yawn

Saturday Sam
Originally uploaded by Julep67

I wish I could say that this week has been a yawn but it's been gosh darned busy!

It's "that time of year" again at work and it'll be sort of crazy for the next couple of weeks but after that, it should settle down a bit.

Unfortunately, when it's that busy at work, I don't have a lot of time to write stuff so the posts become less and less frequent.

In lieu of a proper post, I leave you with a short list of random observations/complaints I've had in my head recently:

1. How come it takes forever for my office to air out whenever someone walks past my window with a lit cigarette in their hand?

2. I had no idea that the smile cookies were THAT big.

3. Our gravel stealing neighbours are still total, complete, douches.

4. Sam is the cutest dog ever especially since he stopped eating the furniture.

Hacked Off Harper

So, I subscribe to a listserv from the PM's office. It's a news release thing and it would appear that someone hacked it over the weekend because when I checked my email this morning I found this:


Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:34:54 -0000
From: Stephen Harper
Subject: Why you shouldn't fear me
To: ALLNEWS_E@LSERV.PMO-CPM.GC.CA
List-Help:
List-Unsubscribe:
List-Subscribe:
List-Owner:


Hi The Average Canadian,

Stephen Harper wanted to tell you...

My name is Stephen Harper. I am an ALBERTAN, here me roar! My goal is to make Canada America's 51st state and destroy health care that all Canadians cherish by infusing my propaganda with hard core ad hominem attacks. Please vote for me, because if you do, I promise you'll be able to vote for McCain 2012!

We are a tar sands level party, not a grass roots party. We consider anything with the word \"Green\" offensive, except for the almighty American dollar, which we hope to be able to implement in the coming months! We shall first have to make sure that American and Canadian jelly beans have the same standards, and then we shall proceed.

I hope everyone has a great weekend,

Take care,

Stephen \"I can lead you to Hell but not back\" Harper

If you agree click here.

aye! aye!

c'mon bella
Originally uploaded by Julep67

it's like unbelievably gorgeous outside right now. I wore my sandals to work with a jacket, splitting the difference because it was freezing here this morning. I just got back from a meeting and had an opportunity to sit in the sunshine for a portion of it. The sun was warm and felt terrific on my frozen bones. I am fully enjoying it while it lasts.

I hope that you're all participating in the 2008 International Talk Like A Pirate Day which is taking place right now. If you're not entirely sure how to talk like a pirate, ye blaggard, you might want to view this little instructional video.

a baby and a dud

waiting for Mark
Originally uploaded by Julep67

Yesterday, early in the morning, my beautiful friend (she's not my friend because I needed a beautiful friend, she just happens to be my friend and is also beautiful) became a mommy. She gave birth to the most gorgeous and talented (she's so alert!!) baby girl on the planet!

In other news, Mark and I recently watched Margaret Cho's new show. Now, I love Margaret, always have. I have to say though, after watching four seasons of Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List, it was a little disappointing. I think I just felt a smidgen bit like I'd seen it before. It had it's funny moments and I particularly liked her parents (her mum is great!) but it felt too familiar to me. The formula/format of the show is very very very similar to the format of Kathy's shows.

I wonder if the two of them (who I both love very very much - don't get me wrong) are just too similar in their approach to life to warrant two different shows. I would almost enjoy it more if they did a show together, how awesome would that be!?

another sad day

sam
Originally uploaded by Julep67

How did it get to be Wednesday already?

I had Monday off from work (I'd booked it because I thought it would be good to have a day home with Sam after the wedding we were scheduled to attend) so I think that is making the working week days sort of fuller than normal.

While I was home on Monday, I heard the sad news about Rick Wright passing away. As you know, Mark is a massive Roger Waters / Pink Floyd fan. I called him to tell him the news and while neither of us were as fond as Rick as we were of Syd (aah, Syd!), it was a shock more than anything. I suppose, fortunately for him and his family, his illness was relatively short.

This morning, when I arrived at work, with my cup of tea in hand, I clicked onto our local newspaper's website. Once again I was shocked by what I read, Hal "Moose" McCarney, had died. Unlike Mark, I had never met Rick Wright but I did know Mr McCarney. I think that anyone who worked at Queen's and had anything remotely associated with Football knew him. He was a wonderful guy, truly. He'll be deeply missed.

We just finished watching a really lovely tribute to him on the local tv news. His death has left a massive hole in the hearts and minds of many of us in the Queen's community and certainly, in the town of Gananoque.

Former Gaels coach McCarney dies at 81
Posted By THE WHIG-STANDARD

Hal Mccarney, among the most loved and respected persons in the history of Queen's University football and an exceedingly successful Gananoque businessman, passed away yesterday.

McCarney, who was hospitalized with a broken leg at the start of this year's football training camp, took a turn for the worse recently.

He was 81.

"Queen's has lost a great Golden Gael and I have lost a good friend," the football team's head coach Pat Sheahan said of the Gananoque native who starred as a player (1949-51) and coached for better than two decades, including 21 campaigns as the late Frank Tindall's assistant.

"Being in Hal's circle these past nine years has been such a great privilege and a pleasure for me," added Sheahan, recalling countless "fireside chats with the burly, affable man.

"He had a very intuitive sense about when myself and my coaching staff needed a little pep talk.

"He still came by a couple of times a year with 10 or 12 trays of lasagna for the players and took great pride in that. He did his best to maintain that all important link with the past and wanted the players to learn that their connection to Queen's was not just the four years they play."

McCarney, who owned Gananoque Boat Line and several other businesses in his hometown, suffered abdominal pains and underwent surgery while recovering from the broken leg.

Sheahan said McCarney was supposed to be released from hospital on Sept. 6, "the day we played in Guelph. He left instructions to be released in time to get home and watch us play on television or be kept in hospital so he could watch from there. So Hal set the parameters for how the hospital was to deal with his release."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

straw bag

straw bag
Originally uploaded by Julep67

It’s been so dark all morning that the street lights are still on outside. It’s warm enough but dark. I’m afraid of the dark. It’s dark in the mornings, darker and darker each day. Soon, it’ll be cold and dark. Before I know it, I won’t be able to wear sandals to work or carry my big ass (but totally awesome) straw tote bag back and forth to work. It’s an awesome bag and it only cost $5. When you find an awesome bag at a bargain price, you hate to stop using it.

Mark has started his fluids only fast thing. He’ll be going into the hospital for tests tomorrow morning and can only have clear fluids from now until he’s released tomorrow evening. I think that we’ll be having chicken broth and jello for dinner tonight. I’m sure he’ll be very happy when this is over, not to mention that he’ll be hungry. Maybe I can twist his arm and get him to go to my favourite Vietnamese restaurant on the way home… I wonder if I’ll be able to convince him to go for more soup after he’s done, maybe not.

bad girl

For some reason which I cannot figure out, I started digging out my old Madonna discs last week. Something inside of me must have been craving cheese I guess. Madonna is definitely on my list of guilty pleasures. It's a long list, much to Mark's chagrin. He's a pretty good sport to put up with some of the shit I like to pull out of the vault every once in a while. The long list includes some things which I know really grate on him but he never complains.

Anyway, Madonna. I've seen some recent photos of her out and about with hubby and she's looking sort of strange to me. She's in amazing physical condition, no arguing on that score, but she looks weirdly plastic. I swear that she's turning into a Bratz doll. I was farting around on You Tube looking for her videos and found one that I hadn't seen probably since it came out, Bad Girl. I like this one because Christopher Walken is in it. Anyway, I know it's 15 years old but she looks so pretty. She used to be pretty. What the heck happened!?? Don't tell me that it is about aging because Lauren Bacall is a lot older then Madonna and she still looks pretty. It's weird all the same.

So yeah, here's the video. You judge for yourself.

hockey hockey hockey

Queen's University Frosh Week Sidewalk Sale 2008
Originally uploaded by Julep67

As you know if you have been reading my blog for a while, I am no fan of hockey. Given that Kingston considers itself to be the hockey capital of the universe, folks can give you funny looks at times when you don't get all hot and bothered about whatever hockey news gets fans hot and bothered.

Now, when I first heard about the hullabaloo about the Hockey Night in Canada theme I admit that I thought it was pretty stupid of CTV to have purchased it. I also said to Mark at the time, "why don't they just use Stompin' Tom's "The Hockey Song" and be done with it. Of course, they couldn't do that, because that would be simple and it would also make sense. When the CBC announced that were hosting a contest to find a new theme, I didn't really give it a second thought. It was hockey related and therefore fell off of the list of things I give my time to thinking about.

I've been thinking about it a little more over the past few days because I found out that a friend of mine made a submission and I listened to it. It's quite good and if you are inclined to check things like this out and are interested in voting for him, that would be kind of cool. His name is Matthew Barber and you can listen to his take on Canada's second national anthem here.

Of course, maybe Stompin' Tom will win a write in campaign if enough folks are interested. That would be pretty cool don't you think?

clocks

I’m not exactly sure what our next door neighbor has been upto over the past few weeks but almost every day we can hear the sound of a saw cutting through wood. I think he must be renovating his basement again. This will be the third time since they moved in less than 2 years ago. Strange.

We’ve been thinking about not so much renovating but redecorating our basement. Renovations will be needed of course, there is still some drywall to install and lots of taping and mudding to do. Once that’s finished up though, it’ll be about painting and décor. I realized over the weekend how many boxes of stuff we have down there. I’m sure that some of them do contain knick-knacks but much of what is down there could probably go to the recycle centre or a charity shop.

One of the things I’d like to put down there when we do finally get around to decorating is a grandfather clock. Just like the author of this article about grandfather clock and holiday gift wish lists stated, I also love clocks and I have one or two picked out for our recreation room.

If you look around online, you can find a clock in a style which suits your décor. Personally, I’m just in LOVE with a couple of Howard Miller clocks which I’ve seen online at 1-800-4clocks.com. There is one in particular which I think I would look amazing in our recreation room, a black beauty with silver accents, I can almost picture it in the room, placed between two black bookshelves which are already down there. Now I just have to figure out what paint colour to choose and I’ll be well on my way!!

barber shop

Queen's University Frosh Week Sidewalk Sale 2008
Originally uploaded by Julep67

The fair is in town. Actually, the carnies are here, the rides are being set up as I type this. The trucks arrived in the night last night. We were just over at the "fair grounds" which is actually Sam's local off-leash park. Tonight was the last night we'll probably be able to get in there until next week.

The rides they have this year are definitely more fancy looking than the ones they have had in previous years. I'm pretty sure that last year's midway was the same set up as it was when we were in high school. When the fair is on, from my front porch, I can hear the guys who run the Polar Express saying, "do you wanna go faster!!??"



Sadly, we'll have to go the fair a miss this year. First we thought we were missing it because we were scheduled to go to my cousin's wedding. Now, we're going to be missing it because Mark's going to be dealing with some medical tests and stuff this weekend. We've had to cancel our trip to Quebec for the wedding and we'll miss the fair because we're either going to be at the hospital or staying close to home.

The worst part of it for Mark is that we've now seen the fair trucks and he spotted two smoked ribs trucks. He'll not be able to visit either one of them because he'll be fasting for his tests.

There's always next year, right? Or, I suppose, we could just find out where the Conklin guys will be next weekend and check them out then. Of course, that totally smacks of effort so I figure we'll be waiting until next fall.

the darkness

home beautiful
Originally uploaded by Julep67

I'm having a tough time coping with the early morning darkness this week. I feel like I'm really dragging my ass this morning even though I slept well last night. Weird.

Over the past couple of weeks, we've been DVRing the American political conventions and then bopping through them quickly the next day. It's interesting and so sad to me that the two parties are so polarized. I know that later today (so the reports say), we'll have an official announcement of a federal election in our own neck of the woods. It'll be more of the same, Canadian-Style, I'm sure, except the left is divided up amongst three parties. I never understand how folks who are supposed to be effecting positive change for the country and it's people, can be so negative toward each other. It's mean spirited and totally undermines positivity.

/ mini-rant, I think I need a coffee.

happy Friday folks.

smells like Queen's Spirit

almost home
Originally uploaded by Julep67

Yesterday, flashing lights on the street drew my attention away from my monitor. A city police car had pulled another vehicle over, just across the street. The driver, a young woman, got out of her car, the officer got out of his and walked toward her. They hugged and started laughing. How nice of them to tie up traffic for a reunion huh?

This morning, once again, flashing lights drew my eyes toward the window. This time though, the lights were accompanied by the sounds of the pipes. That's right kids, the Queen's Bands are back in town.

Mark and I passed a couple of bandsies on our way down to campus this morning. They kind of stand out at 7:30 a.m. when they are dressed in the tartan and hauling instruments behind them. The local cops led the bands who led the gael leaders around campus. At the moment, large groups of frosh and their upper year leaders, are marching around campus, chanting and cheering and receiving basic Queen's spirit initiation.

As weird as it for those of us who are on campus 12 months out of the year to have the students return en masse after a quiet summer, the weirdness is good. The spunk and spirit of these first year students is infectious!

sleepy sam

sleepy sam
Originally uploaded by Julep67

Animals and children are cute, I think, as a self defense mechanism.

This morning, Mark was struck very suddenly (I saw it happen, it was frightening) with a migraine. He took a pill, put his glasses on the table (we were eating breakfast) and went back to bed. I started getting my things together for work and heard a noise in the kitchen. I went in and looked around but didn't see anything weird or out of place.

Several minutes later, I haven't seen or heard Sam so I start to suspect that something bad is going on. I pop out onto the deck and there is he, with Mark's glasses. He had chewed the plastic bits off of the temples, had the left lens popped out and the frames were mangled. Fortunately, he gave it up to me without a fight. Unfortunately, while the frames could be repaired (they'll do until Mark's new ones come in) they are no longer making that particular style. We had to order new frames and lenses for Mark tonight. Of course, because it's been less than 2 years since his last pair, none of it's covered by insurance. Oh fun huh?

Not a nice way to start the week after a relatively relaxing weekend. I say relatively because I had 4 days off and Mark had 2. He worked Friday and Monday and I puttered around the house and garden, hung out with the dog and generally vegged out. It was really nice although, with today starting the way it did, I don't feel like I did rest.

Fortunately, Mark's feeling a little better tonight (although his stomach is still wonky). Damned hurricane season is making his head do crazy stuff. You'd think we'd be far enough away from the action that we'd not feel the effects but we do.