Summer!

Yess, yess, it is here! Oh, happy days of splash pads, ice cream trucks, swimming pools, and trips to the beach! Of course, with that come the days of heat and humidity and a perpetually sweaty forehead. But no matter.

Party life

So, bbq season was officially kicked off by my friend Car. Unfortunately, the day of her bbq, it was about +15C and sprinkling. As a consequence, most of the party happened indoors. I love Car dearly, but I had never met any of her other friends. Most of them I really liked, with one notable exception. Let's call her... Celine. Celine was very helped Car with her health in the past and remained a friend afterward. Celine is from la belle provence and has a bit of an accent, which was charming, until this conversation took place. Let me explain first that Celine has no children nor does she work with them or have any real contact with them. Penboy was at the party and was excitedly running around with the dogs, having lots of fun.
Celine and I were in the kitchen. Alone. Penboy flitted through in chase of a dog.
Celine: Your son, he is so tall!
me: Yes, well, he has tall parents.
C: Your son he has, umm, autistic?
me: Excuse me?!
C: No? He has autistic?
me: No, he does not have autism.
C: Well, what does he have? He has SOMETHING!
me (at this point my eyebrows reached my hairline): Why do you say that?
C: Because he is running around like that.
me: He's five. And he does not have a disorder of any kind.
At this point I left the kitchen to join Car's nice and well-bred friends on the terrace. I did not speak another word to Celine though she tried to talk to me. Let me explain to those of you who have no offspring. You do not suggest to a mother (that you have known for five minutes) that her child has an unknown syndrome of some kind.

The Graduate
Penboy graduated from kindergarten on Monday. He had a little hat with a tassel and got a diploma. It was all very touching and exciting. He's grown so much and can read some stuff and write letters. He's good at math and is interested in all kinds of things. Aww. So proud.

What do these women have in common?

They are 40 or over. And yours truly will be joining their ranks tomorrow.

Monthly Update

I say monthly because it seems I write once a month these days. All because Secret Company does not allow blogging at work and comes down hard on people who do. Fair enough, but that means I have little time to blog. Not that I have that many topics...



Attended a fabu conference in Rochester run by the Society for Technical Communicators. Met a whole bunch of nice people and even learned a bit. The hotel (Hyatt Regency) was very nice and had a pool. Mr. P, Penboy and I splashed for a few hours on the night before the conference. Penboy even dared let go of us and splash by himself (with two life preserves on, of course). Earlier there had been panicky clutching of my hair. I swear, I will go bald one of these days because when he's scared of something, he grabs my head and holds on to my hair.

After conference, we went down to visit FIL. With the dollar (then) being at par, we splurged on a portable DVD player. Ahhh, new electronics, love them.



Then of course, on Saturday morning, I woke up to the news that the upper part of the Polish government had been wiped out in a plane crash. I was in shock. My mom was still in Poland and we were worried that air traffic would be cleared for visiting dignitaries and she would not be able to return on time. This was all before the crazy Icelandic volcano eruption, of course. Yes, we do live in interesting times. My mom came back as planned though. Volcano held off until later in the week.

In browsing the net, I found a picture that epitomizes me (I'm sure Mr.P will agree here). It is called the Magpie Fairy. I shamelessly pilfered it from here: http://www.josephinewall.co.uk/magpie.html





Because I am doing some spiritual work with meditiation and reading about Buddhism and stuff, I spent a period agonizing over my love of bright shiny objects. I think I just need to come to peace with it though. This is who I am, the Magpie Fairy.

March Blues

A word about insurance companies - they are bloodsuckers! They will squeeze every penny out of you. This was brought on by my dear insurance company sending me a renewal of my insurance and raising the premiums $50.00 a month! I ask you! Pretty soon if this goes on, I won't be able to afford to have a car at all.

Read "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and absolutely loved it! Am totally motivated to mediate now. I even bought a book on how to meditate called "The Power of Stillness." I had some success in my early days of meditation, but the last two days were not too successful. Basically it goes like this.

Om. Namah. Shivaya.

Damn that stupid insurance company!

Om.

Gee, I wish I were somewhere warm and lying on the beach. Maybe I'll mediate about that.

Namah.

OK, back to it. Stillness is not thinking about the beach, it's concentrating on the mantra.

Shivaya.

----

Om.

But the beach would be nice. Gee, I wish I were ten pounds thinner. Or twenty for that matter.

OM!!!

And that is when I gave up. Back to it again tonight. I think I am supposed to practice a different mantra this time. Om usually does it for me, but I need a different "emergency" mantra for tougher days.

Valentine's Day

It was a good one this year, peeps. I got a gorgeous art nouveau ceramic box, an Egyptian canopic jar, a really nice Second Cup mug, and little fun toys which I will leave to your imagination. All from Mr. P. :) Penboy gave me a Valentine which he signed himself and where he tried to write Mama, but wrote Mami. I am keeping it for evah!

In other news, sister-in-law is getting a divorce. I spoke to her at length on the phone. It left me feeling down. Then we were supposed to go to Car for dinner, but when we pulled out of the garage, spotted a big flat tire. As it's Family Day, our friendly neighbourhood garage is closed, so there was no going anywhere today. Just a bit of a grey, down day today.

New Year, New Me?

Every year I read the January "New Year, New You" issues of magazines. Not this year. I have decided to give the old me free reign. That said, I did come up with some very unpleasant resolutions:

1. Spend less money.

2. Eat less sugar.

3. Eat less fat.

4. Eat less of everything.

5. Exercise more.

6. Lower debt.

Sigh.

So, a quick review of the holiday season. Santa brought me the coveted Julia Child book and also French Chef on DVD! I immediately made Beuf Bourginion and a lovely roast chicken for Mr. P's birthday that I had to baste EVERY 15 MINUTES! But, oh it was so worth it!

Watched a bunch of movies that found their way under the tree: Howl's Moving Castle, Star Trek, Julie and Julia.

We all finally got over our colds/bronchitises at the beginning of January.

Had my performance review at work and got a very good rating!

We went to Casa Loma a couple of weekends ago and had a blast.

So, not too bad for a month of stuff.

The Plague


I think this must be the time of year, because we are all sick. And I mean sick, not with little colds, no puffers and antibiotics are involved. For a little while I wondered if we had H1N1. I don't think so though. I certainly don't have the right symptoms. Well, anyway, it's not fun, especially with a very energetic five-year-old who is feeling fairly well and wants to play elaborate car games.

Oh, and by the way, if I see much more of Max and Ruby, I will go postal. Penboy LOVES Max and Ruby. Mr. P and I both loathe it. I have never heard on cartoon TV a more condescending and patronizing voice than Ruby's. I think I'd rather listen to Elmo's annoying laugh.




They look cute, don't they? Do not be fooled!

In crocheting news - excitement! I have finally begun a granny square afghan. I made two squares so far and the afghan calls for 90. So, that makes one square a night for three months and I should be done! Only have 88 to go now. If Mr. P watches one of his fave programs on TV (involving dinosaurs, or real-life cop chases, or dinosaurs chasing cops), I should be able to churn out two or three in one night!

I am sadly behind in making jewellery. I originally planned to give it as Christmas gifts, but I see that won't happen now. I got some nice art nouveau brass pendants on etsy and began making the necklaces to hold them, but sadly my enthusiasm waned. Luckily, I have two birthdays right after Christmas, so that's where they'll go.

We are off to Zellers today to get skates and a helmet for my child. He shows very little predilection for winter sports and I would like to get him excited at least about skating. I mean, we are Canadians, after all. I plan to take him to city hall, where there is a large skating rink with lights, music, and a big Christmas tree. Will keep you appraised of the results. Fingers crossed anyway.

All I Want for Christmas

Happy December! It's Ho Ho Ho time soon. In keeping with the spirit of "getting," here is my wish list. (See Sally on Peanuts - "Christmas is the the joy of getting.") The two main ones are:

1. Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Mankind.

2. Health and Happiness.

And smaller things,

3. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child.

4. "The Age of Innocence" DVD.

5. "Julie and Julia" DVD.

6. Bella's moonstone ring. Yes, I am smitten by the lore too, though I have not read the books.

7. Lots of yummy things to eat and good times and friends and laughing and joy.

Come to think of it, I'll be happy with #7.

Back!

I won't even bother explaining my lack of updates because otherwise this blog would be all about that.

It's fall again in TO. Falling leaves, back to school, colds. Yep, I got all of the above. I am taking a course in digital publishing, which I LOVE. I think I will totally take more courses like that. Unfortunately, this means one night a week I have class, to obvious disgust of penboy. He has taken to sleeping with me ALL THE TIME. Sigh.

In other news, have been sewing like mad - curtains, bags, skirts. All to avoid making a shirt of Mr.P. But soon, I think I will have to cave and begin the shirt.

Asked for Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas and will attempt yummy Julia dishes. I really love French food!

And this, I shamelessly pilfered from the net, but I love it so!

This is the source.

What I've been doing

You may be wondering what I've been up to all this time. I've been busy.

I painted our bedroom (dusty pink, in case you can't tell from the picture).

I also made curtains for penboy's room.

And for the living room. All fabric from IKEA.

Oh, and inspired by Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, I've been learning how to make Julia Child's recipes.

Speaking of which, I have to go make dinner.

Bon Appetit!

They really are cold!

People in Toronto, that is. Or rather, nuts. And I'm not even talking about the crazies on Yonge street.

The other day I was at Winners, trying to buy a present for a friend. I thought I would buy earrings. I went up to the jewellery counter and gave the little earring tower a tentative turn. Just then a lady (and I use that term loosely) bent her head to look at something in the case. As a result, her head was very close to the earring thingie. I apologized. Even though it was not my fault. She straightened up, said nothing but stared at me.

"Yes?", I said.

"Sorry?!" she spat, "is that all you can say?"

"What?"

"After you almost hit me, on purpose, you f***ing retard!!!"

"Why would I do it on purpose?" I was stunned to tell the truth.

At this point she launched into a litany of expletives, all addressed to me.

"If you think everyone is out to get you, that's not my problem." I said rather lamely and walked away.

More four letter words and name calling.

And she didn't even look crazy, she was wearing a business suit! Not that wearing one means you are sane, clearly. There was a woman standing next to her at the jewellery counter and she looked kind of shell shocked too. I hope that was not her friend.

Not dead yet.

Some changes in the pen household though. Penboy no longer slumbers with us, he has his own room! One day I came home from work to find all the toys gone from the living room. They were all in his room (mind you, that is no longer true because he drags a couple of toy boxes out and certain people are too tired/lazy to drag them back). I have to confess I was not ready! What, my baby is not sleeping where I can see him anymore? As you can imagine, the first night was rough, especially for us. Penboy slept like a baby, but pengirl and Mr.P lay there for half the night listening for sounds of distress.

So, now the computer (confuser as my friend Lynn calls it) is in the living room, nestled cosily near the kitchen. Mr. P has to endure endless phone conversations on the part of yours truly who gabs every night with mom and various friends. By the time little man is nestled safely in bed and pretending that he's asleep, and I finish my phone time, it's usually nine o'clock by which time all I want to do is collapse in front of mindless TV. No writing, certainly no exercising...

Also apparently pengirl is low in iron. I just seem to run out of steam at a certain point in the day.

So, those are my excuses and updates.

We went to see FIL last week. It was my week off. Yippee! Went swimming in frigid waters twice (Stoney Brook State Park), went to Penn's Caves and the Strong National Museum of Play.

A good time was had by all. And I had my fill of Panda Paws ice cream! My FIL even bought me a carton of cherry Panda Paws! Thank God we have Moose Tracks here (kind of a Canadian version of Panda Paws) or else I would be VERY sad.

Here is a pic from inside Penn's Cave.

Birthday Blues

So, yes, it is that time of year - I got to be one year older in one day.

(Image Source)

As birthdays go it was a good one. Mr. P made me a roast chicken and we had a bottle of wine and some lemon cake (my fave) that my mom made. I got picked up at the subway station too! I had asked for an anthology of Sherlock Holmes and that is what I got as a b-day pressie.

And the night before last... We went to our first evah school concert! Our child (it turned out) sang with his class. We didn't really know about this until the morning of the concert. I got a note in his backpack the night before saying something like "have the kids at the school by this time for the concert." I had no idea he was taking part! We double checked with the teacher and sure enough, he was supposed to sing. And he did! It was THE CUTEST! The kids sang three songs. I do have to say though that the parents totally pounced. The minute the kidnergateners came out on stage, the parents almost rushed the stage with cameras.

So, I figure (as he is not wont to let us know what goes on in his school life now) that in the future we'll have this type of conversations with Penboy:

Penboy: Mom, you need to fly to Stockholm tomorrow.

Me: Why?

Pb: Oh, you know, I'm accepting a Nobel Prize.

Me: Oh, OK.

Love Her!

I love this woman's voice!

Still on a Chocolate High

Easter has come and gone and we were just inundated with chocolate. I have to say that my child should be an example to me because he can eat just a couple of pieces and stop, whereas I...

I am really starting to despair of spring. We had a couple of days of high temps and now are back to cold. Growl!

On a totally unrelated note, I have come to love napping. I would even say that napping is a sort of new passion. Every weekend afternoon I indulge. I could be doing lots of other things, but napping is oh, so sweet. Perhaps it's a sign that I'm getting old because all the other things I should be doing are really not that important anymore and more trouble than they're worth. On the other hand, what could be sweeter than curling up under a warm fuzzy blanket, listening to birds chirping outside, and the sounds of kids playing... Oh, I feel a yawn coming on!

Must share this little news tidbit. Apparently, Hugo Chavez is impressed with Barack Obama. He calls him not as dumb as Bush. Finally, they sent us a smart one, says Hugo, and someone who can actually pronounce "nuclear" properly!

Outdone, Outmanouvered, Outsmarted!

Yes, ladies and gents, my child is a master manipulator and I bow to his superior strategizing abilities. Here is what happened.

On Thursday after dinner, he innocently said "Wanna go for a little walk?"

I agreed as I had to get something from the nearby grocery store. The store is in a little plaza that also has a couple of dollar/toy stores.

Penboy: Wanna look for Gordon at the plaza? (He is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine)

me: You know there are no Thomas toys at the plaza.

Penboy: Wanna look anyway?

me: Yeah, OK, we can look.

I foolishly thought that since there are no Thomas toys, we'd only look and leave. Oh, how wrong I was!

We went to the first dollar store and he had a cursory look at the toys. He expressed interest in a fire truck, but I was able to dissuade him easily. Then we went to the second store. And there, as large as life, was a yellow truck.

"Oh, wanna buy it?" Penboy said with innocent child hope in his eyes. And that was when it hit me. Whoa, he planned this all along. He was not looking for no Thomas toys! He knew perfectly well there are no Thomas toys at the plaza. He was counting on me getting him a toy because I'd feel bad that there was no Thomas. Oh, master manipulator!

I refused to buy the truck, but offered a green car instead (half the price). He refused the car.

"OK, then ," I said cheerfully "let's just go." That was when he stopped in the middle of the aisle and said tearfully "But I have to have SOMETHING!"

"Well," I said slowly "I do need a new lightbulb for my lamp. We can get that."

That was clearly not going to cut it. After long negotiations we left the store with some glass stars of the kind you put on the bottoms of vases. He's good, I tell ya. I am no match for him. I see a bright future in union mediation.

Happy Valentines!

Oh, it was a good one! Let me tell you, the highlights involved lobster tail, Brie, wine, roses, and that his and hers K-Y kit. Oh, yes, a good time was had by all.

Totally unrelated, but I had to share, my husband and I had this conversation while watching TV. A commercial came on for the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic" with Isla Fisher.

pengirl: You know, I really liked the book. I don't even want to see this movie.

Mr. P: I hate Reese Witherspoon, I hate her face and her smile!

pengirl: But this is not Reese Witherspoon!

Mr. P: I know, but I hate Reese, there's something about her face. I just hate it!

Yep, we are turning into those two old geezers that sit in front of the TV and talk off-topic.

Yes, I'm still around

I am sick. I have some horrible, nasty plague that's in my lungs and sinuses. I am taking a couple of sick days and staying home. Saturday I slept for most of the day. Mr. P is being an angel, taking care of Penboy and cooking so I could basically disappear from the map for hours at a time.

Saw "Mamma Mia" the movie. At first I HATED it! I love Meryl Streep, but seeing her giggling and falling on beds and couches with feet in the air for 15 minutes is not exactly seeing her at her best. So I turned it off and promptly got scolded by Mr. P who said that HE wanted to watch it. So, I sulked on the couch while I turned it back on. And good thing Mr. P knows what I will like before I do 'cause I really ended up enjoying it. The story is crap of course, but the singing was good, (well except for poor Pierce Brosnan) and ABBA songs to the backdrop of the Greek Isles - can't go wrong. I especially liked "The Winner takes it All" which Meryl totally nailed. Who knew she could sing so well! Is there anything the woman can't do?

Happy New Year!

Here it is - the first day of 2009. So far, it's been a pretty good year. I got to sleep in this morning. We went to my parents' for a nice visit. Had a little trouble persuading the munchkin that we were not going to pack grandma's Christmas tree and bring it home with us, but somehow, a few tears later, we managed.



Yes, I have a feeling it might be an ABBA song year.

Resolutions? More like wishes - have more fun, more time with the boy, do the wild thing with the Mr. more, have more money and more time. Easy, no?

Happy 2009!

It's that time of year ... again

Actually, it is feeling slightly more magical this year and all because of Alex. He is SO excited about the Christmas tree and lights and decorations. We took him to see Santa at a local mall and he loved it. And here I came across my first Christmas dilemma. Alex asked for Gordon under the tree (part of the Thomas the Tank Engine gang - clicky here for datils). Well, of course, that is the one engine I can't find. And he asked Santa for it. Now, this is the first year we do the whole Santa hoopla and I don't want him doubting just yet. Sigh. I am turning into one of those crazed parents who scour the city for one toy.

In other news... I am sadly behind on all my knitting projects, but I am writing more! Yay! OK, this is Mickey Mouse stuff, but it helps me feel slightly more creative. I publish on Triond. Here is one of mine http://www.socyberty.com/Relationships/What-Women-Like-in-Men.394727. Yes, it does take away from writing the blog, but might actually make me some money too. Why, already I earned three cents!

'Tis the winter of my discontent

Or something to that effect. I could never remember that line.

Secret company where I work has turned out to be rather heartless. Though companies are no matter what they claim. I think the more a company says they care about their employees, the more underhanded they are. Maybe it's only because you expect them to be caring and they by nature are not. They're like Daleks. Exterminate! Exterminate!





Though Daleks still look like giant washing machines to me. Anyway, back to my main point. I am asked to apply for the job I am currently in. Surprised? Yeah. I am currently on contract and they want to get rid of contractors so they have to post the position just in case someone else might want to apply. Oh, wait it gets better. The girl who I hired, trained, and mentored is also encouraged to apply for the position. To give her her due, she is a clearly bigger person (not a Dalek) and has refused to play their game. If only I could do the same! Pride puts very little food on the table though, so I am in the unenviable position of breaking my ideals while wanting the job but not at the company where I am. Very complex. And I used to like Secret Company. Well, not now. At least, not Pointy Haired Boss who looks like the instigator of the whole intirgue. Sux.

Dis an' dat

I have been talking about Santa with Alex. He is getting more and more excited about Chirstmas. We saw a giant Christmas tree at the Eaton Center yesterday. It was all done in white and suspended under the ceiling as though floating on a cloud. Alex even agreed to go see Santa Claus at a local mall this year. He flat out refused last year.

In that spirit I asked Alex if we were going to write a letter to Santa. I explained that we could put down what he wants for Christmas and Santa would try and get it for him. This conversation ensued:

me: So, do you want to write a letter to Santa, so we can tell him what you want under the tree?

Alex: Yes.

me: That way Santa will know what to get you.

Alex: Yes, I will write a letter for Santa. I will write the letter E for Santa.

That was when I realized my son does not know what a letter is.

In other news, things are looking iffy at work. There is a hiring freeze and of course pengirl is on contract, so pengirl might be jobless very soon as contract is ending. Bloody recession!

In other other news, the husband sweater is officially finished (I had to fix the neck). I have now moved on to a pink scarf for moi, happily ignoring all other projects I should be working on right now. Here is le pic.

School

I am the mother of a kindergartener. Alex started school on Monday. I took the day off to be able to take him to school on his first day. He was not in the least nervous, found his coat hook, hung up his coat and went to sit on the carpet with the other children. Then said "bye" when we were leaving. But this totally broke my heart. There was a little girl there who just stood in the middle of the room with her head down, visibly fighting tears. Her wise parents (or whoever brought her) did not intervene, but OMG, I just wanted to scoop her up in my arms and give her a big hug. Good thing she was not my daughter or else she'd be missing school that day.

Alex came home fairly tired on his first day, but after his nap asked if he could go to school in the afternoon too. He was not too impressed when I told him that he'd only go in the mornings.

In knitting news : drumroll please... the sweater is finished. OK, there was a bit of an issue with the neck being slightly too big, but other than that I think it's gorgeous. I might fix the neck at some point. I am working on pillow for FIL now.

Oooh, gotta go. Hear kid sounds from the other room.

Last weekend of the summer

Well, kids this is it - Labour Day weekend. For us it means the last days of the CNE (that's the Canadian National Exhibition for you non Torontonians), the air show, and start of school next week. This year my little guy is actually going to school, well JK. It's been a while since a year to me meant September to June. I remember my first day at school (first grade, mind you) in Poland. They gathered all the first graders in the reception hall of the school and the principal delivered some sort of speech. We had to wear uniforms which consisted of an "apron" over a white blouse and some sort of navy pants or skirt. These "aprons" looked kind of like lab coats and were longer for girls and shorter for boys. They were navy coloured and made of polyester. I didn't really care for them. When I was in the third or fourth grade they were abandoned as required school-wear.

In knitting news - the husband sweater is almost done! I have 15 cm more of sleeves to do and then have to put it together. A proud photo will be displayed here when it is done. Meanwhile I have totally become enamoured with Amigurumi. How long has this been going on and I had no idea? I have begun making a cute little bunny, but then felt guilty and went back to the sweater, so all I have is the head. Will not post a pic as it looks kind of macabre, just the head on its own.

And lastly, here is a conversation I had yesterday with my son:

Alex: Want a bath.
Me: But honey, it's too late. We should not have watched that whole movie.
Alex: Want a shower.
Me: You can have a shower tomorrow.
Alex: No tomorrow!
Me: Yes, tomorrow.
Alex: Tomorrow is tomorrow.

Can't fault his logic there. We might have a philosopher on our hands.

Not gone, just lost for a time

Yes, it's been a while. The summer is proving to be fairly busy. I refuse to stay at home and so consequently our weekends have been full of activity. Finally, one Friday Mr. P said "Is this weekend also going to be so busy?" That made me slow down a little, but not much. Also, I can't blog at work, so that makes it challenging because when I get home I don't really feel like sitting in front of the computer.

Went for an awesome family reunion in NY state. This was at my FIL's house, but both sisters-in-law came, one from Virginia, the other from Missouri. Also brother-in-law even though he is recovering from back surgery. OK, totally warm and fuzzy. Tons of hugs all around, little kids running around the yard looking for kittens that live on my FIL's porch. Huge bbq for about 50 people in the yard, watermelon, chicken, strawberries, tables set up on the grass... It was like something out of a movie or a Norman Rockwell painting.

And, yes, our camera was not working!! Mr. P took it to Canon and they were fixing it and of course we did not get it back in time to take it with us. That's OK though, at least we were not worried about getting the best shot. Mind you, some people promised to send us their pics and so far, not a peep.

Had an awesome anniversary (#5 - can you believe it?). Mr. P made a whole cartoon about our relationship! Clicky here for fun and amusement: http://thestoryofus.ismyse.com/ Apparently he'd been working on it since the fall. I had no idea and was totally surprised.

Well, off to the CNE this weekend, if the weather holds. You Vancouverites out there are probably snickering at all the rain we are getting here in TO. Really, it's been kind of ridiculous.

OK, must get to bed. It's fairly late (for me) and it's a work night.

P.S. The cameras IS working now. Consequently I was able to take this pic of a flower in my mom's little garden. Enjoy.

Style and the City

I had my own little "Sex and the City" moment. For years I have been coveting a piece of Tiffany silver and finally, after I got my promotion (thank you, thank you), I decided that there was no earthly reason why I should not own a piece of my very own Tiffany. I wanted to do this for myself rather than wait for Arthur to get one for me. It's a girl-can-do it thing. So, one lunch time last week, I moseyed on up to 85 Bloor Street West, where the mecca of jewellery stores is located. I felt intimidated by the huge doors a little, but I pushed them open and here I was. I stood in the door way just a second to take in the atmosphere. The security guard (in a suit) greeted me from his station and almost made me jump a mile. But soon, I felt right at home. The lighting was discreet, the carpeting lush and soft and the staff all solicitous for helping find what I wanted. But not in my face. They politely inquired, they did not approach unless summoned. Well, I let myself be helped. You see, apparently, silver is on the second floor. Who knew there was a second floor! But of course, where would they have kept all the crystal and stuff! So I glided as gracefully as I could up the stairs in my heart congratulating myself on having worn my office shoes. It was actually kind of crowded up there. There were mothers helping daughters choose their first silver necklace. There were men buying silver money clips. And there it was among other gorgeous things - my coveted heart tag pendant. There was a girl with impossibly shiny hair at the counter, but she was helping someone else. So, I was helped by Joanna, an obviously Russian immigrant, who was nevertheless courtesy itself.

Plastic changed hands. She put my necklace in the blue Tiffany pouch, which went in the box tied with silky white ribbon and then in the blue Tiffany bag. Sigh. It was totally, totally satisfying. I walked down the street holding my Tiffany bag. And I know I am now an officially evil and shallow person who bows to labels and the doors to Nirvana are firmly shut against the likes of me, but when I put my new silver heart on with the Return to Tiffany stamped on it, I felt like everyone knew that I had something special round my neck (which I'm sure they did not). I had this newfound confidence. And now I want to go back there. Even just to browse. And my name is now on their registry. And I know I sound like I'm five, but this was my lifetime thing - to have something from Tiffany. It's like I have crossed a threshold.

... meanwhile, on the other side of town...

I did go to see SATC today and was totally satisfied. It was like a two and a half hour episode of the show and everything that I expected happened - Miranda is still a workaholic who takes care of everyone but herself and ends up resenting them for it, Charlotte is the princess of 5th Avenue, Samantha wants more sex and she doesn't get any and Carrie and Big get married. Finally, finally, they do it! I think I may want to get the DVD (hint to husbands who my read this).

...and finally

You should check out panties for peace. In an effort to atone for my evil jewellery buying ways, I will participate in the campaign to send women's underwear to guerillas in Mayanmar. You see these guerillas believe that touching women's underwear will rob them of their power. Interesting since they use rape as a weapon of war. Presumably they have to touch underwear then... Anyway, there is this campaing asking women to send in their panties to these guerillas as a peaceful way to help fight them and show solidarity to women being affected by the brutal fighting. Check out this site http://pantiesforpeace.ca/

Walking Hurt

I sprained my ankle yesterday. I was hoisting Penboy over this guardrail and I stepped onto the pavement wrong and my left foot lost balance and twisted. Ouch. I set the child down and he dropped the water cup he was holding. Of course there was screaming at that. I wanted to scream too, in pain. I have not sprained my ankle in a long time, in fact, the last time was when I was still teaching. I was leaving this bar, the Green Room. I was wearing shoes with pretty high heels (for me) and sprained my ankle on the stairs. Then for about a month I had to wear flats and limp. Well, it was the same today. Ugly shoes and limping. Fabulous. And just as I spotted this lovely pair of pumps...

I was going over the guard rail in the first place because we were picking up some rugs that I bought from a co-worker. She's changing decor and one of the rugs is Egyptian Gabbeh, which normally go for about 400 bucks. I got it for 50. The other one is not a Gabbeh, but in that style. OK, they're used. OK, they need cleaning. Some people even likened them to something one might find at a dump. Well, I think they have character. Apparently that might not be a high selling point. Sigh.

OK, now I will go and eat ice cream and maybe sit on my antique "ordures" style rug and nurse my sore foot and my thumb that I closed a door on. Yeah, it's not been the best couple of days.

Where has pengirl been?

Well, busy working, that's what. Learning all about secret company and whatnot. Trying to avoid walking in case of TTC strike. Also, been struck by this plague that's going around and having trouble kicking it.

The joys of talking child.

My son hates having his hair washed, which is weird because normally he loves the water. I told him last night we needed to wash his hair. This we do in the bath. Well, when bath time came, I said "Bathy time!" "No!" he says. "Why?" I ask. "Not dirty," he says. Hm.

Among the Employed



Yes, pilgrims, I am a worker bee once again. I work for a company that cannot be mentioned because I can't bring it into disrepute by any means at all, so I will just stay away from mentioning its name or business. It's all good though. I have a real cube once again, not that open concept crap like my last job. I have a window near. I am downtown. It's a year contract, but hey, a lot can happen in a year.

Polar bear bite vaccine

OK, so I could not not mention this. On my STC list serv a person from the States (let's call him, oh, Ned) mentioned that he is coming to Toronto soon to give a talk and he was asking his fellow list members what kind of VACCINES he should get before coming to Canada. That's in case he gets bitten by a polar bear, I guess and he develops an unexplainable love of Tim Horton's, hockey and normal strength beer. None of the Canadian list serv members replied to this, but many American ones did. To give them credit, nobody suggested Ned go to his doctor immediately and get all the tropical disease shots available to mankind. Ooh, it now strikes me I should have. Damn.

The winter blues

Yes, another bloody snowstorm. The munchkin did not go to school today beacause there is so much freaking snow on the ground!! It's getting me down. I fear only a new purchase of bling will be able to help this. Or at the very least some Brie cheese and cheap German wine. And chocolate. It's also International Women's Day. Last year at work we did a little gifite exchange among all the women and this year - squat. Even I forgot, which makes me even sadder.

In knitting news, the Dr. Who scarf:

I think it looks rather well. I added a fringe on the bottom after this pic was taken. That's Mr. P looking all suave in it.

Now it's time to finish some of the other multitude of projects I had begun - my mom's throw, the famous sweater...

All quiet on the Western front

Meaning I am still looking for some gainful employment. It's a depressingly long process.

On the plus side, it's sunny today, however, the road construction trucks that have been permanently camped in front of my building are very active now and are roaring and making the walls shake. My street is a big mud hole and has been since November. I have to wonder at the existance of brains at city hall. The geniuses picked the absolute worst time of the year to schedule construction - frozen ground, snow storms followed by heavy rain. Lovely.

In knitting news, the Dr. Who scarf is finished! It's not quite as long as the original, but I think that will make it a little more manageable. Mr. P loves it and that's the main thing (there was semi dressed modelling of the scarf last night - hubba hubba). I know I've been promising pics. Here is one when the scarf was just a baby.

I love the colours on it, all rusts and browns. I still need to add a fringe on the bottoms. Then I have a line-up of other project to work on, including the famous sweater. If only someone wanted to employ me as a knitter!

Holy snow!

We have had about a tonne of it. Well, maybe not, but it feels like it. I mean mountains of snow on every street corner, slush everywhere and treacherous driving conditions. Grrr. I know, I know, this is Canada, but let's not exaggerate.

In knitting news, about half done on Dr. Who scarf. Can't wait to be done and have Mr. P sporting it around town. (aside from everything else, it will keep him warm)

Applying for jobs left right and center, but so far nobody has recognized how fabulous I am. I always loved the line from Working Girl when Tess (Melanie Griffith) asks Kathryn (Sigourney Weaver - love her), her boss about her boyfriend proposing.

Tess: What if he doesn't pop the question?

Kathryn: I really don't think it's a variable. I am in the same town now, I have cleared the month of June and I am after all, me.

Ahhh, such self confidence. This is what I should put down on my cover letters : I am after all, me.

An unusual place to shop

I discovered an unusual and slightly grim (perhaps) place to shop - hospital gift shops. They just rock! The first one I went to was at St. Joseph's Hospital, when Mr. P was having his nose surgery. I had to wait about three or more hours and had ample time to roam the hospital. Got totally groovy white lilac body lotion that time and a glowy wind up worm toy for Penboy, which totally freaked him out. Yesterday I went to see my mom at Toronto Eastern (she had thyroid surgery) and while she was sleeping, went down to get a coffee and, you guessed it, check out the gift shop. Well, the spoils included a nice angel key charm for me and a yellow smiley face ball for the munchikn. The only problem is so far that there are not too many man things there, but I suppose only women would think to shop at a hospital, so they must clearly know their audience well. These places seem to have a large selection of cosmetics from lesser known Canadian manufacturers that just smell heavenly. I checked out a mango body cream yesterday. Mmmm - it was like mango ice cream in a jar! I was good and did not get it, what with my newly imposed necessity for frugality.

I highly recommend shopping at your nearest hospital for gift items. The best thing is that the profits go to the hospital and because the shops are staffed with volunteers, they don't have to worry about salaries.

News

The company where I used to work and I have parted ways. Nothing drastic, just one of those business things. I am now among the ranks of the unemployed. Quite enjoying it too. Well, not enjoying having to look for a job, but totally enjoying having some more time to spend with Mr. P and Penboy.

I have been spending some time in the car lately though. I went to pick up my things from Company. This was at six in the evening. I left home early because I was worried about the traffic and ended up arriving almost an hour early. Went to Tim Horton's for a hot chocolate (which they were out of), but I could only stay there for half an hour because they only allow a half hour of parking time. A cop came by and wrote down the license plate of my car too, so I could not even fudge it. So, after half an hour I moved to the Company parking lot and parked in a visitor spot, as much out of the way as humanly possible. I saw people leaving, read my book (Wicked). Then it got darker and darker. I did not want to kill the earth by idling the car, so there was no heat. I was cold. It got too dark to read and then the wind picked up and it got kind of lonely. Luckily, it got to be time to go shortly.

Then yesterday, I went to meet with an outplacement company who will be helping me in my job search and got there too early. You guessed it, sat in the car, read my book... It was daytime and pretty warm though, so much better than the previous night.

It is super windy today. I lay awake at night listening to the wind howling. At one point the wind gust was so strong that the whole building shook. Not good.

In knitting news, now that I actually do not work until 4:00 a.m. and then go into work the next day (don't ask), I have some time to knit. Am making a Dr. Who scarf for Mr. P. The colours are lovely, all rusts, fawns and golds and I am quite enjoying it. Ah, if only one could make a career out of knitting!

Picture Meme

Tagged by Glacia. Here goes.

1. Age you will be on your next birthday. (really tempted to say 29, but no)

2. Place you would like to visit.

3. One of your favourite places:

Estes Park, Colorado. Gorgeous scenery and the feeling this is the place time forgot.

4. Your favourite object.

Well, one of. Currently am into knitting a lot. Also love books, movies, music.

5. Your favourite food.

Hard to choose. I think this would be one thing I would find it hard to be without.

6. Your favourite animal.

Round, yet strangely graceful. Who could forget the dancing hippos in Fantasia! Need I say more?

7. Your favourite colour.

Red, red, red!

8. Name of a past pet.

OK, this was a hard thing to find a picture of. I had a hamster named Georgiana (not the hamster, of course, the name was hard to find).

9. Where you live.

TO, ON. Not that it looks like this most of the time.

10. First teacher's last name. It was Szybisz. Krystyna Szybisz. And she did not like me. Ah, well.

I don't know what this is supposed to be. It came up when I searched the last name.

11. Your middle name. Don't have one, but I always wanted to be Dorothea.

There you g0 - restless spirit - that's me.

12. Bad habit of yours.

Love, love, love jewellery. So, buying it is definintely a bad habit and costly. It serves no practical purpose at all and yet, I can't stop!!!

13. Your favourite flower.

14. Your favourite holiday.

I hate to sound corny, but it was my honeymoon. Mexico, the Mayan Riviera. Blue water, golden sand, swim-up bar.

Resolutions

Really have not had enough time to think of many, but here is what I came up with so far:

1. Learn to meditate. (What the heck, I can do it!)
2. Spend less money. (No more spur of the moment/emotional buys, this is it, I am cut off! This includes yarn.)
3. De-clutter. (Not sure I can do this one.)
4. Finish the mister's sweater. (OK, it's been over three years, this is getting ridiculous!)
5. Travel, travel, travel! (Mr.P and me on a beach)
6. Figure out the meaning of life, existence of a higher benevolent being, and how to save the world from itself.

There, that ought to do it.

No weight loss, you ask? Well, if I get all of the above done, I think the weight will take care of itself.

Happy New Year! Champange wishes and caviar dreams (or whatever). What is Robin Leach doing these days anyway?

New Year

Christmas was nice albeit quiet. Apart from having to take Alex home from my parents' house at 9:30 at night on Christmas Eve, that is. He just would not sleep there and he did the quiet sob that just welled up inside him. So, I said "we're going home!" We were all in jammies at this point. Mr. Pengirl was a great trooper. I'm sure he was not impressed, but pulled his pants on and picked up Alex's stuff and off we went. My baby is just like me when I was little - dinner, potty and bed were at home. I did not want to eat, go to the toilet or sleep anywhere else until I was a lot older. Then of course, that is all I wanted to do.

I got some lovely things under the tree - a star necklace from the hubby, some cool books, a gorgeous carved head that hubby made in secret, a bag, choccy, ice wine, my fave green pomengranate tea. It was gooood!

I had to work most of the holiday break. Bleah. And now I am super tired both psychologically and physically. And the work is far from done. And I just don't want to do it. I just want to rest and cuddle in Mr. P's arms. Oh, yeah!

Hey, Santa

Watched Miracle of 34th Street last night. The one with Richard Attenborough. I love that movie. I especially love that moment when the guy leans out the window of the courtroom and says "Santa Claus wins!"

I'm sure I already mentioned that it was my own mom who told me there was no Santa. But as I got older I kind of half believed there was, at least some sort of benevolent holiday spirit that made magic happen. I really want Christmas to be a magical time for Alex so he has those nice Christmas memories. The magic seems to be taking its time this year though.

I remembered when we were in Algeria. Many of the contractors had small kids and they got together and had a kids party. They asked my dad to be Santa, complete with a white beard and big belly (which he does not normally have) and the red suit. Some of the six year olds were just starting to doubt, I think. All the parents were good about not mentioning to their kids that there would be a special visitor at the party. All the kids were playing and suspecting nothing when there was a knock at the door. My dad strode in in full Santa garb. You should have seen the faces on the older kids. It was like "holy crap, he does exist!" I almost believed it myself for a minute.

This is what I wish you all this Christmas or Chanukkah or Kwanzaa or Saturnalia or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate - that priceless moment of realizing the magic is happening. May you all be well and have a table full of food and a heart full of joy.

Paying it Forward

This from the lovely Glacia, who in turn got it here. It's a crafty pay it forward scheme. You make three things for people not expecting anything in return and then those people have to do that for other three people. I am totally on board and may just do that off blog as well. But if anyone would like to be the recipient of my PIF crafts, let me know on or off blog. You in turn will take a part in the PIF movement for others. It's sort of like a chain letter... but good.

Oh, btw, I don't know when these PIF goodies will be available, but definitely in 2008! Promise!

Yas'm

Certain people at work have been getting up my nose. I have the un-fun task (actually, it's mind-numbingly dull and has very little to do with technical writing) of doing layout for a manual. This means no writing, but putting everything in Adobe FrameMaker and making sure things look OK. There is one Research person who sees herself as better than most, at least better than technical writers. She stopped me as I was going to my desk the other day (literally had not yet sat down, had on my outside shoes and handbag). This is the conversation that ensued.

Stuck-up R&D Person: Oh, good morning. We will need to talk about the tables you will put in my chapters sometime soon.

Pengirl: Oh, OK.

SRDP: I don't know what you can do. Can you make them look good?

Pengirl: Well, I guess so.

SRDP: (Reminiscing) I used to have this wonderful technical writer (read servant). I just used to give her things and she made them look good without asking. She just did it! It was Sarah, have you ever met her?

Pengirl: I think I met her once (remembering someone extremely full of herself and rude).

SRDP: Well, I guess I'll come over and explain later what I'd like you to do with the tables.

Pengirl: (sorely tempted to say: tables, I thought those were them things you rich folk eat on) OK, bring some examples though.
(walks away stomping)

Let me explain. Technical communicators write procedural information. In fact, I wrote a chapter for the same manual. We are not in charge of making things look pretty. Graphic designers do that. Unfortunately, at this company, technical writers also do layout. R&D people often think that is the only thing we do. Well, certain R&D people. There is one lady who is great and totally respects the work we do. I suppose I should not be so hard on SRDP. She has a freaky looking daughter, so I suppose her life is not easy. No, really this kid has the face of a 30-year-old on a baby's body. I try not to stare at her picture every time I pass by SRDP's desk.

It's December!

And that means Christmas is near, pilgrims! This year I'm hoping little hands will help decorate the tree and will not make it fall over too many times.

I'm teaching him about Santa. Basically, telling him "Santa will be here soon and bring you many presents, etc." He looks at me with a very philosophical expression on his little face. I fear we will need to take him to a mall to show him "the real thing."

Got my Finnfeelings bling today. 'Tis gorgeous. Mind, I also asked my hubby for some bling for under the tree. I am all about the bling.

So love working at home. Can get bling by mail... enjoy some afternoon delights with my sweet honey... hold my munchkin on my knee as I type. Love it.

Oh, dear...

Not marble, nor the gilded Maggie
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme.

Which work of Shakespeare was the original quote from?

Get your own quotes:

Winter

Just looked out the window and it was total whiteness outside. Crazy. There are work crews working on our street and I was just thinking that I would not want to have any of their jobs. Mind, their progress seems to be confined to making larger and larger piles of gravel on one side of the road. I worry that I will not be able to get in or out of the driveway one of these days. Out will not be that bad, but in would be worse because the designated parking areas already have people parking on them even when there is no work being done. So, one day, pengirl will just be trapped at home and will be forced to play with her husband and baby all day instead of going in to work. Ah, dear.

Lots of knitting going on. Char's daughter's scarf is progressing. Almost done, in fact. I bought her a pair of earrings that I thought would be totally perfect only to find out she does not have pierced ears. I thought I was safe in assuming she did as she has pierced everything else. Tempted to keep them for self as they are funkeh!

Caved and got winter boots. Well, it was a given that this was going to happen because I threw away my old pairs (two of them) on account of them killing my feet. And what happened on the first snowy day in Toronto? No boots. So I went to Payless and bought mommy boots. Oh, you know the kind I mean, the kind that go with that padded, long Michelin man coat. I am happy to say that I still have not reached the Michelin man coat stage, but now certainly I have the boots for it.

Sooo proud of myself as I went to the mechanic across the street from work by myself and got the oil changed and the wiper blades replaced. Feel so grown up now. Of course, the mr. rolled his eyes at what they charged me (OK, I rolled my eyes a little bit too), but I feel you can't put a price on confidence! He did say that they charged surprisingly little for labour. I know it's not possible, but it feels like the car runs better now.

Brrr!

I know I'm a big woos and that's just because I drive now. It's only about -7 outside and I am freezing! Last year I would have been enjoying the brisk weather.


moar funny pictures

Yesterday I took the TTC and it took forever to get to work. I mean, in a land where forever takes two hours. It would probably have been the same had I driven though, but I got to read, so it was good.

Knitting News

Lots of news on the knitting front. I put a scarf in the United Way auction at work and a girl who wanted it a lot bought it, so that was good. I also offered my knitting services and a guy bought those. I am now making matching hats for him and his daughter who is one. I love small projects.
Also, I have finally gotten to the neck of the front of Arthur's sweater. I so want to finish before Christmas so he can wear it soon, but I'm afraid it won't happen. However, the plan is to finish the sweater before the boy turns four. I started this project before he was born!
Also making a scarf out of cute yarn called Pooch for Charlotte's daughter who likes things black and goth-like. The yarn is black and pouffy, so it should go over well. I also got her a pair of dragon earrings.

Christmas Shopping

... is half done. Haaa haaahhh! Still need to get everything for my dad and something for my mom and for my little Stitch lover too. Oh, and for Simon, Emma's son... OK, am getting depressed now. Sigh. But December will soon be upon us and I can start decorating and stuff. Wooohhhoo hoooo woooohoooo hoooo woohoooo all the way!!!!

In the land of the sick

Still sick and now the munchkin is sick too. We took him to Just for Kids to see a doc because this morning he woke up coughing and crying after every cough. He pointed to his throat. Poor baby, on his birthday too! Yes, pilgrims, three years ago today pengirl was in labour. Well, actually, by this time (2:00 p.m.) I was already on the maternity ward. Alex was down in the NICU because his blood sugar level was too low. So I went down two floors to hold him and feed him, while gingerly holding on to my c-section scar. Yes, a fun time was had by all. I gave the nurses the slip one time (unintentionally) and they were phoning all over the hospital looking for me. I was with my baby, of course. They brought him back to me the next day.

Well, we got drugs for the boy and instructions to not administer them unless he getse worse. Now he's napping, drugged up on Tylenol because he's beginning to get a fever after all this. When he gets up, I'm sure we'll be watching Lilo and Stitch again, while eating birthday cookies. I have to confess that even though I have now seen Lilo and Stitch about a hundred times, sitting with Alex, snuggling him on the couch, I could watch it a hundred times more.

"This is my family. I found it all on my own."

The plague!

Soo sick! I hate being sick! I'm sure it's the flu, but it feels like the plague. My little guy is sick too and seems to find comfort in watching Lilo and Stich all day. Yesterday we saw it four times.

I think I have most of the dialogue memorized now. I let him watch because it is the only time he will sit still. If only he'd stay in bed, he'd get better much quicker, but he's still at an age where bed is not somewhere you want to be. Ah, if only someone wanted me to stay in bed all day! Such luxury and decandence!

Mind you, my parents brought over a chocolate cake on Sunday to celebrate the little birthday and I've been snacking on it ever since, so the situation is not that bad. Of course, Alex won't touch the cake, but does want chocolate cookies and Rockets candy (that's Smarties to all you American folk).

Gee, staying at home makes me want to shop online, which is very dangerous as my credit card balances creep steadily up. I love Christmas, but hate paying for it. Ah, well, am almost half done with my shopping and December is not even here yet. Hah!

Next pay day I am treating myself to a big jar of Nivea cream, which is my absolute fave. It's 15 bucks for the biggest jar in a neighbourhood pharmacy and it's the German made kind, which has a nicer smell than local one. Can't wait.

It's time for the Pumpkin Patch!

Hallowe'en, that is. This year at work we're dressing up at characters from Clue. This is fitting because I have no 'clue' who they are. Well, I kind of do, but it sounded better that way. I am Mrs. White, played by Madeline Kahn in the movie, who was one of my fave actresses. My only exposure to Clue is the movie, actually and I don't remember it very well. I just remember that it wasn't too good.

Pictures may follow. My dress makes me look like a 300 pound elephant, so I may shy away from the camera.

I've been reading the best book: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. It's not new or anything, but it is to me! I got it at our work book sale for 50 cents and am just loving it. My fave character is Joe Odom, who basically squats in other people's houses, plays piano and hosts an unknown number of guests there. Added to that, he writes bad cheques and is overall totally unreliable and absolutely lovable. I highly recommend.

In other news you basically don't want to know what's been going on in my circle. I feel like I'm in the eye of the storm sometimes.

Oooh, pic of baby blankie at long last!

A whole lotta nothin'

...is what's been going on. Aside from that, I'm sick. Have a nasty cold. Took some Benylin last night hoping it would knock me out. No such luck. Their nighttime formula seems to have something that is a stimulant for me. Spent the whole night between sleep and waking, not fully in either. Got up even more tired than I went down. Bleah. Do not take Benylin. Is Evil.

Waiting for Charlotte to come back from Italy and tell me all tales of trip so I can live vicariously.

In happy news, the baby blankie turned out fab. Will include pic someday, promise. Have started a throw for us in lovely shades of blue and brown. Yes, yes, working on Arthur's sweater too after his many not-so-subtle hints.

Oh, and my shows are starting up again - House tonight, Grey's and CSI on Thursday. Thank God! The summer land of reruns is no more!

Reise Fiber

This means the anxiety of travel, meaning the little shivers you feel before a trip. As I am not about to travel, I don't have reise fiber per se, but I always thought it should mean the anxiety to travel. This I have in abundance, mostly precipitated by the fact that Char is off to Italy. Ahh, la bella Italia! My mom is off to Poland soon. Ahh, la bella... well, you know. Not that Toronto is not nice, it is and now in the fall, all the trees will soon look golden and red and the sky is so blue... just like on the Cote d'Azur. Sigh.

In other news, the Mr. is going under the knife soon, or should I say under the drill. He's having nose surgery to correct a structure there which is not formed correctly and is causing pain, infections and all kinds of unpleasant things like that. Oh, yes, snoring too. Unpleasant for me. He's quite excited that he'll be able to breathe better. I have to take a week off to take care of the munchkin while he recouperates.

In knitting news... I am actually crocheting right now. Making a baby blankie for Heidi, niece in law, who is pregnant and due in February. Will post pic when it is finished - probably tonight. Woohooo. I love making baby things, they are small and easy to finish.

Travels

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Char and I went to Port Perry for a little trip. What a cute little town! It's totally girly though, so all of you of the male persuasion, I suggest letting your womenfolk go with their friends, sisters, second cousins, you get the idea.

This place abounds in cute little shops mixed with really expensive art galleries. We had lunch at a tea-room sort of place. It was small, quaint. I had pierogi. The waitress came back to make sure I liked them after I had expressed scepticism at how good they could possibly be. "I am Polish, you know," I said. She swore people came from far and wide to have these pierogi, maybe not from Poland itself, but that could be attributed to the fact that Port Perry is not as widely known in Poland as it should be. Anyway, the pierogi were OK. The raspberry chocolate tart we had for dessert was divine.

We went down to the water and there was a plane that had just landed. It was idyllic.

On the way back we stopped at the Ocala winery. Bought some nice wine. These people won the silver medal for fruit wines in all of Canada. Rightly so, the ice apple wine was yummy, albeit a little too sweet for me.

Last week on Friday we had our summer outing from work. My manager likes to do one in the winter and one in the summer. We went to Unionville. We had a looooong lunch. As a matter of fact, the restaurant closed while we were there, this is how long this lunch was. Then walked around the little shops a bit, but not too long because I did not want to get stuck in traffic. This is another cute little town (on the way to Port Perry, btw) and has an abundance of crafty/artsy stuff. I realize that I need to go back to both these places.

Ahhh, love day trips!

Issues, people, issues!

It hasn't actually been said right out that we are not to blog at work, but I think it is generally accepted that we probably should not. I am blatantly breaking the unspoken rule. Why, you ask? My nose is out of joint yet again. This time it's a work trip where I was hoping to bring mister. It's New Orlean's for Pete's sake (sorry, Pete, don't know why people keep calling on you)! I mean, if it was Dead Man's Ass, Arizona, I would not want to take him and would have been happy to share a room with Vanessa. Not that I have any problems sharing with V., I just think her and Gus, her other half, and mister and myself all in one room is getting a little too chummy. And he so wants to go too. It's not that it's forbidden, it's that I will now have to pay for half a room, which works out to 100 bucks a night, that is on top of his airfare (700 bucks) and food for us both.

How perfectly typical and a replay of the picnic. So am a little miffed. For 1000 bucks we can go for a week to Mexico! All inclusive! Sigh and sigh again.

Mind, this may not even be an issue as who knows if I end up going in the first place. That would be ironic.

On the plus side, I saw a bunny outside of work this morning, so the world can't be all bad. And am heading to Port Perry with Charlotte tomorrow. Yes!