

After I cleaned it up and mopped the floor twice, I

gave Crockett a bath & cleaned him up.

Right now he's good, but I fear a middle-of-the-night episode.

Note to self;

no more ground beef for monkey.

Joanna Lumley's Nile

Adam went to bed early tonight.

For him, that's odd. I married a night owl.

There are times I'm getting up & he's just coming to bed.

I was channel surfing after watching (what I have promised

myself never to watch again) The Biggest Loser and saw listed

on TVO; Joanna Lumley's Nile.

I have to let it be known that I, even being the Anglophile I am,

never watched Absolutely Fabulous.

To me, Joanna Lumley is forever Marjorie Majors.

Who Shirley Valentine thought had grown up and become an

Airline Hostess, but no darling, is a Prostitute.

Since watching Prince of Persia, and with the recent goings on in Egypt,
I have come to realize that I know nothing of Ancient Persia or

Egyptian or really any Middle Eastern History.

Only since my love of maps and cartography started about 15 years ago
did I learn that Egypt was in Africa. I didn't realize it was transcontinental.

There, I said it, I admit it!!!!!!

I can honestly say the ONLY history I remember from school was about

the founder of Manitoba and leader of the Métis Louis Riel.

Unfortunate.

My Dad has always poo-poo'd my interest in

movies in that they're a time waster.

"Go outside, take a walk."

Well, I also love nature, but movies and documentaries have

shown me things and taken me places I can only dream of going.

Plus, my Dad would be very happy if he understood how much I love

nature, taking walks, watching animals and also looking up in the sky.

I think our natural world & everything in it is fascinating.

However, movies have made me want to learn more about History,

 Greek Mythology, Egypt, Persia, New Zealand (well, Middle Earth),

New York City, San Francisco, The Great Wall of China,

The Great Barrier Reef, the Northern Lights, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Goa,

Ireland, Turkey...   The list could go on.

I also love the ROM. I went when they had the exhibit:

Darwin: The Evolution Revolution.

My Dad actually got me a certificate for the ROM for Christmas.

Sadly and I don't know why, I didn't go to the exhibit :

The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army.

I digress. Back to Joanna Lumley's Nile.

I unfortunately missed Episode One last week, but I am

going to add this documentary to my Christmas 2011 wish list.

I'll be tuning in next Tuesday night for sure!

CLICK HERE AND WATCH THIS!!

It's making me want to go to purchase

 a cool Tilley Adventure Hat and Vest!

Source

If You Have

Source

A Few Things

I got these questions below from a favorite blog I read. 

I love stuff like this, so I thought I'd answer the questions too.

She only had 7 questions, but I like even numbered lists so I added the last one myself.

I added this particular question because Adam showed me a

video today on youtube of a celebrity that says evolution can't

 be proven and that she thinks the Earth is flat.

Interesting....

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would grab:
Crockett.
My purse (that would have my wallet, ID, camera, pills - is that cheating?).
My memory box (photos, letters & the ashes of Sheba & Max – I know creepy).

2. A smell I really like is:
Irish Spring Soap.

3. Something you might not know about me is that:
I am ambidextrous.

4. Some of my favourite websites to putter about on are:
Facebook, 9gag, Cute Overload, Huffington Post, Contrariwise: Literary Tattoos and I follow 6 blogs.

5. This week I will be:
Waking up earlier, to leave home earlier in the morning due to all the recent TTC delays.

6. Nothing makes me happier than:
Routine and structure. I know….boring.

7. A bad habit I have is:
Not putting my DVD’s back in their cases.

8. Creationism or Evolution:
Evolution.

What Day Is It?

 My plan for a sleep-in this morning was dashed when my

alarm went off at 5:15am as it does Monday to Friday.

I'd gone to bed last night without turning it off.

I was confused and asked Adam,  "What day is it?"

He didn't answer. Didn't even move.

Unfortunately, Crockett thought it was a weekday

and woke up and was very kissy & in my face.

Sometimes I wake up and he is inches above my face staring at me.

As soon as we make eye contact, I get a face lick and the day has begun.

Every step seems to give him a little jolt and he jumps with excitement.

Normally when I am in the loo is when I hear his

little paws clang clanging his food bowl.

Today was no different, except that it's SATURDAY!!!!

I knew that I wouldn't get back to sleep without

feeding him and taking him outside.

Once he was fed and I was fully awake and dressed, Adam rolled over and

told me to just take Crockett on the steps, to not go too far from home. 

I had to chuckle. 

I advised him that if it were a weekday, I'd be either waiting

on the corner for a bus or already on the subway. 

How is today different?  At least he woke up!

Some sidewalks were dry while others were wet and salty

and irritated Crockett's paws.

It was a short walk with the purpose to empty his insides.

An early morning visit to the tinkle bush.

When we got back home, I slid back into bed and into a deep slumber.

Until Adam's alarm went off!

We have an alarm clock that has settings for 2 separate alarms.

I couldn't get back to a proper sleep so

I got up, tidied up the kitchen, did the dishes and

made myself a hearty bowl of porridge.

I started reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.

I've read and really enjoyed

The Davinci Code

and

Angels & Demons.

His writing is full of suspense and really smart.

Hopefully I get through more of it tomorrow.

This afternoon I went into the kitchen for a Kahlua laced hot chocolate

and a snack but our cupboards are a bit bare, so I made some

oatmeal raisin cookies.

They are, I must say, the absolute BEST cookies

I have ever made. EVER. Even Adam agrees.

 Frothy goodness.

Seriously yummy.

Tumblr
I have started taking more photos now that I'm more comfortable
with my new camera.  Rather than post too many photos on my blog,
I've opened a Tumblr account.
I drew a camera (see right) that links to my account.
Click & enjoy.
I have a few photography projects in mind and this is where I'll post them,
with of course, many many Crockett photos.

Let's Hibernate

Crockett has set the tone this evening for the kind of

weekend I am looking forward to.

I want to hibernate.

Stay in my den, warm snuggling, sleeping and doing as little as possible.

It's chilly outside. 

No better excuse than to stay indoors under a blanket

drinking hot chocolate with a splash of Kahlua.

I still have to finish up my nieces scarves so they can

wear them while it's still winter and I'm enjoying

reading all my recipe books.

I still haven't decided what to bake. There is so much choice.

 Also, I've had to add a number of ingredients we don't have

in our pantry to our grocery list.

I think I need to find a Tupperware lady in my neighbourhood.

I love Tupperware.

One thing I don't want to do this weekend is

spend it with my backside in the chair.

This is how Adam & I see each other lately:

He in his Man Cave.

Me in my Nook.

At least we haven't started communicating via MSN.

We still get up to visit each other now and then.

I'm going to log off now and join my sleeping puppy.

Heavy

I have been a watcher of The Biggest Loser.

I dislike the game-play aspect of it, but I do like how

participants get to leave the regular worlds and focus 100% on themselves.

That actually makes me a bit jealous.

There are a few very bad things however about The Biggest Loser.

It's sets unrealistic expectations regarding a healthy rate of weight loss.

A woman losing 6-10lbs every week for 12 weeks, she'll also lose

her period and most likely her hair unless she takes a fish oil supplement.

No one can maintain working out at the intensity they do when on the ranch

and live a life that includes work and family.

Regular folks don't have a sports therapist to go to at the

 end of the day for a therapeutic massage and hot tub.

Lastly, they have to bandage the participants up after 6 weeks

as they have flippy floppy skin hanging here, there

& everywhere because they've lost weight too fast.

I say all of this because I have now watched online, 2 episodes of

A&E's Heavy.

It is a much different show.

Not only do they have people who are morbidly obese at 300-400lbs,

they have the super morbidly obese at 600lbs.

It is a more realistic way of returning to health.

The focus is diet, exercise and dealing with why they are the way they are.

They also meet with a Dietitian and have Therapy.

The goal is weight loss, but they realize it's about more than just food.

It's not a contest, there's no prize money at the end.

They go to a facility for a month, then go home, back to their lives,

with the support of a personal trainer for 4 months,
with supervision and regular weigh ins. 
If they gain or have issues coping, they go back to the facility.

The last month they are on their own then at the 6 month mark

they go back for their final weigh in.

It is interesting and I'd recommend it to anyone.

It is not just a show to get fat folks thin.

It's a show that is saving lives without the hype of a reality show.

Finding a personal trainer is an item on my Life List.

It's actually pretty close to the top of the list.



That Wasn't So Bad

I got my snow day.

I am glad that I did not have to commute in it as it most likely would have

added an hour each way to my already long rides.

Truth be told, it wasn't a very bad storm here in
my neighbourhood of Toronto.

Yes, the roads are slippery but people should drive accordingly.

Sadly, alot don't and that is what causes the majority of accidents.

Not all, the majority.

Let me say that I will NOT be crossing any roads

except at designated cross walks and only with a green

light once the cars have come to a full stop.

Here are views from my kitchen window today.

See. Not so bad.

 6:19am - Windy with a light snowfall.

 2:00pm - Very windy with a sideways heavy snowfall.



 4:45pm. Winds have eased, no longer snowing.

9:45pm. Started to snow again.

Still no salt trucks up or down Yonge Street.

Hopefully my commute tomorrow won't be too much longer than usual.

Just to be sure I'll leave home much earlier than normal.

It wasn't a snow day where kids could go out & enjoy it

tobogganing or building a snowman.

It was a day that alot of people avoided long delays,
unfortunate traffic situations and broken bones by
staying off the roads and safe in their homes.

Just as I was finishing up writing this, I heard the air popcorn maker on 

in the kitchen.  Adam making a late night snack.

The kernels had stopped popping and being the nosy nelly I am

I yelled out, " Add more kernels or turn it off."

Adam's response, "You shut up."

Then I heard him add more kernels  ;)

The Storm Watch Continues (and Crockett)

I am looking forward to this storm.

This is the first time that I have a job that for a day here and there

I can work from the comfort of my home.

I have remote desktop connection set up as I'm always going

in & checking my e-mails, so I'm all set!

Also, it is the beginning of the Chinese New Year Holiday so all the folks

that I correspond with in China are off for at least a week.

It's already a plan that if we wake up & it's bad, we'll all stay home.

Hope hope hope hope hope.

I would welcome a day home.

I've shaken off the funk I was in last weekend so it can

be a very productive, relaxing and enjoyable day.

One spent in my jammies, checking my e-mail hourly and cuddling with

Crockett while I choose which recipe to tackle first out of my

fancy new cookbooks I got from my father in law.

I have a very strong feeling that it will be bread related.

I could, if it was an option, work from home full time if
I had a proper office and work space.

I have the work ethic and discipline for it.

I think if I worked from home all the time I'd actually

work more than 40 hours a week!

My little writing nook here in the corner of our

bedroom is perfect for my laptop,

a nice warm drink, my camera, Gandalf, a lamp, my alarm clock 

& the tv/dvd converter.
Good for leisure, not proper work.

Also, a Joanne oddity is that when I work, I need quiet.

While I sit here & write my blog, I listen to music on my playlist

or have a dvd in. It's always one or the other.

My current movie is still The Prince of Persia.

I have watched it, or had it on in the background

everyday for a week.

Adam has always marvelled at my ability to rewatch movies

over and over and over.

If I like a movie, I enjoy watching it multiple times.

I look for things I may not have noticed the 1st time around.

Some of my favorites over the years that I've watched and rewatched;

While You Were Sleeping

Bridget Jones's Diary

Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers

Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King

Lord of the Rings - Extended Version Extras

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Chronicles of Narnia:  The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Bourne Identity

The Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Ultimatum

Just Like Heaven

Troy

Inkheart

Stardust

Love Actually

The Departed

and now....

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The criteria of being on this list is that once the movie is over

I've restarted it immediately.

To be clear, I don't sit & watch every minute of every scene while they're on.

Alot of the time they're in the background.

I've done this more since we've moved to Yonge Street to block out

the noise from the street. I get spooked easily and can't hear bad

things from the street over sword fights and battles.

Long post, many words, no photos so, here's a Crockett shot to make you smile.

It is when he was a puppy, he was going mental on our bed having a blast.

It is 11:07pm and I'd better get to bed in case

the storm doesn't develop and I've got to go to work tomorrow!

Good Night.

Happy February