New Years' Resolutions

A new year is synonymous with resolutions- and mostly unkept ones at that.

In honour of this tradition- I present my New Years' Resolutions for 2007. ( G- please let me know if this is correct use of an apostrophe- I think it's correct??)

In order to reduce the amount of self-created stress in my life, I will re-assess many of the things that I do and things that I have. Anything that I do or possess simply because I always have, shall be fair game and I will seriously consider dumping them in order to declutter my life.

I will be more conscious of what I say and how I say things. There's a bit too much "mom-ness" coming out of me lately and I don't like it one bit. I will think "hmmm - if someone said that to me, how would it make me feel?"

I will spend less time getting organised to do something and just jump into it. I don't really need to know all the details before I start--do I?!

I will slack less and work more- I will earn my pleasures rather than continually indulge myself in my books, music, lethargy... (fill in the appropriate pleasure).

-On that note, I'd better get back to doing something I should be doing (sleeping or something). So- what are your resolutions for the new year?

The Twelve Days of Rooks-mas...

I don't do much with LJ, I thought this was really funny...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the_rook sent to me...

Twelve funknevils drumming

Eleven binarykittens piping

Ten xaqxenophiles a-leaping

Nine padredons dancing

Eight haunting_loves a-milking

Seven thunderhowls a-swimming

Six lordgrymms a-gaming

Five tro-o-o-oubleinchinas

Four superheroes

Three comics

Two queer politics

...and a discordianism in an information theory.

Get your own Twelve Days:

Merry Christmas!

Just wishing you all a wonderful Christmas filled with family and friends. I hope that none of you have to venture near a mall tomorrow- I pity you, if you do have to brave the crowds.

Remember to play nice in the sandbox with everyone else- ok?

Being snarky won't help improve the situation- but a good joke will!

For those of you that have to travel this Christmas - I hope that the roads and skies are clear and that your journeys are uneventful. May your family be less crazy than last time you got together (or more crazy, depending on how you like it...).

Have a good one!

Borrowed...not stolen - there is a difference!

I hardly read any Sci-fi but I still thought this would be fun. I borrowed it from my friend The Rook.

I am: Arthur C. Clarke Well known for nonfiction science writing and for early promotion of the effort toward space travel, his fiction was often grand and visionary.

Which science fiction writer are you?

So what if I'm crazy...who isn't?

Alright, I finished the bracelet and I don't completely dislike how it turned out.




But really, what the hell was I thinking?


Oh yeah, I remember now....

"It would be fun to make this nifty bracelet by hand-setting 225 tiny mosaic tiles, not once but twice (because I messed up the first time through) on a leather strap?"

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have an internal critic to talk me out of these things until I've already started a project.

Then the usual conversation goes something like this:

IC: What are you doing?

MMI: I'm making this lovely bracelet for a friend! Isn't it going to be great?

IC: You're kidding right? When did you come up with this insane idea? Are you nuts? Never mind, I already know the answer to that one...

MMI: What? What's wrong with my idea? You never like anything I want to do!

IC: That's because you do insane things and pretend that they are fun, you nut-case!

MMI: F_ off!

IC: You're only getting mad because you know I'm right...

MMI: ...yes, but...

IC: But what?

MMI: But do you have to be such an ass about it?

The mayfly challenge

Being succinct has never been my forte - but I am getting better. School is teaching me to read and follow directions and either (A) right succinctly, or (B) get all the little niggly details just right. To help you follow along with my wonky train of thought...A friend of mine brought up the Mayfly Project on his blog and the concept intrigues me and scares me - all at the same time.

You see- you have to be able to sum up the last 12 months of your life in 24 words or less.

I'm intrigued because it is such a interesting challenge to be able to cram the life you've lived into 24 words or less.

I'm scared because if it's a cake walk for me, then my life truly is as boring as I suspected it was...

Well, I'm off on another tangent now... I'm making a bracelet with teeny, tiny mosaic tiles as a friends' Christmas present. This is attempt #2, as during the first attempt (at 1 am, mind you), I applied glue to the wrong side of the leather strap. I also discovered (too late) that the glue was too thick and it shmooshed all the tiles out of place.

Have you ever tried to wash glue off of mosaic tiles that are this tiny??



I doubt any of you are dumb enough to attempt such task...

If you are, you have my sympathy...









Oh, here's a picture of Chewie that I took yesterday...


isn't he big? And so unlike a stupid, mosaic tile from hell.

On the importance of pianos...

I took piano lessons starting in grade 1 at the age of 5. However, I convinced my Mom that I already had enough on my plate with swimming, Brownies and gymnastics so we postponed piano until grade 3 (age 7). Mom wanted me to learn to play so it wasn't really an option but I didn't have to learn the Royal Conservatory way. I took lessons until the end of grade 9 at school and then stopped. I was never very good at it, but I enjoyed it. Although I was better at avoiding playing than actually playing piano, I still have a soft spot for one. A couple of years ago I set my eye on an electric baby grand at Costco and I was smitten for about 6 months. I had no idea what I would do with it, where it would live or why I wanted it but I did want it in my life. I eventually got a grip and went on with my boring old life but still the thought still lingered...

The idea has resurfaced again because:

A) it's Christmas and

B) My friend Gayleen just had the piano she learned to play on shipped from SK as a Christmas present from her parents

Part of me is DYING to go over there and plunk away at the ivory's on her piano. Another part of me is cowering in fear because I am really not a good piano player. I wish I could play like my maternal grandmother... she could sit down, play & sing for hours, all of these fantastic old songs from the 30's and 40's. But that's not me...

Piano is the only reason why my little hands have the finger spread they do--8" from tip of my thumb to tip of my pinkie finger (= an octave and 1 key--2 keys if I stretched them out some more). Even the House Spouse's mitts can't spread that far. I'm not sure what other purpose it could have but it is handy when measuring pants on a rack for size.

So I did get a few good things out of it. I could read music already when I started playing clarinet in junior high. I have a sense of timing and pitch but don't overwhelm me or I lose it really quick. In high school, I picked up tenor sax and percussion fairly easily as a result of the piano lessons. But I was never very good at any of it. Funny that I miss it all though - very strange indeed.

So, is there anything from your childhood that you miss for no good reason?

Cheezy Meme

Thanks to my sibling for this gem! It's not at all accurate (except for the last line) but it was fun to do!

Welcome Chewie Louie!

It appears that without perpetual entertainment our “fuzzy yellow tank” chews anything within reach. As such I have taken to calling him “Chewie Louie” or “Chewie”. When he outgrows this phase (I pray soon) Chewie will just be short for Chewbacca.
Chewie has a lot of Wookie characteristics: strong and loyal, large and loveable… plus, “George Lucas is said to have borrowed the Russian word собака (Sobaka), which means dog, to name this dog-like character” Wikipedia.
Now, if I could only convince Chewie NOT to satisfy his oral fixation with the industrial strength extension cord for my block heater (wish me luck with that…)

Chewie will be going to obedience classes VERY soon!