Do you know true terror?

So, THIS happened!

Jessie and I went to Canadian Tire today to do some long awaited stuff shopping for yard thinks and such. We also needed to buy a new lawnmower as the landlord had promised a new one in the lease. We decided to go to the new Canadian Tire at 7th and Cambie since the road work is pretty much done down there and you can finally get around a bit. We parked in the rooftop parking area and walked in to the store. I will admit we were pretty stupefied by all the shiny lawn furniture and assorted yard accessories. When we first walked in we saw some really nice fire pits for the yard and we kind of fantasized about how cool it would be to have one. When we got to the place that they were stacked on the shelf it looked like they might be on sale. I grabbed the big box and stuck the UPC code under one of those price check thingies and sure enough it was half price. The regular price was $99 and it was on for $49.99! Well shoot, I'd buy it.

We piled all our purchases into a couple of buggies and eventually went to check out. They have a self serve check which involved several episodes of a clerk coming over to help us continue, much lifting boxes and finding codes and other pain in the ass stuff until finally we were checked through.

We piled the stuff into the car, swung through the Wendy's drive through and headed on home. Once we got back to the yard we decided to sit in the sun and eat our lunch and then unpack all of the goodies from the car. When I grabbed the box for the outdoor fire pit (some assembly required) I noticed there was a hole in the back of the box. I took one look and recognised it right away. Only one thing makes a hole like that. Rodents.

After I started to cut the box open we could really see all of the damage, tons of chewed up styrofoam and shredded paper and plastic and to our relief, small droppings from a mouse, not a rat. We started picking the pieces of the fire pit out of the box when it happened. Mouse running around in box! I screamed like a little girl and ran the opposite way and the mouse started running towards Jessie who was kind of frozen in place but no less freaked out than me. The mouse headed straight for the stairwell towards Jessie's apartment door, luckily it was closed or it would have run straight in. So now we are just shitting ourselves trying to think of what to do.

By this time Superman had come out to see what was going on and while him and Jessie made some sort of plan I decided to call Canadian Tire and see what they had to say. The first guy I spoke to in the outdoor living department responded by saying "Holy Shit, no way! He suggested I bring it back for a refund but I told him I wasn't touching any of it, it was full of mouse shit and urine, you could see it on everything. I asked to speak to the manager and when I told him what happened he said, "Jesus Christ!" He suggested I call pest control they would be happy to pay for it. By this time I could tell the the mouse wasn't going anywhere and had wedged itself between two layers of rugs. I told him that it looked like we would be able to catch/kill it and we wouldn't need pest control so he told me to bring in the receipt and he would give me a full refund but I could keep the fireplace. So, free fireplace, that's cool.

Superman conducted some rather gruesome maneuvers involving his big Dayton boots and a garden hoe which resulted in the death by squishing for Mr. Mouse. I hid behind Jessie the whole time prancing in place like a prized pony.

This is a picture of the box with all the nest materials and delicious styrofoam, mouse shit and mouse pee. Gross.

This is where he ran and eventually lost his life to a well timed boot heel.

This is where he is now along with the two mats he was rolled up in.

This is the nasty bag of styro feces and pee pee that was left in the box.

Bottom line, Jessie and I were traumatized for a couple of hours and now we have no faith in our ability to handle any type of stress or excitement ever again. That mouse was in the box when I lifted it in the store put it through the checkout and rode home with us in the car. I'm not scared of spiders and insects but rodents do me in.

Tomorrow it's back to Canadian Tire for our refund and possibly a dry cleaning bill because Jessie may or may not have peed her pants a little.

Now excuse me while I go wash my hands again and try to recover from the adrenalin rush I just experienced.

I wonder if I should sue?

Modern convenience?

http://www.cleanistry.com/2009/04/earth-day-guilt-trip/
I thought I would re-post this link from Modern Gear TV all about dishwashers and hand washing and the amount of water used. Surprising results.
I forgot to wish the Earth a happy day. Happy Earth Day to you all too!

Who do you love?

My Mom and Dad came to town for a visit today and it was so good to see them! It was fun showing them the new house and having Mom take a tour through the garden with me so I could figure out what has to be done out there. We had a yummy lunch and took a little drive around the neighbourhood to see all the pretty flowers and buds. They also brought me this cute little table that fits perfectly in the kitchen. It has a fold down table top so I can adjust it to any size I need. The cool folding chairs the old owners left us work really well with it too. My Mom brought me some of my old photos, some I would like to scan and show you one day. She also brought me home made buns and hand made cards from my niece that are super cute, some candles, some red glass candle globes a pottery ring to put flowers in and a crystal heart candle holder. All in all it was such a great day. I miss my Mom and Dad a lot sometimes but we always enjoy each others company when we are together. I'm a lucky girl.

Here or there?

I didn't do much this weekend , just hung around the house. I enjoy that more than most things these days. I am so loving living here. I took some time out on Sunday afternoon to get some things sorted and organised. I brought up this old dresser from downstairs to put in my dining room and now I have a place to put all of my papers and other assorted crap. I think I had to live with things the way they were for a while to see where the piles were forming. Now there's a place for everything and everything in it's place.

I have also changed a bunch of my art around to try to find the perfect home for each piece. I think I am getting close. I moved a mirror to a spot directly across from my front door and I was positive that it was bad feng shui so I looked it up. I turns out that having a mirror facing your front door can ruin your reputation. I can't risk that because I am still new in this neighbourhood. I still have neighbours on one side of us that won't make eye contact. I'll win them over yet.

Just being a homebody right now. I'm off to spend the day with T. I understand she is very weak. We will just "be" together for a while today. These times are both scary and precious.

I had no intention of taking such a long break from the blog, it just happened.

On another note, one of the girls from our "T- Team" took it upon herself to send an email around to raise some cash for T's family. Mostly so her husband could stay home from work and care for her in these final days. There is something very wrong with the system we have for compassionate care in BC. Financially there is very little help available for someone in the family to stay home from work and care for a dying loved one. When you think of all of the money that is not being spent by having her hospitalized it would be nice to think that we could support the caregiver better. Of course friends and family have opened their hearts once more and it looks like he will be able to leave work now. People can be so awesome.

What looks like a penis but isn't?

I just had to get a shot of this. I have been driving by this apartment complex for the last few weeks and it totally cracks me up. Lorna says I have the sense of humour of a 12 year old boy. I tend to agree. But, come on! I have a feeling this gardener is male but I could be wrong. I just can't believe that at some point someone didn't think that pruning the bushes like this would just look like a huge line of cocks and balls. Is it just me??? Or are they happy to see me? It gives a whole new meaning to the term twig and berries.

Behold Bone-Henge!

You heart your WHAT?

I managed to shoot this picture yesterday as I was stopped at a light. I have edited the photo to protect the guy but geez. Yes, the thing hanging off his rear view mirror says I Heart My Penis. I am surprised I haven't seen this on t-shirts and bumper stickers before. Don't all guys love their penises? I believe that they do. Good for you guy! Now the tough part is finding someone else to love his penis too.

Good luck with the little fella!

How cool is this??

Yesterday I went to Winners/Homesense and had a good look around. It's tempting to spend money on household things now that we are in the new house and there is so much room. I don't really need a lot though and I need to save my money for the wedding so I didn't get much. I picked up a cookie sheet, a pair of pants and this pretty baking dish. I just love the colour and it's a perfect size for our household of two plus whoever. I made a yummy Shepherds Pie and invited a friend to share, she brought a delicious dessert. We had a nice evening as she also brought her big floppy, puppy dog over. I really like dogs and Cooper is no exception but I sure can see how much work they are and how much happiness they bring.

I also picked up these cool ice cube trays that make an acoustic guitar a electric guitar and a bass! I couldn't wait to fill them up and pop them out of the silicone trays. They look really cool, they are quite big and you use them in your drinks instead of ice cubes. We were thinking they would look great if we made them with iced tea or something red or blue. Easily amused, we are.

I started this post this morning and now I'm finishing it after dinner. We had the leftover Shepherd's pie with homemade biscuits and had fresh fruit for dessert. Just in case you were wondering. What did you have for your Tuesday dinner or supper or whatever you call it?

We are starting to plan the wedding, we talked about it during dinner. I think we've come up with the style of wedding we want, now we better get going. I will share details as they emerge.

Are you feeling it?

Six o'clock on a Friday. That might be my most favourite time of the week. The sun is still shining in the yard, the buds are popping.

This is the view from my computer.

I've made myself a yummy Caesar and the dinner is in the oven. This weekend holds no real firm plans beyond playing music and hanging out with friends. Juicey and her boy and I went to The Superstore this morning and stocked up on good food for the week. Her son helped me pack my groceries in to the house, just to be nice. God! I knew there was a reason I should have had kids. I think I might just have to borrow J's kids. There already fully formed well adjusted humans and so much cooler than me.

I did make it over to the coast the other day. Here's a shot from the ferry taken from my drivers seat. With a parking spot on the ferry like this why would I want to get out of the car?? I didn't.

I did a little work and then hit the pub for a beer and a bite of food. Good food, good beer, good company. I left there and headed over to my other friends place where we watched the new James Bond movie. I highly recommend it. Had another great visit with my dear friends and hit the sack. When I awoke it was April Fools Day and I sure thought someone was having one over on me. My friend works in the film industry and when I accused him of creating some sort of movie effect he assured me that it was real fucking snow I was looking at. Not cool.
I headed back to the city early in the afternoon. Confused.

I had a visit from my friend Karin today too, she came by to do some shopping in my store and she also brought me a present! It's a Christmas/Easter gift or something like that. Karin loves giving gifts and I love getting gifts so we get along pretty well. She gave me this funky purple Japanese tea pot that I had once admired when I was with her, a beautiful tin of Indian Nimbu tea (Darjeeling Tea with Citrus and Caramel) I can't wait to try, and this super cute green , felt bag with cool dingle balls. A thoughtful gift from a thoughtful person. It was great to see her today!

I choose to focus on all that is positive these days. My life is far from perfect and the illness of my close friend shadows everything I do right now. Now more than ever I need to absorb as much love and joy as I can so I have the strength to give it all back.

What are your plans this weekend? Hope it's all good.

LOVE, xox

Who loves the sun?

Juicy moved in this weekend and in no time flat she made that little suite downstairs into a cozy, funky haven for her and her son. I had to watch myself because I kept wanting to go down there and see what she was doing. Of course she was more than welcoming and when she was done for the day we thought we had better break in her new pad by sitting down there and listening to tunes and drinking lots of wine. Our other friend J came by as well so we had a nice little kitchen party and stayed up way too late. It was loads of fun!
Sunday broke with sun a-blazing and that was a fine thing to see. Our friend Binski came by with fresh ham and cheese scones from Uprising Bakery and all the makings for Caesars! This called for dragging out the outdoor furniture and drinking in some vitamin V (vodka) and some vitamin D (sun)! It was all very delicious and it felt so good to get some warmth from our friends and the sun. I can't even tell you.
Some time over the weekend I developed a huge blood spot in my left eye. It doesn't hurt or itch or anything but it looks rather gory. I looked it up on the Internets and it's called a subconjunctival hemorrhage and it's harmless. Of course I had to speak on a panel yesterday for a women's business event in front of a couple of hundred people and I ended up sitting so my gory eye was facing the audience. Not my best side. it was a great event though and I think my partner and I did a good job contributing. One of the main subjects discussed in other panels was Twitter. I guess I still don't get the excitement but apparently it can be used as an effective marketing tool for business too. I will have to look into that further. Today I am off to The Sunshine Coast for some business doings and will probably come home tomorrow. I will tell you all about when it's a done deal. I'm looking forward to hitting the road this afternoon.
Enjoy the sun if you are getting it!!

I wonder where the birdies is?

This morning when I got up early to take out the garbage I spied the first hint of color in the garden. My very first bloom!! There are hundreds and hundreds of little flower bulbs getting ready to bloom but this is the first one. I can't wait until they all burst forth but it's been so cold and wet it's hard to believe the sun will come out and coax these little blooms out. But I know it's going t happen and it fills me with such a feeling of hope. Come on little fellas, show me what you've got!I also discovered this in the garden. It's the second one I've seen in the back yard. It's a rat trap. I don't know who put them there, the landlord knew nothing about it either. I have one question, who's going to empty it if something crawls in there and dies?? Not me my friends, not me. I don't do rodents and the thought of something dying in there and stinking up my garden does not sit well with me. I have a feeling these have been put out by the city to deal with a rat problem that develped a couple of years ago when we had that nasty garbage strike all through the hot summer. Also the new RAV line that they have been building for the Olympics is only a couple of blocks away from here and rumour has it that all that digging displaced a LOT of vermin. ~shudder~
This city has been mighty busy getting rid of rats and homeless people and re grouting sidewalks to show the world what a perfect city we live in when the 2010 Olympics comes to Vancouver. It kind of feels like putting plastic on the furniture so it stays nice for company.

Am I becoming a Stepford wife?

I'm sure my left hand is down here somewhere...

So I guess you could say I'm all settled in at the new house. I am also feeling unsettled to tell you the truth. I'm here waiting for something to happen. I know there are many things that need to be done like finishing up that last bit of organising and planning my damn wedding but I don't feel like doing those things right now. I wasn't feeling well this week and so I missed an opportunity to get out and hear some music on Tuesday night. That might have done me good because, let's face it, I don't do well being home every night of the week. Work, home, cook dinner, clean up dishes, watch tv until falling asleep, bed. This routine drives me crazy. I long for it and then when I have it I get so bored and unsettled I can't stand it. I know things will change soon though because The Juice is moving in this weekend and I can't wait! I'll have to ask her how she wants me to identify her when I tell you all the crazy stories about her. I know she reads my blog so I'll ask now- Jessie, Juicy, The Juice, J???? Did you have a better idea? I want to hear it. And another thing, would you hurry up and get your ass in here so you can add some excitment to my life? I promise we will only drink wine and gab every night for the first couple of weeks and then we can settle down to an every second night kind of thing. You can mark my words, there will be some girlfriending going on around here. Bring it on!

One of the modern conveniences a la 1975 that this house came with is an In -Sink-Erator in the kitchen sink. (where else would it be) Anyway, I love this thing. At first I just wasn't sure about putting stuff down there, I mean, it goes against everything I have been taught. I had misgivings, that's for sure. I wasn't sure about the environmental repercussions, I didn't know what you could and couldn't throw down there and I had visions of something falling down there and reaching for it just as it turned itself on and ground my hand to a bloody stump. So I did a little research online and it turns out yu can stuff almost anything down there. So I do. It's awesome, my garbage doesn't get smelly and cleaning up the kitchen after cooking is a breeze. I know it's just one more thing to break down but as long as I don't abuse it I'm going to use it. Once J moves in we will get a composter going so a lot of that stuff will end up going back to the earth but in the mean time, I'm stuffing it down. It's just so satisfying.

I need to get out of the house.

Who's that cat?

A couple of years ago we took in my Mother-In -Law's cat while she went on an extended vacation. Now, we're not really cat people but on this one particular visit we really hit it off. He got comfortable with us and we got used to having him around and all was right with the world. It got to the point when our friends were making fun of us because we would tell them we had to get home because the cat was waiting for us.

Max is a 25 pound ginger tabby. Max is one of the fattest and lazy-est cat I have ever met. But...he has a heart of gold and keeps my MIL happy and is truly good company for her. Every evening I would try to get him to play by spraying cat nip on a toy and dangling it in front of him. He would take a couple of swipes and then just give up. Too much work. Kind of reminds me of an ex-boyfriend. Anyway, I took lots of pictures of Max, set them to music and posted it on youtube. I posted it in May 2007 and to date it has had 96 views, at least 20 of those were probably mine.

I thought I would share this tribute with you.

What's for lunch?

Here's a little recipe for you.

white bread
eggs
vanilla
Cap'n Crunch cereal

• crush cereal up and put in shallow dish
• dip bread in egg, vanilla mixture
• coat with crushed Cap'n Crunch cereal
• fry on skillet until golden brown

This is what T was craving when I spent the day with her today. She saw it on a cooking show and it's what she wanted to eat. So I made it for us and it was actually really good. Yes it's pretty sweet with syrup but I think it would be great with fruit and whipped cream.

The cereal creates a golden crust and kind of makes the french toast taste deep fried. You should try it. At least once.

I had a lovely, exhausting day with my dear friend today. I did manage to post today!! It's almost midnight but I made it.

Sleep well my friends.

How Long?

I'm okay! Nothing bad to report, I've just been doing a lot. A lot of everything. I've been nesting, resting, gigging, hosting company, going to see my favourite bands, cooking, cleaning, nursing, organising, shopping and relaxing. I have also been working a lot and there's a bunch of stuff going on there including buying all our stuff for Fall and about a hundred other things that I can't quite talk about. I also just finished a lovely visit with my in-laws, including my new baby niece, almost 5 months old, adorable, smily chubby girl baby. Yummy!
I guess I needed to take a bit of an unscheduled break from writing here.
BUT, I am planning on being up and running again Monday and have made it my personal goal to blog EVERY DAY THIS WEEK. I hope to include some new pictures and and some good stories about our new home and our crazy life. Crazy in a good way!
Things I am looking forward to- SPRING, my flowers blooming, re-doing my bathroom, my Dear Friend moving into the basement suite of our house next week (!!) That's just to name a few things, there are So many things. I have great expectations and excitement in all parts of my life right now, in my business, my music and my relationships! I feel really happy right now. I just think it's important to take a moment and recognise these good times. If you're happy and you know it...enjoy it!
I think I needed to take a little break to find something new to write about.
I missed you guys!
xoBarb

Home?

I want to be better at getting posts together but things keep getting in the way. We are approaching our second week in the new house and it's starting to feel normal and like home. There are a lot of funny little thing about this place and some mysteries that are still waiting to reveal themselves to me. Right now I am just cold. This little house is rather drafty and I have a hard time keeping warm. We have finally found a use for that super warm down quilt that SM's Mum gave us for Christmas a couple of years ago. It's warm in the sack but c-c-cold feet when they hit the floor. It doesn't help that we have been experiencing unusually cold weather these days. I can't wait for Spring so we can enjoy our yard.
I'm having a hard time keeping my energy up, I think the move just sapped me a bit and I feel the need to rest now. This is playing havoc with my boot camp and I only made it out once this week. I am having some trouble with my back again and going to massage therapy tonight so I can try to avoid the total seize up.

I wanted to leave you with a couple more pics of the house. This original 1940's telephone is attached to the wall in the hallway. When the guy came in to hook up the phones he hooked this up too. It has a beautiful, soft, nostalgic sound when it rings and the clarity when speaking on it is truly remarkable. We can't dial out on it though because that technology no longer exists apparently.

Here's a shot of the living room. I took this pic last week and it has changed a little since then. The big floral painting leaning on the wall found a home in the dining room and my other floral watercolour is now resting on the mantle, to break up the look of all that mirror.

I still have lots to do. I haven't been having much luck with my cooking since we moved here. I have made some pretty mediocre meals, I must admit. I could blame it on the old appliances or the strange layout of the kitchen I suppose. I did manage to make a pot of split pea soup last night though so hopefully minimal cooking this weekend.

Happy Friday everybody!!

Are you itchin' to see my kitchen?

This is my funny little kitchen.

I love this corner, it's so bright and cheerful.

I put my little tv here mostly because it had an outlet for cable I and I didn't know where else to put it. I know there is rom for an eat in table here but I want to keep it open for now. (And I don't have a little round table.) I am enjoying cooking and watching cooking shows at the same time.

Big kitchen, no cunter space. (Bwaha, ever since we moved my "o" key has been sticky. This is the worst case scenario word. I think I'll leave it.)

Hmmmmm, must figure this one out.

Also, holy 70's, let's have a cocktail/fondue party and swap keys vibe in this place. Don't you think?

Here's my sink area. Note the large gin and tonic waiting to be enjoyed.

More rooms coming. Stay tuned.

I got an award!

Isn't it beautiful? It's from The Blonde Goddess. She's one sassy lady. I wish we were neighbours because this is one person I would love to party with. Maybe one day.

Along with the picture it states...

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

1. Big Girl Feet

2.Bodalorna

3.Carol Browne

4.Chrissandra's Art

5.K8 the GR8

6.Denise

7.delicious juice dot com

8.The Glamorous Life of a Hausfrau

These are some of my favourites. Go have a look, they are all well worth reading. Enjoy!

Guess what?

I'm planning on taking some photos of my funny old house this evening when the light is nice. I'll post them tomorrow. Things are going quite well with the settling in process and I am starting to feel caught up on my sleep and less sore. I have missed my boot camp workouts this week as I was so sore after the move I figured I got quite a bit of exercise, thank you very much. I am going to shoot for tomorrow morning's class and see how it goes.
I think one of the things I am enjoying the most about our new home is the quiet. I have lived on Main Street for the last 7 years and the sound of traffic was not something I ever really got used to. What I am hearing right now are birds and the odd car going by. That's it. When it rains I can hear the rain hitting the trees and the grass instead of the angry sound of car wheels cutting through traffic on wet pavement. It's a big thing for me.
I am still working on the bedroom and getting all of my clothes sorted, some will be stored for next season and others donated and passed on to friends. I decided I can't start my life here with bulging closets so I have to make room for the new and let go of some of the old.
I need to hang my art and we also need to set up the basement so we can start having rehearsals for upcoming gigs and such. Can't wait for that!
Our new home is about 2 blocks away from the newly built Olympic Curling Rink so this neighbourhood is destined to be awash in Olympic-ness come next year. The other day when I went out to the car I noticed some city workers cleaning the dirt out of the cracks in the sidewalk, I have also noticed large rodent (rat?) traps around the area including my back yard, put out by the city. I hope they come and clean them out because, ew. I figure as the Olympics get closer we will be able to eat right off the sidewalk, they'll be so clean. Good to know my tax dollars are hard at work. We are not huge supporters of having the games in our city, the cost is so enormous and we aren't really interested in being here when the games are on. More about that later.
Last night T and her little boy and our friend Niki came by to see the new house. Not only did they come in for a nice visit and a bite to eat, but T also went all the way down the stairs to look at the basement. I couldn't believe she had the strength to do it and I know it was hard for her but I so admire her strength and determination. She also baked us cookies! I think she has been feeling a little better and has been pretty stable lately. It was such a gift to have her here and she loves our new home.
I am so behind in my cyber life. I haven't had a chance to catch up with all my blogs and see how my friends are doing. I will try to catch up tonight.
Have a great day!!

Did you miss me?

I'm Baaaaaaaack!
Just a short note to tell you I am back online and ready to start bloggalating again. yaayayayay

We are moved in, it almost killed me but it's sure nice to be home! Our new home is quirky and homey and still not totally put together but it already feels like home. I am still sore and sooo tired but I am recovering and I had the best sleep in ages last night in our new bedroom. It's so quiet here and I don't miss the sound of the traffic, I now hear the sound of birds, tweety birds, not just pigeons. It's so peaceful.
Our new home has a lot of character and I will be sharing some of these interesting traits with you over the coming days and weeks, maybe you can give me some advice?
We have plenty of time to discuss wood panelling, bad wallpaper, a lack of kitchen workspace and cardboard walls made to look like wood in the basement and carpet in the bathroom. Did I mention I LOVE this house?
I have a lot of catching up to do with all my blogs, I missed you all.
I even got an award from The Blonde Godess that I have to pick up. Thanks for that!
I will slowly get caught up here, but in the meantime I need to unpack some more.
Lots of pictures to come too!
Have a great day!

Who's that girl?

Soooo..... this happened!