Hi techy Snow Day for me

Yes, yes, yes... another storm day. This one was a big surprise, because we usually have at least a couple of days to wish, hope and wink/nudge each other in hopes that the announcement comes on at 6:05am. But it was just grocery store gossip that first alluded me to the thought of a storm coming and then all night long there was no snow... but yipee yahoo.... we awoke to the ting ting ting sound of freezing ice drops on the windows and the wonderful words ... All Schools in the Board are cancelled today!!!! The weather turned out to be really nasty and I did drive into work with lots of trouble in my subdivision but once I got on the main roads it was bearable.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Blog "Uncluttered". They had a cool entry the other day about a Gas Station for your charging needs. Now, the little stash of wires, plugs, extension cords etc that we have tucked away between the couch and the wall unit is rather annoying to me. At least once a month I haul out all the wires and try to straighten them up. But with a day or two its all tangled again. In reading Uncluttered, I have read that people charge their items all over the house in different outlets and I am not sure if that is any better.

When there is just Terry and I here, we have two cellphones, two cameras, a palm organizer (you know, the one you use a lot at first and then you end up using it for Solitaire) and a laptop or two. Imagine when the kids come home and they come with their own collection of rechargeables. Look at what they have invented... Its the Gas Station!!! from eNook.

It holds all kinds of things, the powercords are hidden behind the lower part. It locks too. I love it, and how cool to have a little work station too.... oh, I love those things.
The weather sounds yucky for tomorrow tooooo... Ice Cubes over the railing of the back deck is usually the good luck charm we use at our house to ensure that there is a snow day... so I have a few trays freezing as I right!

The B.E.L.T..... was it worth it???

Well my poor dad had to undergo a pretty yucky medical test today, and in preparation for that, he had to go without eating for 36 hours plus a few unpleasant medications had to be ingested so that he was "empty!". Pretty stressful for him, and not so fun to be around him either!

Off we went to the hospital today for his x ray, and after struggling in a 3x3 change room with no seat and no handrails, we got his johnny shirt on, and the housecoat and seated while he waiting for his turn in the machine. I zipped down to get blood work done while he was getting his tests (multi tasking is my name!!). What a long and uncomfortable experience for dad, and it was truly a frustrating and embarrassing morning. On top of that, Poor ole dad's diet has been very limited since September after he was put on a strict low-sodium no flavor diet. Just imagine how exciting it was when after his yucky test today, we pulled into TIM HORTONS and ordered 2 Bagel B.E.L.Ts for brunch. That would be the new Bagel, bacon, egg, Lettuce & tomato sandwich. It was pretty good. We took them home and after surviving me... safely backing the car into the garage (never did that before) and the treacherous 10 foot walk on icy sidewalks to the house, we both sat down and enjoyed our B.E.L.T..... and yes, dad said it was ALMOST worth it!

Today.... a better day

My normal day...... at school.


*I gave out "one" sock (from my secret stash of emergency socks) to a little girl who lost ONE sock in gym. I offered her two, (what am I going to do with one leftover sock) but she said she really liked her one sock that she owned and only needed to have ONE replacement sock (for her bare foot).


*I got to put in one full french braid in my "regular" visitor (after doing her daily lice check) and we played our daily guessing game using an elastic from the bowl of elastics I bought (just for this one little girl). They sit beside the box of shortbread (& bran) cookies I bought for our tea break in the afternoon. But now its tradition that she gets a cookie after her daily "hair-do". Getting to put in a full french braid in this wiggly 6 year old girl's hair (which is always full of knots), is truly an accomplishment because on a good day, I get to put a ponytail in her hair. TODAY... a full french braid.


*I sat at noon and listened to a 7 year old boy grumbling under his breath that he was going to sue his teacher! That sent me into giggles. He repeated it at least 10 times and a bit louder each time. Its a sad thing for him that all the staff in our office know not to react to that kind of behaviour, so he didn't get any satisfaction.

*I assisted in the repair of a bent pair of glasses that have been bent up on a daily basis since the start of school. Our principal, Mike, has a soft spot for this little primary boy who has the personality of one of those little old men who sit around and talk about the weather and the price of hogs. His hair is as white/blonde as snow and his eyes are as blue as a summer sky. He tells you his name in three big long words (including his important middle name-cause its the same as his grandfathers name). He is a pleasure to listen to, and he totally can't keep a pair of glasses on his face. When we see him coming down with his poor glasses, we all break out into smiles, and he totally bypasses the office and goes directly into the principal's office. Our principal ALWAYS stops what he's doing, be it discipline, parent meetings, phone calls or just plain "principal work" to help Austin! He marches out to my desk and retrieves my pliers to bring in, and before we know it, they are fixed. Mind you, a few pairs have ended up going home in pieces all lovely bundled up in an envelope.

There isn't a day that doesn't go by, that we don't have a chuckle... and today was no exception. I got a couple of really good hugs today too!!!

On yea, and I did two bank reconciliations, ordered supplies, started an excel spreadsheet for Global funding and a bunch of filing.



MICHELLE

Michelle is getting ready for the big BURMAC weekend. Its a rival hockey (and more)event that happens between two rival houses at St. FX. Burke (Michelle and Scotts residence) and MAC which is the rival house.!!! Michelle is getting all her frosh fired up and has made a nice poster to get them going! Can you tell she wants to be a teacher!!! She also had her interview today to become a big sister. I think she will make a great "big" sister, cause she learned from the best - her own big sister!

STEPHANIE keeps us all updated in her daily blog. She is working towards graduation and holding down one job for now, and hoping for another job with UNB archeology dept. She is wrestling with student loan people and keeping up strength in her quest for less "points" in the Weight Watcher came. She makes me tired just thinking of all the stuff she is juggling. But like most people... the more you have on your plate, the more you can handle.!!!

My first sleep without Sonny by my side was not as good as I thought, but the tears have stopped and I feel ok, so I am hoping tonight will be a good night sleep!!! Thanks for all the kind words and hugs today.

My Dear Old Friend

Sonny

June 1989-Jan 2008

Snow Day Joy

Yup... a snow day. Which means no school for most... and although I am suppose to work during cancelled school days due to snow.... I also have some "flex" time that I can use... if I choose... on these days. Some days I choose to go (and have the most productive work days ever!)... and others, like today... I choose to stay home and get tons of stuff done.

My normal day starts at 5:55am when the alarm goes off and I listen to the 5 minute news just before 6. When the weather is bad and schools are cancelled, it use to be that during the news or directly after the news, they announce the cancellations. But the last couple of years, they don't say a thing.... not a thing. After the news, the sports, and then the weather, there are like 3-4 songs that play while the announcer is taking a break maybe, or answering phones. Then the announcements come (or worse...don't come). That means its a crap shot for me.... do I wait... that extra 10 minutes before I get in the shower... or just get up and do it. I was pretty sure today, but Terry had been watching the weather most of the evening and was less confident (which shook my confidence a bit) but I chose to lay there and wait... and wait... and wait... and yipee. Cancelled. I don't sleep well at the best of times (still have Sonny sleeping by my ribs) and then worrying about the weather... so when school was cancelled, I thought I would enjoy an extra hour or two in bed. But not this morning... I just couldn't sleep. So it was an early start just the same. But again, more time to get stuff done.

I feel like scrapbooking and spent some of my morning, compiling pictures and flipping through scrapbooking magazines for ideas. I chatted with both Michelle and Gail on MSN and had a yummy breakfast of Egg Beaters and toast with Dad. I have emptied my "coat" closet today and have bagged two medium size bags of coats, vests, boots, hats, mitts, scarves and shoes that haven't been worn in a few years. The garbage also saw a small pile of lone mitts and unreusable (spell check didn't like that word) sandals etc.

I spent half an hour on the phone with Debbie while I made lunch for dad and I, and after hanging up, I brought dad's lunch down, ran upstairs to get my lunch, so I could join Dad in the "Price is Right". I quickly cleaned up the kitchen and put all the lunch items back into the fridge.... and that's when the day went suddenly down hill. I was reaching to put my container (tupperware) of homemade chicken cabbage soup in the fridge and the whole container slipped out of my hand and the lid slipped off and the entire pot of chunky soup spilled into the fridge, down the hinged door, between the fridge and the door, all through the fridge hinge, under the fridge, under the meat drawer, and all over the floor and hallway carpet!!!!! Needless to say, the air was BLUE... and I missed most of the Price is Right. And the soup was pretty good, made from a big stock of bones I had been saving in the freezer too....

So here I sit, writing my blog with a cup of tea and planning out my afternoon. I was going to go to work this afternoon but now I think I will stay home and get to some scrapping!

This little guy is puffed up to keep warm. Don't ya just want to put your hands around him to protect him.

Mollie and her new footwear. She likes them, but they sort of flip around on her, but at least there are black and people won't laugh at her. She does sort of look embarrassed, doesn't she.

The Weekend Has Come and Gone

Scott and Michelle arrived yesterday afternoon to show off their first car. Its pretty cute. It was too dark by the time they got here to have a really good look so this morning while the sun was shining, Michelle was thrilled to show the car to her grandfather. He thought it was pretty cool. Scott demonstrated how the seats go down in the back to leave lots of room for all their needs.


Michelle bought Scott a front plate for the car and how appropriate that its St. FX. Terry helped put it on, before they hit the road to go back to school. The picked up Megan in Fall River and where home by supper.

Congratulations Scott and Michelle on your first car.

So much for Blogging more......

The trick is in the realizing that every blog does not have to be a thousand word novelette... right?

I want to point out that in my blogs I visit, I did a little housecleaning and taken off a couple and added one (so far). This is by far my favorite site and I check it often. January seems to be not only the month of getting fitter and eating right, it is also the month that everyone wants to start organizing things and throwing out stuff etc. Sadly, I am like that every month but I just don't follow through. But this site "Uncluttered" deals with all kinds of things that are of great interest to anyone who wants to get better control of the crap that is all over their lives. Have a look. Every Wednesday, they highlight one useless item that we see in stores (and sadly, in our own homes) that has one use. Its called a unitasker. Some of them are hilarious.

Michelle and Scott have bought a car. A 2004 Ford Focus ZX5. They get it on the weekend and they bought it from a very nice saleman in Dartmouth who owns a small car lot with another guy. He has even offered to pick up Mick and Scott at the airport (where they are busing from St. FX) and take them into Dartmouth to sign all the papers and stuff. How nice is that.! So, stay tuned for car pics by the weekend.

Stephanie is hard at work in her last semester, and working on "points" as well for Weight Watchers. Her sister is joining in for support. Not me.... I have other techniques.... the no eating cause you have a big ugly retainer in your mouth is working pretty good right now. Plus Jacquie and I are back at the "after school" program with our "slim in 6" videos. (6 years, not 6 weeks, we have proven the 6 week system doesn't really work)

Happy New Year....

What a glorious day, and its not even a Saturday. After a whole day of stormy weather, today was a gift from Heaven. Today we went GEOCACHING!!! Our first solo attempt!

We had 3 goals punched into the GPS and we started our journey. Mollie couldn't believe her luck that she got a car ride and a walk off the leash. Of course, she kind of over did it again and she paid the price for it all evening. We had to stop a few times to get the snow balls out of her toes. We are looking at making her some snow boots but the prototype I made tonight was a bust, as she wouldn't keep it on, and it fit kinda crappy anyway. I will work on that little problem another day.



We found the first two pretty quickly but the third one had a hint that said under the biggest tree at these certain coordinates. Mollie, the GPS specialist was ahead of us, and she turned right at the biggest tree and followed the path. So, being really experienced geo nuts (not) we followed her along the path. Scott burrowed himself into the brush and kicked all around the biggest tree trunk, while Mollie searched her own path.... following rabbit foot prints. When Scott came up empty handed, we decided that it was really the biggest tree and we moved deeper into the woods... to the other "Biggest Tree" and we all burrowed into the high brush kicking around stumps, overturning fallen limbs and risking possible skunk disturbance. We gave up.... and started to wonder back to the main road, when all of a sudden Terry realized that the GPS is telling us we went in the wrong direction off the main path and the cache was on the other side of the road. So off we went....





And sure enough, Scott found it under the biggest tree on the other side of the road, behind Michelle in the picture.

How funny was that. When we got home, you should have seen the tracking on the Google Earth we had. Like a mouse in a maze!

Our Cache was a "Dora" cache and we took out a

garbage bag holder and put in a Tony the Tiger Watch. It was Michelle's job to get us home taking another route...

It was really fun, and Terry and Scott spent at least another 2 hours on the computer the rest of the afternoon, learning about the GPS, looking for geocache locations in our area and also some in Denbiegh, Ontario area, where he wants to send one of our travel bugs...

New Year's supper was a roast beef and all the fixins' and a cheesecake (no bake) for dessert. Nice way to start 2008.