A Wonderful and Dangerous Place

Today was an absolutely beautiful day here in Toronto.

It was sunny and breezy.

After taking Crockett for his morning walk, Adam

and I must have walked 10 miles!

We walked down to check out the Community/Recreation

Center down the street.  

We looked it up online as we both want somewhere to go

to exercise but don't want to do the commercial gym thing.

I want somewhere with diversity and close to home.

I want to swim, walk, take a yoga class or play

badminton or volleyball.

I was always active in my youth and I'd rather be doing something

other than walking mindlessly on a treadmill for 30 minutes

while watching a big screen tv.

Sadly, it was a bit underwhelming.

They have quite a few activities that are free or pay

as you go, so we'll check a few out before

we sign up for anything.

Plus, it's almost summer,  the walking trails and parks

of the city will turn into our gym.

Now, to the Wonderful and Dangerous Place.

We went into the store DeSerres.

To describe this store is to say that it is a place of inspiration.

It is a Wonderful and Dangerous Place as

I could have spent 4 hours browsing and easily

$500 on Art & Craft Supplies.

I was good and only made a small purchase.

I grabbed a copy of their flyer and bought

2 Sharpies - pink and green and

2 small notebooks by ecojot with blank pages -

pretty flowers and a bad ass Pug.

Adam bought 2 Sharpies - brown and baby blue
and some Original Silly Putty.

Good shopping day for us both!

Beautiful

Yes, I woke up as planned.

Yes, I'm glad I did.

I LOVED Kate's dress.

Classic.

Beautiful.



Source:  CBC

I cried as she walked down the aisle.

I always cry at weddings,

I especially cried at my own.

Adam says he wishes we'd video taped it.

I had to leave for work before they walked out of the

Church together.

I did sneak online at work at 8:20am

to see the balcony kiss.

They looked happy and in love.

They followed the protocols and will one day

be King & Queen.

I'm sure they'd have preferred a smaller

more intimate affair with close friends, but

thems the breaks for fancy regal folk and all.

Now it's late Friday evening and I am over tired.

I don't fall asleep well when over tired.

I'll have to throw a movie in the DVD player

to numb my mind & stop it from thinking

things it ought not be thinking about

this time of night.

Hello Same Old (But Newer) Kitchen Floor

I let my expectations get the better of me.

We did not get a tile floor.

We got vinyl.

Another big huge cut out piece of vinyl.

The best way to explain it is that it is the most durable,

basic and cheapest option.

Ahhhh apartment life.

I will say the workmanship of the installer

is top notch & he is a good guy.

It is not smooth. Not only will it need sweeping

daily (twice on the weekends) it'll need washing more often as the dust

and street grime will get trapped in the lumpy

bumpy surface.

It does feel nice to know that my kitchen no longer

has rips and tears in the floor and duct-taped up holes in

the wall.  I'm living like fancy folk now!

Tomorrow, I get my gas stove reconnected and the counter/cabinet

and fridge put back in place.  A quick mop & clean and it'll

be fit for Adam to destroy.

I clean as I go.

Adam, not so much.

I write this post Thursday night and will publish Friday morning

as I've set my alarm for 4:30am. I need to be ready for work

to call my Mom at 5:30am and I can watch the wedding until 6:45am.

I hope Kate's dress is classy a la Grace Kelly.

I'll soon find out!

Goodbye Old Kitchen Floor

We've had quite a bit of work done in our apartment since the

new management company took over and I'm

overjoyed about it.

The current kitchen floor was installed, I think,

in the 70's.  It is one large vinyl cut-out.

I like retro, this however, has to go.

When we moved in there was a tear on the floor

near the front feet of the fridge.

When I tried to move the fridge to clean a spill,

it made the tear worse.

The cabinet between the fridge and stove is not attached.

I moved it out one day, again to clean, only to see an awful

hole at the base of the wall that ran behind the cabinet

and stove.  This was when we couldn't get anything done

by the Superintendent so I taped it up myself.

Last week and again yesterday, the dry wall/paint

guy was here and he fixed and repainted the wall.

Today as I am at work, there are men in our apartment

installing a new floor.

  I had made some suggestions and requests based on my

personal taste and also what would be easiest to keep clean.

See, our kitchen window faces Yonge Street and we're

almost at street level. Open windows result in a fine

layer of dust/street grime.

Adam spoke to the guy yesterday to try and get an idea

of what they're putting in.

Adam told me in a very heavy Italian accent that

" It's a gonna be a nice floor. "

Fingers crossed.

Fill In The Blanks Wednesday

Prompts from The Little Things We Do.

Small Spaces

When it's rainy and miserable and damp outside, I just want

to get into flannel jammies, grab a blanket, a book and a lamp

and find a nice corner or nook to get comfortable in

and pass the time.

Sort of bundled up like Crockett is behind me now.

He was out in the rain this afternoon so I cocooned

him up so he could get cozy and warm.

He is snoring so loud and is in a deep sleep.

I grew up in a bungalow in the bedroom between the kitchen

and the bathroom.  The result was that my bedroom had 2 doors.

One door accessed the kitchen, the back door and the stairs

going down to the basement.

The other door led to the hallway by the loo, the other bedrooms

and the end of the living room.

My room was a thoroughfare.

Why walk around when you can walk through in 5 seconds?

My Mother did teach us about personal space and

boundaries and not taking each others belongings without

asking, but still, privacy in my room was all but non existent during

the waking hours.

The result was I'd escape to my closet.  It was very deep

with an elevated floor as it was built over the stairs to the basement.

I would have to step up into it.

I would take in a lamp, books or a radio and spend hours.

Luckily it had a bi-fold door with slats so I could

close it and still breathe.

I think I read all of Judy Blume's

Are You There God It's Me Margaret

in one afternoon comfortably in my closet.

I remember when I read the first Harry Potter book, I loved that

he stayed in the cupboard under the stairs.

When I saw the film, I knew that if we had a closet like that

when I was a kid, that's where I'd be found.

My current time-suckage activity is going on virtual home tours

of teeny tiny living spaces on Apartment Therapy.

I would LOVE to have this in my bedroom.

Cool sleeping pod.

SOURCE

Early To Bed

I've got to get enough sleep this week so that

I can wake up bright and early on Friday

for the Royal Nuptials.

In fact, I wish I'd taken the day off work as

The King Edward Hotel is holding an event:

The Old King Eddy A.K.A. Le Meridian King Edward Hotel will be hosting a slightly more genteel event. An English breakfast will be served with tea service. There is room for 150 guests and tickets are $65.00 Executive chef Daniel Schick and his team plan to start preparing breakfast at 2:00 AM to get to work prepping a sumptuous Royal Breakfast.

Yes, $65 is a lot for breakfast, but it would just be so lovely.

I would of course have to wear a fancy hat!

Kate is scheduled to arrive at the Abbey at 11:00am sharp.

That is 6:00am my time.

The latest I can leave home to arrive at work on time is 6:45am.

Hopefully it won't take more than 45 minutes to get to the High Altar.

I don't think I'll be able to catch the vows.

SOURCE

I've been in Westminster Abbey and I can't remember it clearly.

It was a foggy day in London and we also went to St. Paul's Cathedral.

I do remember clearly walking near Buckingham Palace

with my Mom and looking up into the building windows seeing

great big beautiful chandeliers and huge portraits.

I want to see Kate's dress as she gets out of her carriage.

The kiss on the balcony is scheduled for 1:00pm.

That is 8:00am my time.

I'm not too bothered about seeing that live as I'm quite sure

it'll be on the cover of a few papers and magazines.

I'm really hoping that all goes off without any hitches.

No lunatics trying to derail or make political statements.

I have to go to the store tomorrow to buy Crumpets,

Strawberry Jam and English Breakfast Tea.

Easter Sunday

Uneventful day.

Rather depressing actually.

My favorite Easter treat, besides my Mom's homemade

chocolates that I finished in about 2 minutes yesterday,

are Laura Secord Eggs.

YUM.

Then, for some supper time excitement.



False Alarm.

The last 2 Alarms in as many months came from the same apartment.

I went to the main entrance & the lady from said apartment came

down the stairs quickly letting everyone know it wasn't her this time.

Saturday Morning & Afternoon in the Park.

This morning Crockett and I went for our walk in the park.

This afternoon, Mom, Dad, Bev and my nieces came

by so my Dad could take a look at the stove/gas connection

(Adam says I'm nuts, but I swear I smell a gas leak),

while they played in the park.

It was a beautiful warm, windy and partly cloudy day.

Plus, Crockett really does perk up when I say,

"you gonna see Gramma?"

First our morning walk.

Our afternoon visit.

Perfect Day :)

Project 365

I've added a page to my blog called Project 365.

I will be posting 1 photo a day for

365 days that is taken on the day it's posted.

Enjoy :)

Chaos

Really the best way to explain the state of

our apartment today is "chaos".

Wednesday & Thursday we had the dry wall/paint guy here

doing work in both the kitchen and living room.

The jobs were bigger than anticipated so he

has to come back and finish Tuesday. 

 

We are also getting a new kitchen floor next week, so until then,

our fridge is in Adam's fortress of solitude and a portion

of our counter top and pots & pans cabinet is in the living room.

It is amazing how difficult it has become to even make

myself a cup of tea.

The kettle was in the living room, the tea in a kitchen cabinet

and I had to get the milk from Adam's office.

It seems almost easier to put on my boots & coat

and walk down to Starbucks.

I think for my Saturday morning cuppa I'll do just that.

When the apartment is messy, so is my mind

and it shuts me down.

I know will never be a hoarder.

I spent the day in a living room with no curtains and it

is amazing how a panel of material can change so drastically

my level of security.

Not exactly the plan for the first long weekend of the season,

but I am incredibly thankful that these jobs are finally

being done in our apartment.

I'm sure when our lease come up for renewal,

it will be reflected  :(

I Need To Help Myself!

It's like I am an addict and I have fallen off the wagon.

It all started 2 weeks ago with Girl Guide Cookies.

If I'd kept a food journal of the past 14 days, it would look

like a teenager away from home for the first time who spent all

their allowance on junk and food of convenience.

I don't understand it.

I am an intelligent person.
I possess common sense.

I know what I should eat.

I know I should exercise.

I know I am an emotional eater.

I know a bag of chips is not a balanced meal.

I eat when I'm happy, to celebrate.

I eat when I'm sad, to medicate.

I eat when I'm stressed, to relax.

I eat when I'm bored, to do something.

I also eat too fast.

Life for the past 18 months or so has been a lesson in stress management.
The result is I have more often than not felt like crap and I have not looked
after myself as much as I should.

I'm exhausted, I'm preoccupied, I'm blue.

I never used to eat breakfast, unless you call

a large double double breakfast.

I only occasionally ate lunch.

Around 2:00pm, I would crash.

I'd get the shakes, not be able to concentrate, I'd

become irritable and frequently in a foul mood.

One of the reasons I left my previous job was because

of the lack of consistency in my schedule and

the inability to create a routine I could stick to.

I wanted 8am-4pm Mon-Fri with some structure

and consistency in my schedule to, pardon my french,

get my shit together and start looking after myself.

It'll have been 3 years this June.

I've made some changes.

Am I where I thought I'd be, where I hoped I'd be? No.
What's the saying?
The road to Hell is paved in good intentions!

I do eat breakfast now everyday.

In the winter it's oatmeal.

In the summer it's fruit salad.

Weekends sometimes there is brunch instead of breakfast.

I eat a proper lunch at work 4 out of 5 days.

But, I do eat at my desk which I know is not good.

On days I don't eat, it's due to my not watching the clock

and being absorbed in the task at hand.

When I realize I'm hungry, it's 3:00pm.

Dinner has been my bane as of late.

By the time I get home after the long commute, I'm too tired

to stand over the stove and try to decide what to eat.

Adam has been doing his own thing lately, which is awesome.

He is in his zone and preparing his own meals.

He is eating dinner at a reasonable hour, whereas

I walk in the door sometimes at 6:15pm.

Eating dinner at 8pm and laying my head down to sleep at

11pm leaves me feeling nauseous, heavy and lethargic.

Weekends will be less rigid, but within the
parameters of healthy eating.

Tonight, my dinner has been half a bowl of
milky Steel Cut Oats.

I said to Adam on Tuesday that I really need help.
After saying it out loud, it is true, but I realize I need to help myself.

The bottom line and the most important factor
right now is to drop some weight.
The benefit of losing just 10% makes it
only make MORE sense!

I know myself.
I know I need structure, consistency.
I am fine, actually better, when I know exactly what's what.
I want to create a meal plan were I will eat the exact same
thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner every Monday to Friday.
It must be healthy, balanced, tasty, and something that I can
partially prepare in advance if need be.

Spring is a time for renewal.
The weather is on my side.
I can walk more.
I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.
It's hard knowing that I'm not taking care of myself as
I know I should and the result is feeling sick and tired.

I quit smoking on my 35th birthday, cold turkey.
Just like that. I never looked back.
It's been 6 1/2 years!
It was tough. I had a headache for 2 weeks straight, but I did it.

Thursday April 21, 2011 I'm quitting something else
cold turkey that is bad for my health.
Diet Coke.
Yes, I said it.
If I want a soda, I'll have Club Soda
or on occasion as a treat, a Coca Cola Classic.
I have to get away from the aspartame.

There, so be it!

Fill In The Blanks Wednesday

Prompts from The Little Things We Do.

Books Books Books

I was going to start reading The Hobbit

on May 1st, but I've put it off a bit.

There are 2 books I am going to read before I go on my

adventure with Bilbo Baggins.

Adam has suggested I get this book forever;

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

by Steig Larsson

Why, because I have tattoos?

Cause they've been made into movies?

I finally picked it up & read the back cover.

Seems like an interesting read;

" Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mike Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate.  He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander.  Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption."

I also picked up and read the back of

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

"At the height of the Depression, Jacob Jankowski escapes everything he knows by jumping on a passing train and inadvertently runs away with the circus.  Amidst the chaos of the travelling show, Jacob comes to know Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star and the wife of August, a charismatic but cruel animal trainer. Caught between his love for Marlena and his need for belonging, Jacob is freed only by a murderous secret that will bring the big top down."

It's interesting that I picked this up as I've seen the movie trailer

a few times and it did nothing for me.

I enjoy both Reese Witherspoon and Edward Cullen, I mean

Cedric Diggory, I mean Robert Pattinson, wink wink,  but have

no desire to see the movie.  It is a story I think I'll enjoy reading.

More often the books are so much better than the films.

I also think if you're going to read a book that is also a film, it is

important to read the book first.

Case in point, the book P.S I Love You by Cecilia Ahern.

One of my favorite books. A book I can re-read

which I don't generally do.

I laughed out loud and cried as I turned the pages.

I was excited when I'd heard the movie was being made.

Gerrard Butler was perfectly cast a Gerry.

Even Hillary Swank I was ok with cast as Holly until on screen,

they had ZERO chemistry. The screenwriters also butchered the story.

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL it was.

They should have given the film a different name and said it was

inspired by the book as it was NOTHING like the book. 

It wasn't even a good movie.

I miss having a balcony or back yard.

Summer is the best time to sit outside and get lost in a good story.

I'll have to find a nice quiet spot under a tree somewhere.

Maybe even make myself a *sit-upon* like I had back

when I went to brownie camp.

I think it was a newspaper in a garbage bag.

Something to keep my backside comfy.

I am almost finished The Lost Symbol.

That is now 3 of 3 Dan Brown books I've read that I've

really enjoyed.  He's a smart writer.

Thinking about the books I've read, they pretty much all

have been made into movies.  Hmmm.

I would go see The Lost Symbol for sure and I hope if it

is ever made it is done by Ron Howard.

Having to condense all the details and twists and turns

without losing the story was tough but Ron Howard

did a good job with the first two films.

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

The Hobbit



I love Peter Jackson.
Since I was in the theater and the very last credit disappeared
off the screen from The Return of the King,
I have been hoping and waiting for
Peter Jackson to make
The Hobbit.

Adam showed me this and it gave me goose bumps
and made me cry.

Oh how I would LOVE to live in Bag End.


source

I am looking forward to many more vlogs from Mr. Jackson!

A Lump on the Couch

I wanted to go visit with my Mom & Dad

today but have felt under the weather for the last few days.

Friday, even after a dose of prescription pain killer, I had

a headache that wouldn't subside.

My right eye watered all day.

To ease the throbbing I had to close my right eye

tight & tilt my head.

The bus ride home was very unpleasant.

I think I need to get a pair of sunglasses this summer

as my eyes have become more sensitive to light.

I've also had a sore throat. So much so that I asked

Adam if I've been snoring lately as it is especially raw

in the morning when I wake up.

My Dad sounded like Kathleen Turner at the beginning

of the week and had Bronchitis with perhaps a 

touch of Pneumonia.

My boss has also had a cold and was off sick Thursday so

if I am on the verge of getting something, I don't want to give

it to my Dad or my Mom.

Hopefully, it'll be nice next weekend for Easter as they're

spending it with their Grandchildren. I hope to get

them over here for an hour or so to take a nice walk in the

park with myself & Crockett.

I also have a short week with Friday off,

which is nice. Really nice.

Plus Adam has been looking forward to a long weekend.

Being a Domestic Engineer is tiring.

He asked me a few weeks back when the next long weekend

was as he needs a break. He's a funny guy.

I love my husband. He kills me, in a good way!

Adam has been a dear and done all the shopping and chores.

I have been a lump on the couch thoroughly enjoying

a Harry Potter Marathon.

The Philosopher's Stone and

The Prisoner of Azkaban are still my favorites.

Gary Oldman.....love him.

Crockett Loves His Daddy

Crockett is so used to having Adam around that when

he's not here, he sits by the door waiting for Adam to return.

I've taken many a shot to show Adam so he believes me.

See, Crockett loves me best.

That's just how it is!

I think it's cause I take him for long walks.

Sure Adam feeds him, but......c'mon. Walks!

Also, when Crockett was a puppy, he used to follow me everywhere.

I had a Pug shadow.

It would drive Adam nuts!

Adam researched and specifically wanted a Pug.

I'm not breed loyal, I love all dogs.

I will admit if the tables were turned I'd be a bit

jealous and bent out of shape too.

Anyhoo.....when Adam is not home, Crockett

loves him best.

I took this from far away as to not disturb him.
He's in the hallway staring at the fire escape door
in the kitchen.
If I listen closely I can hear Pug sighs!



See the Pug in the hallway?
Ignore my green tub of dirty laundry and
yes, I had New Moon in the DVD player.
Focus on the Pug.

 

I used the zoom lens to catch the sad face.

Adorable.





April Showers?

It hasn't really rained too much yet this April.

We've had warms days, cool days, cloudy days

and like this past Monday very windy days.

It really was a strong warm wind.

It was really lovely.

I got home at a decent enough time to take

Crockett out for a walk in the park.

Little flashes of color are sprouting up from the ground.

Crockett stretching to get a sniff of the flowers.

The Tulips are starting to surface.
This flower bed will be amazing in a few weeks.

I like dropping the camera low to catch Crockett level shots.
He looks like he's smiling.

Happy Pug.

"Crockett Cam"
I held the camera right behind his head to see
his view of the world.

I am really looking forward to the park

becoming full of color.

Last year it was very blue and violet.

It was pretty and full of bees.

I wonder what color they'll choose this year?

Vets and Giggles

As Adam and I, along with Crockett, waited for the

bus to come home from the Vet, we had a bit of a laugh.

We were both tired and hungry which is the perfect recipe for silliness.

Anyone watching would think we were a little bit mental.

Here are some of the gems that came out of my beloveds lips:

Joanne: " What is 375 divided by 13?"

Adam: "F."                                       

Joanne: " Thank you for not turning your head."                

Adam:  "At what?"                              

Joanne: " That young girl in a school uniform skirt so short I can see the tag in her underpants."                      

Adam:  "I'm not into the school girl thing.  I dig fat chicks."     

          

I have to say that Adam & I truly have fun together

and enjoy each others' company.

We can sit on a park bench and just talk & laugh & talk for hours.

Crockett has been given some heavy duty pain killers, poor monkey.

At first the Vet said give him 2 pills.

She then thought some more and changed it to a 1 pill dose.

Unfortunately, she said that she feared with a 2 pill dose

he'd become too relaxed and stop breathing.

Pug sleep apnea.......great!

Obviously, she doesn't know me on a personal level or she'd have

NEVER said that to me.

I've been watching this poor dog like parents to a newborn

making sure he's breathing.  I even have a mirror at hand

just to make sure!

Crockett's eyes are glassy & he's fighting to stay awake.

It's almost like he's doing it to spite me.

Of course I know this isn't the case, but still.

One good thing is that he's actually been laying down now

for a half an hour which has been the longest stretch

over the last few days. 

He is also soft to the touch and relaxed.

A nice change.

Let's hope this gives his muscles and spine enough

of a break that he feels better.

Crockett, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Fill In The Blanks Wednesday

Prompts from The Little Things We Do.

Mix It Up

I married someone who does not like to

move the furniture around.

I myself, love to mix it up, change it around, see how that'll

go there & this'll go here.

I think it takes a few different layouts to really

get it just right.

Adam is very....if the plug is here, that's where the TV goes.

In my last own apartment, I think I painted the bathroom a

new color every 4 months. 

Until the day comes that Adam is out

and I change everything around, I'll satisfy

this need by changing my blog template.

Sore Backs All Around

All in our household have sore backs.



Our human pains are from carrying groceries and laundry

and the need for a new bed.

It's the canine pain that is most worrisome to me.

Crockett is still obviously uncomfortable.

He doesn't want to be around us, he can't seem

to find a comfortable position and he spends too much

time just standing in the hallway trying to decide what to do.

Sit?   Stand?

He is still eating and drinking and going outside so those

are all good signs.

This morning as I was drying my hair, he did something odd.

He was wobbling back & forth.

Then he picked up his right front leg and shook it.

In a panic, I called for Adam & spooked Crockett.

Crockett ran into the living room and hid under the table. 

When he came out, he was walking odd, like his legs were asleep.

This is a time where I'm glad Adam is at home

during the day so he can watch him.

I have to try & focus on work.

It's tough as my mind is pretty much

consumed with my fur baby.

Crockett

Laundry Mishap POST EDIT

Yesterday afternoon consisted

of Adam & I going to do the groceries

and 2 different stores.

Metro (Dominion) had skinless boneless chicken breast on sale for $8.80/kg.

Couldn't pass that up!

We ended the day by doing 6 loads of laundry!

Towels...Bedding.....Everything!

The dryer downstairs runs for 1 hour/load.

I had a large load that took 2 cycles.

It gets too hot. WAY too hot.

When I pulled out a sweater with a zipper, it seared me.

Amazing how such a small burn can hurt so big.

Thankfully the pain didn't last very long.

The mark is a little darker this morning!

POST EDIT.

Here we are, 5 days on, Apr 15'11 and the mark on my arm
continues to evolve.

 

Money Well Spent

It's only just noon and I'm ready for a nap.

I was at the Vet's office this morning with Crockett
for some blood work.  He needs some more back pain medication
and as he's getting older, he needs to be checked out before they'll
renew the prescription. $200.00 later.....WOW!


Then, as planned, I went to the Church across the street

 at 10:00am sharp for their Flea Market.

I scored!

It was a lovely sale full of friendly old dears 

volunteering for their Church.

Lots of basements and attics were scoured for the treasures

lining the table with masking tape price tags.
I spent a total of $9.00!!!!!!!!!!

 I can't get the right lighting to take a decent shot of this $4 masterpiece.

It will have a home in our bedroom.

I'll take a photo of it & post it once it's hung.

I would have hung it already, but right now, Adam is behind me fast asleep.

He came to bed at 6:00am. Mental.

The Artist is Maurice Utrillo, 1934

RUE JEANNE D'ARC PROLONGÉE À  PARIS.
I looked it up on line.  Click here for info and a better shot.

Isn't she lovely?

She is similarly crafted to a piece we have of a girl on a tree swing.

Plus, I love that she reminds me of Sesame Street.

Her dress also sways from side to side.

I don't know what this is.

It's a Swissmar and stainless steel, so it's kitchen related.

I think it'll make a funky shelf.

POST EDIT:  Gayle has informed me this is a wine rack!
Of course, it's now obvious! Too funny.
Can you tell Adam & I aren't wine drinkers?

This, I also love.  It's a glass brick made into a lamp.
Cool.

The day is young. There are many more chores
and tasks ahead of me.
I just have to poke the bear & wake him up!

Woo Hoo

PERFECT way to start my Friday morning :)



I won! I won!

Doesn't take much to make me happy :)  !!!!

People Are Odd

TTC commuting has resulted in me seeing the same people day

in day out on their way to and from work.

I've even made some friends.

I, among them, am a creature of habit and comfort and I tend

to always sit in the same seat on the bus.

If it's taken, I'll sit somewhere else, no big deal.

My seat was selected for the extra inch of leg room

and it being a single seat.

There are some folks who will stand next to their

favourite seat waiting for it to be vacated.

I'm crazy, just not that crazy.

A few days ago a funny thing happened at work.

We are on the same street as one of the accident reporting

centers so we have alot of car repair shops in the area.

After hours, they tend to park their wrecks in our parking lot.

With the recent lay offs, we have more parking spots than employees.

However, those who are left are still parking in their designated spots.

Last week, during the lunch hour, a neighbour parked in one of our

spots.  When, we'll call her Lady A, returned from lunch & saw

an unfamiliar car in her spot, she called our General Manager

to go chew out the neighbour.

There were still 2 spots available. One on either side of her spot.

In my opinion, the GM has better things to do with his time.

This reminded me of something that happened over the

Christmas holiday that to this day, makes me laugh out loud.

We had a schedule so some of us would get

off Christmas Eve while others would get off New Years Eve.

On my day, there were 3 of us scheduled. 2 of us are TTC commuters.

My driving colleague, we'll call her Lady B, arrived at

the office about 30 minutes after me.

She asked if I'd driven in. I said no.

Her reply was, "Because someone has parked in my space."

I looked at her to see if she was being funny. She wasn't.

It took everything in me not to laugh.

I moved my eyes back to my monitor as though I

was reading a critical e-mail.

I went downstairs to pour myself a cup of coffee and to

take a peek at the parking lot.

There were only 2 cars.  T-W-O.

One was in her parking spot and she then parked right next to it.

She didn't even park in the spot closest to the door.

Even now, writing this, I'm laughing.

People are odd.

Others are koo-koo for cocoa puffs.

Fill In The Blanks Wednesday

Since the 30 Days of Lists is over, I've found myself

blog searching for a new weekly task.

Alyicia at  The Curious Pug participates in this

and the prompts are from the little things we do.

I have chosen Wednesdays.
It seems they're always 7 items so I'll just have to
get over my idiosyncrasy of completing even numbered lists ;)

1. The best prank I ever pulled was none.  I'm not a prankster and I don't dig being pranked.

2. The best prank ever pulled on me was none. Thankfully, everyone who knows me understands I don't like pranks. Mind you, I'd love it if Johnny Knoxville or Bam Margera showed up at my door one day.

3. A day without a hug, a kiss from Adam and a tail wag from Crockett is a day wasted.

4. The most important things in life are the people you love and the connections you make.

5. I dream of having my own washer/dryer. Lame, but if you still have to do your laundry in a communal laundry room, you understand!

6. I dread becoming homeless, losing people (and pets) I love, natural disasters and phone calls. I don't know why, I am screwy about the phone, I hate bad news.

7. A discovery I made this week was I sleep alot better without Crockett on the bed.  I just need to get him a nice bed for the corner of the bedroom.

Prompts from The Little Things We Do.

Under New Management

Our building is under new management.

There has been no change in ownership...yet.

We don't have a live-in Superintendant.

We had an old guy who basically came by to

take out the garbage & collect the rent.

It is a beautiful building.

It has so much potential.

Sadly, it hasn't been loved or cared for as

much as it should.

Front entrance.



We have very cool sconces in the halls.



Wide hallway with high ceilings.  Just not the
average boring apartment buidling hallway.

We had to provide a list of all the things in the apartment that we feel

needed to be fixed or replaced.

Our list had quite a few items on it.

We'd had a leak in the shower for awhile

that resulted in the floor flooding on a regular basis.

Water had pooled under the sink/vanity and

I was on them to replace it for fear of mold.

I talked about this HERE on October 5, 2010.

I was told we'd get a new....tomorrow.

It took new management & 6 months for us

to get a new sink & vainty.

I feared it would be basic cheapest apartment crap.

It is not top of the line but it is an improvement.

The cabinet doesn't stick out as far so

it's made our teeny tiny bathroom feel a little bit bigger.



The floor guy is coming Wednesday.

The Electrician has already done some work in the

kitchen & will be coming back to change 4 of our light fixtures.

The only guy yet to contact us is the dry wall guy.

I fear that when it comes time to renew our lease, there'll be

a big bump in our rent.

We'll see.