Life is good

And I sure know how to spoil myself!

Can you read this?  I'm still learning how to tuse the camera.

In any event, I'm booked to go to Honolulu, HI next April with my K for a total of 10 wonderful days!

K had a received an e-mail from her travel agent about another trip she's going on. At the bottom of L's e-mail, she said that Air Canada was having a seat sale to Hawaii in February, March and April.  The price was so incredible, in fact, as low as it was in the 1980's when K was there last!!!

So K called me and said," Instead of another cruise next spring, how would you like to go to Hawaii?"  We'd been looking at coastal tour with Princess but the price wasn't dropping the way I'd like, so when she told me the price of the flights I was all in.

I spent last night locating and reading reviews of condos in the Waikiki area.  I've narrowed it down to a few choices.  I just have to wait for a couple more responses before I decide.  The reason I'm making the decision on my own is K is currently in travel mode. She's somewhere in Montana, heading for Utah in the next day or so and won't be back until mid-September.  She and her partner J don't carry cellphones so she's left the choice of abode to me.  Truly, she's a great person to travel with because she's so easy-going and always ready for another adventure. 

 It's a good thing my line of credit was paid off recently...it feels like I've been spending like a mad woman.  But with my retroactive pay from our contract and the months ahead it should all be paid before I leave Canada on this trip.  Besides, I've come to the conclusion that none of us knows what tomorrow might bring so I'd best spoil myself now while I can!

Tuxie Tuesday

Saku knows no boundaries! And how could I possibly get cross with such a cute face?  

Besides he was so helpful last week when the kitchen renewal guys were here to do the final measure. (This picture was taken shortly after they left). 

First he welcomed them to our home by winding around their legs.  Then he charmed both men by showing off his mad "drinking from the tap" skills.  You would have thought it was the first time they'd seen a cat do that! 

They brought in a plastic bin, with rails, to demonstrate the slide out drawers to be inserted in my pantry cabinet.  After it was replaced in its box, and set down by the front door, you can guess what Saku did.  Of course he found a way to open the box and climb into the bin. :)   I suggested they might want to wipe it out before they used it for their next demonstration.

Unfortunately for Saku (Sasha and Sami too) they will have to be tucked out of the way when the work is underway.  Too bad, because I'm sure they'd share their cuteness with the workmen too!

Mancat Monday

The tile guy showed up at 6 p.m. to measure the kitchen; Sasha took one look at him and disappeared.   After the appointment, I grabbed a bite of supper and then I went looking for Sasha to take a picture for tonight's post.  

I wandered through the house looking for him. He was not in the sunroom, not in my bedroom, not in the living room, nor could I find him in the basement (on my first walk through).  Then I started calling him, and did the circuit again. 

When I reached the basement I looked towards the couch in the corner and saw a bit of movement.  There he is, all curled up on top of my daughter's cast offs.  He took one look at me with the camera and looked away.  Apparently he doesn't care for the flash either!

On another note, I hate "anonymous".  Since removing the word verification I've been getting up to ten comments spam a day encouraging me to buy drugs of various sorts.  Does anyone know if there is a a way to report these to blogger?  I don't intend to reinstate word verification, as it isn't that much of an issue to delete the darn things but they are certainly annoying!

Simple Sunday

I think I overdid it a little yesterday, my hip and lower back are giving trouble, again.  This getting old ain't for sissies!

So today, is a simple Sunday.  I slept in until 9:00 (though was up earlier to feed the cats), had a leisurely breakfast, vacuumed the basement, and ventured out to Walmart briefly.



 For the rest of the day, I plan to take it easy. 

I might hang out on the couch with Sami.

I might just take a nice long bath.  My back might appreciate a good soak.

 

Maybe a nap is in order?  Yeah, I know I slept in this morning, but it is Sunday!

For absolute certainty, this chore can wait!  We had big winds here yesterday, up to 80 km. (50 mph) so the neighbour's tree shed its leaves...all over my back yard.

 

Catching up

This post starts on Wednesday after my appointment to have my nails done.  I went out to the car after picking up a few groceries to find I had a flat tire.  I called CAA to arrange for tow truck to change my tire and was told to expect a wait of an hour.  Oh yippee, because in my groceries were milk and frozen items.  Well, fortunately the truck showed up within 30 minutes, the driver changed my tire, and sent me on my way.  Thank goodness I renewed my membership in June! 

The following morning I dropped my car off at the shop and took the shuttle downtown to work.  It was a busy day, full of meetings and various discussions.  I was about fifteen minutes late geting away due to a last minute conversation with our director.  As it turns out, that was a good thing.  I started down the back stairs searching in my purse for my car keys.  I couldn't find them, so I headed back upstairs to check my desk.  Halfway up the flight of stairs, it hit me...the car is in the shop!

The fortunate part was I could catch a ride with two others who were leaving the office at the same time.  I had planned to ask a friend for a ride but she had called in sick, and with all the busy-ness of the day I hadn't thought to find another way.

They dropped me off at the shop just after 5.  I had received a call in the morning from one of staff telling me the tire could not be repaired (this confirmed what the tow truck driver told me) and in fact, all of my tires were worn and needing replacement.  He quoted me a price that seemed quite reasonable, so I agreed and thought nothing more of it.  However, when I was presented the bill at the store, the bill was nearly double the original quote...I nearly had a heart attack on the spot.  After some conversation with the manager, the store reduced the price, though not to the original quote. 

Friday, I was home to meet the kitchen renewal crew when they came to measure my kitchen for the re-fit.  That was exciting as there were a few more questions to be answered.  But it's definitely a go, possibly as soon as the last week in September.  

One thing they will not do is the tiling of the backsplash. So I got to go shopping! I went to the same store they work for, but found nothing that came close to what I was looking for. Then I headed to their competitor; there I found a tile more to my liking and made arrangements to contract the work out to remove the tile prior to the re-fit, and install the new tile once the other crew's work is complete.

Tile, countertop, and approximately color of the cabinets



 I was also able to find door pulls for less than 1/2 the price the orginal company was able to offer.  Funny thing, I brought home two door handles as samples, and put on doors of my current cabinets.  Then I asked both children which one they liked.  They both told me they were same except for the weight, which just happened to be the one I liked, and less expensive than the second.  Now I need to go buy the rest!

Today was more cleaning, laundry, and finally getting to a nasty chore I've been putting off.  In the basement there is an area where the underlay of the carpet was glued down.  I am hoping to eventually enlarge the two-piece bathroom to include a shower, but the carpet and underlay needed to be removed.  I HATE whoever glued this stuff down - with a small paint spatulat (that's my name for it) I peeled away at the underlay.  After several hours, I'm hurting from getting up and down, but it's finally done.  

It's nearly time for dinner and once that's done I'm joining the cats.  Anything else that needs doing can wait...at least until tomorrow!

Tired Thursday

I had a very long day at work, feel like I could fall over and sleep for a day and half, so I'll share this one with you, and head for bed.  Enjoy!

Why Cats are Better than Men1. A cat always comes in SOBER after being out all night.

2. When a cat goes to the toilet she tries not to leave a trace.

3. You can put a bell around a cat's neck so you know exactly where she is.

4. If you stroke a cat she won't leap on you for sex.

5. You don't mind that much if a cat brings a bird home every night.

6. When a cat comes in at midnight it doesn't wake you up by smashing into the furniture.

7. Cats never pretend they know how to fix the video.

8. Cats don't care what size your boobs are.

9. Cats still love you even when your perm goes wrong.

10. Cats love rubbing up to your legs however much cellulite you have.

11. Cats can be neutered if they stray.

12. If a cat jumps into your lap, a little light petting will satisfy her.

13. It's okay if a cat rubs up against your best friend.

14. If you ask enough times, a cat may actually listen to you.

15. You never have to spend time with your cat's mother.

16. Better chance of training a cat.

17. Cats are cute.

18. A cat is never late for dinner.

19. Cats love to see you come home from shopping with lots of bags!

20. You'll never get a call from you cat's ex-wife.

21. A cat would never leave you for a younger women.

22. Cats treat your mom with respect.

23. Cats don't worry about hair loss.

24. I feels nice to stroke a cats soft, fluffy fur.

25. A cat's friend is less likely to be annoying.

26. Cats can't show love without meaning it.

27. To buy a fancy dinner for a cat only costs 40p

28. Cats actually think with their heads.

29. Unlike a man, a cat can fend for itself.

30. It is legal in all states to neuter a cat.

31. Cats comfort you when you are sick.

32. When a cat sleeps all day it's natural, not annoying.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Chasing shadows!

Before

First of all, excuse the mess!  As my mother used to say, it is usually worse. (And this is tidier than normal...ewww. I didn`t know it looked this bad!)

This is is my kitchen today.  It's about 25 years old.  I like the space with so many more cupboards and counter than I had in my old house.  However, the honey oak color dates the kitchen, the counter top is scarred in places and the back splash grouting is dirty no matter how often I scrub it.

In a few months it should look much different!  I'm not replacing the cabinets because the original cabinets, drawers and boxes are still in good shape.  Besides refacing will cost a third of replacing the entire kitchen, wowza!
The refacing will replace all the doors and drawer fronts, with a laminate surface over the exposed portions.  I'm also planning on replacing the counters and backsplash.

This is what the doors will look like, except the color, which will be "chocolate pear".  Sounds yummy doesn't it, lol!

I couldn`t find a picture of what I`ve chosen for the countertops.  It`s has enough variation that it picks on the grey walls, the chocolate of the counters, and the red in the other trim work in the house.

Next on the list of things to do is to select tile for the backsplash. I don`t know that I want glass tile though it`s the current trend, but I also like the look of subway tile.  Any suggestions?

I also have to get the door pulls which they will install.  When we first moved in I had planned to replace these but never got around to it....now it's a definite must!

Oh yeah, and I also have to pay for it! :>)  However, at a third of the cost of a new kitchen, it is certainly more budget friendly.  I also see it as an investment in the future, one I'll enjoy in the meantime, and in a few years when I'm ready to retire the house will be more attractive to buyers. 

At least that's the hope...with my luck, neon green will be the new color for kitchen cabinets and mine will be out of date again! 



Mancat Monday

What?  Can't a guy relax without someone Mom flashing that box in my face? 

AND just because you were too busy to blog is not my problem!

Okay, I'll just back away slowly...because I know what's good for me, lol!







The purpose of procrastination

This morning I woke up with a list of five things to get done around the house.  Finish tidying the bedroom, wash the kitchen floor, vacuum the sunroom, mow the front lawn and ???.  Have I ever said this before?  Menopause memory sucks!

Note to self - put a notepad beside the bed and write my list before I get out of bed.

Having achieved most everything on my to-do list (except the ones I can't remember), I've realized something interesting annoying.  It is this: the more I clean, the more I need to clean.  I open a closet or a cupboard to put something away and realize a tidy up is in order. 

Suddenly my to-do list has gotten even longer.  Sigh, maybe procrastination does have a purpose after all.

On the other hand, the cats don't seem to care at all.

Saku likes to hang out on the computer table.  I guess the heat from the laptop makes it a cozy spot.

Sasha spent most of the day out in the sunroom, except when I had the vacuum out there...he really hates the vacuum!

And all Sami wanted was for me to sit down long enough to have cuddle.  She looks very unimpressed that I'm taking her picture!

Geting there

I'm not done cleaning yet.  Why I let it get this bad is beyond me, but I know I'm paying the price now.  I was up reasonably early this morning and started by clearing out the closet by the front door.  By mid-morning I had the living room tamed, though still needed to vacuum before I moved onto the kitchen.  At some point during the kitchen clearing out, I decided to start the laundry, so the kitchen isn't quite where I'd like it be yet.  There's always tomorrow, right?

I took a break for lunch, to watch a little television, and simply relax.  Yes, I'm out of shape...even a morning of housework was more exercise than I've had in ages.

The early afteroon found me vacuuming the main floor of the house, washing the front hallway floor, and finishing the three loads of laundry.  I had washed the bedding from both my room and the spare bedroom so after putting the clean sheets back on my bed I lay down for a minute.  About an hour later my daughter arrived home and woke me up! 

I took a laundry basket with me as I moved around the house. Things that belonged in other rooms were tossed into it, so I could take them back to where they belong. 

Wire hangers, a cord from my old laptop, books, and towels were some of the items I found in odd spots.  How they came to be where they were I'm not certain.

I'm most proud that my dining table is cleared.  It tends to become the collector of mail, shopping, and other odds and ends.



Sami and I had a lovely nap!

My bedroom still needs more clearing out.  I brought the little table from the living room because I moved a larger table into it's place.  Since I only have one night table I thought it might be a good place to put my books.

I did get most of the laundry hung up and put away.   There are two bags of clothing in my closet that need to be sent to charity, wire hangers to go back to the dry cleaner, and the room needs vacuuming. 

Isn't it amazing how much cat hair gets shed. I have to wonder the cats aren't bald!

This is my little corner in the living room. I've got my laptop set up ready to surf, blog, and catch up on the news. Sami likes it too!       

While I still have a list of chores to do tomorrow, I got a lot accomplished today.  So much so, I'm going to relax, hang out on the couch and watch football!

  



Can you see the difference?

Check out my new toy!  I'm a little nervous handling it as it has so many more features than my little point and shoot Lumix.

So far I've managed to turn on stuff I didn't want (it will take up to 16 frames with one push of a button - wow!) and I haven't yet figured out how to us some of the ones I want (the flash!).

I decided it was time to upgrade from the cheap digital to something a little better.  I looked at various cameras at several on-line stores and went in thinking I wanted a Canon or Nikon.  So I ended up with a Fuji X10!

Actually it was decent price and I was able to get a discount because it was the last one they currently had in stock. Hmmmm...maybe that wasn't such a good idea.   However, the salesperson I dealt with seemed to have some experience and knowledge and definitely more than the two other places I'd stopped at previously.

So here's some test shots...let's see if the quality is better than the old camera or if the nut holding the wheel is still a problem!

This was the very first picture.  I had zoomed in a little on Saku and it looks far more defined than the old camera would have done.

I tried another zoom on this one, so you could see Saku wearing the toy on his head.  Didn't quite work the way I thought it did in the view finder.  Back to the drawing board!



This picture merely proves I have left the housework undone far too long.  Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?

Maybe if I know I can play with my new toy it will motivate me to get it done.  Maybe?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Silly question

I called to book my annual mammogram yesterday.  After a few questions, the receptionist dropped this one on me. 

"Since your last visit to our lab, have you had a mammogram anywhere else in the past year?"

After a moment, I laughed and said, "Absolutely not!  It's not really that much fun you know!". 

She laughed, agreed, and booked my appointment for October 26th.

Since I can't get blogger to upload a funny cartoon, I'll share a joke with you (though you've probably heard it before!)

A fiftyish woman was at home happily jumping on her bed and squealing with delight.
Her husband watches her for a while and asks, "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look? What's the matter with you?"
The woman continues to bounce on the bed and says, "I don't care. I just came from having a mammogram and the doctor says I have the breasts of an 18 year-old."
The husband said, "What did he say about your 56 year old ass?"
"Your name never came up," she replied.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Mom left her seat...it's mine, all mine...zzzzz

Times they are a'changing

(with apologies to Bob Dylan)

Summer is definitely coming to an end!  This morning when I went out to water the containers  the temperature was sitting around 11C (52F)...brrr.  Daytime temperatures have still been reaching 25C (77F) or more but by leaving windows and the sunroom open at night the house cools off nicely.  I haven't heard the a/c cut in for at least two days. 

This morning I woke up to the three cats all on the bed with me.  Usually Saku prefers to sleep in the sunroom or even in the living room.  I guess he was feeling chilly!

The stores are full of shoppers, parents and children, looking for back to school items.  I stopped at Walmart tonight to pick up some cat litter, cat food, and a few groceries and the place was packed! 

I also picked up a new toy for the cats.  Sasha wasn`t sure what to make of it.

(excuse the mess!)

Sami was a little more excited but wasn`t about to move from her favorite spot on the couch!

Saku, on the other hand, was in like Flynn, batting at it and attempting to tear it apart.

(It`s really hard to take a picture with one hand while waving a toy about with the other!)









Oh, and do you know how I know summer is nearly over?  (scroll down)



Because
Walmart
has put
the winter boots
on the shelves!   REALLY...we've got at least two and a half months before the first snow fall!


Mancat Monday

The heat is almost entirely over here - it still warms up during the day but cools off at night. As soon as breakfast is done, Sasha spends most of his time hanging out in the sunroom.

In the evening, he prefers to curl up on the back of the couch.  He's such a laid-back relaxed cat most of the time, except when he wants to go outside.  Then he hollers continuously....until he gets his own way...with an escort to keep his safe of course.

Smart cat!

Inspiration

Although my blog title might make one think I like to cook, the truth is, I rarely spend much time in the kitchen.  Except to do dishes...but that's another story.
 
By the age of four both of my children had learned to pour a bowl of cereal and milk and with supervision were capable of scrambling eggs.  I know that sounds pretty much like neglect but I'd rather think of it as teaching responsibilty early in life.

I've always hated having to decide what to have for meals.  Years ago, when the children were little and I was in university, our grocery was very limited as we only had my student loans to live on.  After paying the mortgage and daycare there wasn't much left.  I learned to be very disciplined to the point I had a six week menu planned.  Saturday and Sunday I cooked large meals that I would reinvent during the week while on Fridays we finished whatever was leftover from the rest of the week.

When I went back to work full-time the menu planning went out the window.  By then both of the kids had graduated from scrambled eggs and cereals and preferred to fend for themselves after school rather than waiting fo rme to get home.

A few years later, they both left home (although it was ony temporary...sigh) and I was on my own.  There was no planning, I would often stop at the grocery story or a fast food place on my way home to pick up something for dinner.  Now they are both home again, I buy a lot of groceries, though we're once again on our own most of the time. 

On the other, I love to watch cooking shows.  I know, weird isn't it? 

Lately there have been a number of shows featuring grilling or barbequeing.  I watch these hunks of meat being rubbed, smoked and pulled apart and simply drool.  So yesterday when I stopped at the grocery store and saw that pork loin roasts were on sale I had to buy one.  I don`t have a smoker but decided I were to put a nice rub on the meat, sear it on  the grill, and slow cook it for the rest of the day it would be very tasty.  And it was!

This isn`t mine...since I didn`t think to take a picture before I ate.  We added cheese and onions on top and a squirt of bbq sauce.  Yummy!

There is still lots of meat leftover for lunch or tomorrow's dinner.  Definitely what we call a do-over in our household.

The only thing left to do is the dinner dishes!  Have a wonderful week everyone.

A lovely day for a stroll

Instead of doing housework today I decided to spend some time in the lovely gardens down at the government building.

The Queen Elizabeth gardens were rededicated this summer in honor of the Jubilee after some major work was completed. 

One of the biggest changes it the paths along the garden that were once gravel have been replaced by paving stones.   It`s all very lovely!

To the right you can see the new pathway.  I was surprised to find that I had the gardens virtually to myself.  There were lots of vehicles about, but not many people.

Perhaps everyone else was running on the paths nearby.

This was a rather unique planting, with the baskets hanging from the climbing apparatus.

Frankly, I`m not a fan of the colors in the grouping.  But it is still very striking.

This view is of the entire lenght of the garden.  I can make out a couple of people walking on the right hand side.

I didn`t see any workers out, but someone has lots of work to do keeping the flowers bed neat and tidy and moving all that grass!








The colors in this flower bed are more to my taste.

Petunias are always so easy to grow and last a long time even in our cold climate

These flowers are the ones in the centre of the flower bed above.  One thing I wish the gardners would do, is label the plants, for more novice gardeners like myself.

I'm thinking these would be lovely in a container on the deck next year!  But I don't know what they are - I'll have to look for them at the garden center.



.

All along the paths there are benches to relax on.  I sat down for a minute or two and was soon greeted by a number of the Canada geese who gather nearby for most of the summer.

I think they were a little disappointed I had nothing to share!

This is the side view of the Legislative building, with the Davin fountain in the forefront.  The fountain once stood in the center of Victoria Park in the center of the city but was moved to make way for the Cenotaph in 1926.

To both sides of the fountain are pathways leading to the side entrance of the building.

Unfortunately it would appear that with all the attention to the main gardens, this area has been neglected.

Most of the beds were full of grass, thistle and other weeds.

Still, it was a lovely walk through the grounds, one I don't make often enough, and a great reason to get out of doing the housework!

Friday funny

Ten Things A Cat Thinks About

1. I could have sworn I heard the can opener. 2. Is there something I'm not getting when humans make noise with their mouths? 3. Why doesn't the government do something about dogs? 4. I wonder if Morris really liked 9-Lives, or did he have ULTERIOR motives? 5. Hmmm ... If dogs serve humans, and humans serve cats, why can't we cats ever get these STUPID dogs to do anything for us? 6. This looks like a good spot for a nap. 7. Hey -- no kidding, I'm sure that's the can opener. 8. Would humans have built a vast and complex civilization of their own if we cats hadn't given them a reason to invent sofas and can openers in the first place? 9. If there's a God, how can He allow neutering? 10. If that really was the can opener, I'll play finicky just to let THEM know who's boss!

Trouble with a capital S

A typica evening with the cats looks something like this:

Saku checks out the toy mom built out of three other broken toys.

I can almost hear him thinking "cool, another toy to take apart!"

Minutes later, he's done just that!

"Now what can I get into?"

Sami, why are you hiding behind that chair?
If you could see the thought bubble above her head, it would probably say
"Three guesses mom, and the first two don't count!"

Oh, you're hiding from Saku, right?

"Who me?  I didn't touch her!  Really!!!"

But you were probably thinking about it, right?

"Well...maybe...but she's just a scaredy cat!"

Sami figures this is a good time to come hang out on the computer table next to mom.

Look Sami!  A mouse!

"Whatever mom, you've tried to fool me with that one before."

 Saku gives up the hunt for Sami.  He turns his attention to tearing apart Mom's couch from the ground up.  At least he's not chewing on the computer cords.  :>)