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.

Bunny

Crockett and I were on our usual walk this morning in the park & this time, when it happened, I was ready and I was stealth.  I saw the bunny again.   Crockett is such an easy going dog that if I stand still, he stands still next to me.  He doesn't chase squirrels or birds. He's an observer.

Here are our photos from today.

  

 

  

Yum

I saw this photo online and sadly it did not have an original source but I just have to post and share it as it is how I feel, being a sweet-tooth, when I walk past Bakery windows.

More Mandalas

I enjoyed doing the first one this afternoon I've done another.

This is it completed however, I did like it better when it had some white in it. Oh well, next time.

I took this photo below using the Fisheye setting.  Interesting.  I think Fisheye photos are best taken from far away of a large landscape. Still, this was fun.

Mandalas

At times, I just need to sit and slow my brain down.  I had a very busy work week last week and an even busier one anticipated this coming week.  I wanted to do something today that relaxes me and although I'm 43 years old, I love to color and I find it incredibly relaxing.

I recently learned about Mandalas.  There is so much about them on the web.  You can get free templates here and here and you could also buy Mandala coloring books.

Bottom line, I've spent this afternoon doing this and now that I'm done, I am relaxed and content.

It Buzzed

Crockett & I did our usual Saturday morning walk in the park.  It was beautiful in the shade and hot in the sun. A perfect summer day for outside activities.

When we entered the park, I heard all kinds of pitter patter scattering in the brush.   On my left, a Rat crossed our path.  It wasn't huge, but its tail was a long pinky grey. Gross. I don't mind Field Mice, they're cute, but Rats?  We weren't even anywhere near the creek.   Then on my right, I saw a Rabbit hopping across the grass and disappear into a bush.  I was not fast enough to catch either with my camera.

Crockett seemed happy to just stand in one place for a few minutes and enjoy his surroundings.

I've passed this tree a thousand times before and never noticed it had a portion that is hollow.  I put my camera up close and got lucky.  A Caterpillar/Butterfly chrysalis.

On our way out of the park, I heard a buzzing and saw this!  It was about an inch long. It was moving the dirt around with its back legs and it planted that long red thing coming out of its backside by its stinger into the ground & moved it around.  I tried to get as close as I could.  I will say when it spread its wings to fly away, I almost dropped my camera and I did let out a little scream.

Groundhog Weekend

With the weather being what it has been, my life almost feels like the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.  I have Groundhog weekdays where I get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, get up.....

The Groundhog weekend version is get up, take Crockett for a walk, take pictures of Crockett and the birds, come home, putz around online to cool down, watch TV, eat, do chores, take Crockett for a walk, take pictures of Crockett and the birds, come home, putz around online to cool down, watch TV, eat, do chores........

As much as I enjoy taking Crockett out, we both suffer when we get back to cool down from the heat. He gets placed in the bathtub so I can douse him with tepid water.  I rip my clothes off & stand in front of the fan. 

I have loads of chores to do today.  Adam & I traded off.  I'll do the dishes, clean the kitchen, and mop the floors and he'll go up to Loblaws to fetch some groceries.  I'll turn my radio on to Toronto Classical Radio 96.3fm and get to it.

I started watching Wimbledon this morning but stopped to take Crockett out. I'm PVRing it and will watch it later when my chores are done. My hope is that Murray wins cause how great will that be for England!

So, here are my photos, pretty similar to the last bunch.

It looks as though there are 3 baby birds.  They are growing quickly and soon will be too big for the nest.  I wish they were in the tree by my window so I could watch them more often and without feeling like I'm interfering.

More About The Weather

I don’t like talking about the weather so much but this past few weeks have been worse than I can remember it ever being,  at least in my adult working life.

There were a few summers as a teenager and lifeguard where I remember some scorchers but all I had to do was jump in the pool to cool off.  I really miss those days. Good memories.

I grew up in the 70’s in a bungalow without air conditioning.  On really hot summer nights all I had to do was go downstairs to the basement & it was cooler. 

I’ve lived in apartments that have had central air conditioning and unless it was overly hot, I wouldn’t use it.  For me, there is nothing like a good nights’ sleep next to a wide open window.

This morning when the alarm went off I woke up right away and rather than hitting the snooze button a few times, I got up, got dressed & took Crockett out at 5:30am.  

It was cooler outside than it was in our apartment. 

 

Of course I took my camera with me.  I spent about 5 minutes taking photos of the Snails and when I turned around to check on Crockett, he was laying in the grass. I'm sure the dew felt nice on his belly.  Although in the last shot, he does look like he's giving me the stink eye.