2 more days...

And then we move.

Should be interesting...when I have time, I'll blog the whole long saga of getting the old tenant out of the unit.

Right now... MORE PACKING!

Zooomm...

Canada Votes

I'm watching the election results, and everyone is shocked that the NDP is making a surge.

I'm not. 

Canada is PISSED at the Liberals and the Bloc, and we're showing it in our voting. 

Of course - it doesn't matter.  I feel that all politicians are liars and crooks.  Until one actually tells the whole truth, it's always a choice of the lesser of all evils. 

We'll see what Harper does in the future for people like me - middle income, not poor but not rich.  Ha, who am I kidding - I'll be paying more taxes and fees. *sigh*

I hope Harper gets the majority - it would make getting things done so much easier.  Having an NDP opposition with a minority government will not be pretty.  And nothing will get done. 

and that's all the political stuff I have in my brain.

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Eeep.

OMG

I just heard the news... They're saying that Osama Bin Laden is dead!

Is it true? Did they really kill him.... what does this mean now?  Are they going to pull the troops out?

What about retaliation? ... do we have to worry about bombs dropping in the street?

I remember where I was when the towers fell... and how I felt... I don't know how I feel now. Other than relieved... and worried... and ...what now? 


And... a small voice is asking....what if they're wrong?

>>

I'm writing this blog to document my feelings today.

All day long, my legs felt weak and shaky.  I was a bit dizzy and loopy too... usually happens when something big is going to happen.  I usually don't know what or when, or even realize that there is anything going to happen until it does.

Well... Something BIG happened.  Hmm... what does it mean?  I don't know.. but I wanted to write it down.

>>

WOW.

Some weirdness abounds....

and if you know me, it's not completely unexpected. LOL

We still have the rental unit, but we have to wait for the previous occupant to vacate.  Now, she was supposed to be out April 1st, but when maintenance went in to do the "move out" walk through a few days after April 1, all her stuff was still there!  Her phone is disconnected, she's not responding to any letters in the mailbox and they can't catch her at "home".  So, I'm not sure what's going to happen with her, but our move in date is still the middle of May. 

The husband has an interview on Monday - cross your fingers! :)

Had a doctor appointment for my ears - and had a test that I NEVER want to do again, EVER. Horrible horrible test - they put water in your ears and see how dizzy you get, and how your eyes move (you've got a camera over one eye).  I find out results some time in the next week or so, I guess.  I also have to have a CT scan on my right ear.  We'll see if there's anything there.  Based on what the resident said, I'm not going to hold my breath on it being inner ear, but I'll wait for the test results.  I'll be shocked if something comes of this - nothing else has picked anything up.


____________
You spin me right round, baby, right round......

I'm NOT HOMELESS!

WOOHOO!

Just had to get that out there.  I confirmed it yesterday - I did get the unit  that I wanted in the area I wanted. :)
We move in sometime in early May, and then I get to buy a new washer and dryer. :O   We weren't expecting to have to do so - but that's okay. I love shopping for appliances. :)

Heck, I love shopping....

I'm finally getting smart about clothes though - even if it's gorgeous, if I'm not going to wear it, I don't buy it.  I did get a couple of new work tops today, though.  I haven't bought anything for a while, and I'm purging my closet.  If I haven't worn it for a long time - out it goes!  That will be a good thing - I've got stuff that I haven't worn in over a year in there!!!!!

I'm glad things are coming together... it's about time for good things.


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It's not shopping...it's retail therapy!

Well, that was not worth the wait ....

Stupid re-insurance company. *sigh* Underwriters like that give us normal insurance people a bad name!   However, it's actually a good thing!   The house appraised at a LOT less than we offered - we dodged a bullet, I think.

So, we're going with plan B.  Good thing we didn't burn any bridges! 

The place we're renting is nice, takes pets, will have a (small) back yard and has laundry in the suite.  The price is perfect.....annnndddd.. it's in the same area I'm in now.

 I'm content. 

It will work very nicely until every thing else falls into place. 

The Husband has officially been accepted into school, and the Boy will be official in the middle of April.  

Good things are starting to happen.

Thank you for your good thoughts.  Maybe now, I can blog about all the rest of my life... not that it's any more interesting. LOL

__________
Good things come to those who wait...

Go Flames GO...or at least, beat the Oilers???

Please win.... Do NOT lose to the Oilers... please?

I'm so not a sports person - or I would have all sorts of stats and playoff hopes information.  All I know is this - if they lose to Edmonton, even if they make it to the playoffs -they're DONE! 

Edmonton is in the basement again this year - so there's nothing for them to play for but ruining Calgary's playoff hopes.  Which they are well on their way to doing right now.  It's 3-1 after the second period -- for Edmonton. *sigh*

But if Calgary had started playing hockey in October and not January, they wouldn't be in this position. 

I really hope Calgary makes the playoffs, but they need some help.   Well...winning a few games would be good too!  That three game losing streak pretty much killed the hopes of the playoffs. 

Anyway - enough rambling.  I just realized - this is a fluff post! YAY!

____________
Hockey is in our roots

The waiting game....

Tick tock....tick tock....

just waiting to see if the bank is going to let us have a mortgage. 

We found a nice little (stress on the little) house in a fairly decent area - or so I'm told - and put in a offer.  It was accepted and now we wait and see what my wizard at the bank can do.  This guy is AWESOME!  he's so nice and does what he can to help me out. 

Hopefully we know tomorrow - but he's got until next week. 

Oh, I hope this phase of change is over .... I want to get settled and get this done.  I'm tired and sick....and just DONE with being stressed.  Maybe I'll get better when it's over. *sigh*  And being debt free except for the house and car will be very nice too.  And I'm going to see what's owing on the car and see if I can get that down too.

I know I'm not good with change and I'll have learned something but DAMN - enough is enough, okay???  It's time for the good things.  And I know they're coming - and soon.  I just don't know what they are....
when I know, you'll know!  How's that?

___________
Time waits for no one

Not quite fluff....

But some good things....

The Boy has been accepted to the college he wants, in the program he wants! YAY!  That's really good news because it's a popular program.  And there may even be some government grants to help him pay for it! WOOHOO! Now, if only the boy can get a job to help pay for it too...

And the Husband has been conditionally accepted as well.  Both of my boys will be going to school in the next little while.  The Husband in September, and the Boy in January or so... it might be earlier, depending on if there's space earlier.

Other good thing - my work is going well.  I'm learning many things and helping get things on track. There's all sorts of weird things happening, and we're discovering that some people took some short cuts they should not have -and they were on integral items!!  EEEK!  now, we have to patch things as best we can. *sigh* But, the good thing is they are relying on me and my partner to find and help fix them.  Why, you ask? Because we're the only ones who know both systems...that's why! LOL

Sorta bad thing - a med I've been trying for my paresthesia seemed to be working - but it's not.  My face has been tingling all day long *sigh*  Oh, well.

And - more looking at overpriced houses tomorrow!  I'm sure we'll find something... just have to wait for it. :P

_________
When you stop learning, you might as well lie down and die.

Nothing exciting has happened....

So I haven't posted.  I'm strange that way.

I guess I could do a random post, but I just don't feel like doing a fluff piece while my life is in a wee bit of a shambles.     Maybe in the next few days a slightly happier post will happen....

We looked at an apartment in the general area of the city that I want to live in - and it's a good price for it.  They're a little dated, but well maintained.  The one we saw was too small, but we're on a waiting list for a bigger one.

In the mean time, we get to look at houses.

Most of them are what I call .... "drechk"  Basically - garbage made to look somewhat pretty and then a huge price tag put on them.  While I'm not looking for 1600sq ft for 100k,  more than 600 for 150k would be nice!  And if it's actually a nice place, then the silent auction starts.  The house is priced low, and the seller expects people to go over list price.  Everyone puts in a bid on the same day - and the seller gets to pick the best one.
Well... Every seller but us, of course.  We only got one offer - but it was for what I was okay with, so we accepted it. 
The biggest issue for us is not down payment - it's monthly payments.  We gotta do this on my salary because the Husband is going back to school in August (at least...that's the plan, unless the college says no).  So, we look at houses and if we don't find anything - we hope to get an apartment before we end up on the street. (kidding... the father in law has offered us use of his place if we are desperate... but then kitties need to find a temporary home...)

I'm thinking for the time he's in school - an apartment would be best, unless we do find 1600sq ft for 100k and it's not total absolute crap in the middle of gang central.

Think good thoughts for us, would you?
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Home is where your rump rests.....

....and now we make decisions.

The house is sold. And we got our list price.  While I'm sad that we had to do it - I'm starting to feel optimistic for the future.  The axe is no longer hanging over our heads.  And, I get to look at houses again!

Right now - we're deciding if we're going to buy a different house, or rent an apartment while the husband goes to school.  We've got time, so we'll see what happens.

_______
When you stop learning, you stop growing....

This is it.... tick tock...tick tock...

We find out today if anyone wants to buy our house.  Oh, please... let there be a good offer today.  I just want to be done.  I'm tired of running out of the house because someone wants to see it... :P

4:30 we get a call - they're on their way - can you vacate???  SERIOUSLY?  But, that's what happens here - that's how the market is right now. 

 Good thing I was half expecting that and decided not to BBQ for dinner.  Hope tomorrow is warm so I can - I'm SO craving something off the BBQ. Mmmm......

Anyway - further updates as events warrant... LOL


________
Oh, please... I haven't said it in such a long time....

An apology ...

Sorry folks - guess I needed to get that out.  I do feel better about selling the house...somewhat.  I still really don't want to, but I know I have to.  And since I've always been good at doing what needs to be done, it'll be done.

We had an open house today - and I think it went well.  I had done a lovely little write up about the house, and it fit on one page.  I had stapled it to the listing provided by the realtor - there were about 15 of them, I guess.  Anyway- they're all gone.   I think tomorrow is the last day of showings...oh, I hope so. I'm tired of not being at "home".  I'll be very glad when its done.

My poor kitties - we had to take them out of the house today because of all the people trooping through.  We took them to the BIL's house, and they spent the entire time hiding behind his couch.  I was shocked - the SIL was able to catch the fraidy cat quickly - we didn't have to chase her around the house!   Luckily - I'm already forgiven.  I've got a fuzzy black one on my computer desk, and miss fraidy is not too far away. 

Please - oh please - let someone want to buy this house!  I guess I'll find out on Tuesday.

I hope my next posts are a little more up beat.
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Home is where the heart is.

Not a slacker.... just exhausted, and sad...and have to let it out... Sorry readers.

Well...the decision has been made.

We're moving. 

I absolutely hate the thought of it. I DON'T WANT TO DO IT!  But I don't have a choice.  I can't afford my gorgeous house any more.  I don't think it's completely sunk in yet - it will when I have to sign the papers and it's done.    That night - I'm going to cry like a baby.   I'm so freaking stressed out right now - I have a headache all the time.

I want to stay here and be happy for a while, but I'm not allowed to have that. 

I've realized that every time I start to get content - something happens.  Either I get sick, the husband loses his job, my mother dies....something.  It's about every 3 years or so that it happens, and I'm heartily tired of it.  I don't want drama - I want a quiet life.  Why can't I have it?  what have I done that's soooo wrong that I can't be happy for a while? 

Well...that's it for now.  My tummy hurts and I need to sleep.

_____
Namaste

As a friend of mine would say - I'm a Slacker!

HOLY COW - It's been over a week since I did a blog post! Sorry readers... I've been extremely tired and making decisions.

Well, trying to make decisions.  I haven't completely made up my mind  yet - but I am going to have to do it soon. *sigh* I really really don't want to....*insert tantrum here*  I am not the best with change being forced upon me.  If it's up to me and in my own time - then I can handle it no problem.  But if it's "you have to or bad things will happen" type of change, then I get ornery....-er... than usual.  No, I won't say what it is yet. Once the decision is made, then I'll spill it. 

As for the tired - I'm starting to think something is really wrong with me.   I can't do anything without being exhausted. I was asleep before midnight last night, didn't crawl out of bed until 11 and by 12:30 I was tired and dizzy.  Just enough time to make coffee and breakfast. Which was very good.   And the pain - it's getting so bad that I can't sit for more than an hour or two without my hips killing me.  and it's the back of my hips, not the sides.  I thought it was my gluteus maximus that hurt - but it's not. I looked it up. LOL

Hopefully the doctor can figure out what's going on soon, so we can make it stop.  I don't want to end up on disability waiting for it to get better.  and what if it doesn't get better - what am I going to do then???

Guess I'm feeling whiny today - oh, well.  You guys can deal with it.   Maybe the next post will be better.

___________
Change is inevitable - how you deal with it defines you

My first impression of Little Big Planet 2

Cooperative Video games....Good in theory - in practice.... not so much.

The Husband picked up Little Big Planet 2 the other day as the other half of his Christmas present. (I gave him a gift card.) Having fun with the Sack Thing in public!  HA! I can say that and it's not dirty....LOL

I had a totally different line in there, but apparently it was too close to the title of the Husbands blog post about fun and sacks, so he made me change it.  (okay, it was close.. but still...)
http://ramblingsfromthegreatwhitenorth.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/the-most-fun-you-can-have-with-your-sackboy/

The first one was fun - I remember trying to find it everywhere!  It was one of the hardest games to find at that time.  I managed to find it at The Source.  I was quite shocked when I saw it there.  I didn't think they even had video games, but so far I've managed to find two hard to find games there.  That's my first stop now if I can't find a game.

Anyway - the first one was great, and this one looks to be too. If we survive the multi-player part.
The Boy is a gamer, so he just goes zipping through.  Then there's the Husband - gotta get the stuff first!!!  And finally - there's me... take my time and figure it out.  When all three of us play at the same time... it gets interesting.  You've heard the curse "May you live in interesting times?" yeah... well.....

It's a smash of "hey, let go... come back.. fine, let me die then... LET GO...Stop DOING THAT... HEY! That was mine....you missed one... I thought we were getting the stuff?? COME BACK!!.  where are you going??? STOP GRABBING ME  who pushed me off the cliff??... LET GO OF ME!" etc etc.  It's almost a race to see who gets mad and quits first. *sigh*  I just wish we could all play nice together, but I don't know if it's ever going to happen. 

I'm also a vocal player - I yap and talk.  The other two - not so much.  So, to them I've been "whining" for the entire time. Not really.  It's just a running commentary  - but they don't quite get that. Ah, well. It'll be fun until someone starts crying....loses their mind... or their temper.... or the cops show up cause one of us made the other eat the controller.

So in a nutshell - Little Big Planet 2 looks to be a lot of fun... and some of you might even like playing the Multi-Player!
_______
To Explore strange, new worlds...

You'd think it was winter!

It always amazes me how cold it can get in the Canadian prairies.   A few hundred kilometres to the west and -5C is sub-arctic.  A few hundred kilometers to the east, and -15C gets a cold weather warning.

Where I'm at, we're at -24C and supposed to hit close to -40 in the wind tonight.  Brrrr.  My computer is in the basement too.  While it is insulated, somewhat, it's still freaking cold down here sometimes.  Maybe one of these years we'll get around to putting up walls and making some rooms, instead of a big open space.

It also gets warm in the summer in the prairies, which allows the tomatoes and potatoes to grow nice and big, so it's all good.

The main complaint I have about the winter is not the cold - it's the extreme changes.  It's -24 right now, yesterday it was -10ish, and in two days it'll be -10ish again.  My head does not like this dramatic change, and I get migraine headaches.  Maybe that's what's wrong with me - just plain old migraines.  We'll see.

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Polar Bear club members are insane!

And lazy... and whiny. :)

I just slept for over 12 hours, and I could go for a nap right about now.  Of course, the migraine might have something to do with that.  I got up around 9am and couldn't really see  - but since I know the layout of the house, I was able to find the painkillers.  Downed some and back to bed until after noon.  Guess I need to talk to the Dr. about maybe upping my migraine preventative med - it's not really working.  It did for a little while, but now - not so much.  Add that to the vertigo and vision issues, and I'm a mess.

But, I got some good news yesterday - HRB's mom is out of the hospital, and is home.  YAY! I hope she continues to improve and feel better.  It's nice to hear HRB happy.  Things seem to be going her way again.  I'm sooo happy for her! :)

Now, can they go my way for a little while???   we need just a little bit of good fortune, and I'll be content.

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Luck, be a Lady tonight....

I'm Crabby - not Two-faced.

Let me preface my rant with this:

I AM NOT AN ASTROLOGER
I DO KNOW THAT SOME OF WHAT I SAY MAY BE IN ERROR.


Ahem... on with the rant:

I'm talking, of course, about the buzz about a "new" zodiac sign.  I've been a Cancer all my life - just because some astronomer says that I should be a Gemini doesn't mean I will change.  Gemini does not fit me one little bit.

Astrology is about balance, and harmony - not when the stars are in the sky.  If you read the Wiki article about it, you'll see that it hasn't mattered for a very long time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology

From what I understand - he's been there all along, and the early astronomers knew about him.   But, 13 is not balanced - therefore the Serpent Bearer (Ophiuchus) is not used. And who wants to be a serpent bearer anyway???  That does not sound like it fits into the Zodiac. 

I'm sure there are more than  13 constellations that could be astrological signs up there - you could have one for each week if you wanted too.  How about Orion?  Why not have that as an astrological sign?  Why not Ursa Major, Hurcules, or Canis Minor? You could have so many different things, why bother messing with the signs of the Zodiac.
Does this astronomer think that Astrologers have not taken into account the drift of the stars?  That they don't know darn well that the constellation of Capricorn has drifted a little bit?

The new dates don't make any sense either - Scorpio is 6 days in the new chart.  Uh - no.  That's not how it works, folks. If they really really want to be picky - leave it as is, but put a foot note that Scorpio also has Ohiuchus rising or some such thing. 

The New Dates:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18 - May 13
Taurus: May 13 - June 21
Gemini: June 21 - July 20
Cancer: July 20 - Aug. 10Leo: Aug. 10 - Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16 - Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23 - Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 - Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17 - Jan. 20

I think the person who brought this up just wanted to stir things up and get their 15 minutes, or in this case days, of fame.  Or, maybe they're crazy enough to think that people will just accept this change "oh, okay. If you say so - I'll suddenly change my sign".  These days - it could be either one. 

No matter how you slice it, I'm a crab. LOL


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Space, the Final Frontier...

The Husband thinks he's funny....

http://ramblingsfromthegreatwhitenorth.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/shooooot/

Har har har, he's so funny.  Ho ho ho - it is to laugh. 

I'm just lucky he didn't get into the football rant he's got going.  He'll probably wait until the CFL season starts for that one. 

What he doesn't like to acknowledge is that most of it is just to drive him crazy.  It is so much fun seeing the look on his face when I make the sillier comments.   I know darn well they're not going to shoot - there's a guy in the way, etc - but he makes such a funny face and then the smarty pants comments start.  It's just hysterical!

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Awww... The Denver Broncos.....

But I don't have your mail - Honest!

The past few weeks I've been getting phone calls on my cell phone, with the person on the other end hanging up when my voice mail cuts in.  No biggie - obviously a wrong number.  Meh, delete callerID and on my merry way, right?

WRONG!

More calls happen.  I called back once, and I got to talk to a very nice older lady who didn't speak English very well.  To be honest, she sounded like a Ukrainian baba. 
Apparently she wanted Canada Post.  I very politely let her know that I'm not with Canada Post, that she has the wrong number.  Thank you, she said.   Again... all done. right? Right?

Nope.

I just got a voice mail today from the same lady- "I talked to someone two weeks ago.  I'm still not getting my mail. Please call me back." No name, no phone number left.   This time, I tried to be nice and call Canada Post, to let them know that someone is trying to contact them.

What an exercise in frustration that was.  I tried the website first - looking for a "general" feedback form.  Nothing doing!  You have to pick a specific form, and then have a postal code. Since I didn't have that, time to phone them.
dial dial dial - impersonal computer telling me to choose English or French,  residential or commercial, Earth or Mars, are you still here? you haven't hung up yet?   Finally, could it be... a a a a person...NO! A recording!!!  -  "Thank you for calling Canada Post. We're experiencing high volumes of calls.  Please go to our website or call back later "  *click* WWHHHA?????  Are you freaking kidding me?  

So, I tried later.  yeah, that worked.  Didn't even get the choose 1 for English, just   "Thank you for calling. We're closed.  Go to our website" andscream in frustration.  

Alrighty then. Time to use my brains.  In other words -  I cheated.  I went to a website feedback form and told them that they need a better way for oddball requests, and that this lady needs some help.  Since I have caller ID, at least I had a phone number to give them.

I know that she won't get help - no one ever actually reads those forms.  But, at least I tried.  And next time my phone rings at work, I'll try to answer it so I can tell her that I'm very sorry, but I'm not Canada Post, and I don't know why you aren't getting your mail.


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Transfer complete - enter when ready.

Cheesy goodness and choices

That's what was in breakfast today!  Mmm... ham, cheese and mushroom omelette's for breakfast along with some of the best coffee I've ever had. 
It's not from a chain, either. I brew it myself.   It took me a long time to be able to brew decent coffee.  I've also discovered that it wasn't always just me - it was also the coffee.  Those giant cans of coffee *shudder* make terrible pots of coffee.  If I can't get the mountain blend I like, I then buy whole beans and grind them myself.   Yes, I'm a coffee snob. 


as you can tell, I'm not quite as melancholy today.  I'm still very concerned about the world - but I also know that I can only change me, and try to influence others.   I know that violence does not solve anything, and I can tell others that.  However, others may still choose to do violence.
And it all comes down to that - choice.  I hear people say "I didn't have a choice". Well, you did have a choice - but the other choice was unconscionable/inconceivable to you.  I see it on TV shows "Do it or I'll shoot you" - they have the choice to die. However, that is so far out there, it is not given any consideration.   

Or I'll hear "well, you didn't give me any choice" "you left me no choice" ... You had the choice not to do what you did.  It may not be a good choice, or one that you like, but you had the choice. You just had to get what you wanted.
The only time you don't have a choice is when something happens that you don't have time to react too.  For example: You're walking across the street on a green light and a car runs the red and hits you.  You didn't have the choice of being hit by the car or not because you didn't know it was happening.

However, you did have a choice to not to be there when the event happened.  But that gets a little crazy if you go that far - you'd never leave the house for fear of something happening.

Ha - can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?

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Roads? where we're going we don't need roads!

Craziness

And not mine!

I have to wonder what is wrong with this world.  It's supposed to be getting more tolerant and more peaceful.  People are supposed to be getting along, aren't they?

Well, based on the stuff in the news these days - it's not happening.  People are blowing themselves and others up in the middle east.  Others are chanting that the US President is not a citizen while the house is in session.  And now a judge is dead, and a senator is shot in the head - and last I heard she is fighting for her life.

What is wrong with people?  Do they really think that killing someone is the answer?  It won't stop the ideas - if anything, it will get the ideas out there even more, because now we're all going to read about her ideas. 
They shot JFK, Martin Luther King and John Lennon.  Those ideas did not stop either. 

*sigh*  If I had one wish - it would not be for world peace.  It would be for World understanding - where you can have an opinion and not get shot for it.  And money would not influence whether you got what you need or not - like health care, shelter, food. Ah, I'm melancholy tonight.  I just want there to be less selfishness in the world - less fear mongering and more truth.

___
The truth is out there.

well.... that was interesting

I am the first to admit that I don't know much about hockey - but even I know giving up 3 goals in 5 minutes is not good.    I remember saying to the Husband, just before the 3rd goal - Canada has stopped checking/hitting.  What's going on?

And it was down hill from there.  If I didn't know better - I'd almost think the Russians were playing possum.  They didn't do much until the third period - and then it was like a whole different team was playing!   Of course - I do know better.  The Russians were pumped full of steroids during the second intermission. :P 
Oh, man - I'm going to get into trouble with that, I know it. 

I do feel bad for the Canadian team though - they  looked stunned when the third goal went in. And absolutely poleaxed when the fourth one went in.  It was almost like they couldn't believe they were being outplayed.  And in the third period - they were.  Russia spanked them badly - and you could see they knew it.   

The only consolation that I can find in this - the loss was not to the USA.  I don't think I could have stood that two years in a row.

Since I'm female - I can say with a shrug

" There's always next year. "

 The men are going to spend the next year analyzing, over-thinking and trying to figure out what happened. It's simple.  Canada was up 3-0 and took the pressure off.  Who knows what happens if they don't?

Eyebrow on Stun, Mr. Spock

I have created another monster and an obscure endphrase

Today I received a "wall" post from HRB that she's got a blog now too.  I think the blog bug is catching - that's the fourth blog that's started since December when J suggested it to me.  Now I think HE needs a blog but I don't know that he'll do one.

I read her blog and I was laughing a bit and I realized - the other three must take a long time with their posts and think about them.  Me - I just type, proofread and off they go.  I'm not funny or witty, really.  Perhaps one of these days people will get a chuckle from my blog.

Speaking of proofreading - where oh where did that go?  Just about every book I read these days has a glaring grammar or spelling mistake.  "he couldn't catch his breathe"   Or the heroine's lovely blue eyes turn green for three pages, and then back to blue.
Don't get me started on the seemingly random name changes that happen.  It's quite disconcerting when Sara - who's supposed to be in France - suddenly appears in another scene in Australia.  Then you realize - that's not Sara!  That's Jenny - when the name changes in the next paragraph. 
I'd be willing to proofread almost for free - I get to read the book, and fix the errors.  Works for me! :)

I'm a big bookworm and was reading one of my old book series and decided to see if there were any new books. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there are more coming... that will be a good read. 
My favorite paranormal romance author is Maggie Shayne www.maggieshayne.com   She started writing vampire romance many years ago, and she wrote about her own version of the vampire.  And I'm not referring to the sparkly ones that are popular right now.  I've read both sets that start with "Twilight" - so I do know what I'm talking about.  The sparkly set had a chance - but there is SO much angst and whiny teenage stuff in there that I had a lot of trouble with it.  (I'm old and cranky!)  Luckily - I have a good imagination and filled in what was missing in the books in my head.

One of these days I'll write the book that's been rattling around in my head.  First - I have to get the time to do it.  Second - I have to have the energy to do it. *sigh*  Looks like it'll take a lottery win for me to be able to write it.  I might start the outline soon.  It's been popping up in my dreams more often lately - so I guess it's just about time.   I've learned in my life, that for things like this, they take their own time.  If I try to force it, it won't work right. 

I've also noticed that many people have an "endphrase" on their blog.  I haven't been able to think of one - so I'm going to use something I read in a book.  Perhaps I'll use random stuff.  You never know.

Mindwalk if you will.

Canada vs. USA

I'm a bit of a hockey fan, and just finished watching the World Junior semi-final in Buffalo NY.  You wouldn't know they were in the US by the crowd though - it was probably 75% Canadians.  It amazes me how little interest the USA has in hockey - and yet, they have more of the teams. Ah, well. 

Tomorrow night - Canada vs Russia for the gold medal.  I hope we win - it would take the sting out of the loss last year. :)  Although - the win tonight was pretty sweet, I can tell you.  When Canada scored in the first three minutes of the first period - I was pretty confident of a win!  

Of course, I'm a bit of a pessimist too - and waited until there was 5 minutes left in the third period and Canada was up 4 to 1 before I declared a win.  Mainly because there was the phantom high sticking penalty that Canada took - on replay, it was the USA player that whacked the USA goaltender.  No home ice advantage from the refs there!   

At least one of my teams will win tonight. I'm watching the Calgary Flames fail tonight.  They're already down 4-1 in the middle of the second period.  I won't be able to watch the entire game - I have to go back to work tomorrow. (WAAAAHHH! I DON'T WANT TOOO! can you see the temper tantrum through the screen?) Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised tomorrow - but I doubt it. 

Calgary has been kinda sucky this year.  I don't think they'll make the playoffs again - and who knows what they'll do to shake things up.  There's a lot of talk about trading Jerome Iginla - but I don't know if they will.  It might take the heart right out of the team if they do.  When you hear Calgary Flames you think Jerome Iginla.  but, since it's not my decision to make - I'll just wait and see.

01/01/11 - Happy New Year

And so the New Year begins.  Infinite possibilities and challenges await. 

May it be full of life and love and happiness, and may all your wishes and dreams for the new year come true.