Day Forty Three - Summer, Summer Where For Art Thou?

 Alright, if you are a follower of my blog you will have previous knowledge to the fact that my life is a little insane, I have so much on my plate that I could snap any day and that today was the day I had to get a crap load of stuff done around the house, perticularily outside.  I stepped out my back door at 6:17 am this morning and have just come in now...8:30pm.  Again I have to say that I have the world's best Dad.  That guy weed wacked, raked, dug, carried garbage, loaded a trailer to go to the dump and left to drive my daughter to work, make doors for my shed and take my son to get his hair cut.  He really is a superman in disguise!  Did I mention that he is going to be 80 years old...thats right folks the man will be 80 in January 2012.  I had a friend come over and help too.  So I would say 3/4 of work that needed to get done happened.  We ran into some troubled areas that caused delays.....that is my polite way of saying that something always freaking goes wrong!!!!!!  Geoff tried to start the weed wacker, lol, it sparked and smoked so much I could see it from the deck and he was at the other end of the yard.  Needless to say it went into the trailer that is marked for the dump.  Then the power washer wouldn't work, the garden hose broke, my clothes line broke, I drilled into my thumb....this list could go on and on.
Had to make a trip to Home Depot again to pick up some supplies to help us carry on, my dad brought his weed wacker but ran out of the twine.  Let's talk about the weather now!  All week long the forecast has said warm and sunny for Saturday. Last night it changes....now the weather report is cloudy, cool with a chance of rain.  Ok since when is the damn report ever right........TODAY!!!!! Oh yeah, I wore a fall fleece jacket all flipping day cause I was freezing!  Everytime I wanted to rake or do something it was spitting.  The one and only time we saw the sun all day was when we were in Home Depot and coming out I said to my friend "Great, sunny now wont be when we get home" and it wasn't!!!!  The sun had totally disappeared by the time we drove home.....a big 10 minute drive if that.  Does the big guy up above need to be reminded how the seasons go....spring, summer, fall and winter!!!!  We had a yuk spring and now it's supposed to be summer!  We are having fall weather....like October rainy crap!  It's cold and not nice and it is making me very grumpy and very sore.  This damp weather is killing my leg.  The pain is becoming unbearable and I cannot take anything at this point.  I am not a happy camper!  Please summer come visit....I need to get some stuff done and I cannot without your help!  If you do not want to help well too damn bad!  This is going to become a hostile situation soon.  This is the last warning......Let the sun shine or else!
Steph

Day Forty Two - It's My Party and I Will Cry If I Wanna!

My freaking life is too busy, too much ....drive here, drive there, cook, clean, grocery shop, make sure bills are paid, get everything else organized....I am now finally able to be home on a Friday night for the first time to relax.  I left work at 2:30pm today and have been on the go since. I am so friggin tired I could cry...no wait I already did that!  Now for everyone that happens to know me well they will say that it is a rare sight to see me shed a tear so here's a great big hint.....I am so DAMN OVERWHELMED right now I think I am going insane.  My husband is still off work, there is numerous things that need to be done around the house inside and out. Geoff cannot use his right hand which by the way is his predominate hand therefore he doesn do much!!  Now the already massive list of things in which I do has just become way  bigger.  Thank God for my dad!  At 79 years old he has come helped clean the yard, trip the juniper tree, weed wack and a  few other chores as well as removed the rotted doors from my rotting shed.  Took them to his friends place where he and his friend replicated them but with much better wood and put them together in a far superior manner.  The doors will stand far longer than the rest of the shed!!!  Then to top things off my daughters bank account was hacked, but when she called the bank and explained what happened they more or less accused her of fraud and told her they were launching an investigation and she would be charged with fraud if they found out she was making this up or attempting fraud.  I had to explain what the hell they meant before she understood it all.  I had it out with the lady (use this term loosely) on the phone saying we live in a "free" country and the way it goes is innocent to proven guilty.  What the hell is going on when a 15 year old calls the bank for help and gets reemed out like she is a criminal.  I don't understand this world.  Then on to the grocery store (which I generally refuse to do on a Friday night) but I have a long list of chores to accomplish tomorrow therefore no time for groceries.  I have absolutely no patience for stupidity today....In fact after the flipping week I had at work and dealing with the multiple levels of stupidity that speak to me on a daily basis....I am all tapped out for patience.  I fear my children and my husband could be in big trouble this weekend.  Who swings open a freezer door at the last minute when they are not in front of it ...but you are?  Stupid Stupid people or who pulls a can from the bottom of the display!!!! Morons!!!!!  The young lady that was our cashier literally tossed my loaf of bread and the carton of eggs.  Had to open the eggs to make sure they were in one piece....who does that crap?  Finally I get out of that freaking zoo, but hey I need to go to Home Depot. Now here's a store where all the smart people work and shop on Friday nights......NOT!  I swear I was getting road rage with my cart....someone was gonna get pulled over and punched out!  Ignorance is no saviour and I don't care that you didn't know.  Get a grip, use your damn head for more than a hat rack!!!  Stupidity pisses me off!  So I had a lovely person stop me this week to tell me they heard I had undergone surgery for weight loss and they wanted to know if it had worked and if I had lost any weight!  I simple smiled and carried on with exactly what I was doing.  The next wonderful wacky person that came to speak to me spoke at me while looking at a friend and ever so politely said" fruit is such a good idea, good for everyone: the reply from my friend was "yes, it was something Stephanie could it" and the response to that was " Yes, when you are her size you should be eating fruit and lay off the sweets."   OH YEAH!!!!! That's my stupid moment of the week .....I think I might develope an award!  Isn't that one great.  Ok I never was a sweet eater, and I have always eaten fruit.  I can bake up a storm but I almost never touch it previous to my surgery now I never touch it!  As for my size ....I am proud to be down 5 to 6 sizes and doing and feeling great.  If your glasses are not working correctly and you cannot see the massive weight loss then it is your problem not mine.  I am on my way to a happy health long life. If you are too dumb to know what and when to say things then here is my tip for you: it came from my dad.....if you don't have anything nice to say DON'T say anything at all!  Please read and take heed!
Steph

Day Forty One- Gardening Lesson 101

Hey friends so very sorry that there has been no blog for 2 days but I have  been crazy busy from early in the morning to late at night....too tired to write ....too tired to think.  I absolutely am tired of the freaking rain that we have in Ontario right now....I moved bad from BC cause I didn't like it when it rained everyday.  So tonight the rain ceased for a few hours so I did some planting in my planter boxes.  I am excited to see my flowers and veggies start to grow....always makes me feel good that I was able to have something bloom and produce a flower or fruit.  Well, then my dad came over to help us clean the yard...now this is a bit of a chore as there is lots of stuff...ok CRAP!  That the previous owner left, our shed is falling apart because the morons made it with press wood and we all know what happens to press board when it gets wet right!!!  They certainly did not seal it with the proper coating to repel the rain and water.  Now it is rotten, the door, the floor, the walls, the roof....get the picture.  So the garbage around the yard is insane too....theirs and ours.  We have lived here 3 years but it was one disaster after another.  Moving day, gas leak evaculated the neighbours and the house until it was cleared by the gas company.  Three weeks after moving in the roofer walking the roof to check it fell throught....new roof!!!!  3 months after moving in pipe broke in the ceiling of the basement bathroom.....10000.00 in damage!  Flooded the entire basement, ruined walls, floors etc.  Then there was car accidents and work injuries and more and more and more!  So we haven't had a lot of time to work on the yard and Geoff still can't work on the yard but it has to get done as it is looking terrible and if drainage stone and patio stones don't get put down the mud and water is going to overtake everything.  My hot tub is empty and needs to be washed down and refilled along with putting the clothes line back up and cleaning out the shed.  Mowed the lawn tonight, need to rake and weed wack!  I hate dandelions!!!!  Dog terds are picked up and removed....trailer half filled with garbage to go to the dump! Anyways, got some planting done, dad showed me what is weeds and what isnt' in my front flower bed and how to trim back my plant that is overtaking my flowerbed.  Dad's friend is a horticulturist and is helping me with my garden.  My new garden will be the wave of the future......raised gardens....at arm level ....no bending to weed, far less weeds and no worry for ground hogs, bunnies etc.  Got lots to do on the weekend yet but gotta go to bed now.
More gardening lessons to come...good night.
ps saw the surgeon yesterday and he was very pleased!  Said I am doing fabulously and am above average in weight lose...down another 9 or so lbs.
Steph

Day Thirty Eight - Oh the Things I have seen!

 Oh the things I have seen over these thirty seven years......some have brought happiness some have brought tears, some foster warmth in my heart, some make fears start.  Oh the things I have seen from in my car and from afar.  In Northern Ontario was the momma bear and her cubs watching the highway from up on a rock.  There heads went side to side as they watched each passing ride.  From the mountains of BC, I watched the goat jumps from ledge to ledge, up to the mountain top they went with a hop, hop,hop.  Watching our aboriginal friends pow wow and grand cook out, cooking on an open fire, salmon in maple syrup and cornbread in a pan, one with earth spirit and the land.  Oh the things I have seen from the native beautiful art to the God's beautiful morning start.  I have seen the whales in the seas, beautiful birds in the trees.  I have watched the glorious blue sky with cloud that look like marshmallow fluff then a gust of wind turns them into other stuff.  Oh the things I have seen.....homeless children on the street in Philly ...thin little jacket on a night that was so chilly.  Teenage addicts, struggling for their daily needs, 9/11 victims with extreme bleeds.  Space shuttles that have exploded, children carrying guns that were loaded.  Hijacked planes, bombers that were insane.  Las Vegas, the casinos & lights.....many many loney nights.  Oh the things I have seen.....my children's new born faces, new friends from many different races.  Foods from coast to coast, lobster, crab, moose and roast.  Maple syrup from Quebec, spuds from PEI, berries from Saskatoon, Nunavut's complete darkness at noon.  The milky way, a perfect sunny day, redwood trees big enough to drive through, Niagara Falls in the shape of a horseshoe.  Hail a big as golf balls..........weddings in the most beautiful of halls.  Starry nights, stupid bar fights, pretty fireworks....obnxious jerks.  Vandictive disturbed ex wives, try so hard to ruin lives, have no success just help solidify closeness!  Divorce, and children hurt.....unnecessary pain, horrid lies but the thing that will always remain....the love.  Oh the things I have seen....God's gracious love, heaven sent streaming from above!  The smile on the childs face that was pulled from a fire, the unemployed person who lost hope that they would ever be hired.  The woman that finds the right one, a mother that has found her lost son, the joy from the military soldier that has returned from afar, the family that walks away from a totalled car!  Oh the thing that I have seen.....surgeries that help weight lose and give a second chance, new medications that let the young lady live to have a romance.  I would not be me if I had not seen all of these different things, so now my heart sings as I say many thanks to all that wished me Happy Birthday Day!  Now there is one more strange strange thing that I have seen....on top of a car in working order it sat,  with TP,magazines and a chair, the sign read "Women's Washroom".....can you imagine that....bare all and stare was what I could think...oh God where is the sink!  To my dear friends....what the heck...I think you all might be redneck!
Steph

Day Thirty Seven - Thirty Seven Tomorrow!

Well folks it is another lovely day her is Ontario Canada!  and I am off to yet another bbq!  I once again have packed myself a cooler bag with all my wants and needs fulfilled within.  I have cooked up, prepared and baked an abundance of goodies for everyone to partake of ....but me,but I am good with it.  I sat right beside the bbq last night where a massive roast slow cooked, onion garlic baked pototoes roasted away, huge sausages sizzled and 3 lb steaks grilled.  It all smelled delicious and looked fabulous but I was happy with my afternoon snack: v8 to go my dinner: pototoes, veggies and grilled chicken along with my nestea ice tea(diet) singles that I drank.  I guess the point I am making is that tomorrow I will be thirty seven and for most of my life things have been centred around food.  I grew up in a Pentecostal church and there is always food!  Every event has fabulous foods at it.  Now I am learning that I don't have to centre everything around food at least not for me and that there is far more to life itself than eating.  Funny I am learning, I guess you can teach an ole dog new tricks!  I am impressed with myself as I half you through our Canadian Holiday weekend and the food aspect of it really hasn't bothered me....yet!  I usually would have gone to bbq #1 and eaten until I felt sick, sampling a bit of everything.....especially the roast beef and steaks.  Then bbq #2 I would have sampled a bit more food still feeling full and sick but still shovelling it in my yap.  Starting again the next day I would have done the same thing....thinking it's ok next week I will watch what I eat to make up for this splurge.   Next week never came or if it did I would feel that I did so well that I could splurge again.  This is a bad catch 22 in everyday life....If we take 3 steps ahead and 5 steps back everytime we do something will we ever get ahead?  Absolutely not!  Remember to be strong friends,  you are in this for you...you alone, your health, your welfare....yes it might help others, friends & family included but ultimately it is all about you!  Take good care of you!
Tootles
Steph

Day Thirty Six - Long Weekends, BBQ's & Friends!

 The long weekend has finally arrived for all my Canadian friends and we have finally found the sunshine.  It is 10:30am and it is over 20 degrees Celsius already.  Bring on the heat and the sun!  Now a long weekend means different things to everyone but the general consensus is food, fun and friends.  I made 3 different salads last night, a lemon trifle, cooked potatoes and marinated meat for kabobs tomorrow and am working on peanut butter cookies right now.  I still have a few things to put together before we head out the door to start our bbq travel weekend but that's ok.  I have also packaged a cooler bag with my allowed food choices hidden within in.  I don't think it will be a big issue....I love to cook and watch others enjoy the food I have prepared.  I will enjoy the food that I have made for myself.  I am so happy that the sun has finally decided to make an appearance as I was getting a little disturbed by the gloomy grey rainy days.  I also managed to do some planting and hung out two hanging baskets on my front porch.  The backyard is looking better as Geoff finally was able to get the grass cut, Monday my brother is coming to help me remove a cedar bush ...roots and all.  Tuesday, Adam is coming to install my central air conditioning system. Adam is the son of some dear friends and a wonderful guy.  I have watched Adam grow up into a amazing young man and am very proud of him and his business (heating and air conditioning).  ok now I am getting ticked off I made peanut butter cookies the same way I make them every time and they are burning on the outside and not cooking on the inside....how can this be?   Is it Wacky Wednesday?  I have tons of stuff to do yet today so the blog won't be very long....oh I did get to plant my indoor tomato plants so they can start and then I will transfer them outside later.  Hopefully they will all take...I did 12 little plants of beefsteak tomatoes.  Cant wait to start planting my garden, carrots, peas, tomatoes, green onions, turnip, peppers, yellow beans...hopefully zucchini.  I hope to get a good start this weekend but who knows.  I will take it one day at a time.  Enjoy your weekend folks, be safe and don't drink and drive....arrive alive!
Steph

Day Thirty Five - The Rule of Three!

Did you know that there is a rule of three? I didn't really until today.  Let's start with the big ones: a person can only go 3 weeks without food: 3 days without water and 3 minutes without oxygen.  Then there are the rules of three for robotics, memory, law, writing, magic, wizardry, compounding medications, and playing cards.  Now there is the real ones we use in every day life: 3 strikes you are out, 3 colours in a traffic light, 3 rings to answer a phone, 3 number sections to a phone number, 3 lemons in a pitcher of water, 3 layers in a trifle, 3 pulls to start a lawn mower, and so many many many more.  Every package at work today had 3 or 6 cases involved, I had three sharpened pencils out on my desk, I had three phone calls from my mom......and the day continued.  I began to chuckle to myself when the bowel band symphany struck a cord and touted 3 distinct times while my level of reddness brightened by 3 shades.  I cooked three salads tonight: pasta ham salad, corn salad, and a bean salad (dip).  I made a 3 layer lemon trife, put in 3 loads of laundry, fed my 3 dogs, and sat down for just 3 minutes to rest!  The next 3 days are going to be packed full of fun.  We have 3 bbq's to attend, all in a 3 mile radius.  I just watched Chef Ramsay pick us 3 dead mice in a kitchen in New Orleans.  I realized that I am wearing 3 rings, 3 colours of eye shadown, and pieces of clothing.  I have 3 friends online, my phone has just rang 3 times , with 3 differrent people calling, I have three more things to complete before I can sit down for the evening.  Now there are wonderful things that come in threes also, 3 good friends, 3 minutes of silence, 3 peanut butter cups in a package, 3 eggs in an omlette, 3 cups of cheddar in macorni and cheese, 3 cheese pasta....3 words...I Love You!  I think that the rule of 3 has worn itself out today....and now I need to go as I have used up my 3 minutes of down time.  The blog is small and not a usual chat but this is what I have.
Have fantastic weekend enjoy the weather and the holiday for my Canadian friends.
Ciao
Steph