Grr argh
2006-03-31— Posted by: allegra
Keith blew off Karate last night and came home after Katie went to bed (?!) having blown his brains out on Warcraft. He’s paying for the Karate so if he wants to blow it off that’s his headache but of course much parental tsk tsking this morning.
My boss announced a long overdue project, deadline today at 10 am, and as I drew breath to complain about the timeline, he explained, in the brisk tones of a man trying to cram as much as possible in before his own execution, what HE was up against. Seldom have I been so effectively and efficiently reduced to docility…. as I sourly remarked to hubby this morning. I deserved it, and now am clean, shiny, and ready to work on something I should have already done…. more later. I’m actually in a pretty good mood.
Katie and I played cribbage last night. I beat her by 2 POINTS. I never beat her – she’s evil with the discards, that girl. It was astonishing to win at all.
Beer and whining
2006-03-30— Posted by: allegra
Big shout out to Steve and Mike, two of my fave cow-irkers, for our mutual therapy session at the hotel bar last night. I started out the discussion with What Are the 3 Biggest Irritants about Work right now, and a couple of hours and two jugs of beer later we had mapped out a strategy for bringing our legitimate concerns to a higher level. No, really. It WAS a work meeting; but there are some things that just go better with beer.
A very huggy, special shout out to Paul, who is a simply magnificent human being, and has demonstrated thoughtfulness, generosity of spirit and good humour in such a wonderful way to me and to others in our family/extended family over the last weeks. I am blessed to have him as such an important person in my life. Happy sigh.
Keith’s out looking for work (despite having an interview Monday), Katie is freaking out about her drama presentation, John is visiting rellies back east, Pokey is being very affectionate, and life is perrrrrty darned good right now.
Resisting temptation
2006-03-29— Posted by: allegra
Those of you who are shacking/married know that sometimes you will share with your spouse a joke which is not, uh, shareable with the great mass of people. Such was the case last night. Suffice it to say Paul and I got a good laugh out of it, and that I am in a calm and friendly state of mind today as Paul donated about half hour of desperately required massage. (I worked on his scalp and face). I am really really happy he’s off nights; I miss my teddy bear when he’s not there.
Katie took her boyfriend for coffee the other day (having learned she still had money in her account!). I covered off the dishes for her last night so she could do homework.
Last night I dreamed that I lived in a city made of books. I also dreamed that I found a musical instrument (weird looking critter, like a 16 string cittern made of black composite), and once I found out that it was something I could play on I started singing “Lifeline” – and everybody else started singing something else even louder and I attacked them. Like, physically; like, ripping their shirts up and pounding on them. How…. childish. I was displeased with my dream-self.
Got a postcard (Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street) from my ex-husband yesterday. I should write him back.
My loofahs haven’t germinated. I wonder how long it takes; nothing but a couple of Jalapenos and the sugar beets and flax have come up. The tobacco is stubbornly sitting this one out as well, and after I bought nice big decorative pots for them, the ingrates.
Keith is still coughing but a little better every day.
enough sleep
2006-03-28— Posted by: allegra
Couldn’t sleep until 1:30 last night. Richard Fleischer died the day before yesterday. As a memorial, we watched Red Sonja, one of THE WORST movies I ever saw in the theatre, and really, we should have watched 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, as that *was* his magnum opus. Kirk Douglas, who had the world’s sweetest ass at the time, dancing around in front of a bunch of appreciate sailors!? happy squee.
labour unrest
2006-03-27— Posted by: allegra
From the Blenz on Robson……
More things you don’t want to know
2006-03-27— Posted by: allegra
Whatever you do, don’t google image adipocere, like I did, like a butthead, yesterday. I know there are a lot of CSI fans out there, but there are some things you just don’t want to know. I also watched a time lapse film of a pig decomposing. I know mOm is a pig fan, but there are limits, so I am not providing the link. Sic transit gloria internet.
Paul and I bailed on Carly’s game about halfway through the second half – it was raining pretty steady, although not particularly hard, and I was soaked through on the back of my neck. I wasn’t particularly cold, which I owe to the fact that I hauled wood and brush for about an hour and a half before we left – my core temperature was a-boiling, for sure – and now there’s only minor cleanup left in the yard (which of course consists of pick up sticks – it’s time to get out the rake). Standing next to the walnut tree and watching it weep – it’s crying (unlike the cherry or the pear) with a steady rain of green tears – almost made me burst into tears as well.
Does anybody want holly seedlings? I have three holly seedlings, planted by birds pooping off the top of the side yard fence, and they can’t stay there for more than another two weeks as that’s when the beds are going in. Pic is of Jan, me (in a highly characteristic, front end loader kinda pose) and Jim. It hasn’t started to rain real hard quite yet. I’m also posting this pic to demonstrate to my mother that I actually wear my Jayne hat in public.
One thing after another
2006-03-26— Posted by: allegra
Katie’s doing dishes (!), mOmandpOp watched the Buffy Musical episode last night and liked it (!!), Paul says he’s doing okay on three hours sleep (Nice try, don’t believe him) and Carly has a soccer game this afternoon that we are going to try to get to. Keith is still working on a strep throat; I don’t care as long as he doesn’t give it to me. John is off in Ontario filking up a storm and I am trying to recover from reading the entire Xenogenesis trilogy in what was essentially four extended reads over two days.
Other than policing up the lawn today and seeing Carly’s game I have no plans.
Has anybody noticed that global climate change has hit the big time!? Front of Time, all over the place….
I’ve posted the link before, but if you want the sober, science climate change news explained for peeps, go to http://www.realclimate.org/. I recently tripped over http://peakoildebunked.blogspot.com/ which is a very interesting blog indeed, and a nice antidote for Apocalyptic attitudes. He’s dead wrong about a lot of things, but his recent post about energy conservation as an Olympic sport was pretty entertaining & informative. Having problems with allergies? Check out http://goalsuccess.typepad.com/goaltips/2006/03/how_to_nuke_you.html (I especially like the disclaimers). I’ll see if I can get some pics from the game and post them later……
Baby Hippo, Henry Doorly Zoo
2006-03-25— Posted by: allegra
Spa day
2006-03-24— Posted by: allegra
Avocado scrub…. I’d show the pic of Katie but I don’t have her permission.
Lazy day
2006-03-24— Posted by: allegra
After my extremely wearing week I decided to take the day off.
Keith is playing Prince of Persia, Kate’s asleep, Paul’s off running and I’m trying to think about what order we’re going to do our Spa Day stuff in. I actually got one of those facial steam/manicure set combos at London Thugs, I mean Drugs, yesterday. So we’re going to do the manicure, pedicure, salt scrub, facial blah blah blah thing, and then head over to the salon to get our hairs trimmed.
Paul’s off to Delta to help Mike M with his plane. All in all it should be a lovely lazy day, exactly what I need after this week.
Monday I was the only person in the call center. Everybody else called in sick – four other people. I find it entertaining and odd that after learning that I’ll be off the phones in six months or so I get blindsided with being the Thin Blue Line of customer service for an entire day. Funnier still was how I ended up at work half an hour early. These things are sent to try us. Anyway, I’m going to take my eyes off this computer screen and give myself a rest from the phosphor dot glare for a while.
apparently there’s a couple unaccounted for
2006-03-23— Posted by: allegra
It’s not clear yet, but there may be a couple missing from the ferry sinking.
My sugar beets
2006-03-23— Posted by: allegra
The sugar beets are coming up! They are very cute.
Roundup
2006-03-22— Posted by: allegra
This snake was found in the women’s can in Sydney Airport. I know a lot of people who are scared shitless of snakes, so I’d say a washroom is a good place to see one.
William Shatner, one of the world’s greatest ecktors, was born on this day many many many years ago.
Organlegging is alive and well in New Jersey… NOW I know what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, he got carved up for skin grafts…. The snake, please!!!
scroll down to the header Best lovers?
2006-03-22— Posted by: allegra
http://www.newsdissector.org/blog/
Then read the comment on the difference between Democrats and Republicans as lovers. That gave me the best laugh I’ve had in ages.
Ferry sinking part II
2006-03-22— Posted by: allegra
Another Classic Canadian Accident (TM)
2006-03-22— Posted by: allegra
Picture copyright John Harvey. The Queen of the North sank off the coast of BC last night. Nobody died. In the next post, I’ll show the map with the red star showing the location of most of the survivors. It was blowing about 75k and choppy; no word on why she went aground. As for it being another Classic Canadian Accident (TM), that’s where there’s millions of dollars of property damage and no injuries, something that seems to happen A LOT in Canada.
wHOOOO ARE YOU?
2006-03-21— Posted by: allegra
From Cousin Gerald, by way of a friend.
sundry and various
2006-03-21— Posted by: allegra
Paul’s off to Seattle; Katie has a chest cold (again); I’m still recovering from yesterday’s work surprise (all 4 agents in the Call Center called in sick, you’re it, alone, SURPRISE!); Keith is starting the job hunt again.
I’m off to see Tori tonight; she’s back from Glasgow and I’m sure she has a million stories.
The things you see at Save-On
2006-03-20— Posted by: allegra
Photo credit Dave D.
Be nice to Keith
2006-03-20— Posted by: allegra
He was let go from his job today. (Not customer service oriented enough (ie manic smiling), although they had no complaints about the speed of his work.) He figured that was what was happening so he took in his uniform and handed it back. Right now he’s sitting in the Burnaby Library across from Highgate and reading Neil Gaiman and thinking bleak bleak thoughts.
He called up looking for some “buck up” and I supplied same.
Heavy sigh.
The weird thing is, I just remembered that I got fired from Grandma Lee’s Bakery in London, when I was his age. Cazart! I’m so old, I’ve forgotten the jobs I was fired from! There’s hope, Keith, really there is.
Spiderlamb, spiderlamb
2006-03-20— Posted by: allegra
Gonna have, his own web cam….. credit Agence France Presse.
Candle for losses
2006-03-20— Posted by: allegra
I light a candle for a theft suffered by dear dear friends, and I administer a psychic kick in the ass to the mean people who did the thieving. Guess I missed the point of forgiveness.
Back to work this morning. NO more VOICEmail. Yeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwwwwww! (I used to have 26 voicemails waiting for me when I came in Monday morning, but somebody turned it off.
Cousin Gerald sent a picture puzzle put together by Virgin Digital which is rebuses of band names, past and present. Keith and Kate and I had a great time messing with it, and got about thirty five names (out of seventy four, and two of them that I got were slightly wrong) in about 20 minutes. A very nice piece of intergenerational fun.
You know, the only way you can rebel against parents who raised you as an atheist is to get religion. Becoming an axe murderer just wasn’t an option.
Leo and Linda/Laurel and Etta
2006-03-19— Posted by: allegra
Had a brief and lovely visit from Cousin Laurel and her youngest, Etta (who kept her nose FIRMLY in a book while she was here and politely asked if she could leave at a certain time so she could go to the Vancouver Public Library), and a less brief but equally lovely visit from Leo and Linda. Linda, despite having walking pneumonia, is a complete force of nature, and having Leo around just makes me feel quietly happy.
Mother, you will be pleased to know that we did a Standard Family Thing. We went for ice cream, except in this case, for 218 kinds of gelato at the big Gelato Palace on Venables.
Katie promptly said she wants to take Dax there, and I can’t blame her.
I have a lot of wonderful leftovers in the fridge from our meal at Chong Lum Hin (kids were in attendance, and Keith tried a new food, minced beef and spinach).
I ditched Mothers Day and am now blasting through “She” my ONE AND ONLY attempt at arena rock. It was meant to be sung by a Guy With Big Hair. I only started yesterday and I’m almost done, which tells you how formulaic and metrically unchallenging it is.
Katie is playing PS2 and Keith is kibitzing while waiting for me to get off the computer.
Strange email award goes to….
2006-03-18— Posted by: allegra
Sandy, whom I’ve previously mentioned, owns and operates the Red Deer Lodge and Campground close by Algonquin Park, in Ontario. In her on line listing with Holiday Junction, she mentions that she has a clean beach.
Alas, the perils of Google.
Sandy recently received this email. I have stripped off the attributions out of mercy for the woman who typed it…..
I am looking for any information you can give regarding cleaning a beach. I am asking on behalf of a town in Newfoundland and Labrador which has a beach in desperate need of cleaning.
Thanks
Lazy Saturday morning
2006-03-18— Posted by: allegra
Katie is playing PS2, Keith’s asleep, and I’m contemplating the house cleaning I have to do and saying Bleagh. I did manage to find the ac adapter for the Casio so I unpronged myself from the spear of irony, and have gone back to working away on my songs.
Leo and Linda (I have previously posted pics at Christmas and at other times) will be here overnight, and I may see cousin Laurel and her daughter today as well. A family type day….
Have a good one everybody! The weather in Vancouver is promising sunny good cheer.
On a less cheerful note, I saw three dead rats and a dead seagull on the way back from dropping Paul at the airport. That’s the highest roadkill count in quite a while; and the last one was about a block from here. On the other hand, it’s all critters God made enough of, so it’s all, if not good, then suggestably okay.
60 bars
2006-03-18— Posted by: allegra
You would think, it being St Patrick’s Day and all, that the 60 bars I am referring to are the 60 bars I’ve visited over my life. They would include the Elbow Room and the Spoke’n Rim and the Bavarian Tavern and Mingles and Nag’s Head North and the El Mocambo and the Silver Dollar and the Ox Box and Eagle’s Nest and the Elephant and Castle and Larry’s Hideaway and Toby’s and Barbie’s.
Yes, when I lived in Montreal, I had a Barbie’s at the end of my street. And a damned good depanneur, too; they always had St. Ambroise Blonde in the cooler.
Life was good, and I was 30 pounds lighter, although definitely meaner and dumber than I am now. Good trade, if trade it was, now that I come to think of it, fat for brains and manners. Or maybe the fat just slows ya down; you just LOOK smarter because you’re not launching yourself lustfully at every bit of trouble that comes your way.
Howsoever that may be, the 60 bars I was referring to are actually the 60 bars in “Mother’s Day” I have completed; I’m nowhere close to done and the whole project is starting to take on the leaden weight of “Gone with the Wind”.
I am so far pleased with the results.
I have sent away for a midi cable to connect the Casio keyboard I bought my daughter with my bonus money last year to my computer, and of course having spent the f*cking money I cannot find the ac adapter for the Casio. As I literally sell ac adapters for a living (none of which would work, thanks for asking)……. the irony of this is so intense that I feel like I’m being repeatedly jabbed by a spear while I lie on the ground and squirm, while yelling Holy Virgin! Lay off! Okay I’m sensitive, it’s not that big a deal, I’m just…
Yeah.
Anyway, I’m going to make one more horrified and gingerly inspection of my daughter’s room, in case the ac adapter decides to leap up and recite “Invictus” while emitting a pale green miasma. Because, folks, it would take that much to draw attention in the thong bestrewn (
Ed., that’s enough of that) so anyways I hope I’ll find it.
Work continues to be much improved. Tomorrow is my ninth anniversary there.
Gianna, Peter T, Rob of Nine, Dave M, Patricia and Dave D were my companions at lunch today (Mario, being the sane adult in the crowd, stayed back at the office and performed a strange ritual called “work”). I stood Patricia and Rob a beer. From this you may safely assume that as much of a worker’s paradise as BC is, we weren’t in the company cafeteria.
I was very happy when I got back to the office. Blithe, even.
Jumping Jimmy Christmas
2006-03-17— Posted by: allegra
So a couple of weeks after the picture of the new Abominable snow lobster comes out…. the STUFFED TOY!????
DNA in the sky
2006-03-17— Posted by: allegra
Isn’t this a pretty picture? Its called the DNA nebula, pic credit NASA.
I have put my flax, loofah, tobacco, jalapeno and sugar beet seeds in their little starter homes. They look very cute.
When I came home last night, Keith and Kate were playing a racing game head to head on the PS2 Katie borrowed from Dax. It was extremely cute.
Cuter still was overhearing Katie explain to a buddy she hadn’t spoken to for two years on the phone,
No, actually, I don’t drink anymore.
No, actually, I don’t go to parties anymore.
No, actually, I don’t talk to her anymore; she thought I stole her thongs (ed note, I KNOW this sounds ridiculous, but it’s true) and I don’t really like her very much.
Are you kidding? She’s fatter than I was at my chubbiest.
Well, I hang out with my boyfriend, go to school, do my homework, do the dishes, play on the PS2 and hang out with my family.
Yes, I’m sure it sounds very boring to you.
ED note… just when I’m thinking how proud of her I am, she comes out with this gem, “Do you know where he lives, I have to beat the crap out of that kid!”
“He just really deserves it, take my word for it.”
Okay, that wasn’t cute, but I really don’t think she’s serious.
No kangaroos in Austria
2006-03-16— Posted by: allegra
So, of course, here’s an Austrian kangaroo… note the snow.
enough sleep
2006-03-16— Posted by: allegra
I made the mistake of going to the band name generator site.
Allegra Meltdown
Allegra Century
Allegra of the Algae
Shrewd Allegra
Allegra Piracy
Selfish Allegra
Allegra People
Allegra Arcade
Binary Allegra and the Thirty Lieutenant
Allegra Minute
Intelligent design
2006-03-16— Posted by: allegra
So as we continue to truck down life’s highway, isn’t it interesting how design is becoming more – naturalistic?
This device is called a Powersquid.
all hail rishathra
2006-03-16— Posted by: allegra
He died on the 15th
2006-03-16— Posted by: allegra
I hate having my site hosted in a different time zone.
H P Lovecraft deathday
2006-03-16— Posted by: allegra
He died on this day in 1937. RIP, you squiddly guy you.
This picture came to me via cousin Gerald, who got it from a coworker, who got it from a friend who lives in Texas. This little creature, nicknamed Powder by the family who got him briefly before the game warden came and got him, was hours old when they nearly hit him with their car. They figured he was a baby goat, but he’s a whitetail deer fawn. Look how small he is compared to the shoe!!! He took to the bottle right away and will probably end up at a game farm or petting zoo.
Paul, Katie, Keith and I got on the ferry to Victoria this morning. I spent the whole ferry trip sorting through my pile of songs and writing out lyrics for songs from memory, and adding cards for new songs; all boring administrivia stuff, nothing as fun as actually getting the songs into sheet music form.