Friday, May 29, 2009

It seemed like a good idea at the time

My legs do NOT think that it is a good idea to bike home from work (uphill most of the way) the day *after* an hour and a half evening ride. They pretty much hate me right now. If they could talk they would be swearing like truckers in a bar brawl.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

About toilet seats

I have learned that all the exercises we did in Senior girls basketball really did set me up for the real world... those muscles have been honed into enough shape that I can still 9 years later hover over a toilet seat and pee.

Now before you go and get all upset that I'm peeing on the seat, don't you worry... I lift the seat when I hover, because truly there is nothing worse than someone who hovers so they don't have to touch the seat and then leaving their own wet mark there for the next person ;o)

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

How to cram 5 days into 2

First hang out with Chelsey.

So I just had the best weekend evar! Got to see a couple of friends on their way through town with their new daughter who is about a month shy of 1 and just started walking this weekend. So cool! Had a great visit over Chinese takeout with them so she could motor around after being stuck in her car seat. They also got some really cute pictures of her playing with the dandylion puffballs outside!

Picked up Chelsey at 7:10 in the am from Kelowna airport. Even though I was early so was the flight. I looked up from texting her back, to her coming down the gangplank. After that we headed down to Summerland, ate scones with *lots* fruit in them, actually I should rephrase that to" We ate fruit with some scone cooked in between it.

We then did a huge walk with her mom including stalking the house with the really cool train setup in the front yard... drove into Penticton went shopping for bathing suits. Which as usual invovled trying on a little bit of everything. I hate bathing suit shopping, but we finally found ones we liked. We finally decided that we could probably buy two of the same and then trade bottoms. Maybe next year.

After that grabbed Starbucks, hit up a Pharmacy for some reading material (aka butt builder and mountain biking) and sunscreen. And then headed over to the beach for what seemed like the entire afternoon. We dipped our toes in long enough to cool down. Literally just our toes, the water was beyond fricken' freezing Mr. Bigglesworth!

On the way home picked up a couple snack type foods and some Gatorade to rehydrate me from our fun filled day in the sun. Before dinner I installed a wireless router and configured it while Chelsey helped out her mom. While dinner was cooking we popped over to the movie store and picked up Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events". Got home in time for dinner on the back porch. Mmmmm it was so yummy! It was some form of curried tofu, rice and broccoli and cauliflour.

After dinner we did the dishes/kitchen cleanup while her mom did some evening things in the back yard. Back to the wireless internet where we looked up places to take her moms old computer for recycling... then onto the movie, popcorn and bed.

I remember thinking and then asking out loud "Did I really pick you up just this morning? ARE YOU SURE?!?" I think we are stuck in a time warp and this day is never going to end, and I'm TOTALLY okay with that!

But that day did end, so it was up the next morning, and while the scones were cooking we trucked over to the coffee shop. Then we walked all the way around Summerland again, but out the other way through orchard fields. We ran into a friend of her moms with a beautiful Golden Lab (part 'triever part lab) and chatted for a bit. We also grabbed a couple things to transplant into her moms garden and climbed a twirly tree along the way.

After that walk Chelsey and I headed into town, stopped at the recycling store and then headed over to Freedom cycle in town. They have the funniest shirt, it is a picture of a stick man riding a bike with the quote "Put the fun between your legs" We waited about a half hour trying things on etc. and then rented bikes for a half day and biked up the Kettle Valley Railroad trail.

It is an old railway bed that has been turned into a recreational trail. It was a slight incline that felt like an uphill slog by the time we turned around. All in all it felt like we biked at least 14km total... it was probably more like 10km, but the view along the trail was beautiful! You are basically looking out over the lake across to Summerland. Stopping for a lunch of fresh strawberries was the bestest!

At about 2:20 we turned around and booked 'er back into town, returned our bikes jumped into the car and drove down to Okanagan Falls to get ice cream from Tickleberries. Mmmm soooo good after a big ride, I had chocolate chip mint and root beer float. My friend had black licorice... and I can't remember. The licorice made it look like she had really hot lip liner on though, oh baby! We then washed that down with a hotdog and some kettle corn which is also sooooooo good :o)

Headed back up to her mom's, dropped her off and I carried on to Vernon for a Cub meeting... dirty and sweaty and tired, but completely rejuvenated.

It sure seems like sometimes the things you do in your day off make it feel like you took more than just a day off, and by the time you're done you feel like you've had the week off that you needed. Good friends are good for the soul. You don't always know what you need but somehow they do.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Salty, everything smells salty

All I can smell is the ocean... my hands smell like the ocean, my office smells like the ocean, the hallway smells like the ocean. Hmm maybe it's all in my nostrils.

I hope this isn't one of the early warning signs like smelling burnt toast before a stroke.

If this is what happens to grounded sailors I totally understand going back to sea, all I can think about is the ocean and sailing right now.

Sure is putting a crimp in my working style. Ha right.

On friendship

Friends are those rare people who can take everything you haven't said, and condense it into a single sentence that captures what you've been trying to say perfectly.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

On missing the ball in slopitch

"Just swear lots. It'll make you feel better" ~Sam

Who thought this would be a good idea?!?!

Forgetting that it was the long weekend and that we were starting work on a Tuesday rather than a Monday, someone thought it would be a good idea to bike to work. Yes that someone was me. As usual the mostly downhill bike to work was a great. The ride home kinda sucked though.

As the day progressed the weather went from chilly and clear too uuber windy with sprinkles and the forecast of pouring rain and lightning storms. So there I am biking home, head down one pedal at a time, one of my clip-in thingees stopped working so I only had one foot clipped in, it's raining and windy and just generally gross.

Just ahead of me a car pulls out onto the main road and honks. I'm thinking WTF? I don't know anyone out here, and I don't recognize your car... I do the wave... and he pulls over into the middle of the street, rolls down his window and points out that down the road behind me there is a medium sized black bear! Well I'll be damned, I probably biked right past him as usual, neither of us paying any attention to the other ;o)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I'm gonna kick you in the *junk*!

Today I got an email of the seemingly attempting to be helpful variety. Of course it was from someone who has no idea what the fuck is going on, or why it's broken in the first place.

It's like you buy a bicycle... and when you get it shipped to your house you open it up, and the front wheel is bent and there are spokes missing.

And then your neighbour who is an expert on everything, you know the guy who has never done anything you're trying but knows someone who did it hanging upside down from a helicopter at 5000 feet during an approaching hurricane. Well he comes over and says yeah you should talk to this expert about "how" to put on the front wheel.

Well guess what asshole I don't need help putting the wheel on, hypothetically I know how to do that... I need a wheel that isn't friggin' broken in the first place, then we'll talk about putting the goddamned thing on!

Twisted quote

"What you don't know... hasn't killed you yet"

Friday, May 15, 2009

BYOB hillbilly style

The other day I was flipping through the classified, checking to see if there was anything cool that I could cram into my life. I noticed an ad that read: BYOB $45. Now being a small-town girl who went to the big city of Edmonton I was understandably confused. Is this something that I'm paying you for or are you going to pay me? Am I supposed to show up at a party so it looks like you have lots of friends?!?

In my world BYOB means "Bring your own Beer". I was informed that it actually meant "Bring your own Bed". WTF?!?! Why would I want to bring my own bed? Isn't that what friends' couches are for? After all that though, I find myself bringing my own bed *and* booze up to the cabin for the long weekend... and on my little Honda Fit, well it does look like the hillbilly version of "Bring your own Bed".

This bed just isn't coming back home with me, poor bed... I'm sure it will be much happier at the cabin than it would be in the garage though. I'm sure it will get more action than the rest of us do this summer ;o)

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

When I grow up I want to be

That little bit of goofyness in an otherwise serious meeting.

That person that owns a well trained dog that goes everywhere with them.

The one who always comes up with an idea that gives a glimmer of hope, when everyone around me has all but given up.

The hand that catches yours when you fall, or helps you up one more time than you thought you could get up by yourself.

Someone who isn't afraid to stand up for things that are important to them.

A role model, teacher and mother to the kids in my life, whether they are my own or someone elses when that is what they need.

That person who is muddy and covered in ash and dirt all over in the middle of a disaster, and all you can see is the white of their teeth because they are still smiling at a small act of kindness in the middle of it all.

Someone who makes people smile.

The person who shows off just a little bit, because they know that what they are doing is kind of a bigger deal than they usually make it out to be, and because what they do is important.

Constantly learning new things, no matter how random and unrelated they may seem.

Me.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Arnold, Yoda, The Barbecutioner, Stickers, Wet Willies and "So Pretty" OH MY!

I attended my first Cuboree last weekend.

OMG so much fun. As much as Scouting and Guiding like to think that they are different... they're not. I would have to say that I knew 9 out of 10 of the games and songs played, and it was just as much fun doing them with scouts as with guides.

The short version I've been telling people is that I got to beat up little kids all weekend, the long version... well that's what you're going to get ;o) I don't think I stopped laughing all weekend, it was definitely good for the soul.

From somewhere between "Daddy say good night as Arnold, not as Daddy"...
followed by Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice: "Go to sleep"

Our leader envisioning doing endo's in the outhouse with the floor that was bowing in... and producing a "Super coiler"... Giggling with your nose plugged... Proximity ADD... and Proximity Tourettes...

Almost peeing your pants during the panicked look for toilet paper and getting squeezed, and having moments of the weekend that make you giggle on command brought up in rapid succession...

I believe in JC ...and I'm part of his harem.

To teaching a few someones how to skip rocks... and hearing that "Yeah! I got three in a row!"

I have to say we also had the coolest trophy made out of recyclable materials though, hearing the kids whisper as we brought it up... "wow look at that one!" was pretty damn cool too.

The magic campfire was wicked also, and the execution of it was magic just to watch... especially in between being distracted by bats skitting across the surface of the lake.

Would I do it again despite the one kid who should've been dropped down the outhouse and then had a four coiler dropped on his head? Totally. Am I going to become a leader? Probably ;o) I think that has something to do with my lack of commitment, I want to be one of those people who when I say I'm going to do something I'm for sure going to do it... somehow though not committing to anything allows me to pack more stuff into one day.

Random note: On my way home to take a weekend culminating shat, shower and power nap before my ball game I went ripping up the hill to my house. I think I scared the Veteran driver in front of me, who consequently pulled off the road into the driveway I was about to go up. As much as I appreciated the gesture of not puttering along in front of me on a road that is much to narrow to pass safely on, I still shook my fists and swore.

SMA

Monday, May 11, 2009

Aww Shrek my mouth was open an' everything!

I attended a Cuboree this weekend with my Uncle and his son, which involved chasing around 8 to 12 year olds as well the occasional wrestling match. So we were hanging out on the couch at my Uncles place watching a movie, when he asked his oldest son if he'd brushed his teeth all weekend. Now at the ripe age of 14 his brains have fallen out of his head and of course he hadn't brushed his teeth, and chances are fairly good that he hadn't changed his panties either. *puke in my mouth*

Needless to say we were all exhausted. We'd just decided to go for ice cream for Mothers' day when my Uncle stands up and lets the hugest fart go ripping right into his son's face. Ha! I bet your mouth really does taste like poo now! This was followed by a good ten minutes of tired giggles all round, and just when that began to let up his son says "I can breath through my nose again!"... we figured it had probably burnt all his nose hair off, this was followed by more giggling... at which point he pipes up again "My mouth is really dry" I'm pretty sure that yesterday afternoon would pass as a hard core ab workout.

"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing." Fart jokes just never do get old *giggles*

Friday, May 08, 2009

*Oh Shit*

omg *sweating bullets*

I totally thought that I cleared the printer list, the one that we're not actually sure what it does as it is...

Somehow I didn't, there was an error and it didn't save my mass deletion...

I've got a heart rate on par with a humming bird right now, I think I just lost 5 lbs.

Especially since my boss is in a big meeting, it would be more than a little embarrassing to pull him out because I broke something that he may or may not know how to fix.

I bow down before the computer Gods, and give much thanks to the angels of the undo/cancel methods.

Note to self: *Never* hit that button ever again!

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Ack I'm having a moment!

I got a promo code to send a card to my Mom for Mothers' Day, so I went to the Kodak site uploaded a pic and found a cute saying to include inside. I went through all the billing options, filled in my promo code etc... and totally not even thinking about it entered my address as the ship to instead of mom's. *doh* Sorry mom, you're gonna get this one late too. Don't worry though, Dad has come through again this year and is picking up some flowers and chocolate from your delinquent children ;o) I reminded him that Cadbury is slave-free for you too.



I'm pretty sure that this is the picture of me insisting that I could "do it myself" when my short little arms could only reach one paddle at a time. According to my Dad I rowed Mom in circles for quite awhile before she was finally able to take over. Hehe I would imagine that circles in a dinghy would be even worse than one step forward and two steps back. Thanks for not barfing on me Mom.

Thanks for being my Mom, lots of people have adopted me over the course of my travels, but I will only ever have one Mom. There was a story about a group of 8 year olds who were asked various questions about their Moms... one of my favorites was "Why is she your Mom, and not somebody elses'"? The answer was "Because she likes me a lot more than other people's Moms like me."

Right, we'll just go with that then.

To those with common interests

They are friends just waiting to happen.

It takes a moment to discover that you have something in common with someone, a single thread of shared interest. Although years may pass before you meet, and months may pass before conversation turns to the given topic. The wait is worth the while when you find a kindred spirit.

To all those strangers who are friends just waiting to be discovered,

Cheers

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Compared to treeplanting...

I recently moved into a 30' RV camping trailer, which is to be my home for an indeterminate period of time. (I once moved into my best friends' mom's house for 2 weeks... and moved out 2 years later). It is parked next to my Aunt and Uncle's house. Most of my crap is unpacked, and I'm starting to settle in. At the rate I'm going I should just about have everything in place, and the internet hooked up by the time they need it to go camping this summer. Don't worry I'll tell you all about it, it's sure to be interesting.

In any case, I'm mostly settled in, the propane is hooked up, and the water is hooked up... so I'm like sweet I don't have to go trucking through the cold morning air into the house for a shower anymore, and then back again with wet hair. This is going to rock!

Trailer owner: So have you peed in the toilet yet, did'ja shower in your new place, have you? Huh? huh? huh?

Me: About that warm water thing... is there something I have to do to get more than 30 seconds of a hot shower?

Trailer owner: *sheepish grin* oh I think I forgot to show you that... *hehe* so how did that work out?

Me: It turned into a *sharp intake of breath* "shiiiiit" I'll just get my hair wet! Rinse and we're done shower! I definately did not wash all my 1000 parts!

At the moment, I'll take treeplanting over a trailer that I don't know how to work the hot water in. A hot shower is something that I thank the Gods for every morning, it's the one thing that gets me going like lightning does to Frankenstein. At least when I was tree planting the propane heated water was hot, and if it wasn't working you just yelled for Big Hairy Steve. He could fix anything.

Monday, May 04, 2009

My McBelly is getting McChubby...

I regret eating that two cheese burger meal from McDonlad's with a strawberry milkshake...

I loved every bite of it, and I the milkshake was just as good as I remembered from when I was little!

I'm pretty sure this will lead me to regret my bike ride home tonight... but I'll write about that later.

Kids

Are we sent children to teach or to learn from?

This weekend I was visiting a friend of mine, who I do not visit nearly often enough. I was down on the floor playing with her one year old daughter, when she looked at me motored over, crawled up into my lap and snuggled into me. If that doesn't melt your frozen milk shake... It was so damn cute (her signature) but it just made me think how great kids are.

They don't care what you're wearing, how often you come to visit, how much money you make, what you do for a living or what kind of car you drive. If you are there for them, they accept it on such a basic level it's incredibly simple and powerful all at the same time.

They don't give you a hard time for not visiting, and they make the most of the fact that you are there. It's like "I missed you." Nuff said. Now lets do something together.

Maybe that's just something to keep in mind, everyone needs a snuggle now and then and maybe all that other stuff really isn't that important. The important thing is spending quality time with the people you love during the chances that you have.