Category: Domestic Life

Sonic treats and domestic life

Jeff and I had the identical reaction when we heard this.

See if you can guess what it was.

The rest of the site, starting here is quirky, laid out by an amateur (NO, I have no pretensions to excellence wrt web layout, thanks) and easily killed 15 minutes as I browsed through the odd instruments.

LTGW dropped by with Darwin’s previously paid for prezzie and hung out for precisely one beer, and just like an English play, he cleared the door moments before Tom and Peggy dropped by with a lesbian mystery manuscript for my editing eye (written by a third party), and Tom consumed two of the previously unmentioned chocolate hazelnut biscotti I made up last night and cooked this morning and Peggy dispensed a hug.  Oh, and Jeff and I did a shop starting at about 8 am this morning and I did laundry today and made up burgers which Jeff cooked and then we watchd Buffy S1E4 and before that Jeff took me to Brentwood and I finally ditched the Telus modem so they can stop charging me for it and picked up more beer.  Oh, and I made split pea with ham soup today and now Jeff’s (this unnecessarily graphic description of my cooking’s effect on my brother’s digestion is cut upon the insistence of all right thinking people) but he’s forgiven me because I cut up strawberries. This paragraph has been brought to you by the Temporal of Bureau Distortion.

The cats continue to be healthy and demanding; they appear to have stopped running up and down the damned halls at night.  Is there a connection between this fact and locking them out at night?  There could be!

My back feels better. I am so craving cigarettes though, it’s dreadful.  Nothing stays easy for long.

I am having a wonderful and productive weekend so far.

accomplished!

After the fabric was sitting around for a couple of weeks (and the Luddite bailed on last evening due to not feeling 100%) and finally getting the sewing machine last weekend (I kept forgetting to ask to borrow it) I finally said “Basta!” and assembled the blackout curtains.  Jeff seemed to think it would take hours, but it’s all straight seams.  I sewed and put hooks in and he hung them, and just in time for solstice we have something that will improve both sleeping and watching movies in the living room.  I sewed one side incorrectly – the panels aren’t mirror images of each other – and sewed about 30 centimetres with the wrong side facing out – but these are either of no great moment or easily fixed.  Happy sigh.

Holy crap, look at the time.  Off to work.  Wonder if we’ll be walking in the woods at lunch today.

Yummies, Mummies, Dummies

So we cooked oysters and pork chomps and garlic bread and taters and squash and garlic and set out brie and crackers, and ate rice and ginger beef (leftovers from lunch, my gosh they were good) and I made a salad and Peggy brought plum squares (heavenly, just heavenly) and I set out melon, and then in a pleasant state of repletion we sat around and talked. I found myself becoming very tired so I kicked them out, but they took Keith with them, Tom and Peggy did, so it all worked out very well (and it’s not like I really kicked them out, it’s just we’re old and tired and it was starting to really piss me off that Keith just sat down and started playing Condemned II Bloodshot while we were trying to talk – you could see Tom starting to get into it). That was the first time we’ve had a formal sit down meal with cloth napkins since we moved in, so really it was about time. Jeff put me at the head of the table. Hmph.

This morning I’m going to go protest Scientology, which is a complete waste of time, but once you have a V mask it just seems like the right thing to do, and then I’m going to the partay…. Tomorrow Father’s Day like family stuff with Paul and the kids, which hopefully will be lighthearted and civil (those hopes are for my behaviour, not other people’s). And somewhere in there, laundry, feeding plants, mucking out my room which once again looks like a bear pit, getting another copy of Songwriter or finding the old one because there’s something screwed up with the registration, and the usual behind the scenes, keeping the whole shivaree running, kinda activities.

One could say “Why not go protest Catholicism?” and that’s a very very good question. Or Mormonism. I’ll tell you why I care enough to protest. L Ron Hubbard used what he learned being a science fiction author to start a religion, make a lot of money, and put himself beyond the law. As an SF fan, I feel a moral obligation to denounce his works. Also, on a personal note, a buddy of mine in Toronto started protesting Scientology 15 years ago, and I feel like a jackass not supporting that effort until Anonymous started up.

And it’s not a religion. The big difference between a legitimate religion and a cult is that you can show up broke and they’ll still love you. You can show up unable to stooge for them and they’ll still love you. In a cult, if you show up broke and unable to help out, out you go. The keeping your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you applies all around, including Unitarianism although less so, but you get the idea. There’s always a price for being part of a group, and in this case, I consider the price to be too high for society, let alone the folks keeping it propped up.

Man, the things people do to belong….

I have been invited to a baby shower! So has Katie! it doesn’t conflict with anything on my schedule! Me happy!

added 16 June – I forgot to mention that the demo went well and about 30 people turned up, but it was a real sausage fest.  The bus drivers were honking in support!  It was fun!

Not much to report

Jeff and I went shopping last night in an attempt to ensure that Peggy and Tom do not go hungry tonight. Pork chomps! Pork chomps! I got a running commentary from Jeff about the complete insanity of the shoppers and the store, and forebore commenting that ‘you should see it when the new Harry Potter book is out, that would amaze you.’

So…. ever see a baby dance to a banjo???

Another kind of baby, to trigger blubbery gushing.

I am in the midst of a hormonal zugzwang at the moment. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, perimenopause sucks a radioactive mop.

Lady Miss B (and Joe) are having a lovely party tomorrow at “Hackerfish Manor”. I am very much looking forward to seeing Dr. Filk, the folks and the house, in that order more or less; Lady Miss B is recovering from knee surgery as part of the ongoing rehab from her scooter accident, moving and holding a party all more or less at the same time, so once again her energy, which, closely parsed, looks like insanity, continues to stupefy me. And she writes lots of songs, go to her website and listen, especially this and this and maybe this too if you have time.

I’ve been thinking, and I don’t want to call the magic house of geeks “Geek House” any more. I want to call it “Geekhaven” partly because of Trollhaven (see archives) but just because it’s more, you know, aesthetic. One day, I will go to Geekhaven… doesn’t that sound nice?

Domestic tranquillity update

I phoned Jeff last night after going a little wacky at the mall (total haul $100, shoes and tights) and said, “Don’t feel like cooking.  How do you feel about the Keg?” which plan met with enthusiastic endorsement.  Out of respect for mOm’s diet I’m going to skip the usual trough report.

My plants arrived!  Gai Lan, peppermint and Thai Basil.  I’ll be repotting them this weekend. I just gave them a little water.

I have a mild two inch scratch from Eddie, having helped clip his back nails.  No other injuries were reported.

There are at least fifteen blossoms on the strawberry plants out front.  I must go water them.

I send good thoughts to: mOm, Granny, Tammy, Katie daughter, Kopper, LTGW for the unwitting suggestion which finally broke the dam on the homily, the Luddite, Jeff and kitties of course (although one side growl for the unbelievable amount of hall-running they did last night), Tom and Peggy (get over here for dinner!), Glenn and Maggie (ditto!), Tom U. (ditto!), Mike, Heather, Jarmo and the gang that’s going to Indiana Jones tonight, Patricia, Tom McM, Carolyn Porco, everybody at JPL, all Dunnett fans, and all filkers everywhere.

Oh, I ordered a Zoom H2.  I couldn’t help myself; after almost a year of drooling on Lady Miss B’s H2 I gave in to the dark side and ordered it.

I have cancelled my planned trip to Denvention – I’m going to be needing every penny for France.

I am thinking of a certain pregnant woman, and confecting an especially airy and happy nest of thoughts for her.

A particularly happy and grateful shout out to Jeff, who has shouldered my tech support issues with the understated competence of a true professional.

Oh, and a big hug to the HR department at work.  I approached them and said, calmly, “I want to kill a co-worker.”

Response:  “Really?  Have some chocolate and tell me about it.”

End result:  15 minutes later, I’m back at my desk, snickering, and feeling much better.

Oh.  Nobody in my department – somebody else.  The folks in my department entirely rock, I love them.

Juno

Jeff and I watched Juno last night and I loved it.  The script, the acting – a wonderful movie, and Ellen Page and Michael Cera make my Canadian heart explode with pride.  Also, it makes fun of Unitarianism.

Yesterday I prepped my MacBook for working with Windows software by installing a virtual machine.  We’ll see how this plays out… Jeff’s going to help me with an XP install  With any luck I won’t have to turn it into a Vista machine.  The long term point of this is to allow me to work from home, as the contact management and call center software is all Windows and internet based.

My payroll problem has been straightened out.

Gizmo and the downstairs dog, Meadow, are getting to know each other.  Meadow is so anxious for someone to play with that it’s very cute.  Gizmo’s body language says it all.  Scornful, not the slightest bit scared.  Eddie made tracks like his little black tail was on fire as soon as he poked his head through the door and saw the dog.

I have now entirely s-canned my original homily, as well as the two subsequent attempts, and I’m staring at the screen with disbelieving horror… can my normal fluency have deserted me for this most important topic?  Can I restrain my usual desire to turn everything into a gag?  Will I find myself in the pulpit on Sunday next, eyes like dog’s balls, stammering, incoherent and bereft of a single cogent sentence?  Stay tuned.  On the plus side, there will be jazz at the service, most likely.

I would just like to tell the universe, briefly, that I’m tired of getting what I need and would like to get what I want for a change.  Okay, back to the homily.

Safely home

Jeff and Katie are home from their trek to Victoria; the cats appeared to have survived my tender ministrations, but Gizmo was so intent on keeping Jeff in view that he accompanied him to the landpeer’s house and would have gone inside if not restrained.  Foolish feline!  There be dogs there! Not but Gizmo doesn’t like the occasional scrap with dogs.

Bob Asprin has died.  He is memorialized by Tom Smith, one of the handful of people who make a living in filk, here.

From Patricia I have wonderful news which I cannot repeat, as the explanations would be tedious and lingering; suffice it to say that for once the wheels of justice have ground the ingredients for a tasty loaf instead of hard tack.

I sure hope the weatherpersons are wrong – it’s setting up for another partly rainy weekend.

I am now double booked for June 14th.  I don’t plan anything for weeks and then it starts piling up.

Keith was here

Oh, yes, there will be gaming.  The menfolks spent a happy couple of hours blasting away at whateverthehell kinda critters there are in Condemned II: Bloodshot and there was also Halo 3.  Keith produced four chocolate croissants, the mac and cheese was reduced in volume, and then we watched The Mummy – which was great fun, there are a couple of really funny scenes in it and the effects were pretty damned good.

It’s thundering and lightning here, which is quite unusual.  What is more unusual is that it is continuining.  Normally we get one big clap and then nothing, but it has been grumbling for about three quarters of an hour now.  Over to the east it’s quite grim and dark.

Whoa!  A huge flash, but it took 18 seconds for the sound to get here, so that was a fair piece away.  I love this kitchen.  I think when I own my own home again, I’m going to have a breakfast nook….

False Creek & home again.

I now know how to get to False Creek by bus.  The “Spit” yesterday (Spits being gatherings of Dunnett fans) was at Monk McQueens on False Creek,  a restaurant I’ve never been too. The service was sort of the standard Vancouver crabby – but the food was good and the view and company very pleasant.  The husbands don’t usually come along – most middle aged men will take a quick one in the ear before spending the afternoon with a bunch of strong willed middle aged women – but one did and he definitely was no wallflower.  AND I got a free button (Gelis is my heroine) which is pretty funny…. but it would only be funny and make sense for you if any of you had read the books. I ate oysters and drank draft Russell’s while the sun moved.  (Yes, technically everything is moving, and the earth is rotating around the sun).

Got a lift home, thank you Ingrid, and then finished Band of Brothers and watched the most recent episode of BSG.  Once again, operating on the theory that you just can’t have enough sleep, I went to bed early.

Waffles with strawberries and sausage for breakfast; barbecued pork chops, new potatoes with chives and sour cream, and fresh asparagus for dinner last night.

We expect to see Keith turn up some time today; apparently he went canoeing yesterday.

I’ve moved the strawberry plants the Luddite gave me to the front stairs, where they will get more light. Although he’s from south London originally, when he’s larding it on thick he goes pure Yorkshire and says things like Look-sure-ee, lass! which never fails to crack me up.  I think it’s a Look-sure-ee that I’ve got strawberry plants on my front stairs.

Today, puttering and laundry and at least one song stuck in Songwriter.  I’ve got some short ones… at this point anything would do.  Of course, the most recent one is Willie P’s Lament.  It’s only a minute long, in its current configuration; I’m quite fond of it. I just wish I could play it and simultaneously get the fretboard fingering, the picking, and the intonation solid.  I’m definitely working on the ‘best two out of three’ theory but I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on myself, I only wrote it a couple of weeks ago and I haven’t been practicing much.  It was fun practicing it on Wreck Beach earlier – all I can say is my next instrument will be even lighter than a mandolin.

Heh. I’m watching Band of Brothers with my brother

Seems a little recursive, and somehow, so fitting.

I’ve decided to pass on Jericho tonight – I know, just because the weather is iffy doesn’t mean I shouldn’t go, but I just feel blah – and concentrate on more domestic activities.  Wednesday I’m dining out with Asha and we’re going to do what women have been doing for millennia – chinwag about the hopelessly inappropriate people their children are sleeping with – for all the berloody good it will do us or anyone.  Thursday, the Luddite will appear for dinner bearing too much chocolate.  Not for me, for Jeff.

Look at what the Repulsigans are doing!

I couldn’t put it better myself.

Just in case you are needing to read something.

v. relaxed

I finally figured out Mike’s evil plan… the recreational event last night featured a hot tub, and I soaked (and stretched) for a very long time.  This morning I lay in bed and contemplated that I wasn’t experiencing any pain for the first time in a long time.  As soon as I sat down in a conventional chair, that all stopped, but at least I was pain free for a few hours, and today I’m all slow and stupid with relief.

Katie and Keith are both supposed to show up today.  If they do I’ll cook them a meal but I will wait until they get here to plot what.

Today, laundry and puttering, at least until the kids arrive.  I had to tell Katie not to bother with a mother’s day present (Keith is smart enough to know he doesn’t have to bother) but that I would enjoy it if she turned up.  I’m thinking tortillas… it’s enough of a production to be mildly festive. And, of course, if you feel like it, you can read my Mother’s Day homily, which pretty much encapsulates my feelings on the subject.

Sundry and various plus HDR

A picture of Vancouver at night in HDR format.

It’ll make a nice break from Tetris on my phone.

Guess where I’m going tonight?  You can tell Mike has been here! We fed him halibut and salad and ice cream and fresh mango last night.  We also drank beer and watched BSG. And traded bodywork, it would hardly be like seeing Mike if that didn’t happen.  I might as well just leave the massage table set up in the living room, but I’m trying to fix it so you can drink beer, watch tv and get worked on at the same  time and my tiny pea brain can’t fathom a solution.

I love science “Cinderella” stories.

perfectly normal pork chops

The meal last night was yummy – the pork chops were precisely at that place where doneness and juiciness intersect.  I learned a little more of the new barbecue’s ways so that I will not be helpless when it comes to searing meat.

The Luddite was here and was entertaining.  His take on reality is so skewed that I find myself cracking up repeatedly.  We traded backrubs while Mayday! was on.  Jeff cracked up himself when he learned that one definitive way to shut me up is to work on my feet.  You never know when a piece of information like that could save your life, or your sanity at very least.
I like the Mayday! show, except when I think about travelling to France on a jet aircraft…
The stove has been fixed.  The stove elements now work in perfect congress.
Rogers is still dicking around with the phone service.  I’d give details, but I’ll let Jeff provide them if he feels like it. The phone works, but the billing is like a nightmare from the consumerist.com website.

My pay issue at work has been resolved.  That was annoying, but like most things it was easier to fix when I stopped being mad.  My raise wasn’t added effective 1st April like it was supposed to be – the explanation was apologetic and the action plan acceptable.
I am off to collect some more hepatitis shots and get a mammogram.  I’m going to ride my bicycle to the place I’m collecting my shots and then take the transit home, and then leave for my appointment at RCH.  Now that the weather is better I’m going to try to get some exercise any day it isn’t pouring rain.  I’m thinking of my last mammogram – almost 15 years ago now – in Montreal, when I got to listen to a boundlessly cheerful tech say, “Ne respirez PAS de TOUT!”  “RESpirEZ!” about a hundred times.  Then I went to listen to the results from an urbane Francophone doctor, who tapped the films in front of him and said, with equal cheerfulness, “Zat is a perfec’ly normal breast!”   Hmf.  There is nothing perfectly normal about me…. but those are words I sure want to hear again.