What does it mean?

I rarely remember my dreams when I wake in the morning. Occasionally I have the feeling like I should recall the dream but it's fleeting and doesn't last long.

Last night I had a dream that I do remember, or at least parts of it. What I do recall is this: A woman I work with was dying and instead of taking her to the hospital we kept vigil at the work cubicle where she lay under a blanket. We knew she was dying and someone was with her at all times. I took my turn sitting with her as well.

I knew it was odd, but what bothered me most, was that she wasn't in "her cubicle" but at the work station of another co-worker. But I didn't seem to feel it was my place to move her or say anything.

As her death became more imminent, she began to get younger and by the time she died she was wee, tiny, baby, smaller than most newborns. Her face (or the face of the baby) was thin, as if she had starved to death. I recall reaching out to touch her and the face began to turn black and crumble under my fingers.

I tried to find an interpretation that might explain this strange dream. Here's what I found:
To see a dead baby in your dream indicates that some attribute or feature that you possess no longer exists.
To dream of an extremely small baby indicates that you are hesitant to allow others to see your true feelings and emotions.
To dream of your coworkers reflects the way you interact with them. This could indicate any conflicts or bonds that you share with them.

I don't know, none of this makes sense to me. Maybe it was simply the effect of a late night snack?

The X Factor - wow factor

I've been feeling a little burnt out when it comes to the various singing and dancing competition reality shows. I tuned in tonight to the latest "The X Factor" and I'm hooked again! It's not just teeny boppers but people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. There were some really bad candidates, but there were also, thankfully, some amazing competitors.

I was chatting with some friends on-line and one of them told me I missed the best last night. I went over to TheXfactorUSA.com and checked out the video for Josh Krajcik as he sang Etta James' "At Last".

Amazing, simply amazing. Check it out for yourself.

Wordless Wednesday

This would not have happened a year ago

This morning I was seated in the bathroom, while the cats wound their way around my legs attempting to convince me to feed them....NOW!

Sasha tried to move past Silas to get out the door, I assume trying to make it first to the kitchen. With four cats in one tiny bathroom there wasn't room to go around so...

Sasha walked under Silas's belly! It was a bittersweet moment, both funny and sad at the same time.

Last year Silas weighed in excess of 20 lbs.

Today Silas weighs less than 10 lbs. Despite the cancer diagnosis he's still going strong, enjoys his food, and hanging out in his favorite spot on the chair in the sunroom. Not sure why he likes the top rather than seat cushion...but is a special boy!

I'm going Christmas shopping!!!

Not today, not for several weeks but I booked a trip today to Minneapolis for the November long weekend! The big attraction for me is the Mall of America. The closest I've been to the mall is the time we were delayed at the airport for nearly 3 hours after a certain airline (that should remain nameless but rhymes with Melta) sent our luggage to Las Vegas while we waited in the customs hall for it to clear! Anyway, we could have taken the shuttle to the mall but the lady I was travelling with wasn't in the mood to shop.

It won't be Black Friday but I'm hoping I'll find some great deals and unique items I can't find here at home. My list can't be too long though as I'll have to stay within the limits.

I'm thrilled I got a great deal on a combination of flight and hotel. Thank you Expedia!!! Had I had booked the two separately I would have paid nearly $250 more and the difference between the combo and the flight is less than $25. Basically I'm getting the hotel for almost free! I booked at the Comfort Inn-Mall of America which provides shuttle services to both the airport and mall, as well as complimentary breakfast. I have to make up for the baggage fees however I can!

Yes, I am flying that previously mentioned airline, but this time it's a direct flight both ways. Surely they can't send my luggage somewhere else this time, right?

Game day

After a record of 1 win, 7 losses, our Rider team has come back in the last three games with three wins! I posted earlier that I believe the turn around is the result of a new old head coach. Ken Miller is respected by the players and they have proven it in the way they have played.

Today the Riders will be coming up against another team that has turned their season around. The B.C. Lions with a record of 5 wins, 6 losses will play tough as they always do, but today we're at home in Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. That means our team will have the support of the home crowd. Rider Pride will be a force to reckon with, and the 13th man will be out in full force.

We start them young in Riderville! Go Riders Go!!!

PS. Wow that was a blowout...and not in a good way. Lions 42, Riders 5. I left the house before the second quarter was over. Our season is pretty much over at this rate.

If I won the lottery

If I won the lottery what I would do would depend (obviously) on how much money I won. But sometimes it's fun to dream about how I would spend a million dollars. Someday I'd like to have a chance to do just that!

Here are some of things I would do:
Pay off my mortgage and complete the basement development,
Give each of my children a down payment towards a home of their own,
Set up a scholarship fund for single parents who attend secondary school, and
TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL!

My bucket list of places to go include Ireland and Scotland, the home of my paternal and maternal great-grandparents respectively, Africa so I could go on safari, New Zealand, and the Canadian Atlantic provinces. Oh, and just for fun, I'd do an around the world cruise.

For now, I'll just dream about winning the lottery and occasionally remember to buy a ticket! How about you, what would you do if you won a million dollars?

King of the Castle

My cats like to climb - I don't think that's unusual. They have lovely cat beds which they occasionally use but most of the time prefer to be up on something. Here's a few pictures to show what I mean.

Here's Sasha curled up on the back of the couch.

Silas in his favorite spot on the island. It's even better when there are towels to curl up on.

This morning I got this picture of Sami hanging out on the side table.

To prove his superiority, Saku was surveying his kingdom from the top of the wall between the kitchen and living room.

"I'm the King of the Castle, you're the dirty rascals!"

So very tired

Didn't sleep well last night, awake several times, often to use the bathroom or because of a hot flash but sometimes for no apparent reason.

I had the strangest dream. I was hypnotised and woke when someone said, you will wake on 3, 2, 1, now. I heard the snap of fingers and my eyes flew open. I've never been hypnotized and I was in my bed with cats all around me.

Today was busy at work, one meeting after another, and scheduling of more. Had to have a tough conversation with one of my staff members. It went better than I expected - perhaps I'm getting better at this.

Last meeting of the day was to prepare for a meeting tomorrow afternoon. Our fundraising campaign starts mid-October and we're not ready. I like to plan things well in advance so am having some difficulty with the relaxed attitude of others. Most especially as two of us, who often end up "doing" a lot of the tasks are going to away during the campaign.

My brother sent me an e-mail today. It was a list of paraprosdokians. (I had no idea what that meant). Here is the definition: A Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation. "Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

My favorite on the list, "The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list."

It was just one of those days!

A pain in the ...

Housecleaning sucks! First and foremost, it never stays clean for more than a few hours, maybe a day at most. Second, you can hurt yourself as I did this weekend!

Not sure what I did exactly but I have a pain in my lower back (upper butt - it all blends together!)

Saturday was the worst day for pain, every movement sent shooting pains across my back, with a dull ache in my leg to accompany them.

Sunday wasn't too bad, and I actually felt pretty good this morning. Then I drove to work... By the time I got there I could barely get myself out of the car. I should mention my pain is on the left side of my body. I drive a standard so using the clutch aggravated the injury. On the way home from work tonight I picked up a Comfort Bag. As soon as I got home I heated it up in the microwave. It's much nicer than those old hot water bottles or the plug-in heating pad my Mom had when I was a kid.

My pain level is generally at a 2 or 3 on the scale so truly not all that bad. When I move from a prone or sitting position the pain increases to a 7 or 8 briefly, then moderates as I stretch my back out and take a few steps.

These few days of discomfort have made me wonder how anyone who suffers from chronic pain manages their day-to-day lives. When my injury was most painful, I had no energy or desire to do any of the tasks I had planned for the weekend. All I wanted to do was lie down or sit very still - and I certainly DID NOT get anything done doing that! Even as the injury has been getting better I find myself procrastinating because of the potential of pain. I'm grateful that this won't last too much longer, and hopeful I never have to live with pain on a daily basis.

Now I'd better get off my painful butt and get those dishes done!

Nine lives might not be enough

I read this cat story in the news today.

She was found trapped in the roof of a school in British Columbia, after nearly a month of confinement. It's believed she was able to find a source of water, had she not this story would have a different ending. Even so, she was very thin, and in liver failure, but with care is doing well.

Last night, I watched a documentary Cat Crazed on CBC. The story examines the epidemic of abandoned and feral cats in the world, estimated at somewhere near 50,000,000! The documentary visited a number of cat colonies in the US and Canada as well as highlighting a lobby group in the US which promotes no-kill colonies.

The message of the documentary is we (the global WE) are responsible for this problem. I believe that the fault lays partly with those who choose not to spay or neuter their cats AND believe that cats are happier when they are allowed to roam outdoors. But I also believe it is the fault of everyone who believes that cats are disposable. Tired of old tom tabby? Just replace him with a cute little kitten - there are always more litters. Too often, the old cat is left outdoors to fend for himself.

And this where I get angry, very angry. The outdoors is a dangerous place for cats. They are prey for larger animals, susceptible to disease, and subject to the inhumanity of the largest predator of all, mankind. I have seen a driver swerve, not to avoid but rather, to run over a cat. I've heard and read stories of cats being poisoned, or tortured, or trapped and shot.

As much as these stories sicken me, my anger stems from those who lobby against the Humane Society. I wish a home could be found for every unwanted cat, where he or she could live out their life, loved, happy, and safe, but in reality this is obviously not the case. I would rather have a cat be euthanized in a shelter, than expose it to the dangers that living outdoors brings. I feel so sorry for those who make those decisions simply because someone else was uncaring and irresponsible.

Today's story of the rescue of Fiona the cat is a good news story. However, until there is a paradigm shift in societal attitudes towards cats, I'm afraid it's an exception. Today I will hug my cats a little more often and remind them I love them.

100 days and counting

Before you start throwing things at me, this is not an original thought, I saw it on another blog! Did you know there only 100 days until Christmas? That's over three months away, no worries!

I love Christmas, I start shopping at Boxing Day sales for the next year, and tuck things away throughout the year. While we were in the Caribbean on our cruise last winter I was able to find some really unique gifts. I'll make a list but I know I'll have to less to worry about this year. (Now you can start throwing things at me!)



It is pretty clear the winter won't be taking a holiday this year. There was frost on the windshield twice already this week. My poor impatience plants are mush in the containers though the ones in the flower bed are stilling hanging in there. The purple sweet potato vines looked bad but have revived with the warmer weather, though the lime green vines are toast. My geraniums and osteporum (spelling is probably wrong) are both hardy and still look great. I have to remind myself to keep them watered.

The lawn needs to be mowed, though I spent the day inside cleaning house. I cleaned cupboards and closets, bathrooms, the fridge and the oven, washed floors and vacuumed. I think I blew the belt in the power head beater bar so the basement didn't get finished. I'll have to take it to the shop tomorrow to see I can get it fixed - with fours cats in the house I CANNOT be without a vacuum.

I overdid it though, I'm having spasms in my lower back and my feet ache as well. Time for an early bath and bed!

The cat came back

They thought he was a goner but the cat came back...just not the next day.

Check this story out! Wow, is all I can say - go Kitty.

Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press

Wordless Wednesday

Noooooooooo

I'm certain I've mentioned this before - in Saskatchewan the weather is a constant topic. It's either too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet, or too dry. We watch the sky and the thermometer with a fanatical delight, comparing the temperatures to the years prior, marking calendars so we'll remember. Our fascination with all things weather has a great deal to do with the extremes that can occur.

Today is one of those days. This past weekend, we had temperatures in excess of 30C (86F), well above the norm for this time of year. It was great! Today's high temperature was 11C (52F) and tonight is forecast to bring

FROST!!!

I may have to change the setting on the thermostat to heat!

I know someone is out there!

Someone in the neighbourhood allows their cat to roam. I disagree with their decision because I fear what might happen if kitty happened into traffic or tangled with one of the many dogs on the street. And then there is the whole issue of unwanted litters - I don't know if it's male or female - either way it only takes two cats to create a whole lot more.

Kitty likes to make a trip through my yard on occasion. A few nights ago, Saku was sitting in the window when Kitty went wandering by. Saku sat up, tail twitching and as the cat carried on past the window towards the back of the house, he jumped down to the floor and ran to the back door. He couldn't find the other cat so he raced back to the window. This pattern repeated a couple of times before Saku realized he couldn't find get to the other cat.

Today he was checking out the front window again.

He gave up for a little while and had a nap on the couch. After his zzzz's he was back on guard duty.

Kitty still didn't show up so Saku went for a bite to eat, because who knew how like this vigil might take. Still waiting...

Sami came along and chased Saku away, I guess it was her turn to watch for awhile.

Sasha just chilled in the armchair with Mom. Cat, what cat?

Where is Silas? Oh, of course, he's hanging on the kitchen island.


As for Kitty, he (or she) never did show up!

I shouldn't watch

I'm sitting here with tears running down my face as I watch the documentary 9/11 - 10 Years Later that was being shot that fateful day. These are pictures, words, and sounds that are so painful to watch, knowing as I do, how it will end when the towers fall.

To watch the firemen as they start their long walk up the stairs, while their chiefs strategize how they might fight this awful fire, the look of shock, anger and confusion so evident on their faces. All the while the camera man keeps recording the images.

I remember how eerie it looked after the first tower fell, with the dust coating everything and everyone within blocks of the towers. It is even more frightening now, seeing it from the perspective of the men and women who had rushed to help when the first call came in. There is so little to be seen, simply a desolate haze with the calls of Mayday, Mayday coming from numerous radios.

As the second tower collapsed, the cloud of dust got more intense, and the radios were silenced. Paper and debris cover the streets, the vehicles, the buildings and fires burn. People walk through the cloud looking like spectres incapable of any understanding. There is no joy in being alive at that moment just disbelief.

To see what these brave men and women saw, to hear what they heard, and to know they were helpless to do anything to change what was happening is nearly overwhelming. This documentary has evoked feelings of anger and yet also of hope. There were survivors of this horrible time who will continue to make this world a safe place, or at least as safe as they can.

For those who did not survive, we will not forget, we will remember you.

Where were you? Where are you?

I know I don't have tell anyone that tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Most everyone over the age of 25 will recall when and where they heard the terrible news. I was at work, it was just before eight a.m. here, and I heard the news from a co-worker. Initially, I didn't believe him and made a flippant remark about what he might have smoked for breakfast. Once he convinced me that he wasn't lying, I believed it must have been a small aircraft that somehow had gone terribly off course. It wasn't until we went to the restaurant next door for coffee that morning that the horrible truth was revealed.

We were in training that day and I took my radio into the classroom so we could listen for the updates. At home that evening I watched incredulously as the news reports showed the aftermath in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. I was horrified as I watched the second aircraft make its way inexorably through the sky and crash into the second tower. Worse yet was the sight of people jumping from the building, and the worst was watching the buildings crumble and fall. How terrifying it must have been for those still in the building and those within view of them. It was surreal, I could not look away, and yet I was sickened by what I heard and saw that day and the days that followed.

In the past few days the television stations and news reports have been carrying stories from ten years ago. It is no less horrific today thanb it was then. I know my memories of the events will last a lifetime and I only imagine the pain of those who were left to pick up the pieces.

At the sam time, Canadian news reports have also carried the story of three year old Keenan Hebert. Keenan was abducted from his Sparwood, B.C. home on Wednesday. The police have named a suspect in the case, Randal Hopely, a man who was once convicted of sexual assualt.

Hopley is believed to be driving a brown 1987 Toyota Camry with the licence plate 098 RAL. The Amber Alert has been extended to the next province, Alberta, however there have been no confirmed sightings of either the man or the child.

We should not forget those who lost their lives that terrible day in September 2001. I sincerely hope, however, the story of little Keenan will not be overshadowed by the events of the past. My dream is he will be brought home safely to the arms of his loving parents.

Added September 11, 2011 - Keenan was returned home in the early morning hours, he is alive!

Be careful what you wish for

I've been complaining suggesting at work that I need more to keep me busy. My group is smaller than it has ever been since I became a supervisor - in fact in my first few months in this role I had a group nearly double the size of my current group. I guess they thought it would be trial by fire or sink or swim. With fewer people, I have less to do, fewer reports to review and approve, and fewer questions and requests for assistance. Some days I feel bored and restless.

I spoke with my manager a few weeks ago, with the suggestion that he assign more staff to my team or alternatively to find me projects. Well, he certainly found projects. I've been tagged to attend a training session in mid-October with the expectation I will train our staff in the next few months. In addition, I was already scheduled for a training session at the end of October, as a requirement for my supervisory position.

Then yesterday I met with him again about the staffing process. (I still don't think it is the best idea but senior management has decided to go ahead.) It turns out that the other supervisor he wants me to work with is not going to be available. He's not retiring yet, but will be away on vacation, so I've been asked to take a lead role in the process and will have two others assisting me. I have a meeting set up for next week to discuss the details and timing of the process.

All of this comes as annual reviews and current year goals are to be discussed with our teams. I'm ahead of the game in one sense, as I didn't take summer holidays and did a lot of the preliminary work already. I did so knowing that October is a busy month with our fundraising campaign and I would have less time. I still need to find time to have two meetings with each of my staff in the next few weeks.

Now I'm busy! I love it - I feel useful, productive, and just a little stressed. A sense of urgency energizes me and already looking forward to getting back to work on Monday. How weird is that? Even the training will be great as I'll be travelling to two other offices, both in larger cities, where I can visit with friends and go shopping at my favorite stores after class. Life is good!

One of those days

I admit it - I lack patience! There are any number of things that frustrate me, slow drivers on the highway, people who make commitments and fail to live up to them, and those who don't think beyond the end of their nose. I also dislike meetings, empty coffee pots, and unsynchronized traffic lights.

My morning started as it normally does with three or four cats clamoring to be fed. Sasha stands on the pillow and head butts me, or even worse, flicks his whiskers across my face. It tickles! Sami stands on top of me and chirps with her little prrrt or Silas uses a claw to poke me through the blanket. Saku finds that knocking books, my glasses, or the alarm clock off the night table will wake me. No real frustration there because it's routine.

On the way to work, however, there appeared to be a conspiracy to keep me from getting there in any expedient fashion. (Maybe I'm paranoid too?) It's usually a 15 minute drive, but not today. Drivers going 10 km. below the speed limit resulted in my hitting every light just as it turned red. As I got closer to work, traffic slowed to a near crawl, for no apparent reason.

Then I had an early morning committee meeting. We meet regularly each month and this time was to plan events for an upcoming fundraising campaign. There had been at least two e-mail reminders in the last couple of weeks asking the members to come prepared with their event suggestions so we could rough out the campaign. Within 5 minutes it was apparent that besides myself and one other person NO ONE was prepared for this meeting. There were a couple of suggestions made that had not been clearly thought out, which would have cost in excess of any funds that would be raised. Finally the chair decided that we would meet again in two weeks to try again. ARRRGGH, what a waste of 90 minutes!!1I met with her after the meeting and suggested that she, I, and one other member meet and make the decisions and just put it to the rest of the committee at that time.

Later in the afternoon I met with my manager to discuss an upcoming staffing process. While we're understaffed at a certain level, we're currently under a hiring freeze, and as a result we'll have to promote temporarily to fill the positions. Unfortunately this merely compounds the problem because we're short staffed at the lower level and with the freeze can't hire externally. I won't go into all the details but it was clear to me that this decision wasn't thought well thought out. In addition, he wants me to work with another manager on the process, a person who is close to retirement and has no desire to do anything but approve reports. I suspect he'll merely abdicate delegate the duties to me.

And then there's the coffee pot! We have a two burner pot, so one pot can be on the warmer, while the second is being made. I drink a lot of coffee and nothing irritates me more than finding both pots with less than a half cup of coffee in each, cooking away on the burners. I really don't understand how difficult it must be for some people to make another freaking pot of coffee!!!

Damn, it was good to get home tonight. Even if the cats were clamoring for supper!

Discovered

Yesterday, my daughter D came into the room as I was writing my post. She noted what I was doing and asked if she could read the blog. My initial thought was NO! I saw the look on her face and revised my answer to a hesitant I guess so. She told me, it was okay if I didn't share though I could see she was upset that I wasn't ready to share.

Last night as I got ready for be, I though about her question and my response. I can certainly understand her curiousity - I can spend hours (before I limited my computer time) hitting the next blog button reading about the lives of others. I'm not so certain I understand my own reaction.

Why do I feel it is appropriate that someone who doesn't know me well to read about my daily actions, reactions, and interactions, but I am not comfortable having someone close to me reading it? It's not that I've written anything that I would be ashamed to have her read, or to which she might take offence. Rather I've come to the conclusion, on this blog I am not mom, sister, or aunt, I am simply me, I am Eileen.

I'm not sure I'm ready for her to meet Eileen just yet.

When a man loves a woman

This week marks the thirteenth wedding anniversary of my younger brother and his wife. They were together for nearly eight years before they married, spending many hours travelling to spend time together, as they lived in different communities. Today they live on an acreage outside the city, with their two children, a few horses, a donkey, their dog Luna, and three cats, Puddy, PJ and Hollywood.

My brother R called me last week to ask if I could help he and his children suprise his wife for their anniversary. The three of them cooked up a plan for Dad to make dinner and for the two children serve the dinner to Mom and Dad with my help. In order to pull this off, we had to get my sister-in-law P out of the house for awhile. Late in the afternoon, her children convinced P to take them for ice cream in a nearby village. While they were away, R and I put together most of the dinner and moved the food down to an outbuilding on their property. This building is divided into two large rooms, one has a partial kitchen where the food could be kept warm, and the second contained a table for two set with flowers, candles and hand printed menus created by the children.

By the time the others returned, everything was taken care of and R had showered and dressed. P went upstairs to clean up and within the half hour they were headed out the door to dinner. She thought they were going to the city but had she had no idea where their reservations had been made. By the time they were out of the driveway, both children were upstairs changing into good clothes. We grabbed the fast few items and walked down to the other bulding to await Mom and Dad's return.

R pretended he had forgotten something at the house, so they turned around a few miles up the road, and he drove up to the building where the children were bouncing off the walls eagerly awaiting their parent's arrival.

Within minutes they had seated their parents, poured water, allowed them to peruse the limited menu and were rushing into the kitchen area for the salad course. The main course followed soon after, and while Mom and Dad were eating in one room, I managed to convince the chidren to sit down and have a few mouthfuls of dinner as well.

I'm positive that no meal has seen such attentive servers, every couple of minutes or so, one or the other was checking to see if Mom and Dad had enough water, if everything tasted okay, or to entertain them with a silly joke or comment. At one point their daughter instructed them to kiss one another. I wasn't there to observe but I suspect they did as they were told!

Dinner finished with turtle cheesecake for dessert, delivered by the children singing Happy Anniversary. Although they'd done an awesome job carrying in the dishes - only one tomatoe had hit the floor before arriving to the table - I decided not to tempt fate and carried in the hot pot of tea.

By the time dinner was complete, the children were wiped out and I think both have realized waiting tables is a lot of work. P assured me, while she knew something was up, she had no idea what was coming. Based on the smiles and laughter, I think the entire family enjoyed their evening. Happy Anniversary R and P!

Swaggerville meets Riderville

In this province we have only one professional sports team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team. The Green and White enjoy a fan base in the CFL like no other team. Those who follow football in Saskatchewan tend to bleed green, but even in other stadiums wherever the Riders play, you'll find a core group of die-hard Rider fans wearing watermelon helmets and/or green and white face paint.

When the Riders win the province rejoices, when they lose, the fans analyze every play and every player looking for an explanation of how it could have happened. The past few years, since 2007, the Riders have seen success never experienced before. In fact except for a few notable exceptions the Riders were the underdog throughout most it's 100 year history. Perhaps that explains why the team has so many fans across Canada.

After winning the Grey Cup in 2007, in a Cinderalla year, with a rookie head coach Kent Austin (who had been a quarterback with the team), the Riders became the team to beat. They've made it into the playoffs each year since with two more trips to the Grey Cup, though no win in the final game.

This year hopes were high again, although we had a new coach, most of the players would be back. Soon, however, it became clear that things weren't right in Riderville. Between injuries and dropped balls on the receiving side, and a defence with more holes in that a sock, our team was soon at the bottom of the pile. Literally.

The fans soon were screaming for changes, whether it was the coaches or players, they wanted change. When the team lost again, just before the bye week leaving them with a record of 1 win, 7 losses, the management finally made the changes. The head coach and the offensive coach were both released. It was clear to nearly everyone that the players were not connecting with their coach as they had in previous years. It was announced that Ken Miller would be stepping back into the head coach role who had left the role at the end of last season due to health reasons.

Today was the first day back at the helm of the Riders for Ken Miller. Today marked the return of the Riders to the winning side of the field. How could it be that making one change could make such a difference? It all boils down to leadership. Ken Miller trusted his quarterback, Darian Durant to call his plays today, the previous coach had not. What a difference belief and trust can make, in how the individual players and the team played today. GO RIDERS!

Regina Leader-Post

A update on Silas

When I first began blogging this spring, I was certain that Silas was very ill and likely to be gone in mere weeks, after the ultrasound indicated a mass in his belly. I'm happy to report that he is still very much alive, and while he doesn't seem to be getting any better, nor does he seem to be worse. I am amazed at how much weight he has lost. At his heaviest he weighed close to 22 pounds. Today he weighs less than 10, petting him I can't help but notice the knobs of his backbone, and picking him up is always a shock.

He's been on a special diet of hypoallergenic food, both wet and dry since the spring. Well mostly, anyway. The fact is, he really doesn't care for his food much and looks for crumbs of any sort, cat or people food, on the floor. We've started to call him Hoover. It was funny, at least until recently when he started to get into the garbage in the kitchen during the night.

I won't share with you the details of what happens when he eats something he shouldn't. Suffice to say, it means I'm on clean up duty constantly. I've come to the conclusion that cats prefer rug to hard surface flooring because it gives them traction while they rid themselves of a hairball or something else. I have carpeting in my bedroom and a little greem machine that is ready to go all the time.

There is another change in Silas. Here it is:

Until recently, there was no way he could have jumped from the floor to the top of the island.

Now he spends a lot of time just hanging out on it. I haven't the heart to say no to him. Who knows how much longer he'll be with me, while the counter can always be cleaned.

Finally Friday

It's been a long week and I'm tired. I am so ready for this long weekend! I've gotten nothing planned until Monday so rest and relaxation will be the order of the day.

Great news! My son C had a job interview and he starts on Tuesday morning. I'm am so relieved as he's been out of work for nearly 6 weeks. He'll be working in a warehouse setting for a local electronics store. He's worked for one of their competitors before so it shouldn't take him long to find his way around.

Yesterday morning, I went for my annual mammogram. It seemed less painful this year, I assume because I'm fully into menopause and my breasts aren't tender much of the time. My family has a history of breast cancer, with my dad, his sister and her granddaughter having been diagnosed with it. As a result I go for screening each year to be certain. So far, so good, knock wood!

Speaking of wood, on the way to the appointment I drove past my old house. When I lived there there were eight trees in the front yard and a hedge. Since I sold it, the new owners have removed the hedge and six of the trees. The lawn is pretty much toast as they've been parking in the front yard. Not my problem, but I have to wonder what the weight of the vehicle is doing to the water lines that run from the street to the house. But I digress. The other night we had a storm blow through with high winds, rain and hail. A large branch (probably 10 feet) had broken off the tree and landed...wait for it....on the SUV parked on the lawn. Had they not removed all the trees, it would have done no real damage, and landed harmlessly against another tree or on the lawn itself.

I know I should feel guilty for thinking "it serves you right" but I don't!

It's not such a hard thing to give up

Limiting my television and computer use has its benefits - I've gotten more housework done which should mean less for the weekend - but it also has its disadvantages. With limited time I have to decide where to best to spend it. At the very least, I read my e-mail and check my facebook before I catch on the blogs I follow. It doesn't leave much time for writing and editing a post for my own blog. On the other hand, that may be a good thing because I'm not boring my few followers with my aimless chatter!

As I mentioned, I've used the extra time to do more housecleaning. I bought new sheets and pillows last weekend which I washed and dried before making up my bed earlier this week. I love, love, love, climbing into fresh linens and it's even better when they are brand spanking new. The sheets, 600 count Egyptian cotton, I found on sale at Home Outfitters. The pillows are from Winner's Home Sense, also on sale. I appreciate the experience even more knowing I saved a few dollars on my purchase.

On Tuesday evening I didn't watch any television and only spent a few minutes on the computer. After work, I drove my friend K back to her house in order that we could make the arrangements for our flights to Florida (and return) in January. We were able to purchase our flights using airmiles, flying into Miami and returning from Fort Lauderdale. Not only did we save money on the flights, but it also saves us the cost of taxis or shuttles to travel between the two cities as we'll be staying at hotels which provide free airport and cruiseport shuttles. As we were making the arrangements with the operator, Barry, he asked where we were planning to go. When we informed him we would spending a week in St. Lucia before a week long cruise, he told his he had been to St. Lucia many times. We got some great tips from him on where to go and what to do while we are there.

After completing that task, I headed off to the local college to invigilate an exam. As a member of a professional body, it is expected that we provide some volunteer hours throughout the year. Watching students write a four hour exam is incredibly boring, made even worse when there is only one person writing. That was the case on Tuesday, although I was expecting two students, only one attended. I took along the book I'm currently reading, Diana Giabaldon's Breath of Snow and Ashes and another crocheting project I started when I was out of town last week. I had forgotten to grab my afghan project so picked up some yarn to make a scarf and hat for the upcoming winter.

The pattern called for three different colors of yarn with a stripe pattern. I decided a ball of mixed colors would work just as well; I like the bias pattern because it's interesting and unusual. Spending time reading and crocheting made the time go by fairly quickly, and I was pleased with my progress. I guess there are more benefits to less television and computer time than disadvantages!