Praying Mantis

I was in Finch Station this afternoon on my way home walking from the bus

to the subway.  My left hand brushed up against something on my left hip.

I grabbed it, looked at it, screamed & dropped it right on the floor.

It was this critter who was half the length of my hand.

I'd never seen one up close & personal before.

A Praying Mantis.

It almost looked like a twig.

Where the heck did it come from & how long had it been attached to me.

I will say, that ever since I have had the creepy crawly itches.

You know, after you brush an ant or bug off yourself, you are extra sensitive

and itchy for the rest of the day.

The last place it needed to be was on the floor in a subway station so I went into

my bag, grabbed a piece of paper, caught it & brought it home

to release back into nature.

I had to watch it for a few minutes first.

Very graceful.

Very inquisitive.

Very creepy.

Easy to see why so many creatures from scary films

have been inspired by this little critter.

I posted another shot as my Project 365 photo of the day.

10 Questions

1. Have you ever eaten a crayon?
No, but  the Wright's dog Taffy used to and we'd see her white poop in the park with bits of crayon in it that looked like colored chocolate chips.

2. Are you wearing socks right now?
Nope. My feet are under my desk resting on my flip-flops.

3. Are you hot?
Nope. I'm in my jammies and I have the fan on.  To answer this question another way, no. I was not the type of girl that was described as hot. Cute maybe, not hot.

4. What was the last thing you had to drink?
I'm drinking orange juice right now. Minute Maid Low Acid. Really tasty.

5. What is your favorite animal?
Dogs and Sloths and Giraffes.

6. Worst injury you've ever had?
I broke my collar bone when I was 13 or 14 years old.  The most painful part was in the ER when the obviously overtired MD tried to put a brace on me that was way too small.

7. Ever go to camp?
Yes. Brownie/Girl Guide camp  - loved it. I wish I'd gone to summer camp more. I love the movies Meatballs when I was a kid.....are you ready for the summer?

8. Do you need to do laundry?
Yes. This weekend we need to do the sheets & blankets. I love sleeping in a freshly laundered bed.

9. Do you collect anything?
No. I don't like clutter and I don't have enough space. One thing I buy more often than I should is notebooks. I love pretty paper, I love writing pads, and fancy notebooks.

10. What the first thing that comes to your mind after reading this question?
One does not simply walk into Mordor.

Hypochondriac?

Every once in a while, if I'd get home early enough from work, I'd relax

on the couch & catch a bit of The Dr. Oz Show.

After watching a few episodes, I determined that watching him was in fact,

a hazard to my health. My mental health anyway.

hy·po·chon·dri·ac

An excessive preoccupation with and worry about one's health.

wor·ry

To torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

Is there a difference between a hypochondriac and someone that just worries too damn much?

How does worry & stress effect ones body?

I'm only hypochondriac-like when it comes

to my heart and it's all because of Dr. Oz.

It seems like every ache or pain on my upper left side be it in my back, my

neck, my arm, etc is a sign & symptom, according to Dr. Oz,

of a cardiac episode/issue/disease of some kind.

As a woman, with a full to-do list, I don't have time for illness.

Sometimes, when I don't feel well, I over-think, panic, and get myself so worked up

to the point where an anxiety attack is imminent.

I feel all the blood leave my extremities, my neck gets tight 

and I'm sure I'm seconds away from full cardiac arrest.

The odd thing, the really odd thing is sometimes, I completely

block out the aches and pains.

Then, the moment I am still , it's like my brain dam has been opened

and I can no longer ignore the way I feel, it again starts again.....

I over-think, panic, and get myself so worked up

to the point where an anxiety attack is imminent.
I feel all the blood leave my extremities, my neck gets tight 

and I'm sure I'm seconds away from full cardiac arrest.

So here are some facts:

We need a new bed.

I sleep on my left side & don't move alot while asleep.

I have bad posture.

I eat way too fast.

My desk at work is not ergonomic at all & I sit crooked all day.

I don't have enough core strength.

Arthritis is prominent on my maternal side.

These all could very well contribute to my aches & pains.

My left shoulder blade hurts.

My left shoulder socket is sore.

Skip this next bit if you find boob talk offensive, on occasion, my left boob aches.

I'm always tired and lack energy.

I suffer with depression & those commercials on TV are right....sometimes with

depression, everything just aches & you feel like, pardon my french, shit.

Also, I do have Sarcoidosis which, if my immune system is low, causes

inflammation of my lymph nodes by my heart and lungs so that can cause

pressure in my chest.

Here's the internal conversation;

Do I book an appt with the MD, take time off work, get sent for other tests that

will require more time off work only to be told 3 months from now that I'm fine, it's stress,

I need to find a way to relax.

-or-

Do I do nothing, wait until I have my annual physical (which is already booked for

Sept 27'11) and hope that I don't drop dead in the meantime from a cardiac

episode/issue/disease of some kind.

So, it is hypochondria?

Is it chronic worry?

I think, no, I know that what would ease my mind a bit.

I'd like to wake up in a villa by the ocean with clear water

and white sand where I could lounge on a chair in a sunny breeze,

dip my feet in the ocean, read a good book, and watch the sunset

with my beloved by my side. That would be so nice.

In lieu of our tropical paradise vacation, I just really need to find somewhere quiet.

I'd like to meditate but it's just not quiet enough here in my

little space in the world.

Did It Rain?

My Dad came downtown today & took me to lunch.

It's always tough to choose what to eat when we go to

Le Marche Movenpick / Richtree Market at BCE Place , but today

when my Dad came back to the table with the Canadian Breakfast, I

had to have the same.

Seriously, they have the very best breakfast sausages I've tasted in

a really long time. My Mom & my Dad both agree.

It's a nice place to go because you can eat at your own pace, the wait staff

are all friendly and don't bother you too much.

It's also nice that there are a bunch of smaller rooms so that

you're not in the middle of all the noise.

We were discussing the length, or lack thereof,

of the girl in the pink tops' skirt.

I, being the prude I am, thought it was inappropriate.

My Dad said, "She has nice legs."

I tried to get his finger resting right at the top of the tower but

my lack of direction & his impatience made for a "fail".

After a cuppa at Tim's, my Dad got on his train home & I got on the subway.

My trip from Union Station to Davisville to transfer to the bus was no more 20 minutes.

The sky was grey but it wasn't raining when I left Union.

By the time I got home it was drizzling but I think I missed a heavy flash rain

because the intersection north of our building, that thankfully is downhill from us,

was flooded over the sidewalks and the traffic lights were out.

There were TOOLS driving so fast and NOT obeying the;

"traffic lights out 4 way stop rule".

I just hope there isn't an accident because the corner is a nightmare.



 

The water level is over the sidewalk curb.

There are sewers under there somewhere!

Asshat #1 of many.



Asshat #2 of many.

I'm In A Really Good Mood

After too long a time of having some life stresses, and last week

probably being one of the worst weeks I've had in a really really long time,

things seem to have tuned a corner and are looking brighter.

I finished early today & my commute was a pain in the ass.

I left work at 1:00pm.

I walked in the door at 3:00pm.

That's just stupid.

But, the weather this afternoon is sunny and breezy and nice.

Crockett was so happy to see me & scratched on the door, which is

Pug for "Walk".

Here are a few of our walk photographs.

Can you spot the Pug?

I was being super lazy & sitting on a bench in the shade.



He then started to trot quickly so I had to get up fast & catch up to him.

I say trot, because he stuck this horse-like pose at the top of the steps.



Can you spot the Pug?

My Mom used to do this to a shrub we had in the front yard at Handfield.

I was getting odder than normal looks from people today.

Alot of smiles and eye contact.

Then I realized I was wearing this shirt.

More Sky

I took my camera to work with me today.

Last week we had a full moon.

Since then, it has been sitting high in the bright blue western

morning sky as I go to work.

My Project 365 today was this mornings moon.

It was taken at 6:45am.

The clouds lately have been really beautiful.

I've always had a thing for weather.

It's just amazing to me how I've never been 100% sure

what I want to be when I grow up.

Looking back now, there are so many things I am

interested in, that I wonder why I didn't just pick one & go for it!

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

There is still time I suppose.

But I digress.....

When I got off the bus today on my way home the sky did not disappoint.

I went in, changed, grabbed Crockett and my camera & we went for a walk.

This big white fluffy cloud in the SSE sky caught my attention so we walked south

to try and get a better shot of it.

As we got closer, I couldn't see it as well.

Imagine my surprise when I looked to the west & saw this!

Awesome!

There was a slight breeze in the air and it was changing quickly.
I zoomed in so I could get the plane in the shot.

Crockett is NOT fat.  I took this using the Fish Eye setting.
See where the sidewalk is wonky?
It made me laugh cause he looks like a Seal on the Santa Monica Pier!
He was so good and sat there patiently as I took a bazillion photos.

Pictures of the sky like this, that's my religion.
Just so awesome.

I was only about 3 blocks south of our building for all the above shots.
The wind started to pick up and this was my last shot before going in
just above the church across the street from our building.


A great walk and one where I am thankful I have a camera to catch these shots.

Ten On Wednesday

1.  What condiments are always, always in your fridge?
Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Steak Sauce, Hot Sauce. Many different hot sauces. Adam likes them, I do not. He tries the most obscure brands. His current favorite is:

2.   How do you like your steak cooked?  

Medium well.

3.  What’s your favorite use for fresh tomatoes?

Many uses. Toasted tomato sandwich, diced with Avocado and a Dijon mustard dressing, as a side dish with Kraft Dinner, sliced with scrambled eggs, on salads and finally, Bruschetta.

4.  What’s your go-to dinner when you haven’t planned anything in advance and you don’t feel like going out?

Pasta - Adam. Tuna Melts - Me.

5.  What’s your favorite snack food lately?
Lately? Always. Potato chips.

6.  What’s your favorite weekend breakfast to make at home?
Fried egg sandwich - Adam. Scrambled eggs and toast - Me. I don't do fry-ups anymore as great as they are. I'd rather go to The Sunset Grill as a treat once every couple of months. There's no greasy clean up that way.

7.  What’s your favorite thing to grill?  How do you do it?
Apartment living hasn't given me opportunity to grill. We don't own a BBQ. I can't remember the last time I had a BBQ :(

8.  What’s your favorite wine for under $10? If you’re not a wine person, what brand of beer is your favorite?
I don't buy wine. If I was to it'd be white & it would be something my Dad would tell me to get. Red wine gives me a headache. I've never been a beer drinker. I don't like the taste at all. The only beer I ever had was the first really cold sip of my Dad's Molson Export when I was a kid. I don't think I ever got any beer, just a frothy moustache.

9.  Give us your most delicious cocktail recipe.





10.  How do you like your eggs?
Scrambled or over-easy and ALWAYS with the little umbilical cords do-hickeys removed before preparation.

I Tried. I Really Tried.

I so wanted to finish reading Stieg Larsson's

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

I tried.

I really did.

I just cannot get into it.

I got stuck on page 27.

I must've read page 27 20 times.

Here it is:



There are a few things I've had issue with.

An odd spelling of the word jaol instead of jail.

Main characters last name is Blomkvist.

Every time I read it, I have to sound it out:

Blom - k - vist

It does not roll smoothly in my brain and pulls me out of the story.

After page 27, there are about 4 more pages of AIA, Govt this,

Govt that, speculation firms, blah blah blah.

I just had to close it and sigh.

I will most likely enjoy the film very much.

I love the Bourne films but I don't think I'd enjoy

reading the novels by Robert Ludlum.

So, I have given up.

I can only try so many times before I completely shut down.

Today I grabbed from my bookshelf a book I bought on

sale a while back & have yet to read.

If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern.

She also wrote P.S. I Love You, which I really enjoyed.

Bus fluff.

Easy reading on the way home after a hard day.

I Got My Zzzzzz's

I went to bed fairly early last night.

Adam put Hope Floats in the DVD player for

me and I was out before Birdie made it back to Smithville.

On weekends especially, with our bedroom window facing the

street, I hear too many noises that spook me.

When people walk by & talk when it is quiet out, it

sometimes sounds like they are in my room standing next to me.

DVDs are a good way to trick my brain that everything is ok

and I can fall asleep peacefully.

Crockett was up bright and early this morning at 7am and he did that

thing where he stands right next to the bed and I can feel his stare.

As soon as I open my eyes and we've made eye contact, he spins in

place and goes a bit mental.

This means

A: He needs water in his bowl

B: He's hungry & wants his breakfast

C: He wants to go outside & do his business

Today, it was all 3.

I got up & went right to the kitchen to prepare his meal.

While he was eating I splashed cold water on my face so I could

face the outside world & take him for a tinkle.

As soon as we were back inside, I was back in bed.

I had a headache but one I thought more sleep would alleviate.

I woke up again around 11am and I had a full on

headache as well as a grumbling belly. I was hungry.

I took 2 Excedrin and made scrambled eggs.

My headache was right in my eyes & watching TV hurt as I was very light sensitive.

I turned it off & sat there in the living room with the curtains drawn.

Took 2 more Excedrin.

I woke up on the couch at 7:00pm.

At least my headache was gone.

Now there was just the sense of dread and waste to deal with.

I hate sleeping the weekends away.

I know I needed it and my body feels better, but still.

From Monday - Friday I spend 40 hours at work and 17 to 20 hours

on the bus/subway on my way to and from work.

The weekends are all I have.

This weekend I accomplished absolutely nothing.

I hate that.

Adam was able to sit in his man cave all day in

his underwear on his forum without me nagging him.

At least one of us had a good day.

Cicadas and Bees

Today, there were too many wedding parties getting photos taken in the park so Crockett

and I went on the trail that goes around it.

It was a good idea because it was in the shade & good for Pugs.

The Cicada's were out today in full force.

I love the sound they make.

It reminds me of when I was a kid.

We had them in the trees in the neighbourhood.

I used to think it was the sound of tree frogs.

As soon as we got out of the trail and back onto the edge of the park,

I saw this dead Cicada being devoured by Ants.

There were also alot of the small white moth looking Butterflies fluttering

about & landing on the plants and flowers.

This one sat long enough for me to get a shot of it.



Normally, I only see Bees in this park on blue or purple flowers.
Today, they were on everything.

Remembering that Bees smell fear, I remained calm & got
as close as I could.
These 3 below were my best shots.

This flower was huge. It was at least 4" in diameter.
They've surrounded them with little plants that look like
little hot peppers.

It was a nice walk this morning.

Even sitting here now, with the window open facing

Yonge Street, in the city, I can hear the Cicadas in the trees.

Love it.