Sunday, June 29, 2008

open 12 am


open 12 am
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Happy Canada Day weekend folks.

I know that Canada Day is still two whole days away, and I know that a lot of folks have to work tomorrow but still, it's the weekend and it's almost Canada Day so, yeah.

We've had a really quiet weekend around our house. When we got home from work on Friday evening, Sam had had a couple of accidents. This is not ordinary for him so we knew that he must be sick. I could tell (I know that this is gross) that he'd been chewing on the deck carpet (last year, we put in some indoor/outdoor carpet on our deck) and I figured that was what upset his stomach. We cleaned up the house, cleaned him up and tried to get him to drink some water.

Friday night, I don't think that any of us slept well. Mark and I kept waking up to check on the dog. Sam kept roaming around the kitchen. When I got up to let him out on Saturday morning, I realized that he'd had a couple of little accidents in the kitchen overnight. Eventually though, I was able to get him to eat some ice and after that, drink some water. We gave him some boiled potatoes for breakfast and he gobbled that down. By dinner time, his appetite had returned and he seemed to be back to normal. He had some more potato, this time with some boiled chicken in it and was drinking a lot of water (which made me really happy, I was afraid that he'd become dehydrated).

This morning, he's been scootching around the house on his butt. I think he's got some sort of blockage so we're just trying to keep him comfortable today and tomorrow we'll get over to the vet. Neither Mark nor I have a clue about "expressing canine anal glands" so we figure we can leave that to the professionals. Once he finds a comfy spot to sit in, he seems okay. If he were to become listless, I'd rush him to the hospital but I don't think it's that bad at this point.

In other news, that big new tv we got last weekend was crappy. Technically, it was a 50" monitor. The unit did not have a tuner in it. This wasn't an issue for us because we don't use the tuner in our tv, we use a cable box. What we didn't realize though, is that for us and the channels we watch, the signal quality isn't what it should be (yet) so the larger screen doesn't necessarily look better.

Yesterday, we went back to Costco and picked out another 42" Plasma tv and right now, Mark and Andy are taking back the 50" and getting the new 42". The model we're getting is by LG and they just happened to have a 50" next to it while we were trying to choose. We both thought that the smaller tv had a better picture so that's what we're getting. After what happened last weekend, we're a little gun shy about another samsung tv but this LG one seems to be okay.

So that's been our weekend so far, dog poop and plasma tvs. I can hardly wait to see what the rest of it holds in store for us.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

touristy


JDUC Information Centre
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I'm a little pooped at the moment.

We had a professional development day at work today, a retreat I guess. We played tourist in our home town and it was really fun.

I took a butt load of photos while on a trolley tour and a boat cruise. I'll post more of them over the weekend.

I'm really lucky though, I work in an awesome place. Today is one of those days when I just LOVE my job!!!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

countdown


catching a breeze
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Today is my last day in the office until July 7th. I'm taking next week off for vacation (because of Canada day, I can take a whole week but only use 3 vacation days) but I'm out of the office doing professional development stuff tomorrow and Friday.

I'm happy for the opportunity but I feel a little pushed for time, being away for two days before my mini-break. I shall survive though, worry not.

Last night was obedience class #2 for the three of us. Last night, the lesson was taught by the female instructor at the centre (it's a husband and wife team). He husband met with us last week but I think I liked her more (they are both awesome though). I really like her technique and general approach to things.

I think I learned more last night than Sam did. I was holding his leash wrong for one thing and I'm not very good at hand signals. I know I'll get into the swing of it eventually but so far, it's not coming to me naturally. Sam was totally stubborn with the down command. He would not do it. We practically had to stand on his collar to get him to do it. Of course, this morning, on first try, he does it for Mark. Last night though, he would not let the instructor see him do it. Weiner.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Rest in peace George

I'm not the kind of person who has a lot of heroes but George Carlin was one of mine. I seriously feel like someone has kicked me in the guts. While the world was definitely a better place for having George in it, he wasn't here nearly long enough.

George Carlin, Splenetic Comedian, Dies at 71
By MEL WATKINS

George Carlin, the Grammy-Award winning standup comedian and actor who was hailed for his irreverent social commentary, poignant observations of the absurdities of everyday life and language, and groundbreaking routines like "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," died in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday, according to his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He was 71.

The cause of death was heart failure. Mr. Carlin, who had a history of heart problems, went into the hospital on Sunday afternoon after complaining of heart trouble. The comedian had worked last weekend at The Orleans in Las Vegas.

Recently, Mr. Carlin was named the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He was to receive the award at the Kennedy Center in November. "In his lengthy career as a comedian, writer, and actor, George Carlin has not only made us laugh, but he makes us think," said Stephen A. Schwarzman, the Kennedy Center chairman. "His influence on the next generation of comics has been far-reaching."

Mr. Carlin began his standup comedy act in the late 1950s and made his first television solo guest appearance on "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1965. At that time, he was primarily known for his clever wordplay and reminiscences of his Irish working-class upbringing in New York.

But from the outset there were indications of an anti-establishment edge to his comedy. Initially, it surfaced in the witty patter of a host of offbeat characters like the wacky sportscaster Biff Barf and the hippy-dippy weatherman Al Sleet. "The weather was dominated by a large Canadian low, which is not to be confused with a Mexican high. Tonight’s forecast . . . dark, continued mostly dark tonight turning to widely scattered light in the morning."

Mr. Carlin released his first comedy album, "Take-Offs and Put-Ons," to rave reviews in 1967. He also dabbled in acting, winning a recurring part as Marlo Thomas’ theatrical agent in the sitcom "That Girl" (1966-67) and a supporting role in the movie "With Six You Get Egg-Roll," released in 1968.

By the end of the decade, he was one of America’s best known comedians. He made more than 80 major television appearances during that time, including the Ed Sullivan Show and Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show; he was also regularly featured at major nightclubs in New York and Las Vegas.

That early success and celebrity, however, was as dinky and hollow as a gratuitous pratfall to Mr. Carlin. "I was entertaining the fathers and the mothers of the people I sympathized with, and in some cases associated with, and whose point of view I shared," he recalled later, as quoted in the book "Going Too Far" by Tony Hendra, which was published in 1987. "I was a traitor, in so many words. I was living a lie."

In 1970, Mr. Carlin discarded his suit, tie, and clean-cut image as well as the relatively conventional material that had catapulted him to the top. Mr. Carlin reinvented himself, emerging with a beard, long hair, jeans and a routine that, according to one critic, was steeped in "drugs and bawdy language." There was an immediate backlash. The Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas terminated his three-year contract, and, months later, he was advised to leave town when an angry mob threatened him at the Lake Geneva Playboy Club. Afterward, he temporarily abandoned the nightclub circuit and began appearing at coffee houses, folk clubs and colleges where he found a younger, hipper audience that was more attuned to both his new image and his material.

By 1972, when he released his second album, "FM & AM," his star was again on the rise. The album, which won a Grammy Award as best comedy recording, combined older material on the "AM" side with bolder, more acerbic routines on the "FM" side. Among the more controversial cuts was a routine euphemistically entitled "Shoot," in which Mr. Carlin explored the etymology and common usage of the popular idiom for excrement. The bit was part of the comic’s longer routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," which appeared on his third album "Class Clown," also released in 1972.

"There are some words you can say part of the time. Most of the time ‘ass’ is all right on television," Mr. Carlin noted in his introduction to the then controversial monologue. "You can say, well, ‘You’ve made a perfect ass of yourself tonight.’ You can use ass in a religious sense, if you happen to be the redeemer riding into town on one — perfectly all right."

The material seems innocuous by today’s standards, but it caused an uproar when broadcast on the New York radio station WBAI in the early ’70s. The station was censured and fined by the FCC. And in 1978, their ruling was supported by the Supreme Court, which Time magazine reported, "upheld an FCC ban on ‘offensive material’ during hours when children are in the audience." Mr. Carlin refused to drop the bit and was arrested several times after reciting it on stage.

By the mid-’70s, like his comic predecessor Lenny Bruce and the fast-rising Richard Pryor, Mr. Carlin had emerged as a cultural renegade. In addition to his irreverent jests about religion and politics, he openly talked about the use of drugs, including acid and peyote, and said that he kicked cocaine not for moral or legal reasons but after he found "far more pain in the deal than pleasure." But the edgier, more biting comedy he developed during this period, along with his candid admission of drug use, cemented his reputation as the "comic voice of the counterculture." Mr. Carlin released a half dozen comedy albums during the ’70s, including the million-record sellers "Class Clown," "Occupation: Foole" (1973) and "An Evening With Wally Lando" (1975). He was chosen to host the first episode of the late-night comedy show "Saturday Night Live" in 1975. And two years later, he found the perfect platform for his brand of acerbic, cerebral, sometimes off-color standup humor in the fledgling, less restricted world of cable television. By 1977, when his first HBO comedy special, "George Carlin at USC" was aired, he was recognized as one of the era’s most influential comedians. He also become a best-selling author of books that expanded on his comedy routines, including "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?," which was published by Hyperion in 2004.

Pursuing a Dream

Mr. Carlin was born in New York City in 1937. "I grew up in New York wanting to be like those funny men in the movies and on the radio," he said. "My grandfather, mother and father were gifted verbally, and my mother passed that along to me. She always made sure I was conscious of language and words."

He quit high school to join the Air Force in the mid-’50s and, while stationed in Shreveport, La., worked as a radio disc jockey. Discharged in 1957, he set out to pursue his boyhood dream of becoming an actor and comic. He moved to Boston where he met and teamed up with Jack Burns, a newscaster and comedian. The team worked on radio stations in Boston, Fort Worth, and Los Angeles, and performed in clubs throughout the country during the late ’50s.

After attracting the attention of the comedian Mort Sahl, who dubbed them "a duo of hip wits," they appeared as guests on "The Tonight Show" with Jack Paar. Still, the Carlin-Burns team was only moderately successful, and, in 1960, Mr. Carlin struck out on his own.

During a career that spanned five decades, he emerged as one of the most durable, productive and versatile comedians of his era. He evolved from Jerry Seinfeld-like whimsy and a buttoned-down decorum in the ’60s to counterculture icon in the ’70s. By the ’80s, he was known as a scathing social critic who could artfully wring laughs from a list of oxymorons that ranged from "jumbo shrimp" to "military intelligence." And in the 1990s and into the 21st century the balding but still pony-tailed comic prowled the stage — eyes ablaze and bristling with intensity — as the circuit’s most splenetic curmudgeon.

During his live 1996 HBO special, "Back in Town," he raged over the shallowness of the ’90s "me first" culture — mocking the infatuation with camcorders, hyphenated names, sneakers with lights on them, and lambasting white guys over 10 years old who wear their baseball hats backwards. Baby boomers, "who went from ‘do your thing’ to ‘just say no’ ...from cocaine to Rogaine," and pro life advocates ("How come when it’s us it’s an abortion, and when it’s a chicken it’s an omelet?"), were some of his prime targets. In the years following his 1977 cable debut, Mr. Carlin was nominated for a half dozen Grammy awards and received CableAces awards for best stand-up comedy special for "George Carlin: Doin’ It Again (1990) and "George Carlin: Jammin’ " (1992). He also won his second Grammy for the album "Jammin" in 1994.

Personal Struggles

During the course of his career, Mr. Carlin overcame numerous personal trials. His early arrests for obscenity (all of which were dismissed) and struggle to overcome his self-described "heavy drug use" were the most publicized. But in the ’80s he also weathered serious tax problems, a heart attack and two open heart surgeries.

In December 2004 he entered a rehabilitation center to address his addictions to Vicodin and red wine. Mr. Carlin had a well-chronicled cocaine problem in his 30s, and though he was able to taper his cocaine use on his own, he said, he continued to abuse alcohol and also became addicted to Vicodin. He entered rehab at the end of that year, then took two months off before continuing his comedy tours.

"Standup is the centerpiece of my life, my business, my art, my survival and my way of being," Mr. Carlin once told an interviewer. "This is my art, to interpret the world." But, while it always took center stage in his career, Mr. Carlin did not restrict himself to the comedy stage. He frequently indulged his childhood fantasy of becoming a movie star. Among his later credits were supporting parts in "Car Wash" (1976), "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure" (1989), "The Prince of Tides" (1991), and "Dogma" (1999).

His 1997 book, "Brain Droppings," became an instant best seller. And among several continuing TV roles, he starred in the Fox sitcom "The George Carlin Show," which aired for one season. "That was an experiment on my part to see if there might be a way I could fit into the corporate entertainment structure," he said after the show was canceled in 1994. "And I don’t," he added.

Despite the longevity of his career and his problematic personal life, Mr. Carlin remained one of the most original and productive comedians in show business. "It’s his lifelong affection for language and passion for truth that continue to fuel his performances," a critic observed of the comedian when he was in his mid-60s. And Chris Albrecht, an HBO executive, said, "He is as prolific a comedian as I have witnessed."

Mr. Carlin is survived by his wife, Sally Wade; daughter Kelly Carlin McCall; son-in-law, Bob McCall, brother, Patrick Carlin and sister-in-law, Marlene Carlin. His first wife, Brenda Hosbrook, died in 1997.

Although some criticized parts of his later work as too contentious, Mr. Carlin defended the material, insisting that his comedy had always been driven by an intolerance for the shortcomings of humanity and society. "Scratch any cynic," he said, "and you’ll find a disappointed idealist."

Still, when pushed to explain the pessimism and overt spleen that had crept into his act, he quickly reaffirmed the zeal that inspired his lists of complaints and grievances. "I don’t have pet peeves," he said, correcting the interviewer. And with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he added, "I have major, psychotic hatreds."

Sunday, June 22, 2008

at the canine centre


at the canine centre
Originally uploaded by Julep67
This morning when I woke up, I was feeling kind of shitty. Fortunately, on Thursday and Friday evenings, I'd done my weekend chores. Yesterday, we'd done some errands so today, I really didn't have to go too far so, me and my feeling shitty, parked it on the sofa.

I love CBS Sunday morning so I had DVR'd it. I was about a third of the way into the show when I heard a loud click and the picture on our tv disappeared. No matter what we did, we couldn't get the television to turn back on.

In a way, I wasn't too worried about it, we've had it less than 6 months. I called Samsung for advice. The girl I spoke with gave me the number for a service depot here in town. The number was not correct so I called Costco (where we bought it). On their message, they said that they would take returns with the original packaging and a receipt. Fortunately, we had both so we packed it up and, with help from our friend Andy, took it back to the store.

We actually had no problem returning it, despite the fact that they normally don't take tv's back after 90 days (who knew?). They gave us our money back and we went back into the store and bought a new tv, plus a new hdmi dvd player for the same price. They had the same tv we had before, still on sale (a 42" samsung). For $200 less than what we paid in December, we got a 50" tv and it seems okay so far. It's a second tier brand of television but it seems to be working very well.

When I woke this morning, I had no intention of leaving the house, much less buying a new television but it just goes to show you that you never ever can tell where the day may lead you.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

on the go


lilac bush - almost ready
Originally uploaded by Julep67
today is one of those days where I'm not at my desk as much as I thought I would be. I had a meeting offsite this morning which went much longer than I thought it would go. This afternoon, I'm in a workshop from 1 to 4. Tomorrow should be busy after all of that.

We never did get that big storm they were calling for last night. When I woke up today, the first thing I did was see if there was any moisture in the back yard. So, this morning at 5 a.m. (or shortly after) I was watering my garden and sure enough, before 6:15 a.m., it was raining. Sadly, it didn't amount to much and right now, the sun's a shining. So much for showers today.

Oh well, can't (won't) complain. Any amount of rain is okay with me.

At work, I'm registered in a mini-course in workplace communications. If I go to all of the workshops connected to the course, I'll get a certificate at the end of it. It's just an easy way to do some professional development stuff on campus. This afternoon, I am going to a 3 hour session on "Emails @ Work." I'm not exactly sure what we'll discuss to fill 3 hours but hopefully one of the topics will include a strategy to get folks to stop sending emails to me. that would be super useful!

Monday, June 16, 2008

really?


really?
Originally uploaded by Julep67
can someone please explain to me how, in our Nation's capitol, in 2008, crap like this can go on?

A four-year-old girl found a severed pig's head bearing a slur against Muslims on the front steps of her family's home in Ottawa's west end over the weekend.

The Ottawa police hate crimes unit is investigating after police were called around 8 a.m. Saturday to a home on Elmira Drive, south of the Queensway and west of Woodroffe Avenue, said Const. Jean-Paul Vincelette.

Investigators believe the pig's head was left in front of the home between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. that morning, said an Ottawa police news release.

Vincelette said police could provide no details about the circumstances or why they believe it might be a hate crime, as that might jeopardize the investigation.

However, a woman who lives in the home where the pig's head was found told several local media outlets that the head was discovered by her four-year-old daughter, and had a slur targeting Muslims written on it with lipliner. She also said that the family had been having some conflicts with neighbours.

Police said they are following leads based on tips from the public and other investigative work.

Lamamba Iman, the community house coordinator of the Pinecrest Terrace public housing complex where the incident took place, said while the incident is serious, it is unusual.

"It’s an isolated incident," he said Monday. "And a very extreme one too."

Iman, who is Muslim, said he has lived at the complex for five years, and found it to be quiet and diverse.

"People get along here very well."

water


water
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I fear that my garden may whither if we don't get some rain. Now, I have been watering it, when I need to (absolutely need to). Everyday, for at least the past week, we've been told by the lovely folks at Environment Canada that it's going to rain. When I hear that, I hold off on the watering because, yanno, free water from the rain. Then I get home, it's not rained and everything is wilty. Not fun.

What is fun, however, is walking with Sam. Tonight we took him for a little walk before dinner. We ran into a friend of ours, Gary. Gary was in his car and Sam went ballistic while we were talking to him. A few weeks ago, the weekend after Sam's surgery, Gary came over and the same thing happened. Maybe in a previous life, Gary was a dog hunter or something. Gary is the sweetest guy, a total animal lover and yet, something sparks Sam when he sees him.

Now, on the other hand, we also stopped at our neighbour's house, across the street. This is our awesome snow blowing, lawn mower fixing, generally amazing neighbour, Tommy's home. Sam literally rolled over and let Tommy rub his tummy as soon as he met him. It was bizarre because usually, Sam barks at men he doesn't know. Maybe Tommy was a dog in another life! Either way, it was fun to explore the neighbourhood a little bit with Sam. I have discovered that you learn quickly, which houses have dogs in them when you walk by with your dog. There are far more dogs in our neighbourhood than either of us realized.

Tomorrow is lesson one of obedience school. Should be fun too!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

mark in the park


mark in the park
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Can't say that too much of any importance is happening in these parts just recently.

I survived the great asbestos removal of 2008. My colleagues and I were in meetings (offsite) on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Mid-afternoon on Thursday, I went home to do a couple of things and then yesterday, we were back in the office again. Our database server was down all week so that made doing huge parts of our jobs impossible. I suspect that it'll be very busy for the first half of next week while we catch up (if things are back up and running on Monday).

Today was a lovely lazy-ish day. We didn't really sleep in (we never did really and now that we have Sam, he definitely doesn't let us). We did have a mid-morning nap though, all three of us. It was really nice. This afternoon we did some errands and I've been doing laundry. Not anything crazy exciting, is it?

Earlier we were sitting outside, enjoying a pair of new chairs we purchased at Costco when our neighbour's party got a little noisy. This is an annual party (not a weekly party) so we don't mind it. I wouldn't even mention it if they played music that I like but they don't. They also smoke cigarettes, the smell of which makes me sick (literally) so it drove us in the house. Just the way the breeze was blowing, it was going straight up my nose.

So yeah, that's it. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. We have a lot of stuff to do in the garden, mowing, weeding, planting some stuff, de-pooping, that kind of stuff.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

inspector sam


inspector sam
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Mark and Sam and I will start obedience training classes next week. The program runs once a week for 8 weeks and I cannot wait to get started.

I dearly love Sam far more than I thought it was possible to love a dog but this morning, I didn't like him very much. Once again, he started chewing the sofa. I was right there, in the next room, and he was going to town on it. When I caught him, he just smiled at me. I know that part of this is just puppy behaviour but I'm seriously considering crating him if this doesn't stop. He's wrecked three cushions in the living room and has managed to shred the edge of our living room area rug.

Here at work, an enclosure is being constructed in the basement of our little cottge. Tomorrow, asbestos will be removed from the pipes which surround our furnace. We've been assured that it is safe to be here but our Executive Director has suggested that we not be here so we'll be offsite, having meetings and the like, tomorrow. I'm not at all heartbroken about this as I wasn't 100% comfortable being here while it was going on. I mean, if they are in an enclosure, with hazmat suits and a shower, I don't really think that we should be here too.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

distractions


lake ontario
Originally uploaded by Julep67
my eyes and my jaw hurt right now. after days of waiting, I think that we are finally going to get the thunderstorm that everyone else has been getting. the weird pressure is really messing with my head right now.

A couple of news items to distract myself from my headache:

1. Hockey Night in Canada - can you believe all of the hullabaloo about this. I love that Stompin' Tom has offered up "the Hockey Song" to them. I think that the CBC should scrap the contest and give Tom the $100K prize money. He deserves it!!

2. Hate Crimes - I was disgusted to learn that I live in the city with the second highest rate of hate crimes in the country.

3. How do you solve a problem like slumping ratings - if you like the Sound of Music (and who doesn't!?) and you like to watch tv singing contests, this just may be for you. I know I'll be watching!!

Monday, June 09, 2008

parked in an intersection


parked in an intersection
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Some folks are surprised when they realize I carry a camera with me everywhere that I go. This photo is probably the best explanation of why I do. On Friday, we were out doing some errands. When I came out of the bank, Mark pointed out this lady to me. She had parked her car in the middle of the parking lot intersection. It's a classic in Kingston - the worst drivers around live here. Too funny. Everywhere else we went that day, we kept saying, "hey, there's a parking spot", when we would walk through an intersection.

Parking laughs aside, we had a great weekend. I got some things done around the house that were long overdue and we took Sam out to the park for the first time. We went really early in the day yesterday, before it got too hot or too busy. He was not too sure what to make of the lake but he seemed to enjoy sniffing everything and he met a few dogs while we were there.

Sam's definitely mellowing out. Both Mark and I have noticed a huge difference in his behaviour over the past few weeks. Having said that, I must confess that I caught him ripping up some carpet on the deck this morning so he's still got that chewing instinct going on. Overall though, he's less destructive than he was before his surgery.

Friday, June 06, 2008

purple petunia


purple petunia
Originally uploaded by Julep67
The heat is here! It was muggy as all get out again today so I guess we're officially through with our cold snap for a while anyway.

I forgot how oppressive that hot heavy air can be. Mark and I went out and did some errands in the late part of the morning and by the time we were done, I couldn't wait to get home.

We set up Sam's little swimming pool in the back yard this afternoon. We gave our larger pool away to a friend who has 3 young children. As much as we enjoyed the pool, it did take a up a lot of room in our yard and since we put the gazebo in, well it didn't really fit. Also, we want Sam to have room to run around and that larger pool didn't really accommodate that. His pool is a decent size. I stood in it and tried to get him into it. He'd stand in it if I lifted him in (and he really liked it's "world's largest water bowl" properties) but he wouldn't stay in it. Maybe it was too cold for him.

Either way, I'm sure he'll get used to it and will enjoy it over the weekend. I will say this, as much I may complain about the humidity, I'll not complain about the hot temperatures because goodness only knows, it's been a very long time coming!!

happy donut day


breakfast at krispy kreme
Originally uploaded by Julep67
did you know that the first friday of June is Donut Day?

I did not know this until I woke up this morning. A bagel for breakfast might be better for me than a donut and they are the same shape basically so hopefully that'll be okay!

We had a crazy storm here last night. The weather got super humid and we had the turn the air conditioning on in the house. I shouldn't complain because except for a couple of hours, a month or so ago, we've not had to run it. I don't know if the weather had anything to do with it but Mark had a mega migraine yesterday too. It was a really bad one and it hit him very quickly. The whole thing was kind of scary actually.

This morning, because of the rain I think, my allergies are really bananas. Fortunately, aside from one small work project I need to get done today, and a couple of errands which I'll get at later this morning, I don't need to do much today. I have today off as a lieu day for some overtime I worked a couple of weeks ago. I have also made Mark stay home today, after yesterday, I want him to rest up and not be out driving around with the crazy people if there is a chance he might have another headache like yesterday.

So yeah, long weekend and it's finally hot outside. Whoot!!

Thursday, June 05, 2008

2 mini reviews


sam waits for dinner
Originally uploaded by Julep67
1. Doggie Day Care

Last night, when we picked up Sam from the Vet's Doggie Day Care, it was a mad house in the waiting area. Lots of dogs, many concerned looking owners, lots of chaos. When Sam came out with the Day Care lady, he didn't get riled up by the other dogs and all of the people, he didn't make any sound at all and was really good on the way to van.

When we got home, he ran to his food bowl (he'd left about 1/2 of his breakfast behind in the morning) and gobbled it up. A little while later, we gave him supper and he wolfed that down too. About 5 minutes later, he was spark out on the floor, snoring. Whatever they did at daycare wore him right out. He was still pretty dopey this morning so whatever it was, he had fun and got lots of exercise.

2. Sex and the City - the movie

It was a lot of fun to go to the movies with a group of women. The theatre was full of groups of women, much like ours. Through the previews and ads before the movie started, there was chatter and giggling like I'd never heard before. Because of the rating, there were no teenagers there. Normally, I like teenagers but they ruined the last movie I went to (almost) because they kept getting up and down and just being rude. I must say too, most of the women I saw last night were carrying fabulous hand bags. It was a stylish group of ladies.

The film itself was okay. If you loved the show, you'll want to see it just because it shows you where things ended up after the end of the series. In some ways, I didn't think it was as good as the series. I mean, the clothes were beautiful, there were funny moments but the dialogue was not as snappy as it was in the series. Also, I found it odd to be watching SATC in a large room with lots of other people. Watching the show was something I always (or almost always) did on my own so I had a really personal relationship with the show. That may sound weird but it did feel strange to me.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

got tickets?


got tickets?
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I have been looking forward to seeing the SATC movie since I first heard about it, oh gosh, I have no idea how long ago.

I would have preferred to have gone on the weekend but we have organized a group of ladies from work to get together and go so tonight ended up being the night to go. We are such smarties, my partner in crime even made us a facebook page and I posted a notice on our office intranet. I am sure that our bosses think that it's a little silly but c'mon, it's Carrie and the ladies!!

On Monday night, I picked up a pair of tickets, just in case, for the show tonight.

Mark should have a quiet evening with me out with the girls. Sam should even be tuckered out because he's at doggie day care today. It's the first time he's gone and I hope he enjoys it. If it all goes well, we may put him in for one day a week. It's a good way to socialize him with other dogs and it'll break the week up for him. It seemed a little silly at first but I think it'll be good for him.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

stump


stump
Originally uploaded by Julep67
You know those little, annoying, seed "key" things that blow around the yard? Yeah, well if you don't rake them up, they can turn into a stump.

Actually, they can grow into a tree which wasn't properly disposed of. Said tree can continue to sprout branches, no matter what you might do to discourage the growth.

Sam has started to dig at this stump. He's already dug out a big chunk of dirt on the one side, I think if we leave him to it, he may dig up enough to kill the tree. That would not hurt my feelings one little bit.

Sam digs digging. I do wonder though, what he's done with the dirt he's removed.

Monday, June 02, 2008

parsley


parsley
Originally uploaded by Julep67
One of the better things we've purchased lately was a giant herb planter. Because of the deck / gazebo in the backyard, Mark had to give up his little vegetable patch this summer. To compensate, I picked up a planter with about 6 herbs in it. The herb plants were large so have been using them already.

Grilled veggies with freshly picked herbs are just too delicious folks. Yesterday, Mark made us a "big" breakfast and he made home fries with fresh thyme and rosemary and they were out of this world. It was a huge deal, this planter, I'm so glad we got it!

I was saddened to learn today that Bo Diddley had passed away. Someone said to me, "well he must have been pretty old" when I expressed my shock and sadness. I guess I'm just a sentimental fool because when these "old guys" start dying, the musicians who paved the way for so much of what we love today, it makes me sad.

where do you think the fish are now?

This morning I put on capris to wear to work. I had them on for about two minutes when I realized that I was just fooling myself. I put the long pants on and went to work.

While I have been moaning that it's unseasonably cold this spring, Mark smartly reminded me that the lake actually froze this winter and that it's taking a while to warm up - hence, the cold spring.

It was so cold and gloomy yesterday that we did not go to the lake as we'd planned. I was pretty disappointed but it would have made for an uncomfortable afternoon if we'd gone.

Instead, we stayed home and vegged out. If you are a pack rat at all, you should watch the film we saw yesterday, " Seven Dumpsters and a Corpse." The film tells the story of the filmmaker and his brother has they pack up their mother's flat after her death. It's pretty gross in parts (the mother died in the flat and the beginning part of the film was devoted to the cleaning up of the room where her decomposing body had been) but worth watching for the way it exposes the effects of compulsive hoarding. Watching it definitely made me want to go into our basement and start sorting out boxes.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

moving around


new furniture
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I think we are actually going to get up north to a friend's place today. We have plans to drive up to their cabin (yes, they live in a gorgeous log cabin) for lunch. Yesterday, we had massive amounts of rain and I didn't think we'd actually be going today but it seems clear (albeit a little damp) today.

We got some special tick medicine for Sam. It's like his flea stuff so we'll put it on him in a little while and he'll be safe from any ticks which might be on deer or bear in the area.

I'm really looking forward to getting up there again. It's a place I used to visit during the summer a lot when I was a single girl. It's been a good long while since Mark and I have been up there and we want to let Sam have a run around the woods with Bella (the dog we dogsat over the winter) and maybe enjoy a splash in the lake too.

In the meantime, Mark is making us breakfast and it smells amazing so I think I'm going to grab a coffee and start my morning. yum!