Cdn Bachelorette...

What was she thinking? The producers must be getting her to keep that obnoxious, moody, pathetic country singer on longer because it just baffles my mind as to why she'd keep him.

Even if its true he doesn't have a girlfriend...he's moody...and who wants to be involved with someone just starting out in the music industry (especially one that isn't very good). He'll be in every nasty arm-pit village/town in the southern US. To top it off..he's MOODY!

And...why did she let Ed back....ok, she thinks he's great...but come on, he's been away for awhile now (not sure how long in reality-tv taping land...but a long time!) The producers must have got her to do that too.

Of course, I'm still going to watch it - got to see how this ding-bat girl ends up....but I am disappointed that she appears to be so clueless.

Recycling

I don't have an issue with the concept of recycling - I understand the importance. I also see where paying a deposit on bottles is to encourage you to recycle them - because you recoup the deposit on the bottles if you take them to the recycling depot.

What I DO have a problem with is this particular task in the hands of a procrastinating hoarder - aka GJA! The last time we took bottles to be recycled, it was Christmas...and we had to take 2 trips and came out of there with over $100. DO THE MATH...only some types of bottles give you 25 cents back! GJA was all pleased with himself...I was just annoyed because we had this wasted real estate for 6 months where all these bottles were accumulating.

NOW we have to recycle (hoard) milk cartons - great...we go through 2 to 4-litre jugs a week - where are we to have room for all of that amongst all of the accumulating bottles/cans? If I could just get GJA to commit to go to the recycle depot every month, that would be ok...but it hasn't happened yet since, as I said above...CHRISTMAS!

Here just a portion of the state of the bottles/cans in our basement today:

Try, try again

I finally got GJA to bring up the other table and now its in the computer room. Its working well for using my cricut machine, but there still isn't alot of room (the 1st table is pretty small). I'll give it a try for awhile to see if its good enough.

Here it is...with both tables...and then with just the original table - I must admit, it looks better with a table against the wall by the window:

I was able to cut out these two headings for PJ's scrapbook - they were fun to make.

1 week vacation - any ideas?

Just like last year, my parents have offered to babysit PJ while we go away for a week. This will mean that, just like last year, we'll have a hard time deciding where to go.

Because its only 1 week, I don't want to spend 2 days in an airport or airplane ... so Europe and Australia is out - boo hoo (ha ha). I'd like to go somewhere where there is good shopping OR somewhere relaxing OR I just don't know.

GJA always wants to go to Ottawa or Toronto or Vancouver...because he has things there that he likes to do (routine...just like PJ and I like to get him out of the routine) AND to stay in Canada. Not only don't I like to cater to a 40 yr old's routines...I also don't LIKE the things he wants to do in these places...go to the war museum, the airplane museum, CBC building, CD stores, book stores...BORING! Granted, I haven't BEEN to Ottawa & I'd like to...but I think I'd prefer it during the tulip festival....which is probably in April or May....not August. I don't, however, have any interest in the war or airplane museum and whatever other boring museum that is there (and I believe there are alot) ... and what is there that would interest me so that it wasn't a 100% male-trip.

Last year, I convinced him to to to Phoenix!

I love Phoenix...because of the shopping...which is a female-trip...but he bought more stuff for himself than I did (PJ got alot of my purchases). I talked him into it because we could go to Diamondback's baseball game, tour the stadium and go to a NFL game (Cardinals) and tour that stadium. I also found an airplane museum. SO....there were lots of male-things to do!

We didn't get to the zoo...but in late August...it was too bloody hot to wander around at the zoo...mind you, I did it before in August when I was there in 1998! It was so hot I thought that my head was going to explode! Running from shade to shade...wow - it was hot! I don't know what it is about Phoenix, but I love it (except for the constant threat of snakes).

Its so easy to drive around and find places - GJA was most impressed when when I was able to find the Cardinal's football stadium after only seeing the map once in Edmonton when I was planning the trip & just by fluke, turning off on a road that I remembered the name of...from way back in 1998. The stadium was magically near the Phoenix Coyote arena too (which was downtown back in 1998 and not out in Glendale) and the McFarlane shop where GJA bought some hockey figurines (yay, more toys).

So....I was thinking of Seattle - but last year, that was our 2nd choice...and it was way more expensive to go there than to Phoenix...so that's what helped convince him (that and there was no baseball games for the week we were there (although, there were alot of MAN things to do - Boeing has a museum and I believe I found alot of museum type things he'd be interested in).

Then, this morning, I was thinking, maybe Toronto ... even though it means I would have to suffer through the CBC tour (I hate CBC...I wish our taxes wouldn't go to fund that group of incompetent broadcasters)....other than hockey...what good are they? OK, I do like a couple of their TV shows...but that's it. I would also have to suffer through hours at the huge CD stores on Yonge street. As for the tourist things...I've already been to Casa Loma & the CN tower a bunch of times. I'd also have to suffer through a baseball game.....AND there would be NO good shopping! Although, we would go to see the Sound of Music - which would be at least one outing I'd be interested in.

I was also thinking of Vegas.

So...I just don't know...are there any suggestions?

Guilty Pleasures.....

I admit it...I love reality TV.

Even if GJA doesn't believe me, I don't watch ALL reality TV. For example, I don't watch "I'm a celebrity get me out of here".

I do, however, watch the Bachelor (and the Bachelorette). Right now, the Bachelorette is Canadian and was born in Alberta, but currently lives in Vancouver. The 2010 Olympic Committee and Tourism BC is loving this because they have had 3 episodes 100% in BC showing off how beautiful it is. This is hilarious because normally this show only goes to the person's hometown on the last episode. This must be the cheapest Bachelorette made by ABC as I presume BC is paying for alot of this "free" advertising into the US.

She's kind of an odd duck, but I have to watch her because, well, I think she's funny, she's Canadian and well, I like this show.

She does, however, need to gain a TON of weight! See...she's cute, right? Watch it tonight - they are on a train going through the Rocky Mountains. I think I want to go on this train. http://www.rockymountaineer.com/?utm_source=abc&utm_medium=sponsoredlink&utm_content=ad1-spectacular&utm_campaign=bachelorette

Triathalon - a spectator sport

Did you know that its great fun to watch a triathalon?

I've got a bunch of posts of my brother's Ironman 2004 experience. In August 2003, my parents and I went to Kelowna to watch my brother in a triathalon. It was a great one to watch because you could stay in one spot and see the bike & run several times because they ran the same route a couple of times. Great as a spectator!

One thing we did prior to the race, was go to a winery! YUMMY! As we were arriving in Kelowna...it was getting hotter and hotter outside! Such fun to watch the thermomintor go up in the car as we drove. There were lots of forest fires that year. We were in Peachland for dinner one night and we could see all the fires on the land just accross the lake from us. Very scarey to watch. We could see the planes dropping water and it was doing nothing to help. Later in August, my brother could see the flames from their house and were only blocks away from being evacuated...but thankfully, never were. It was a bad year in Kelowna for fires.

Tried out the little table

I pulled out my cricut machine and tried it out on this wee little table. It sure takes up most of the table (and hangs over a bit).

It doesn't feel overly stable, so I'm not sure what to think. It worked ok - but to do anything else with what you've cut from the machine, you have to pack it all away. I'm ok with putting it back in its place - but only at the end of the day...not in the middle of working on a project. I may have to break down and try the other table so there are 2 in here...hmmm.

My original ramblings about this are here  Scrapbook Table
Here's what I made - a cute little tag for a gift I'm sending my cousin's 3 yr old (so, I guess, my 2nd cousin). When I send a baby gift somewhere and there's an older sibling, I always put in something into the package for the older kid. I know what its like to have all the gifts arriving for this new baby that you don't want to be in your house any more. (well, I don't really remember, but I know that I wasn't impressed when Dean arrived back in 1967!)

Boo Hoo - Kindermusik is done

I have been taking PJ to Kindermusik since he was 6 months old...and now, its done.

I really enjoyed going to the class even if he didn't particularly like it at first. He was so scared going to a new house and seeing new people and found the music and the singing too loud, so he cried...poor thing.

Now that he finally likes it, and participates (sometimes) in the actions, its over - because he has to go to preschool in the fall! Maybe we'll be able to go back to it in January, once he's settled in the preschool routine - I hope so.

He'll get to continue it, however, because at his school, they do Kindermusik with the kids.

This afternoon, we spent some time in the backyard. PJ was introduced to the shed...and really loved it (what is there better to do than open and close doors a million times).

Eating hot food - what a treat!

Today, my mother & I met some friends for lunch...SANS PJ! WOO HOO!

My father stayed home with PJ while we went out. There was no whining, no screaming, no shoveling my food in so fast that I can't taste it....no carrying in PJ's lunch, knowing darn well he won't eat it and have to keep him entertained while we wait for our food...aahhhh JOY!

It was a wonderful lunch buffet and I ate way too much. We were at the Moosefactory. I hadn't been there in probably 10 or more years. They really did alot of renovations inside - I didn't recognize the place.

There were, however, no desserts - good thing though, I ate too much! YUMMY!

Then we came home and went to the back yard and planted 2 more lilac bushes by my other one! AHHH!

I used my Cricut for one scrapbook page

I think that I previously wrote that I haven't used my Cricut - well, that's wrong, I have used it.

I try it out alot when I get new cartridges. I actually made one page - this visiting santa page.

This is going into an album that I'm hoping to do, which is only going to have Christmas stuff in it. There will be a section with Patrick's Santa photos and this is the cover page. I'm also hoping to do a letter to santa section, a section with a family photo by the Christmas tree, and who knows what else. I think it'll be fun to pull out every Christmas to see how we've all changed.

Obsessive - what...me?

OK, so I do have some obsessive characteristics.

Currently I'm obsessed with Farmtown (FT) on Facebook. Those darn developers just HAD to put in flowers, just when I was weaning myself from being in there so much every day. OH..and they also just HAD to put in rivers and gates and and and and...darn those FT people.

Now, instead of putting in crops that take awhile to grow (so I can avoid going in there everyday)...I now want to increase my level so that I can purchase the type of flowers I want (blue, of course, its ALL about blue). SO...I'm planting stupid crops that only last 4 hr...so that I can plant more times in a day...rather than just coming in every 4 days! AARRGGH! Darn FT!

If you've read this and are in FT...send me hyacinths so I don't have to get to level 34!

MACM - another cute card

Here's another cute card from Kristina's blog & youtube channel.

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More of my pathetic cards

Here are some more of my early cards. I really need to get better at this, since I have all the toys to make them. I think its just a lack of imagination because I'm a boring accountant. I see so many beautiful handmade cards and get all inspired...but then I can't get myself organized to recreate them. I'm pathetic and I know it.

WAAA - I didn't see the goal

This is what I heard when I came down from leaving the 2 boys alone for 5 minutes.

Last night was the 7th and final game of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. GJA came home early and turned on the tv in the bonus room to watch the game...because PJ wants to watch his DVDs during dinner....fine. I'm getting dinner ready, fighting with PJ and just about when everything is ready, GJA magically arrives. I ask him who's winning...he said, no score. Then finally said...it hasn't started yet.

WHAT? I give him grief...why aren't you down here keeping PJ out of my hair - the game isn't even on yet. So, PJ starts having hissy fits because he doesn't want to eat, GJA is gettting grumpy because he thinks the game has started...so I get PJ calm and GJA takes his dinner up to watch the game.

We are season ticket holders to the Oilers and I have watched several years of playoff hockey on tv - regardless of who is in the finals (well, except if its Calgary). I would have loved to watch the game too...but that's just how it goes.

GJA came downstairs, so I presumed the intermission came. I left him in charge of PJ and the DVD machine and I go upstairs to make a phone call - because an intermission is 20 minutes long. While I'm doing that, I hear that the game has started and there's lots of whining and crying on the main floor. I come downstairs to see two angry faces looking at me....sorry for leaving for 5 mintues.

One is angry because he doesn't want to see hockey and wants to see his dvd's and the other one is angry because..."WAAA - I didn't see the goal" even though he had the game on (PJ kept turning on the DVD and messing up the hockey).

BOO HOO - I haven't see ANY of the game....maybe if you had come down as soon as the intermission started ... this wouldn't have happened.

SO...off he goes to watch the game. He did manage to pull himself away during the 2nd intermission (mind you, not until Don Cherry was done yapping - which I also would have liked to see) so we could put PJ to bed. By the time I got done with him, and the dishes in the disherwasher...I got to see 6.36 minutes of the game.

I got to see one goal....Detroit's...but they didn't win...which was a good thing in the end.

MALES

DUH......

GJA was to turn off the computer yesterday night, but had to leave it running because it was doing some uploading of files. NBD! It shuts down automatically anyway (except the power bar).

So, I come to turn on the computer and it spinning and spinning and going nowhere. I turn it off and on a couple of times...but I'm ready to give it a big heave-ho out the window. Then, I notice that the light on the monitor isn't on...which we NEVER TURN OFF!

Here I am, for at least 1/2 hour, waiting for this darn computer to turn on...and it was probably fine all along...except that I didn't KNOW THAT because the stupid monitor was off.

DUH..................

Why he did that....you'll have to ask him.

I love Lilacs

My mother always had really nice lilac trees (still does) & they smell wonderful.

When we landscaped the yard, we purchased a lilac bush. I didn't realize how slow it grows...and now I want another one to go with it because I think its so beautiful. I think its called Miss Kim...but when I google it, it doesn't look like these flowers.

Aren't they amazing - the two-toned purple??

It smells wonderful too.


See how small it is....

Under Two Minutes

Why is it that when someone is given the task of keeping PJ occupied so I can talk on the phone (which I RARELY EVER do...I was so surprised that a phone call was for me) that within under 2 minutes, a mess is made?

The latest time was last night. I was just starting dinner & a call came for me...how exciting...all the calls I get are salespeople. Anyway, I finally get on the phone, after dealing with getting PJ's dvd into the machine without him ejecting it, and started my conversation. PJ starts squawking, and he's redirected to the table to have some juice. As soon as he picks up the juice, magically its all over the table and floor...and instead of PJ being put down and someone cleaning up the mess...I had to run over with the paper towels and do it while someone is holding PJ on his lap and I'm still taking on the phone.

Hello, I'm on the phone!

This isn't the first time this has happened...sometimes its so bad that I actually have to stop the conversation and call the person back.

Someone certainly couldn't be full-time at home with PJ.

Scrapbooking table?

Hmmm, so I'm looking for a table to fit in the computer room/scrapbooking room. I finally got GJA to clean up most of this paper crappolla off of the floor. Being Mr. Scottsman, he thinks we don't need to purchase another table.

The choices in the basement are limited....one is a card table (so square & rectangle will work better). This table isn't your normal card table that is easy to assemble - its made entirely of wood and has a leather top (which needs to be fixed). I want something that I can put away when it needs to be...and this sucker is heavy!

The second one is just slightly more rectangular than the card table, but is really a 1950's kitchen table with huge legs & a nasty blue top. It is also not easily taken appart because it requires the legs to be screwed into the base...& is so tacky it drives me nuts. It's like this, but the top is blue and its slightly more square.

The third one is basically an out-door table with wooden slats as the top - and they are about 1/2 inch or more appart (think of all my pens etc falling on the floor). It is retangular, & can be taken appart easy (I'm assuming...its out in the shed)...but it doesn't appear to be sturdy enough for the weight of the scrapbooks & machines required to be on the table.

The final option, which I have setup right now, is really REALLY narrow. I can get the scrapbook on it...but that's about it...no room to work, no room for other equipment to be on it. There is, however, another table that's about the same dimensions as this little one...so maybe with the 2 of them together, I'd be ok. The problem is that this table is stacked with a ton of heavy books (& under it too)...so there needs to be a solution for the books before I can even attempt to try out this table.

See when I finally used the table here  Tried New Table