Pleasant surprise!

Since I was expecting a bill, this was so great to get in the mail.

Thanks California!

How hot was it today?

Stitch down! Stitch down!

The storm of the century!!!

At least that's what they were calling it. This post got a little lost, but it still makes me smile so I thought I would share it.

I mean seriously.

Yes, it's a decent storm... but if this is "The storm of the century", then we have at least one a year up in Canada *rolls eyes*

My favorite quote of the weekend was from the cashier at Target:

All friends online are all "Calm down California, it's just a little water..."

Yeeeeesss? Yessss!

The conversation went kind of like this...

So we're going to *grfmahrufle* (Fogo de Chao) are you interested?

me: Sure?

Have you never had Brazillian steakhouse grill before?

me: I don't think so...

It's a meat-fest.

me: I'm in.

What? Really?!? *laughs* You haven't even heard what it's about! 

me: No, but it's food, and I'll eat anything... so yeah, I'm still in.

Okay, I'll try to give you condensed rundown: So they have this really great salad bar, it's amazing, but don't eat *any* of that - it's filler, just a distraction.

Then, they give you this magic coaster. It's red on one side, and green on the other... my husband calls it (in a deep announcer voice) "The meat faucet".

When you flip it to green, guys come out of nowhere! They just appear and start putting meat on your plate! then you have to flip it to red to turn it off.

...

I can now verify first hand, that's exactly what it's like. In fact, I ate enough meat to turn cave man, followed by the full giggles I get after all you can eat sushi. 

It was fantastic.

Some days...

When I asked someone if he was having fun yet. He responded:

Well... it starts with “F. U.”… but it doesn’t end with “N!”

Bet you didn't know...

That this is what $650 worth of "Sign here" stickers looks like!

Ask me again after I've been audited, but currently I believe it's worth it. Especially considering the hours upon hours of tax treaties between Canada and the US I did not have to spend reading, across multiple revisions dating back to the early 80's, attempting to correctly interpret which category I fall into, and which rules apply to me... *inhales*

Now all that's left is the mailing of signed copies to the four corners of Rome ...and the blood of my first born *exhales* 

I think I've just about got this taken care of... *sigh* 

*mutters* stupid taxes.

--
The story of my life http://scubajunk.blogspot.com
http://about.me/samantha.vincent

Musical idea inspires retro clarinet lamp

Check out what we made!

My friend had this wicked awesome idea for a clarinet that would cost more to fix than is currently worth it... so after multiple trips to the hardware store, and taking it apart and putting it together more times than I can count... it's ready!

Ta DA!!!!

Note that in this version the clarinet has not been modified in any way, so if at anyone is so inclined it can be repaired and used again. In another version though I would like to make one that has the light switch be one of the keys.

If you're so inclined, the gory details of the learning process are included here for your entertainment:

We left the mouth piece, and the next top section off as this seemed to be a better height. The piece from the lamp kit fits nicely inside once you've whittled it down a fair amount.

Spray paint the gold pieces before you put it together three or four times...  We found that leaving the flat bit out let the whole fixture nestle nicely in the neck of the clarinet and just felt more sturdy than having it perched on top.

Drilling through the case... I stand corrected, the drill bit will try to roll in the cotton batting, like it's so excited it's never seen cotton batting before roll in it, and then it will eat it all up.

And finally, after you've taken it apart and put it together "a few" times, make sure the light bulb is snugged all the way in before you despair that you've broken it or mis-wired something.

Rainy day distractions

I had great intentions of doing work-related type stuff yesterday, but then I got distracted. This is the result. (You should be able to click to enlarge them Mom - most of them look better like that ;)

Only one with flash that sort of worked

Panoramic-esque

Sploosh!

Waterworks!

Slightly off kilter

This would look so awesome frozen!

Slightly b'jubbled

Crop option 1

Crop option 2 (shhh but I think I like this one better)

Kaplooey!

Don't mind me, just living the fantasy

A friend of mine sent me this from some shop down near LA

Now I know everyone loves Canadians (how could you not ;) but I didn't realize there was such a need to *be* Canadian.

If being Canadian is one of your fantasies, we have a set of instructions you can follow.

Hockey night in Canada

I was listening to the Vancouver - Avalanche game which I suppose ended awhile ago now... and I've just realized that it rolled in to a loop of what sounds like practice ice...

It's relatively quiet, although there are voices in the background. Everything echos a little bit, belying the size of the arena they're in. The slap of shots and the *donk* sounds of the puck off the bar or the deeper hollow sound as it hits the boards... sticks *klacking* and my favorite the *skshhhhhht* of skates making shaved ice.

It's strangely soothing. 

If I close my eyes I can almost imagine watching my friend play. Sitting on a flat, well worn bench in the stands... hot Tim's in hand. Its almost cold enough to see your breath, but the game is exciting enough you don't feel it between cheering them on.

There's more to it, than just using the right words

While messages such as this one (which I correctly received) in my inbox make me smile... and for the most part convey the correct message.

(Click to enlarge)

I am simultaneously appalled at our use of the English language.

By "our" I mean society as a whole.  I say this because whether I like it or not, I have found that my own usage is influenced and affected by those around me. Some of it is local colloquialisms... but sometimes it's just bad grammar.

For future reference

Here's a way to sort drop down lists, the way you should be able to in FileMaker...

http://www.soliantconsulting.com/blog/2012/09/extending-filemaker-pro%E2%80%99s-value-list-sort-capabilities-using-char-function

Look out for those little green leprechauns!

So my friend the music teacher had the kindergarten class today, and apparently they were a little riled up, what with it being St. Patrick's Day and all...

Her: I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with dime, and starts with an "L"

...at which point half the kids in the class yelled out "Leprechaun!!!"

Her: Hmm... No, leprechaun doesn't rhyme with dime.

I think what probably put them over the edge... was coming in to their classroom to find that a leprechaun had come and "trashed" the place in the middle of the night, leaving green sparkles and destruction everywhere he went. 

If everyone did things, just because they could...

Last night I was coming out of Home Depot, walking across the parking lot when I saw a lady  balancing a large unwieldy item, she paused... and I called out to ask if she needed a hand with it (it really looked a little awkward).  She told me she had it, as she stuffed it into the back seat of a laden down 4-door car.

Then she stopped.

She looked up, and said "Thank you. I don't usually meet such nice people when I'm shopping. You just made my evening."

I walked away wishing her a nice evening too... and realized on the way home that I was so shocked by what she'd said, that I'd forgotten to tell her I'm Canadian.

It breaks my little heart, that when people see someone struggling with something they don't stop and offer to help. If she had accepted my offer, it would have taken less than five minutes out of my evening... but even as it was, we both left the parking lot smiling.

Nutritional benefit -1

I'm not sure what my dysfunction is, but I have had no luck getting celery that lasts any length of time down here... 

Ok, well technically it has lasted. But the crunchy aspect leaves more than a little to be desired... I certainly don't eat it for it's nutritional benefits.

I ask you

How is it that the last three minutes struggling through a run, feels longer than five minutes of drinking coffee in the sunshine?

Beware the dark side!

Dark in there it is, take one of these you should...

Brush your teeth you must, or lose them all you will. 

So you had a bad day

There's nothing in this world quite like a bad day... especially the kind where you exhale until there's a vacuum in your chest, and you feel surely that at any moment you'll disappear into the negative space only spoken about in hushed whispers of calculus discussions...

and then an eternity in a second...

before the tears explode.

Breathe.

One of the benefits of getting older, is knowing that this too shall pass...

That whatever it is that isn't okay in my little world, will sort itself out one way or another, and be okay again.

Besides, someone once told me...

"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end yet!"

"Terrible" has never been so refreshing

Yesterday I was graced with the honest opinion of a disgruntled employee.

After sitting on hold for at least 20 minutes, waiting for dispatch to tell me my shuttle number I walked out into the rain washed air.  It was cool and fresh, and still raining a little - I grew up on the "Wet coast"... so to everyone else at the airport it was raining a lot.

I climbed into the van, and asked the driver how his night was going. "Terrible!" he responded, and then fully explained it when I asked why.

It was very refreshing.

It wasn't the usual, in fact he told me about his frustrations with dispatch... that as a van service he had made three single runs that evening, and that any time he called he had also been on hold upwards of 20 minutes. Which is "unacceptable!" he exclaimed.

I happen to agree.

He was frazzled, and brusque, but despite all of that he was still patient and polite. I could tell that he was trying his best, and each passenger he contacted, he gave directions to find the pick up area.

I felt bad for him, his level of customer service is higher than the company he's working for and it was bothering him that things weren't what they should be... and yet there didn't seem to be a whole lot he could do about it. I respect that he hasn't adopted an air of indifference, blaming everything on dispatch. In a sense he is still blaming them... but somehow it seems more like they deserve it.

2 hours later I got home.

While I appreciate the reminder not to always just smile and give the rote answer that everything is "fine" it would have been nice to get home sooner.

DMV Question...

I'm practicing for the DMV written exam in California, which seems to be pretty much the same as BC. I was going through the sample questions when this little gem came up...

That's the correct answer indicated.

 Now I ask you, how do you know it's a crosswalk if it's unmarked?!?! *scratches head*

So much for using the bike lane, apparently it's also for parking.