An Orange Boot and More Snow

I chased Crockett around the apartment this morning for 10 minutes trying to get booties on him to go out for a walk.  I caused him great grief and me a sore back.  I got him so worked up he pooped on the floor & ran away into the corner.

I only got one on his back right paw.  I have officially given up, I will not put him through this again!

He was enjoying his walk but I could tell his bootie was bothering him. He kept looking back at it poor monkey.

I took the bootie off and it was as though he smiled. He ran around in the snow with joy.  He has been so extra cute these past few days.  Dogs really do make it difficult to be grumpy.

My Mister Post Dental Surgery

My dear Adam had some dental surgery today.  Upon arrival home and after taking some pretty serious pain medication, he fell fast asleep on the couch.  In between snores, his nose was making noises straight out of video games from the 80's. It sounded like lazer guns!

Please disregard his coughing fit, but he was so loopy he didn't even notice I had the camera in his face!  He was so out of it!

Our Walk

It finally snowed.  It is still nice and white.  The sidewalks have been cleared and we were able to get out before they loaded them up with salt.  Salt and Crockett's paws do not go well together. I love our Crockett.

Crockett and the Snow

Seriously

Joy

It's Dec 24'12.

There is no snow on the ground & we still haven't really had a storm yet to speak of.

I am not complaining at all.

As long as I can take Crockett on walks in this beautiful weather, life is good.

See, no snow.

Mid-shake

Watching the birds.

Hi.

He's going so grey!   He's adorable.

My Blanket and a Pug in a Red Sweater

After practicing my Crochet stitch I got the urge to start a real project.  I am making a Granny Stripe Blanket for our bed.  I've selected a multicolor yarn named Softee Chunky / Summerset Ombre from Bernat.

It has a dusty rose, a lighter pink, a yellow, a green, and a tan color.  I love them all.  I figure it'll take me until the end of January to complete. I hope.

Here it is.  I started it on Friday & this is 5 Balls of yarn so far. It takes about 1 hour to get through 1 ball.
The flash on my camera makes it look brighter than it is.  For my next progress update I'll take a photo of it in natural light.

 

And just because he is awesome, here is a photo of Crockett in his Christmas sweater.  This is actually Crockett's 1st official piece of dog clothing.  It is too big for him to wear outside.  I bought it for him to sleep in.  We like to sleep with the window open slightly and Crockett always seems to sleep right by the window.  When I wake up in the morning, I'm toasty warm under the covers but Crockett always feels cold.  He's worn it for about an hour so far.  We'll see it it lasts a night.  It might just end up lining his bed to snuggle with.

W + K

I think they are lovely together.

I am happy they are starting a family.

I hope the world leaves them alone in their joy.

Public service is one thing but they deserve privacy as well.

I love it, I Love It, I LOVE IT!!

I started reading this book last week:

I LOVE IT!  I'm not even 100 pages in yet.

We don't have HBO so I've not seen any episodes on TV.  I did not know anything about it or the author.  I haven't watched more than a few clips on YouTube. It is a genre I enjoy so I went to Indigo to pick it up to see what all the fuss is about. The fuss, in my opinion, is warranted!  Wow, I am a nerd.


I am off work from Dec 22'12 returning to work Jan 2'12.   Apart from my traditional Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter marathons, we are going to get Game of Thrones on DVD.

SO EXCITED! 

The Season Has Arrived

I arrived home from work tonight late (7pm), tired, hungry, and ready to drop my bag and turn right around to take Crockett out for a walk.

Adam met me at the door. He had to, I'd hollered his name from the street in the direction of our open window as my keys were sitting in the kitchen on top of the microwave where I left them this morning. He had Christmas music playing.  Santa arrived.

Yearly, Adam decorates the apartment and surprises me with, " Santa came today!"  Thank you my love, it means alot to me & I love how happy it makes you.

The photo below is a ceramic tree Adam's Mother made. To the left is a toilet paper roll, Styrofoam ball head ornament Adam made when he was a kid.  We are nostalgic 'round these parts.

It was EXACTLY what I needed today.  It took awhile for the agitation of the day to leave me but when I finally was able to breathe without awareness, it was wonderful to see all our decorations and get in the Christmas spirit.

We've moved our bedroom out of the front room and it has turned into my very own personal space! Adam has his man cave and I have my craft room!  I still haven't put up any drapes so I went to see what goodies were left in our boxes marked "Christmas Decorations".  This is the result.  I'm hoping it lasts more than 12 hours as I put it up using scotch tape! We'll see.

Happy Christmas.

Canada Shared by Canadians - Keep Exploring

Oh Canada!

New Windows

With an ownership change of the building we live in, there have been quite a few upgrades. We finally got one to our unit.  New windows.

I did like the old windows they had charm, but they were old, drafty, and dirty.  They hadn't been cleaned on the outside since forever and we didn't have access to do it ourselves.  Living on a busy street with buses going by every 5 minutes, well, they got grimy & dirty.   I literally had to wash the kitchen windowsill daily or it looked like it had a year of grime build up.  I hate to think what our lungs look like. But I digress.

These windows make a real difference to the noise level.  They are super fancy in that the can open up top as well as like an average window.  They have an easy clean feature where they open on an angle. I can also keep the top open a smidgen without fear of our water heater/radiator freezing and pipes bursting!

Now, I need to figure out curtains. I like and need light so I have to find sheers that let light in but keep nosy buggers out.

Old windows.

New windows.

I LOVE that they open at the top!

When It Rains, It Pours.

My Adam was taking the garbage out and he fell. How did he fall? Well, taking the garbage out here is like being in an obstacle course. The bins were moved a little over a year ago to the space in between our apartment and the building next door.  There is no official path. The ground is uneven with a few rock slabs placed here & there, grass, dirt and when it rains, mud. There are grates under windows that jut out to half the width of the path.

There are little bombs of dog poop from a lazy ass owner from next door who doesn't pick up after their dog. (Ya, I know it's you kid with the little white Bichon Frise. I hear you out there encouraging your dog to, " Pee. Pee........Pee. Pee. Pee.......Pee")

Living next to a park with a creek, there are also critters.  We hear the Raccoons opening and closing the bins at night.  Random food that missed the garbage cans has little critter teeth marks in it.  I never take the garbage out without coming back in & scrubbing my hands like a surgeon preparing for surgery.

Once Adam opened a big bin and there was a baby Raccoon in it.  He opened it & placed it on its side so the little fella could escape back to the safety of his house in the trees with his Mommy.

Anyway, back to Adam.  So he fell and went head/shoulder first into the wall of the building next door.  He had a bump on the back of his head and a really sore right shoulder. It was his foot that hurt him the most.  We called TeleHealth Ontario and followed their instructions to ice & elevate it. After 3 days he couldn't walk.  We woke up super early to make it to the ER Dept at 6am to beat the rush.  He broke his right foot in 3 places!  Metatarsals # 2, 3 & 4!  Holy Jebus Cripes! He came home with a big ass cast and an appointment at the Fracture Clinic the following week.

Source

Adam also cut his lower left leg.  After getting the cast and hopping around on his left leg, it blew up. It got swollen and red and hot.  We thought he had the flu.  He was feverish, nauseous and all around felt like a bag of shit. He delayed his Fracture Clinic appointment for 2 days to get over the hump of the flu.  By the time he went, his left leg was causing him severe pain, he could hardly walk.  After the Fracture Clinic appointment for his right foot, he went right back to ER for his left leg.

Turns out it was a nasty infection. Cellulitis to be exact. So bad that he needed to be put on IV medication for 10 days.  He got a Homecare nurse visit daily being that he was pretty much a gimp & couch/bedridden. She was great and it made me appreciate even more than I already do, our amazing Healthcare system here in the Great White North eh!

The IV came out on Saturday so now he's on oral meds for 10 days.  His broken foot is healing well. The Cellulitis is healing but really gross. He has a section the size of a fried egg that looks part zombie rotting flesh and parts sunburn peeling skin. To add to it, it's itchy as hell. He mocks me as I tell him that's a sign it's healing!

Note to Self et Al:  Your Health is your Wealth.

The Big Bang Theory Flash Mob!

Bazinga!

An Unexpected Briefing - Air New Zealand

If all in flight safety review was like this!

Real Talent

Pure Talent Is:

A lady in her living room accompanied by a piano

and a lady on stage accompanied by an acoustic guitar.

Around Here

Today was what can be called a perfect Fall day.  The sun was shining and there was a crispness to the air.  Throw on a turtleneck or a sweater and you're good to go.

Crockett had a walk and he LOVED tinkling on leaves.  Parents, unless the leaves are from your tree, in your yard, and you can confirm that no dogs or critters have been in your yard, please DO NOT let your kids jump in leaves. Crockett and every other dog I've ever loved ALWAYS tinkles on piles of leaves. ALWAYS.

I love this time of year. Love it.  What makes it even better is anything pumpkin flavour.  I made us a kick ass pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, I've enjoyed 2 Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and I've lost count how many Pumpkin Muffins I've had from Tim's.

This weekend will be spent relaxing, sleeping, reading, watching a couple of movies, and taking 2 hot baths.

Bug

As I was leaving the office yesterday, I saw something moving in my peripheral vision.


He was slowly crawling up the cabinet without a care in the world.  I made sure he wasn't like a spider and was going to jump directly at my face if I got too close.

I grabbed my Tims cup from the garbage, caught him, took him outside, and set him free.

What The Hell Is With My Eye?

This has happened a few times, but it's never looked this creepy.

On Sunday I woke up with a red dot on my right eye. Burst a blood vessel, maybe I sneezed too hard or summat.  This morning, it was almost gone but for a very tiny bright red dot.

Well, I'm tired after just having finished watching the 1st Presidential Debate (Obama needed to be tougher and kick Romney's ass on his BS and inaccuracies, but I digress...).  I looked in the mirror while brushing my teeth and...BAM!

What the fuck eye? I hope this goes away and fast. It is creepy.  It doesn't hurt and it isn't affecting my vision but still. Eeew. My eye does look a little puffy.

What I'm Reading

Last month, I started reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  I am on page 462 of 579 and I love this book.

I took a 2 week break from it to read another book I received as a gift called Journey of Souls by Michael Newton, PH.D. That is a post for another day. I will write about it, but it's still clanging about in my head.

Back to A Discovery of Witches. It involves history, libraries, secrets, vampires, witches, daemons, magic, alchemy, family, suspense and love.  I have enjoyed it so much that to keep myself from reading it all in one sitting, I've limited myself to only reading one chapter at a time to drag it out.

It is the first book of a trilogy and today on my way home from work, I went to Indigo and purchased the second book that came out July 2012 called Shadow of Night. I haven't even read the book jacket or inside flaps because I don't want there to be any chance of ruining the end of book one!

I haven't had to write a book report since High School and I don't regularly read book reviews so I fear I can't summarize it in a way that would do it justice.  I am going to start regularly posting about the books I'm reading so hopefully, in time, I'll learn how to write a half decent book review.

Until then, I'll just say that this book has been an enjoyable escape.  A story I look forward to immersing myself in. I care about the characters and I'm being transported to England, France and upstate New York.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer

Toil

Oh dear blog, I have been neglecting you.  My mind, body and spirit is being weighed down with the toils of life.

I think of you often and feel guilt.  To free myself of this guilt, I will take a break from you for the rest of the month.

Be good September.

When Crockett Is Happy, I Am Happy.

Crockett had a great day yesterday.  He came home happy and tired.  We spent the day with my Mom & Dad. Sitting in the yard, chatting, reading, and napping.

Crockett gets walks but he's never been one to just sit outside as we don't have a balcony or a backyard. The occasional sit in the park is the most he gets of just sitting in the outdoors.  Yesterday was a treat being in a fenced in backyard with grass, shade, and plenty of water.

This is the 2nd time this summer we were able to do this.  The 1st time, it was all new and exciting and he didn't sleep the entire day.  Yesterday he succumbed.  He fought it. Fought it hard, but sleep took over.  He was even snoring at one point which really makes me happy.

Today I am enjoying being at home on a Monday with the knowledge that tomorrow, my commute will take a little longer and be a little louder.  Students on the TTC do not make me happy. Oh well, such is my life.

Dance Therapy

I have had a very busy last few weeks and it has taken both a physical and mental toll.  Some days I can cope better than others.  Today was not a good coping day.

I woke up after a night of wonderful dreams.  I dream often. I wish I was alert enough in the mornings to write them down as a few would've made kick ass screen plays.  I actually read that people who suffer from depression dream more than regular folks.  This also explains why I wake up after a full nights sleep feeling tired.  Whatever the reason, I love dreaming.  Ever since I was a kid, I've had dreams where I can fly.  Last night, I flew, like Peter Pan. Awesome.

After the euphoria of my dreams wore off and after a cuddle with Adam & Crockett, I woke up dreading the day.  I had a few things to do that I really didn't have the motivation or desire to do.  I did them any way cause life still happens.

What I felt like doing today, as a form of therapy, was to go to the Toronto Zoo & watch the Otters, Giraffes, and Polar Bears. The only thing is on a really hot day, all the animals are smart & stay out of the sun, which keeps them out of view.  The Spring and the Fall are the best time to go to the zoo so I'll wait until then.

My other forms of therapy are hugs from Adam, talking to my Mom and/or Dad on the phone, walking Crockett, nature, music, art, and dance.  My choice today after taking Crockett for a walk,  a chat on the phone with Mom, and many many Adam hugs was dance.  I spent a good hour on YouTube watching past performances of So You Think You Can Dance.  Mia Michaels is my favorite choreographer and this routine below is my all time favorite.  I cry every single time I watch it.

Gravity - Contemporary

Funk You Very Much

I have not posted very much lately. It is not because I don't want to, it is because I am following the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say (write), say (write) nothing at all."

I have been in a funk. It's been different than my usual funks as I've had moments of happiness. Fleeting moments but moments none the less. The last thing I want to do is come home & write about all the things that irritate me or become a really really negative person.  I started writing to help me when I feel this way but lately...I just can't do it.

I have actually stopped reading a few of my favorite blogs due to the writers whining, pissing and moaning about how shitty their lives are.  I used to rely on "there are people worse off than me" then, one day, while feeling incredibly sorry for myself I started to think " ya, but there are people better off than me too".

My issue at the moment is that I really don't know what to do turn the corner. It's been a one step forward, two step back kinda deal lately. It is unfortunately not all in my control. Knowing the life you want to have and getting there is the challenge. I fear making a list of all the things that need my attention cause seeing it in writing might shut me down even more.

Ugh see...I'm starting to whine and feel bad. Tomorrow is another day.

 Melancholy

by 

Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée

What I'm Reading

Back to work today and back to spending way too much time commuting on public transit. One of the few advantages is that I have time to do my crossword on the way to work & read a book on my way home.

This is my current read.  I'm only on page 33 and I'm really liking it.  It was a book that caught my eye on a display as I was leaving Indigo. I read the back cover and went right back to the cashier and bought it.

For info on the Author go to:  www.deborahharkness.com

Vacation

I have been on vacation since last Friday and it has been wonderful.  I am appreciating the time at home.

It is both good and bad that the Olympics are in their 2nd week.  Am I spending too much time in front of the TV? Yes. Have I been inspired to get my body moving and enjoy recreational sports as I did in my youth? Yes.  Will these feelings outlast the closing ceremonies? Yes.  I've already been on the city's website looking into community fitness centers & pools in my neighborhood. 

Taking this time off was greatly needed for my mental health. Not because depression has a bigger grip on me than usual but because I needed this time to think. To do nothing. To organize my thoughts and my home. To make lists. To make plans. To have quiet. To shut down. To read. To be away from all people on buses and subways. To sleep in late. To kiss my husband at 2:00pm on a Tuesday.  To cuddle with Crockett until he's sick of me.

I have laundry to do. Quite a bit that I've let pile up.  Call me crazy, but I love doing laundry. I find it relaxing. Ironing even more so. Probably the clean fresh scent takes me back to my childhood. One of my favorite things is getting into bed with clean fresh sheets. It is my biggest wish to one day have a kick ass washer/dryer that belongs to ME.  With all of the advantages of apartment living, sharing a laundry room is one thing I dislike.  So, having it all to myself in the middle of the week is a treat.

Crockett hasn't had as many early morning walks as I'd hoped. I've been getting up later.  Tuesday, the weather was PERFECT, but every other day has been a bit too hot & humid for Pugs.  Trying to stay in shaded areas has been tough. I can tell that he doesn't like the hot pavement on his paws.

On our walk today, I did see another Rat in the park.  Disturbing.  I know they exist and I know that along with the birds and bunnies and chipmunks and foxes and field mice the park is a perfect place for them, but still. Eeeew. I think it's their tails and their teeth.. But this one was ballsy. Hopping up the steps in the middle of the morning, running along the top of the wall. It actually reminded me of Peter Pettigrew when he was in the Shrieking Shack trying to get away from Sirius & Remus.

I have to get out of this room I am in. It faces the street and cityworks have just started using a jackhammer for something across the street. Bastards.

A Very Sedentary Weekend

Saturday I was brain dead. Just so mentally exhausted from the last 2 weeks. We went out & did our groceries early in the morning and that took every ounce of energy I had. I laid down on our bed with Adam around 1pm and poof, that was it, I was gone.  I woke up at 5:30pm and just sat in front of the TV for the rest of the evening watching more Olympic coverage.

This morning I woke up early, took Crockett out and literally only got up from the couch to go to the loo or get myself a drink from the kitchen.

I'm really NOT looking forward to going to work tomorrow but oh well, nothing going on but the rent :)

I didn't take too many photos this morning, both Crockett and I were walking in slow motion and were very lethargic.

I Hit The Wall

The last 2 weeks at work have been BUSY.  Sadly it is not because business is picking up, it's because every one is taking vacation time.We are already on a pretty small skeleton staff as it is.

We have in our office (besides the big kahunas):


Logistics Mgr
Logistics Admin. (me)
Office Mgr/Accting
Reception
Whse Mgr
Whse Admin.

From July 16th to Aug 3rd ALL of these people will be off at least 1 week. My boss is on her 2nd week.
For 1 week, my boss, the Whse Mgr & the Whse Admin were all off. I have had to cover for ALL these people. Doing the most important, time sensitive, weekly tasks.  I have officially been cross trained and performed pretty much every administrative task within the company.


In the last 9 business days, I have been at my desk a total of 1.5 days.  I will continue to cover for folks until 2nd week of August. I have done everything I needed to do AND I've done my job.  I have been the Energizer Bunny.  My brain has been full on, non-stop. 

At 2:00pm today, I hit the wall.  I was unable to function.  Coffee didn't help.  It was brutal. I felt like I was in a drug haze. I fell asleep on the bus.

The second I sit down after dinner, I fall asleep.  I had a nice visit with my folks on Sunday & spent the afternoon outside. I was in desperate need for the fresh air. It did me a lot of good, it really did. I have been sleeping solidly for at least 8-9 hours a night.  I haven't had too much time to sweat about the small stuff, which has been refreshing.

Tonight I am completely knackered but it is too hot to go to bed. Sitting in front of this screen is actually making my eyes go wonky.

Adam was a dear and did some house work today.  Sadly, he used Pine Sol.  I hate that shit. I don't mind the lavender one, but the regular one reminds me of what washrooms smell like in schools and arenas. As I sit here, I smell pee & Pine Sol.  There is no pee, but the Pine Sol just......ick.  I am very sensitive to smells.  I hold onto memories with them. I can smell certain things and they take me back in time, just like that.  A few of those smells are: Polo Cologne, Original Mennen Speed Stick, Irish Spring soap, Diesel Fuel, Floor Polish, Cedar wood, Fresh baked Choc Chip cookies, Of A Man cologne, chlorine.....and the list could go on.

I've got to go to sleep. Nite.

The Hobbit: Peter Jackson's Eighth Video Blog from the Set & ComicCon!

A Lovely July Afternoon

Crockett & I spent the afternoon visiting with Mom & Dad.  We did something that Crockett, being a Pug and being very heat sensitive, hasn't ever done before.  We spent the afternoon outside.  We did everything to keep him cool.  He was well hydrated and had plenty of shade.  He was in a fenced in yard and was leash free and completely independent.  He didn't sleep too much so tonight he will no doubt, sleep like a baby. I know I will.  My Mom & I sat & watered the yard for quite a while as it has been hot & dry. Every once in a while Crockett got a spray of water and he loved it.

I took 89 photos this afternoon.  Here are a few.