Life is Vaguely Clear

And now for something amusing

2008-01-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I've been neglecting my blog.

Here's proof that I haven't been a complete vegetable since October (close, but not quite).

Sassy, our little polydactyl, finally warmed up to Chewie and decided that he wasn't sooooo bad after all. It only took 1 year-less a day.

Chewie had a visit with Santa - and got allergy testing and an indoor dog bed for Christmas. The Testing revealed that he's allergic to a ton of stuff. He started allergen shots yesterday to reduce their effects on him - hopefully that will help.

Christmas was nice and quiet... just the way I like them.

I'm back at school now, but just for 7 weeks and then I'm off on 2 back-to-back five week placements that will go until May 9th. I'm hoping to have a job before I graduate and it doesn't look like I'll have too much trouble with that. OT is the fastest growing health-care discipline in Canada right now...

So - How have you been?

A MUST have!

2007-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have bright shiny syndrome... if it' s new and bright and shiny - I'm all over it. This shirt falls into that category, but my want of it goes beyond just being 'new to me'.

Why I need this shirt...
Reason #1 - Our dog's name is Chewie and I would take him everywhere with me if I could.
Reason #2 - Chewie has his own Halloween costume (yeah I know - sucker! )
Reason #3 - WAIT FOR IT...

Chewie is going trick or treating as Yoda.

Yes, YODA! Here's a picture of what the costume looks like (on the dog-model). His costume doesn't have the ears but I don't think he'd tolerate them anyway.
I think he'll look great!

But I still want the shirt.

How Odd...

2007-09-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Your Score: The Mystic

You scored 10 Materialism and 100 Phenomenology!

You're a mystic, someone who's experienced God but found out He wasn't like in the brochure. You know first-hand what it's like to encounter the ineffable, but have a healthy distrust of organized religion, which you probably consider at best stuffy and at worst an insult to true spiritual growth. If you aren't already, I'd recommend meditation exercises, or possibly yoga.

One day, maybe you'll find Nirvana. Until then, just remember not to get lost in your own head!

Thinkers you may agree with: St. Therese of Avila, Hassan I Sabah, Bahya ben Asher
Thinkers to challenge you: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on Materialism

You scored higher than 99% on Phenomenology

Link: The Metaphysician Test written by Jaylhomme on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

___________________________________________

And here's another one for ya!

The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test

Your Score: 9 - the Peacemaker

you chose BX - your Enneagram type is NINE (aka "The Mediator")

"I am at peace"

Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure.

I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this.

Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit.

Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and non-judgmentally.

Ask me questions to help me get clear.

Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery.

Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings.

I like a good discussion but not a confrontation.

Let me know you like what I've done or said.

Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.

What I Like About Being a NINE

being nonjudgmental and accepting

caring for and being concerned about others

being able to relax and have a good time

knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around

my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator

my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now

being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe

What's Hard About Being a NINE

being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive

being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline

being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally

being confused about what I really want

caring too much about what others will think of me

not being listened to or taken seriously

NINEs as Children Often

feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant

tune out a lot, especially when others argue

are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves

NINEs as Parents

are supportive, kind, and warm

are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

You liked the test?

so S P R E A D I T ! tell everyone!!!
(use Quick-Paste below)

you wanna know MORE?
so check out, what Wikipedia says about your type...
...even more you'll find in Google

Link: The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test written by felk on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

So, do you think that's a fair description of me or not?

Not newsworthy...

2007-09-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

School is ummm, INTENSE.
That's about all I've got to say about that at the moment.

I've come to the realization that I truly despise rush-hour traffic - especially in the morning. I can handle it in the evening, no problem.

Crowded House was fabulous. Even the opening bands were really good. I'm going to Keith Urban tomorrow night with a girlfriend from school. I'm sure that will be a great concert as well.

Canada Student Loans laughed in my face again this year. For some reason, I thought it would be different this year since we're house-poor and have no idea how we're going to pay any bills come Jan 1st. I was obviously mistaken. Or perhaps, living in La-La Land.

I must also be delusional to think that Canada's wealthiest province would actually be interested in making post-secondary education less of a financial burden to its future taxpayers...

Hmmm...

maybe we' could rent out Chewie and the cats.
We'd call it Rent-a-Rodent
and those wanting a pet,
but unable to make the necessary time commitments
could rent them for a day or even a week.

(don't ask me where that came from - even I don't know)

Anyway, I hope all is well with you all.

Here's some pics from the long weekend (courtesy of a fellow club member).

Scenic Vista.

This was nicer when it was just a trail and not a logging road...

More Scenic Vistas.

Just a little hill...

(I've driven steeper ones than this)

And that's all the summer I get? Really? uh oh...here comes school!

2007-09-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I love school (and that was written without any negative connotation). If I won the lotto, I would travel a lot, but I would also take every University course they'd let me into. Yes, working for a living has sucked thus far (for the most part). I start school tomorrow (Egads!!) at bloody 8:30 am! OMG that's early for me - WAY TOO EARLY! Anyway I know I'll get no sympathy from the lot of you so I'll shut up about that now.

We went 4x4ing on the weekend and took Chewie with us. He wasn't the hell in a hand basket I thought he might be - in fact, he's still recuperating from the exhaustion. He slept all the way back home right up until we blew a trailer tire about 10 minutes from our turn off. And he slept most of the rest of Monday and Tues away. May be next time we'll let him run off-leash some. I'll post some pics later.

Thursday is Crowded House! Yippee!

What I did on wednessday night

2007-07-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

Although I've never been a big fan, I saw Wierd Al perform at Capital Ex. I'll say one thing about the guy - he's a helluva an entertainer! And the best part was that the show was free with admission!

I'd go see him again...and I'm only mildly embarrassed to say that.

Lolly-bloggers-R-us

2007-07-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...I have been neglecting my blog and I apologize to the masses (aka -G). I've got a bunch of final assignments due on Friday and a Facebook addiction to sort out, but other than that I'm completely devoted to my blog.

Lame - yes. Honest - mostly (I forgot to add that I'm working long hours at the auto recycler again).

On a completely different topic, here's some pics I took this evening...

Here's Chewie wishing he could houdini himself out of his collar - just for a minute...

-I can't understand why he sat so still- he would normally be bouncing off the walls.

Here's the flower bed I've working at for 3 years. I'm really happy with it this year - it's gorgeous!

A closer view-

Delphiniums from HS's mom & aunt
Daylilies
Lupins from HS's mom & aunt
Shasta Daisies
Lambs Ear (Hs's mom)
etc...

Columbine at the back of our house. I took this in a stiff breeze with no tripod- and it still turned out great!

It's been really warm around here lately and I'm enjoying it immensely- even the high humidity. Hopefully it will be hot again before the end of summer when I can enjoy it more.

Yeah, well I couldn't help myself...

2007-06-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but the music I grew up with, especially what I listened to in high school, I identify strongly with. I'm not saying that it's good music - just that it has been encoded alongside the memories I have of that time period. In all honesty, I wasn't cool in high school - I wasn't even uncool. I barely even existed until I returned after graduation to cram some more courses onto my transcript. For some reason though, anything good I recall about school - I remember with this band's music playing in the background. I rarely go out of my way to see anything from that genre of music in concert now with a few notable exceptions. For some reason however, when I heard that a particular band was coming to town - I knew I had to go see them.
I called up my best friend since Grade 10 and asked her to go with me - there wasn't even a moments hesitation in her voice.

Do you have an song or band from a particular time period of your life encoded in your memory like I do?

Do you think you might know which band I'm talking about? I'd love to hear your guesses.

Bring it- audiophiles!

Eerily Accurate Meme...

2007-06-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

This one creeped me because it's that accurate - seriously! If you don't believe me- go try it yourself.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

You are a spiritual soul - a person who tries to find meaning in everything.

You spend a good amount of time meditating, trying to figure out life.
Helping others is also important to you. You enjoy social activities with that goal.
You are very generous and giving. Yet you expect very little in return.

Your strength: Getting along with anyone and everyone

Your weakness: Needing a good amount of downtime to recharge

Your power color: Cobalt blue

Your power symbol: Dove

Your power month: September

See what I mean - creepy huh!

I was a sneaky audiophile as a child...

2007-05-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

When I was really young, my Dad had an AIWA reel-to-reel audio player (actually Dad STILL has this wonderfully archaic piece of stereo equipment but that's not the point of my story). He had a fairly large collection of tape reels for it - mostly because he won a 630 CHED contest (way back when they played music) for a complete set of reel-to-reel recordings of the countdown to that year's top song.

Back then, Dad was a HUGE Beatles fan and subsequently so was I. No one except him was allowed to touch his magic music machine so I would ask him play Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da over and over and over again. Since I was too young to read, I remember marking the cardboard jacket with a dot or a star so that I could tell which one it was out of the sea of white.

When Dad was at work and Mom was busy, I'd sneak into the living room, find the marked jacket, put the tape reel on the AIWA and ever so carefully wind the end around a blank reel. I'd plug in a set of headphones and do a final 'parental check'. Then I would adjust the anticipated volume before finally flipping the 'ON' switch.

I'd dance around the living room to my favorite tune with gigantic headphones on for a few magical minutes before rewinding the tape reel to the start and putting everything back EXACTLY the way I found it.

The best part is that 30 + years later, I still love that song. I don't think this little childhood memory would be nearly as vivid if I didn't still love the tune though. I guess if Dad didn't already know that I mastered his reel-to-reel machine by the age of 3 - he does now!

Thanks for the memories Papa!

Musical Nostalgia

2007-05-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person who remembers what the first LP they ever purchased was? AND where they bought it? What about the first music CD and where it was purchased? I know I'm dating myself with this post but who cares... although it does astonish me how many people don't know what an LP is or what LP stands for!

I'd love to know what yours were!

Ready?

Set?

Go!

LP: Rick Springfield - Working Class Dog. Purchased from Woodwards (1981 - The 25th anniversary edition was released in 2006).

CD: Dalbello - She. Purchased from London Drugs (circa. 1992)

Rain, Rain go away...

2007-05-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that green things are growing in my garden again, the trees are budding and the grass is starting to come out of dormancy. I dislike that I currently need rubber boots to get to my car. I also dislike poplar stickies - especially picking them out of Chewie's coat. Ah- the joys of spring. I know it will be over soon enough but it is that awkward cool period where I still need mitts and a toque, but with a warm rain coat that gets me. There are people at school where sandals and I'm trying to figure out how to fit my down jacket under my rain jacket.

Later.

I've changed...

2007-04-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

I've gone from being a pathological perfectionist to being a pathological procrastinator! Stupid @#%*$! facebook... among other things. Seriously - I'm at the point where scrubbing toilets is a fascinating way to spend my time instead of doing something far more important. I don't think this is a change for the better.

Argh!

One exam left though...

I am definitely going to consume some beverages on Monday! But after my exam though... :)

Bye, Bye Bird

2007-04-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I found a small bird hopping along the ground by our house. This isn't unusual in itself, except that normally the closer I'd get to the bird, the more likely it would fly away - snubbing my human form - as I am incapable of following. This bird did not fly away, it just scurried a little faster away from me. The bird did make several attempts at flight, but I noticed its left wing did not return to its normal position after extension. I went inside the house to figure out what kind of bird it was. She was a Common Redpoll (CR), a species I've seen a lot of this past winter and thoroughly enjoyed them clamoring at the bird feeder outside office window. I realized that I hadn't seen any for a few days and noticed in my book that they normally migrate to the arctic around mid-April. I decided I would try to catch her.

It took about an hour - she's a lot smaller than I am so she traveled through the scrub brush with minimal effort. I, on the other hand, looked like a homeless person by the time I caught her -- twigs in my hair, my face scratched by branches in the dense underbrush...

I built a makeshift cage out of a couple of large dollar store storage bins, some shredded paper and some twigs as perches. I spent several hours the next day building something larger and more suitable. I neglected however, to check to see if CR could fit through the holes in the mesh I was using. She pulled Houdini and was outside the fancy shmancy cage I'd slaved over in less than a second - the mesh I had chosen was too big! :)

I tracked down a cage for free (thanks Sharon!) and I set up CR in it. She spent her days outside, and her nights inside. By the 7th day, she was able to fly, but only to places at or below the same height she was at and her wing was now retracting properly. She was much more active than when I first found her and flitted around in her cage continually during the day.

When I checked her progress on the 8th day. CR could fly from the floor to the top of the door frame in our entryway. It was time...

I put her back in the cage and let her rest and eat for an hour or so, to renew her energy reserves. Then I took the cage outside on the patio table and I opened the door to the cage.

I waited...

and waited...

and finally I reached in and brought her outside the cage. She flew to a nearby willow tree and began pecking away at it for food.

I was delighted!

I followed her for a few minutes and took a few pictures. I wished her luck on her journey and hoped that she would stick around for a while. Then I lost sight of her within a thicket of young willow saplings.

I hope she finds her way...at least I know she is much more prepared to deal with the perils out there now that she can fly again.

UPDATE!

CR and her beau may be settling in to nest here! Several days after CR's release, I saw the two of them gathering seeds together under the birdfeeder! Squee!
I'll keep you updated!

My history of first dates = disaterous in the dictionary

2007-04-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

Truth be told, I don't think I've ever had a first date that didn't have some disastrous details. I'm talking about details that are well past having spinach stuck in your teeth - way beyond.

1st date in high school. While walking in a local park, my date reached into his jacket pocket and I saw a flash of light as he yelped and threw the contents of his pocket all over the grass. Spare change in his pocket somehow lined-up just right with a AA battery in the same pocket and current started flowing out of the battery and into the coins! The money was still hot to the touch when we were picking it up off the ground... (in retrospect this is as far as this relationship should have ever gone - but really, who makes good decisions at 15?

1st date with friend after high school (but before University).
We had arranged to meet up at Western Sizzlin' for dinner. Thirty minutes after the arranged time passed and the guy still wasn't at the restaurant. I called his house and his brother answered. My date was on the other line and at the restaurant wondering if I'd called (pre-cell phone days- and yes I'm old, so shut up). It turns out, I was at the downtown location and he was at the west-end location. Neither of us had any idea that there was more than one location in town until that night... (hindsight is 20/20- same as the last, but I was a little older-19ish?)

1st date with post secondary classmate.
It was a cold January evening - my date picked me up at home (he even opened the car door for me and everything!) and we headed out to a movie. We didn't even make it out of the subdivision. His attempt at showing me how skillful he was at power-sliding in his dad's car ended with us stuck in the ditch on a corner. We had to walk back to my parents place and get my dad to pull the car out. Not a stellar moment... (not entirely his fault, as the corners in the acreage subdivision sucked in residents' vehicles on a regular basis - but still...)

1st date with HS.
We were headed out on the August long weekend for a 3 day wheeling trip (yes- this was our very first date and I brought my own tent, etc). At Niton Junction, a Ford truck stopped where the service road meets the Yellowhead and waited for traffic. At least that's what we think they meant to do - they actually stopped in the right lane of the highway instead. HS laid about 60 feet of rubber trying to stop his truck in time. Once HS realized we weren't going to make it, he shoulder checked quickly (I told you he's a professional!) and changed lanes to get around the other truck. We were still doing about 70kph when we past the Ford. There's nothing like a near death experience to accelerate the bonding process...

What about you? Any dirt to dish out? I'd love to hear your stories!

In search of lip balm

2007-03-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a good driver (and not just because I say I am). HS says I'd make a great truck driver because I can dig one-handed for something in my backpack behind my seat without taking my eyes off the road (also a trademark Mom-move). Ninety-nine percent of the time I grab the intended object on the the first try... today was NOT one of those days.~

I'm stopped at the lights at the traffic square (if you know Edmonton at all, you know exactly where I was), and I reach behind me for my cell phone and snag it from it's compartment - no problem, even with my left hand. I then decide my lips are dry so I need my lip balm. Again, with my left hand, I reach behind my seat, undo the zipper on my backpack and stretch so I can reach the intended pocket. I feel around for the lip balm ...not there...

...hmm...

I pull my arm back towards me, to take another stab at it - I feel a sharp tug...

...something is wrong

...something is very wrong

I can't get my arm out from behind me

~~~

I jerk my arm toward my body -- I feel a sharp pain in my left hand and this time my entire (30lb+) backpack moves.

I feel a stabbing pain in my left hand. I twist around to see what the problem is (trying not to smack my head on the B-pillar) but I can't see my hand. I quickly discover that the pain is much worse if don't hold my hand/arm a certain way.

The light turns green and my car is at the front of the intersection--

(did you forget that I was sitting in traffic - I didn't!)

I readjust myself in my seat, look for opposing traffic and accelerate away from the light. My hand feels like I've been stabbed and one of my fingers is tingling. My arm is still contorted behind me - similar to how they restrain people on COPS.

I drive, looking for a place to turn off and stop -- I see nothing -- for several blocks.

My left hand starts to cramp up and I grimace in pain.

I see a parking lot ahead. I think I can turn into it without much difficulty.

I flick on the turn signal (yes I actually did- not sure how, but I did) and turn right into a quiet strip mall.
I try not to slam the gearshift into park (but I'm sure I did, despite my half-hearted attempt at restraint).

By this time I can't feel one of my fingertips and there is definitely something digging hard into part of my hand.

I fling my seat belt off and attempt to open my door (this took a second or two longer than I expected because I don't usually open the door with my right hand).

I swing my legs out of the car trying not to dislocate my shoulder or elbow. I tentatively look toward where my left hand meets my backpack...

and what do you think I find?

My ring has caught the *handy-dandy* key hook inside my backpack...

Seriously.

All of that because of a stupid plastic hook that's supposed to make my life easier.

~~~

I freed myself from my restraints and celebrated my new found liberty with a bacon egg McMuffin meal with OJ.

What about the lip balm, you ask? It turns out that I didn't have any with me at all!

From my performance today I won't be trying out for Cirque du Soleil anytime soon.

Springtime School Blahs...

2007-03-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one this happens to?

At this time of year, no matter how interesting a course is, I can barely motivate myself to get up and go to class. Trying to psych myself up to do assignments or read or even study is pretty much a lost cause.

Does this (or has this) ever happen(ed) to you?

How do you deal with it?

Got any hints for someone like me who is floundering yet unphased by my own apathy?

you know something is really funny when...

2007-03-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

...it makes you laugh out loud (and you're by yourself).

(thankfully I wasn't sipping my tea at the time or I would have snorted it through my nose)

(click HERE to go there and get one or whatever - I'm not the boss of you)

I wish it came in different colours.

I am super-geek, hear me squeak...

2007-03-12T01:55:00.000-07:00

Aren't these the best geeky / nostalgic accessories ever?

space invader socks

Binary scarf.

I wish I had the patience to knit...

Or a Grandma still alive to make these for me for Easter...

Damn, I hate being old!

Special thanks to WWdN: In Exile for posting the links for me to find!

Things you miss when you're too busy to notice...

2007-03-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

In the winter it gets dark early and so I don't see much beyond the beams of my headlights some days. Lucky for me House Spouse catches some of the stuff I miss with a little technology and can save a moment for later.

Case in point...

There is an undeveloped acreage right across the road from our place. A few weeks ago the wind was up and the snow was the perfect temperature to do this-

Isn't this amazing!

It looks like a bunch of snowmen got tired of waiting for someone to come along and build them so they started rolling themselves!

Chewie the Wonderdog-

2007-02-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

The level 1 obedience, post graduation revelry...

Yes, he's asleep
Yes, his left front paw is in the air
and yes he slept like this for at least 30 minutes last night.

I'm surprised this picture turned out at all considering how hard I was laughing!

The BIG leap.

2007-02-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

By the power invested in me by Blogger, I push the PUBLISH button on my first poem (as requested by G-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The devil you know...

There's a rage within me-

taunting me for release

it promises to be good...

...that I am in control
 

"you'll feel better when I'm not trapped in here"
it says.
 
 
I drink to keep it quiet...
...pick fights to appease it
 
but
I
       never
        EVER
let it out...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The backstory:

This is the poem that started its life as some nearly illegible words written on the back of a gas receipt. It's based a little on personal experience but mostly on a fictional character I've come to know fairly well.

Weird. It feels strange to look at it here - it's just something that began as an emotion that found words in my head to express itself...

What a strange feeling-

In honour of February 14th...

2007-02-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not much into Valentines Day - not only because it is a gigantic commercial rip-off, but also because many of my friends and family members are single. I am a bit of a sap however, so I am posting this for all of my friends and family to wish them a Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day - by the ying-yang gang

(Sassy is on the left, George is on the right)

They wish you a Happy Valentines Day (in as much as they'd love you if you'd play with them)!

Stay warm y'all - we're almost out of the deep freeze!

Interview by the rook...

2007-02-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

the_rook
2007-02-10 06:30 pm (local) (link)

1) Who'd win in a fight to the death between you and your brother?

Hmm…I would say my brother, only because he has repeatedly, although accidentally (and I have no doubts about that) and completely without malice, caused harm to my person.

I can see it now - I’d be dead and he’d be poking at me to drop the act --

…except I’d be dead so I couldn’t.

(actually, that’s somewhat funny in a twisted sort of way).

Or maybe we’d both win (or lose depending on how you look at things). I think both of us would rather die than live, knowing that we caused the death of our only sibling. Yeah - I’m speaking for my brother here, but he’s as much of a softie as I am. So there.

2) What is the worst thing you have ever done?

When I think about this manipulative stunt, I feel about *this* tall…

Back in junior high school, I had a really ‘cool’ friend. She and I thought it would be fun to send secret admirer letters from a fictional guy to one of the ‘not cool’ girls in school. The letters started out relatively tame, however, at one point, she was supposedly meeting this ‘guy’ at the football uprights, dolled up in a miniskirt, in -30 deg C weather. The ‘guy’ also stated in a letter that he would watched her through her bedroom window…

Ugghh…There really must be a seriously nasty hormone cocktail flowing through the bloodstreams of young teenagers because this was truly an awful thing to do. Who the hell needs enemies when you have friends like that?

3) What is something about me that you dislike?

Well - I dislike the fact that I have a hard time reading you.

Not your stories, or your blog – You.

I’m normally good at reading people but for some reason, you completely stump me. Just when I think I’ve managed to catch a glimpse of you, the image I’ve carefully exposed evaporates and I’m left puzzled and confused. I must say that my inability to get a “good read” on you bothered me for quite a while. Intriguingly enough, I think that your magic and your bisexuality play key roles in your ability to confound me. I’ve never known someone with either of these features, let alone both (what can I say – I lived under a rock for a very long time. Try not to hold that against me…the rock – is cold…).

I’ve become more comfortable with the idea that I am unable to get an accurate reading on you. In reality, I dislike that I can’t read you – but that doesn’t mean I dislike that about you – it’s…umm – complicated. I need a drink…

4) What is something about yourself you detest?

Just one? That’s a tough one to narrow down…

At this point in my life I’d say, my amazing ability to procrastinate to the point of unreserved self-sabotage.

Yeah – I love this about myself – just love to hate it.

5) Is the glass half empty or half full.

This may be hard to believe but…half-full.

~~~

My Interview questions for the_rook

1) If you had the one opportunity to use your magic and have exactly the outcome you envision – what would you use the opportunity for and why? (change the past, the future or something else…)

2) Do you believe intuition is part of the evolution of human beings?

3) If you could ask a Sel Souris faerie a question, what question would you ask?

4) Name something in your life that you learned as a child and that you still enjoy as an adult.

5) You’ve won the Million Dollars a year for the next 25 years lotto. What are the first 5 things you’d want to do with the money that G would tell you that you are a nutbar for even considering?

weirdness follows me...

2007-02-10T14:45:00.001-07:00

So I'm driving to school a couple of weeks ago and my ADD brain takes a jaunt at a stop light. I end up scribbling down a bunch of phrases and words on a gas receipt. Now normally this would be a list of things I need to do, or didn't get done or something equally exciting. This time - for the first time ever, it was the makings of a poem (or a song if I could sing like G).

It was very strange.

I carried the gas receipt around with me for a few days until I found a notebook I'd been saving for some reason. I sat down with a pencil and wrote out the poem I started on the gas receipt and tucked the receipt into the front pocket of the notebook. I wrote 2 different poems right after I finished the first one.

The weirdness continued when I read what I wrote and didn't hate it.

Just when I thought all of the weirdness was over - I propped up the notebook that proceeded to fall face down onto my desk, the second I looked away. I glanced back at my desk to see what made the noise and saw a yellow post-it stuck to the back of my notebook. As I picked it up, I took a look at the small square yellow piece of paper stuck askew to the back. Written in pencil, was the name of one of my former clients - a wonderful woman who owns a local book publishing company...

I got goosebumps.

It was weird, creepy and exhilarating all at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Call it what you will - intuition or whatever - I've learned that stuff like this happens to me for a reason and if I don't at least attempt to follow through with the path before me - I become un-centered. My judgement gets cloudy and I make really poor decisions from being un-centered. Sometimes I figure it out really quick, and sometimes I'm really slow on the uptake but I figure it out eventually. This one was kind of hard to ignore for some reason- even harder than when my job was literally killing me...

Maybe I'm getting smarter - or just more in tune with myself? I don't know for sure. Maybe it's because I've been hanging out with some very interest ing people over the last 10 months.

I do know it's weird...

Ways to make the sky fall

2007-02-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

In honour of upcoming midterms I present the most comprehensive "How to Fail an Exam" list I have ever run across.

Some of these would also be great ways to get fired or to get out of writing the psych evaluation some companies require in order to be hired. Go hard!

S E X -ology marathon

2007-01-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Just a short post today because, as you can see from the title, I've got a rather intellectually challenging couple of days ahead of me.
I've been looking forward to this module at school (or workshop, seminar or whatever) for a while now. I did the pre-workshop assignment and have shed some light on why I'm so interested in sexuality from an intellectual perspective. I am trying to resolve the internal conflict between repressive sexual influences of society and the overwhelming influence of the media on the culture of sex ---Never mind the pathological influence of "sexual disorder".

Aaarrggh.

Boy, have I got some work to do...

on myself, for myself.

SWEEEEEP!!!!!

2007-01-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

House Spouse found this link today and I could hear him at his computer going "Oh-no" and "Ouch" and "Oooh - that's gotta hurt". The HS is unlike me in that he does not normally talk to himself, so something must have gotten his attention...

I now present to you this amazing motion picture (otherwise known as a home video)

I call it - Curling with Cars (in Portland)
(you'll have to click on the video in the news story - it wouldn't let me hyperlink it).

See, winter could be so much worse! You could need tire chains to get to work - and you live in town!

Funny! (because it didn't happen here) *touches wood*

Not your typical Bateman...

2007-01-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

If there is such thing as a typical Bateman, this isn't it.

Still life with Chinese scroll by Robert Bateman

I'm sure for some it's bland and for others it's refreshing.

I find that my response to this painting overtakes my normally anxious emotional state with a sudden and intensely satisfying calmness. It feels amazing.

And another painting that I also love how it makes me feel:

Armillary Sphere - Based on an original oil painting by Jia Lu

Do you know of any art that does the same thing to you?

So- 10 days in and I'm already a slacker.

2007-01-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

Well ok, maybe not a complete slacker (I've gone to school everyday this week and to every class). But I just am not prepared for the work ahead of me, nor am I interested in being prepared. I'm beginning to think that I am a sadist and that I like torturing myself with enough self-induced anxiety that I am unable to breathe.

My employer has attempted to stiff me on general holiday pay even though the regulations seem to have changed. We'll see what happens there- I'll try the nice route- then I'll get serious if necessary.

School is OK- so far it's been better than last term. I have a clue this time around and I'm trying really hard not to let all the niggly BS cloud my judgement. All the finicky little details of life are my greatest downfall. If I can manage to ignore them- I'm usually much happier.

For your amusement (and mine):
Today on the highway on the way to school, there was a UPS truck laying on its side partly in the ditch. I found this mildly amusing, especially when you consider their slogan, "See what Brown can do for you". I'm pretty sure that in this case, the "brown" referred to was in the driver's shorts... :)

New Years' Resolutions

2006-12-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

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...

2006-12-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-12-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-12-14T12:38:00.001-07:00

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

2006-12-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

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...

2006-12-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

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

2006-12-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-12-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

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!

Ah, Winter - I SO didn't miss you!

2006-11-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Winter has arrived in full force and therefore I am continually in need of warmth. I was definitely born in the wrong country. Don't get me wrong, I love being Canadian, I just wish that in the 80's we had taken Turks and Caicos up on the idea of becoming a Canadian 'colony' or whatever, so that I could be warm more than 3 days per year.

The labour/grader operator shortage in the city became VERY clear today. It took 2 hours to get home tonight... and an hour and a half of that was the time it took to drive from the U to 142 St. and Yellowhead. At least the Yellowhead after 184 Street was perfectly clear though- those highway snowplow operators rock!

I got back one of the assignments I was really worried from last week. I made a calculated risk with it as I had the option of handing it in on time but incomplete or complete, well written and late. I chose the later which completely paid off - I got over 90% even with a 5% deduction for being a day late. I am also less worried about my presentation in the same subject material now, so that's good!

THE D-O-G still doesn't have a confirmed name. I want to call him something interesting and memorable that will suit him for his entire life. House Spouse wants to name him Dizzy because he walks in circles around us. A he always walks clock-wise, HS also suggested Big Ben (for the clock/clock-wise circling). I'd like to call him Deeogee (emphasis on the 2nd syllable 'o'). No it's not phonetic spelling of a Japanese name, it's just the letters D O G (get it?). I know it's cheesy, but I like it. I also like Tigger, as he tends to jump up and down vertically in the same spot. There are others as well: Louie, Oscar, Pogo, Craic (Irish for fun?) and Canuck ('cause he responds well to Eh!) just to name a few. We'll have it settled soon (I hope).

So...what are you doing to stay warm?

Why I hate being a procrastinator...

2006-11-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I do this to myself - I do everything EXCEPT what I should be and then panicking to get things done. I don't work well this way- I don't even like pressure, but I do it all the time. I put things off until there is no hope of me ever being even remotely happy with the final product and then I severely underestimate how long it will ACTUALLY take me to do it.

AARRGGHHH!

Ok, I'll get back to work now that I've given myself a kick in the ass...

oopps! One last thing. We have a dog. He has no name. We are working on that. He hasn't destroyed too much (yet) and he hasn't yet eaten a cat. We are happy about all of this-- except the part about his name... He's still revealing new sides of himself everyday so we'll see.

I'm going!...Geez!

OMG - a dog blog?!

2006-11-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

My aunt (the wonderful, weird one) found two dogs on the road on Friday night. Both appear to have been struck over the head with the same blunt object and left for dead (I’ll never understand a human who could do that kind of thing-ever!) One dog had died, but the other she managed to rescue from a similar fate. He’s a golden lab about 7 months old in relatively good shape. Although, I’m not really looking for a dog, I have a strange connection between loss of family or a family pet followed by the appearance of a companion animal or a birth in my circle of friends/family. Since my favourite uncle died the day before this lovely animal appeared, I feel drawn to it- perhaps by fate. We haven’t decided 100% if we will be adding the dog to our menagerie, but it would be good for all involved, I’m sure of it. Here’s a picture of the not-so-little guy…

He's got issues (don't we all!) but they are relatively minor. I'll update the blog as soon as we know whether we're going to take him or not.

Whee! ...and here we go into the ditch--sideways!

2006-10-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Around midnight Sunday, H.S. and I were headed home after partaking in a particularily fabulous dinner get-together at G & R's. There were a few people there and Spencer proudly demonstrated his fetch (the vampire) command. The weather was poor when we went into the city for dinner and it had gotten worse by the time we had departed G &R's.

H.S. was driving ('cause I'd been drinking) and about 5 miles from our turn-off as we putted along at about 70kph (in a 110 zone), the backend of the car swung out and headed straight for the median! My man is a fabulous driver and he managed to correct for the sudden "change in demenor" of the car three times.

I was certain he'd pulled it off and just as I said, "Good job! That was impressive!", the backend of the car suddenly swung out a fourth time! (all of this occured while coasting- no gas or brake applied).

"Hang On! We're not done yet!" said H.S. as the car began to slide sideways down the highway heading toward the ditch and a large two post sign! I grasped onto the grab handle above me and gleefully exclaimed, "Wheeee!" as the car hit the ditch passenger side first -forcing the snow up and over the car--whiteing out any chance of seeing what we were about to hit.

The car came to a stop and I looked over at H.S. and said, "that was kind of fun!".

I rolled the passenger side window and looked around... due to the angle of the ditch, we'd missed the sign and the car was actually pointed at the road! I congratulated H.S. on a job well done and thanked him for a wildly entertaining end to a marvelous evening.

After a call to Dad and a good pull from the astrovan, we were once again on asphalt (although it felt more like an NHL rink) and heading toward home.

I guess that I can even enjoy unplanned off-road excursions in ill-equiped vehicles--just so long as no one gets hurt and nothing gets broken!

One other note, Sunday was the 6th anniversary of H.S. & I getting engaged. So atleast we know we can still spice things up a bit! I wouldn't say just yet that this is going to become a regular occurance though!

So, how do you like the upgrades?

2006-10-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

So- Whatcha think?

I like it- but I figured I'd also be a nice person and poll the masses for their input (ok, the three people that read my blog). I don't have a fancy header like some, but I like the overall package here none the less. I promise to have more exciting material soon!

Oh, for those who are interested- Sassy is doing fine-although she's a bit lighter than normal. I'm thankful she's back to catching & eating every bug that dares to enter our home. She is the best damn bug patrol ever. You name it, she'll catch it and eat it-- grasshoppers, moths, flies, mosquitoes, millipedes....

I'm currently at the end of the 2nd week of my practicum and I'm having a great time learning all sorts of new things. Even though I normally love school, I'm not so thrilled about the idea of having to go back in 2 weeks. Oh well- at least Christmas is coming!!

One final note: The Angry Sibling turns 29 years old tomorrow. That means I've been a sister for 29 years. Holy cow- I've endured that a lot of chatter from my talkative sibling over that time!
Anyway - Happy Birthday!! I hope you have a great one!

things I learned while making out with a dummy

2006-09-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Not that I recommend going into cardiac arrest, but if you do and I'm nearby- your chances of survival just improved. I'm now certified in CPR level C. Did you know that in only 2% of cases of cardiac arrest, the heart restarts by manual stimulation (CPR compressions) alone? CPR ultimately is just a stop gap to gaining access to advanced medical intervention (ie- a defibrillator). It sure is interesting what you can you learn when you lock lips with a dummy (relax, I used protection!).

I need a kleenex...

2006-09-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not sick but I'm a mess and I feel like crap.

Sassy-our cute, quiet cat suddenly became ill so she's been at the vets' ever since Wed afternoon. They don't realy know what the deal is with her but she's not eating or peeing (and I know that being at the vet isn't helping the situation much- she gets stressed easily). On Thursday, a close family friend died of cancer. We knew it was inevitable, but she was doing really well for so long that this is still quite a shock for me. To top it off, my meds are doing very little to keep my ADD in check and my neck is so f'd-up right now that I can hardly move my head without experiencing shooting pains. I am a wreck at the moment. It's a good thing that I'm the only one in this computer lab right now because the keyboard is about to float away in a flash flood.

Somedays I wonder why I get out of bed at all.

Writing is torture - except this time around...

2006-09-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Remember me mentioning in my blog about the essay I wrote for my Psych class last term?
Well, I was finally able to meet with the Prof. a week ago. I wanted to hear his thoughts on some of the points I made and such. We chatted a little at first about the new term and how his classes were going. When I told him I was in Rehab Med this year, he was noticeably disappointed. He told me that with a paper as good as mine, he couldn't understand why I wasn't an honors Psych student!

I was dumbfounded...but thrilled!
I've never been very good at writing, mostly because of the excrutiatingly long time it takes me to write (so this is a very big deal for me). We discussed the research that I based my paper on and some treatments currently undergoing research trials etc. He said that he had actually revised material in two of the courses he teaches because of some of the points I made and the research I cited.
(I am still *squeeing* with excitement that I was able to change the mindset of an already great prof who's been teaching for 25 years! *squeee*- ok - I'm done...ok maybe not *squeee*!!)

Transit Etiquette and other fictious circumstances

2006-09-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here's an email I sent to a friend because I thought he might need a laugh...

I was wondering if you could help me.

As a seasoned transit patron, would you please instill your great wisdom upon me so that I too can be wise and all-knowing. Thank you in advance – Oh Great One…

1) I am interested in all transit-related etiquette. (oopps…I just realized that perhaps you are not the best person to answer this question).

2) Is it possible to ride the same bus (in the same seat) for 1 hour and twenty minutes without your butt falling asleep?

3) Do you know how to sleep on a bus without (a) getting a really bad crick in the neck (b) sleeping with your mouth open (c) using the stranger beside you as a pillow (d) drooling or a combination of the above?

4) For high speed cornering situations, should I wear a helmet to keep my noggin’ from hitting the window too hard, causing brain damage? (…too late…never-mind…)

5) If I were to miss the last bus of the day (which leaves the U at 5 pm)- can I stay at your house instead of sleeping on a park bench?

Your humble minion,

Me, Myself & I

BTW - when people from "the Grove" get off the bus, either in Edmonton or the Grove... They actually 'thank' the driver as they get off the bus. I don't think I've ever seen any Edmontonians do that (they're too busy with their busy-busy minds). I'm sure at first, the ETS Grove route drivers must have thought it must be something in the water out here... but now that they're used to it, I bet they would be unwilling to transfer from the Grove route to a different one.

It's funny how just the simplest of things can make all the difference in the world.

Queen of the 5 minute or less hair, makeup & wardrobe - gets bent out of shape...

2006-09-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

98 classmates, 90% of whom are female...

For some like me who has spent most of her life working in male-dominated professions, spending the next 2 years with the same group of people, most of whom are female is... uhhmm... rather daunting. This may surprise you - but I find a great deal of women rather intimidating (especially young, brilliant, attractive women who have more fashion sense than I will accumulate in a lifetime). We had a class get-together on Friday night at a bar on Whyte and I kid you not, I spent 2 hours getting ready...That's right me, Queen of the 5 minute or less - hair, makeup and wardrobe, got completely bent out of shape because of what a group of girls might think. The House Spouse even started to get concerned that I had a date. I could not have been more flustered about the whole damn thing. As it turns out I got worked up over nothing because I spent most of the time playing pool (poorly) and BS'ing with S., a really good male friend of mine (I asked him to come with- 'cause he's single & I figured his odds for a date were pretty good - & that I'd also be more comfortable with the 'crowd').

Two good things did come out of my brief foray back into the bar-scene...

1) I found one of the guys in class who really likes my idea for a reading group that splits up the readings to individuals, each person condenses them to just the main points and then presents them to the group. Yaaayy! Finally-someone else who has come to their senses about the amount of material we have to get through (and he's really smart too!).

2) My friend S. introduced me to some great music from bands that I hadn't been exposed to before- Panic! at the Disco & Death Cab for Cutie. Wow... I had no idea that there were still bands out there producing music this good.

As for school, I've made friends with most of the guys and few of the girls (most of whom aren't overly fashion-forward) in my class. I'm trying to be less anti-social than normal, 'cause I know that having friends in school I can count on is going to make the difference between going crazy or staying sane with the workload we're all suffering under.

Stay tuned...or not- doesn't matter to me either way.

Update or downdate...You decide.

2006-09-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

Alright then, here's the scoop...

Wrote my Physiology final which was horrible-got a lousy mark too! Damn badly written MCQ's! The good news is that regardless of my poor exam performance, my GPA was still more than high enough for admission into OT this fall! (Yippee!!)

---

You know the song Bad, bad Leroy Brown with the lyrics "meaner than a junkyard dog"?
Well I met one at work with what I would call a dissociative personality disorder. I must confess that I was warned to stay away from the dog, but he was so happy to see us (me and a coworker) that I couldn't help myself. I figured if I were to help feed him this would be a good way to get him used to me (This proved to be one of the dumbest ideas I've ever had).

All was fine and dandy right up until his bowl of food was on the ground in front of him. My guess is he decided that he wanted an appetizer before his main course...and I was conveniently located just a few feet away...

I must say that it is truly a shame that G was not beside me recording for Orphans as I am sure that my scream was worthy of an Oscar (or at least a Tony). But really, I'm sure even the brawniest of guys would scream if a 140lb dog came after them and clamped down on their hand.

Ultimately the dog did some puncture damage but nothing really major. I've had previous run-ins with obnoxious dogs and know to give them the hand/arm that you aren't going to be punching them in the melon with. And after the shit settled at work, the going joke between me and the guys was that the dog misses me because he found me tasty... I told them too bad 'cause I wasn't wearing a 'BITE ME' sign that day...

---

House Spouse and I went wheeling for the first time since Sept '04. We went with the association we belong to and had a really good time. We only took Yoda as it was too much work to get both the Toy and Yoda ready in time. The Man '0 the House fixed my Flintstone floorboards, and put the 33" tires on. He also put a real CB antenna on (instead of the crappy magna-mount I usually have which tries to jump off regularly). He even tweaked the carb a bit as well as an oil change and he also washed 2 years of leaves and gunk off of Yoda. For his efforts Yoda performed flawlessly, even on a very long 30% incline which would normally drain the float-bowl causing the truck to stall at a very inopportune time. I may post a pic or two later.

---

OT3 Orientation started Tues @ 8:30 am and went until 4 or 4:30 (and yes my brain ached afterward-believe me). There are 99 of us (I think) and the admission GPA was the highest its been in a decade. I'm very thankful that I busted my butt last year! So far I've met some really great people and with no curve to deal with from now on, the collaborative energy of the group has already begun to show. As long as I can keep my head above water, then next 2 years should be very interesting!

I still haven't quite sorted out whether I'm driving or carpooling or taking the commuter bus, and this is really bothering me. It will probably end up being a mish-mash of all three this term anyway.

If anyone knows of a good (read cheap and close to Corbett Hall) place to park- please let me know!

I'm sure my next post will be something like- Holy crap have I got a lot of work to do!

Don't talk to the cat, when using Dragon for a physiology assignment…

2006-08-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

'cause this is what you'll get…

......targets the parietal cells and I'm trying to work here, get off prompts them to produce even more HCl yes, I love you now go bug someone else than they normal would in order to counteract the increasing alkalinity of the stomach contents. You know, you're really annoying. As proteins are digested the pH of the stomach hey stop that contents decreases and gastrin secretion is suppressed by the acidity of the stomach contents once the pH of 2 or less is reached. This is my space, go away.

Damn rodent.

Perfect for ADDers, or just those with minute attention spans

2006-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Personality Profile

You are dependable, popular, and observant.
Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness.
In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do.

You are unique, creative, and expressive.
You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while.
And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

Funny thing is, this profile is more accurate than the one I had to pay for at the Ewe of eh!

BTW, I'll be out waving my freak flag in full force once my final is finished.

Try it for yourself and let me know what yours says!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

T minus 3 days and counting...

2006-08-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

So, I've got Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to finish two complete units of physiology AND a 25 question written assignment. The final exam is Wed @ 10 am downtown.

God, why do I do this to myself?

And I wonder why I don't like the work I do sometimes...duh...how about I enjoy setting myself up to never be happy with myself.

NNNNICE................................................

Well, I'd better get back to it (studying). The 'learning by osmosis' theory hasn't worked thus far, probably because I didn't add enough water. (that was for the science geeks out there)

I may apply copious libations after my exam which may render me either (a) very chatty on my blog or (b) unconscious and therefore unable to post.

See you in a few days...

So how would you try to explain this?

2006-08-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know me well, I like penguins...alot. When my other half came across this news article today I was saddened, but then I thought...

So, how exactly do you explain a collision with a penguin to your insurance company?

Agent: Claims Dept, how may I help you?

Driver: I'd like to file a claim for some collision damage to my vehicle.

Agent: Have you filed a police report?

Driver: Not exactly...

Agent: What do you mean not exactly?

Driver: I hit a penguin on the road, near San Antonio, Texas.

Agent: Uh-huh...

Driver: No really! I HIT A PENGUIN! ON THE ROAD! WITH MY CAR! IN TEXAS!

Agent: And which looney bin are you trying to jerk my chain from?

Driver: I knew when I called, that this was going to happen...

G helps call my inner demon's bluff...

2006-07-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

While perusing some of my favorite blogs I came across "The Period of Mourning" post by G, which hit a chord with me.

I now have better understanding of why I procrastinate so much. The pathological perfectionist within me would rather have nothing at all to show for my work than have something that is not exactly what I envisioned. My inner demon paralyzes me or sabotages most of my attemps at completing anything well. And when I do get something done well, my inner perfectionist takes all the credit.

I know that I don't let go of things and I have a great deal of trouble dealing with the loss of even the silliest things (chapstick, favorite pen) let alone the big stuff that really matters. So using G's elegant analogy, if I procrastinate on projects in order to avoid the need to mourn them.--do I really have anything to mourn over at all? Shouldn't I mourn the fact that nothing was created or learned which inherently is the real loss? I wander and wonder...

On that note, boys and girls--it is time for me to spend money on some cognitive therapy...

So...what Arcana Tarot Card are you?

2006-07-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lazarus (a.k.a the Angry Sibling) for the quiz link.

You scored as - The Empress.

The Empress is a maternal symbol.
She is the mother figure who loves, nurtures and protects.
She will protect you, she will always be there when you are in trouble.
When you fall over and graze your knee, the Empress will kiss it better.

Yet she is not a weak figure. Her compassion is strength.
If her children are threatened she will stop at nothing to protect them.

If well aspected in a Tarot spread, the Empress can symbolise security, protection and unconditional love.

If badly aspected it can represent over-protectiveness, fear of risk taking and refusal to face the real world.

III - The Empress

94%

II - The High Priestess

88%

I - Magician

81%

XI: Justice

75%

IV - The Emperor

75%

XIX: The Sun

75%

0 - The Fool

56%

XV: The Devil

56%

X - Wheel of Fortune

50%

XIII: Death

44%

XVI: The Tower

44%

VI: The Lovers

38%

VIII - Strength

19%

Which Major Arcana Tarot Card Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

To control or not to control...

2006-07-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

Why is it that once I get something the way I want it, I can't just be happy?

Am I going to fight myself my entire life?

I'm not talking life altering experiences here but they seem to be at the time. Is the world really going to end right now if the dishes aren't done when I want them done or the garbage isn't emptied as soon as it's full?

NO! (disclaimer--it's not likely to anyway).

but I make myself crazy thinking that it will.

I really need to become more like my aunt who is Buddhist and has a better life than I ever will.

I am certainly not going to be at peace with much until I'm at peace with myself, I guess.

In the meantime...here's a nice picture to calm the mind...

I studied today...honest!

2006-07-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't get as much studying done as I wanted, but I never do 'cause I expect too much of myself (and those around me). I must say kudos to myself though - I didn't even leave the house, for I knew it would spell disaster for completing any school work. And it was really nice out today too!

I did watch a little TV-about 30mins of TopGear, some of the evening news, half of Enterprise and a full episode of the 44oo. I think I'm going to actually have to rent The 4400 as tonights' episode, Life interupted, hooked me real good.

I did however, finish and submit the 2nd big assignment for my course. I'll start on the last one tomorrow.

Oh crap, it's midnight and I've got to work tomorrow! Time to hurry up and sleep!

My four letters of fame...and other ramblings

2006-07-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, Orphans aired tonight and it rocked!

I also realized that technically, I swore on the radio. Even my Angry Sibling hasn't done that (yet) and he's the Angry one! I just thought that was interesting. Hopefully *s*h*i*t* won't be my claim to fame (I kinda doubt it will be). I have so much more to offer besides being a bit of an Alberta red-neck girl who owns too many vehicles--I also enjoy expensive wine :)

House Spouse listened with me on the internet as CJSR doesn't have the wattage to reach us out in the boonies (plus the antenna on my stereo sucks--it wanders on and off station while I walk around the house). He liked what he heard and he said he knows why I like Orphans so much--because it works the same way my mind does--racing in several directions at once. He didn't *get* a fair amount of the stuff going on during the episode though. Now I know he uses VERY little mental power to infer things from a conversation, and I have to speak VERY clearly and literally to get any point across. For some reason, he doesn't believe that the listener should have to do any work at all-- the speaker should do it all for him. I think this attitude comes from watching too much TV, but I must begrudingly admit that he does have a small point.

I remember that I had a record as a kid (yes, I said record...for a record player...get over it) that was about Wonderwoman (is this supposed to be one word?). Anyway, it came with its own full colour comic book that mirrored the story. I remember that more often than not I would listen to the record without even glancing at the comic because the narration and transitional sound effects were such that I knew exactly where the story was going. I had all the audio cues to prompt me and get my brain going in the right direction. Orphans is a learning experience for ALL involved--including the listeners. So clean out the earwax people, and prepare to actively listen -- I know that once you get the hang of it, as the story progresses you'll like what you hear as well as what you'll see in your minds eye.

Extra! Extra! Read/Hear all about it!

2006-07-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

I've been conditionally accepted into Rehab Medicine! This should clearly make me very happy, as I've been working towards this for over a year. However, as I've been working toward this for more than a year, it is no longer bright and shiny. This is creating huge procrastination problems for me as I'd rather be doing just about anything besides study (the gorgeous weather hasn't helped much either). I've again worked myself into a corner and I'm not sure how to get out of it. I'll figure it out though... I always do.

Orphans , the fiction radio drama I've been involved with is airing episode 1:Look Up in the Sky tonight on CJSR! You can hear it live around 10:20 pm MST over the airwaves or the internet. Or you can download it from here. I knew it was going to be good, but I've been blown away by how it turned out...Ryan and Gayleen have done an amazing job! Kudos! Check out the bios too...I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Mom and Dad are off again, this time to Ontario for a Coast to Coast reunion and the like. I'm sure when they get back around the end of the month they'll just want to sit still for a while and try to get some resemblance of a routine in their daily lives. They've been nomads for almost a year...

House spouse's parents are coming up for a visit on the 7th until the 14th or so. It'll be nice to see them as we don't get down to visit them as much as we'd like. They are wonderful and I'm not just saying that. I really enjoy their company and we really like staying with them when we go south.

I'm sure there's more stuff I should be writing but I really need to get back to the books *grumble-gripe*

Don't forget to check out Orphans!

Life is good...

2006-06-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, its been an interesting few weeks. My parents were set to move into their new house on the 1st, but because of a major screw-up on the part of the builder, the real property report had not been done or submitted to the town for approval. So my parents just got possession on the 20th! In the meantime, Mom and Dad have been living with House Spouse and me. I have enjoyed this thoroughly as we now have a full-time handyman (Dad), as well as a chef and an amazing housekeeper (Mom). Dinner has been ready to eat every night, when I get home from work, for over 2 weeks! I'm really going to miss them when they finally get settled into their new digs, but at least their only a few minutes away.

I mentioned earlier in my blog that I was playing a voice character in Orphans, a local screenplay adapted for audio podcasting. I recorded episodes 1 & 2 back in May, and last weekend, I sat down with 4 other people (including the Angry Sibling) to record episodes 3 & 4. It took about 4 hours to record the sections that my character is in, and I can honestly say that I'm humbled by the talented people who are also lending their voices to this project, as well and G & R who came up with the concept and wrote the screenplay. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to do something this interesting and entertaining.

One particular cast-member has an astonishingly large repertoire of voices...I really hope he never has any dissociative identity issues as it would be nearly impossible to find his normal voice in amongst the many he is capable of! And to top it all off, I had a great time during the recording--I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I am very hopeful that this is only the beginning of great things for Orphans and G & R, as the concept and the writing are fantastic. I fill you in more when the podcast goes live in a few weeks!

School is going reasonably well (but slower than I'd like). I did, however, get a call today from the OT department... I have to call them back tomorrow to find out if this is the call I've been waiting for!

And last but not least, the garden... if you remember I want it to look like Eden, not the Garden of Weeden... and I think I've at least made a dent--take a look for yourself!

So far... so good...

Next week, my 20th anniversary of becoming a teenager (think about it...) :)

Laugh, don't gripe!

2006-06-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

There will be no griping about work or my life today.

Just click to see the funniest stand-up routine I've ever seen!

Judson Laipply deserves an award!

I'm the only gainfully employed member of my family...how strange!

2006-05-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while... I forgot how much this working for a living sucks! But I must try to stick it out as I need the cash for school, and I also found out today that I am officially the only member of my family gainfully employed. My darling bro told his boss to stick it today and therefore has put himself out of work. Little bro has always been a little flammatory (ok, so he's easily ignited, but really, once the fire has started, who cares right?), but there is usually a problem that causes my angry siblings' explosions. Well, we'll have to see what happens there...He's coming out tomorrow for a visit, I think.

On another note, my work has been going reasonably well. My language skills however, are beginning to suffer greatly from the constant cursing, yelling and generally demonstrable behavior of the owner and the customers. The other thing is that everything is so loud there, that I am seriously considering wearing earplugs to keep me from going crazy. Is it really necessary to have all the phones ringing on their loudest setting, while the radios are also on high volume? There's also the loud dot matrix invoice printers that I sit beside all day. I tell ya, between my exceptionally sensitive hearing and my ADD, this place is enough to drive me to the nut house and back again!

School is not going so well...as usual I've set superhuman goals for myself and you know what? I didn't meet them- imagine that! I seem to enjoy setting myself up to fail (or at least to seriously flounder). I've got to get back on track. At least the crappy weather around here lately has kept my mind off of the great outdoors (aka gardening).

I've also taken on another project, also this one takes very little time and I thoroughly enjoy myself. I'm play a role in an audio podcast written by a couple of talented local writers. They are friends of my Angry Sibling, whom I had heard of and contacted for an 'audition'. I expected nothing going in except a chance to see how they do things, but I ended up with a leading role! I was as shocked as anyone, well except for Angry Sib who had no idea I'd even tried out, let alone had any interest in this sort of thing. In the first script, I had a terribly demanding role that consumed hours of time...my characters' dialogue was "SHIT"! Yes, that was all my character said, one "SHIT". Boy, that was a hard one to master. I'll write more later once I've asked for permission to link to their site.

How I get my shopping fix without breaking the bank.

2006-05-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I like to spend money. I enjoy the thrill of the purchase more than the actual product itself at times. When I was making good coin, I rarely watched what I spent on things. Now that I'm a starving student, I have to pay much more attention to the money I spend. The problem is that I still crave the shopping! Well, today I got my fix at Superstore, and this is what I got...

Not bad for $0.44 eh? I think it's fun-but MH is likely to thieve it from me when she sees it. At that price-even the House Spouse has nothing to gripe about!
Anyway I'd better get back to studying before I get any farther behind than I already am!

What I shouldn't have been doing today...

2006-05-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

So this is roughly what are backyard looks like, although I have started a perennail garden roughly where the mound of dead grass is. I should have spent my time studying today but instead I spent about 5 hours figuring out what perennials I have,what I don't have and what I want as wellas a rough map of the area (14'x18'). I also managed to rake a large portion of the back, and I also set up a make-shift cold frame.The problem is now that I've started to putter, the harder it is to stop! The picture below is what I would like the yard to look like.

Yes, I know- this is a pipe dream, but hey, you've got to start somewhere! This is only part of a friends' garden that I would love to transplant to our place. I took this picture last July - is this place gorgeous or what!

Today, technology was NOT my friend.

2006-05-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today was my second day on the job (1st day with the owner present), and the computer I was using crashed 5 times. The owner thought it was because I was doing something wrong--(I can be stubborn and spacey, but I'm certainly not slow). I basically spent the entire day trying to enter parts into the system, over and over, because every time the computer crashed, I lost all of my work! By the end of the day I was afraid to touch the damn thing because I knew it was making me look like a complete moron. The tech guy said it wasn't something I did because there were no error codes, and the system works fine on his end, even though it appeared to be locked up on our end. I hope it acts up for the owner this evening so he can see that it really wasn't me! At least I don't work again until Wednesday, so I can hopefully get over my computer-phobia.

All work and no play makes me cranky a.k.a. I'd almost rather sell a kidney...

2006-04-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

NOTE: if this post is a bit scrambled I apologize...I forgot to take my meds this morning which means that my ADD and me were not on the best of terms today. I know--not the best way to start a new job, but hey, I showed up early, stayed the whole day and didn't piss anyone off!

So, I've left my job at the greenhouse which makes me sad...I really enjoy it there. The problem is that she can't afford to pay me what I need to go to school in the fall and put some $$ in the bank for stuff besides school (books, gas, insurance, food, mortgage payments, etc). So I started work at a local wreckers which pays 50% more to start and possible double or better within 30 days. The greenhouse was way closer to home (less than 6km) versus the auto place which is about 20km, but I was spending $ on plants and other stuff. At the greenhouse, people are happy and smiling and generally pleased to be there--spending money; it smells nice and there are all sorts of pretty things to look at and touch...the auto place just isn't like that. I'll let you know how things are going though. The owner of the greenhouse is betting that I'll last a week at the other place - and she'll gladly have me back.

By the way, I forgot how much I despise cheap, miserable people with busted cars.

I'll give it a try-but with the smokers, the filthy front office, and loads of other weird crap- I'd almost rather sell a kidney than work there.

Everyone needs a room like this...

2006-04-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

If everyone had a room like this, there would be less hostility towards one another. I also think the world would be a much happier place if all of us stupid adults would get off our high horses and remember to live life, not just exist. It's not all about the perfect looking life or house or family...it about actually BEING HAPPY! So I declare that everyone should have a space invaders room!

Ah, to be a kid again...Intellivision, Atari, and Pac-man. Who needs XBOX 360 anyway?

Cheaters, cheaters, pumpkin eaters...

2006-04-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sad but true...after reading this, I can honestly say that humanity just got a little more like our knuckle dragging club swinging predecessors. I know that I don't write all that well, but I could NEVER stoop this low. I used to think that University was all about learning how to bend the rules but PAYING someone to write your paper is not only playing by different rules, its playing an entirely different game and the ref is MIA. I guess it is true that post secondary education is elitist...and I'm just a pauper who writes her own papers. I hope that this creep and all the bastards that felt it was beneath them to write their own papers get salmonella poisoning from all the pumpkin they've eaten. The lazy, arrogant bastards probably paid someone to spoon-feed them, too...

Spring - is it really here?

2006-03-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sunrise-waiting for spring

I'm not going to say that it's here yet because we usually get snowed on again in April. I hope the nice weather holds for a while because I'm itching to get on my motorcycle for some reason. I don't usually even start to think about it until the streets are clean in May, but for some reason I really want to be out riding. I guess as long as summer isn't as crappy as it was last year I can wait a little longer... I guess... if I have to.

I went into my old place of employment today for a visit. I guess I still feel welcome there, but the tension is so thick there, you can cut it with a knife. I sure do miss working with my friends, but you couldn't pay me enough money to go back - not in a million years. Been there, done that and I'm glad I took the plunge and moved on. I am however going out for drinks/dinner with one of the guys next week. He's a good friend and I enjoy his company, and he says he enjoys going out with me because we can drink and B.S. for hours without any strings attached. I like that, and we have always have a great time. This time I think I'll try to arrange it so I don't have to go to school the next day though. We polished off a bottle of wine and I think he also had 2 beer when we went out in Feb and as you know that fills my alcohol quote for a good 3 months!

Guess what... even though I didn't read most of the chapter for my last Abnormal Psych midterm, I still managed 70%! I'm guessing that if I get through the next for chapter for the final and write a kickass essay, I'll be set!

By the way, my essay is on Sex. It's always a great topic!

Now that I've sat here and blogged for a while, I'd getter get off my ass and start writing that essay!

An unusual experience...

2006-03-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

It is 7:29 pm on Monday March 27th, and I have not slept since I rolled out of bed on Sunday at 9:00 am. The wierd thing is that I didn't go to bed Sunday night because I wasn't tired, so I put in some serious effort on an already reasonable essay by 8:00 am this morning, I still wasn't tired, or hungry or anything.
VERY wierd.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that I'm experiencing my first manic episode. You know I did tour Alberta Hospital Edmonton with my Psych class on Friday... perhaps this is just empathetic insomnia. And since I don't handle caffeine well I avoid it except for chocolate....mmm... chocolate... therefore that wasn't the cause. I have a massive problem though... I have a midterm tomorrow morning that I need to put some serious cram time into, but I also need to be conscious in order to get through it.

What to do? What to do!

I'm finally beginning to feel a bit fatigued, but nowhere near as bad as I should feel. I should be either extremely irritable and barely maintaining consciousness, or I should have gotten in 2 hours of sleep already. I really hope this little stint as an insomniac doesn't bite me in the ass. Only time will tell I guess. Wish me luck--or a really fantanstic sleep while I learn by osmosis!

Double Major? A shiny new distraction from my current reality.

2006-03-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Today after class, I briefly spoke to my prof about my term paper topic. He mentioned that he has a class called the psychology of sex that might be of interest to me. I told him that I would see if I could squeeze it into my schedule next year. When he found out that I already had the prereqs, he said that I was the type of person he would really like to see in this class... Maybe I should consider a double major? Hmmm... very interesting... but I won't spend too much thinking about it until after my term papers are done, or I'll squander a whack of time on the NEW bright and shiny instead of the current not so shiny task of getting really good grades in the 3 courses I'm currently taking. Ah, the joys of being ADD.

It's time for bed.

2006-03-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's way past my bedtime so this post will be short. I'll blog more tomorrow after I've finished writing my SOC presentation and talked to Laz. I'm fairly happy with what I've got so far for my pres. D even thinks parts of it sound like something Stewart McLean would write for the Vinyl Cafe. I might even include some excerpts here when I'm done with it tomorrow.

A confession from a control freak and other ramblings

2006-03-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Why is it that once I get something the way I want it, I can't just be happy? Am I going to fight myself my entire life? I'm not talking about life altering events here but they seem to be all consuming at the time. Is the world going to end if the dishes aren't done when I want them done or the garbage isn't emptied as soon as it's full - No - but I make myself crazy thinking that it will. I really need to become more like my aunt who is Buddhist and has a better life than I ever will. I am certainly not going to be at peace with muchof anything in life until I'm at peace with myself. It sounds so easy...if it only were so easy.

On a completely different subject...

I have a meeting to attend this coming week in which myself and a fellow user as "acting reps" expect to receive the brunt of the negative feedback over some gate vandalism that has taken place in the backcountry. From previous encounters, it has been gang up on the newcomer or the most visible minority in order to deflect responsibility or something worse.

I hope to help those who would point fingers at us realize that they are simply creating more conflict at the expense of their cause and ours. We have a common adversary – STUPIDITY. I'm getting a little fed up with being labeled a "bad guy" for no reason other than I drive a truck off-road. What they are attempting to do is no different than any other form of discrimination. Being anti-truck is no different than being anti-black, anti-gay or anti-Semitic; it is still just discrimination solely on the basis of a specific trait or characteristic. Just as they know not to generalize that all teenagers are bad they should also know not to paint us all with the same brush.

Now that I have had my little rant I'll attempt to make what I've said palatable and politically correct for a less than ideal audience. Mind you, if the audience was ideal, then I wouldn't need to say anything because they'd have the same view as me...so in fact I'm better off with the audience I'll have for the meeting because I have a chance at changing a few minds. Very interesting.

So... should I wear a skirt just to throw the finger-pointers off just that much more? It isn't something I would normally wear but if it would help push things off balance just enough for them to at least listen to what I have to say, it might just be worth the hassle of shaving and putting on pantyhose.

It better not be -30 that day or I'll be in true fighting form. Don't mess with a woman who has braved bare legs on a day like that... you are just asking for it. You know it has been a while since I've needed my "scorching stare". I'm sure it still works, it just might work more like wall of fire than a targeted flame.