We remembered

Today, I met Jen of Hey Mrs. Wilson fame for the second time. She is lovely and very much like me while also being very opposite of me. A friendship made in heaven? I do hope so.

Here is the picture that we forgot to take the first time. We were going for the windblown model look, thank goodness the weather cooperated because here, when can you say THAT?

I have two (two!) other posts in the works but as they are still in the works, I am pretending I am Dooce and only posting a picture minus the witty commentary she is famous for.

Don't hold my uncoolness against Jen though.

So I am not at Blogher and the dark void that is my mind

But alas, I am not sure I want to go. I mean I do but the part of me that is still in high school knows that I don't *know* that many bloggers and it could be all kinds of like a popularity contest. I know, I know, all of you that have actually been will dispute this but we are all entitled to our fears right?

BTW if you live in a bubble, Blogher is a big blogging convention that is being held in Chicago this year. For me, it would be all about meeting my blogging buddies, live and in person. This year, I will settle for watching them all meet each other and posting pictures on their blogs. Hear that ladies? I want pictures!!! I mean, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you post a picture or two?

You might be wondering about the pictures that follow. They are unrelated, completely, to the post. Jack insisted we take a picture of him with all the figurines at the mini golf course while we were at the lake. Naturally they had to make it into a post.

I mean what good is it being a Mommy blogger and not milking it for all it's worth?

And for some drama (every post needs some drama right?) do you all have a carbon monoxide detector? Think you don't need one? Think again after you read Leslie’s close call. This makes me glad that the only time ours makes any noise is when the battery dies. And can anyone explain to me why this only ever occurs in the middle of the night? *yells shaking fist* MURPHY!



Here's another revelation from the mind of Kami (it's a rather dark void on the time space continuum). My aunt and cousin from Nova Scotia were just here visiting (Hi Anne and Conor!) and both of them can strum a guitar like no one's biznass. And Anne can sing. This was like the sea parting for me, someone that I am genetically related to (my Dad's sister) can sing. In tune. On key. I will be singing Paul McCartney's "Let It Be" for months. Albeit not on key or in tune, damn genetics.

Anywho, what was my point here (I wasn't lying about the dark void now was I?) is that I was inspired. Anne didn't even pick up a guitar until her late 30's, which incidentally I have just entered (not that I am admitting that or anything). I have always wished I had actually learned to play an instrument and now is the time. I retained 0% of the piano and clarinet (hell-o band geek, although I royally sucked, does that still make me a band geek or just a band wanabe?) of my youth. Jack is going to begin keyboard lessons in the fall. Guess what? So am I. You heard it here first folks (buy ear plugs, NOW), Kami is going to attempt to learn an instrument. Jack is thrilled in case you were wondering and I am not even being sarcastic (wonders will never cease).


But here's the thing, I have been promising myself that I would take a camera course this fall too. Do I have time for both? That would be a large and hairy no. So here's the thing. I love taking pictures but really that is just for me. If I learn an instrument, we can all enjoy this as a family. I picture us singing Christmas carols around the keyboard (no room for a piano in this house!), you know classic cliche's that sound fantastic.

I will do the photography class eventually but in an effort to keep my sanity and also not miss my children's elementary school years, one thing at a time.


As an aside, I really didn't think I had a lot to say in this hear post - what the? why is this cane around my neck and why am I being pulled off the stage? Okay, okay, wrap it up, wrap it up.



I leave you with this. My next post will have me taking Amy’s challenge. It might be time for a change.

I'm Back

You know, sometimes you just have to let it all out and then once you do, you feel 99% better. That was the case with my last post. I no sooner posted it and the hormones balanced out and I was me again. Thank you for listening and for leaving me so much comment love. I don't have to tell my fellow bloggers how much comments mean to me, but thank you times 1,000. Coming home to them was just lovely. As was sleeping in my own bed. Am I the only one who loves my bed as much as my husband and kids? Okay maybe not as much but the bed is a close second. Just saying.

We just got back from a few days at the lake with my in-laws. The weather was terrible off and on but thankfully we had some decent semi-decent weather. Note to the weather gods: It's JULY. Not late October. JULY. Temperatures barely above freezing? NOT OKAY.

We also were blessed with scenery like this. And how I wish I could adequately capture it's beauty because, trust me, this picture doesn't do it justice. It was breath taking.

And jogging down a road like this is such a treat. Although I dragged my feet in the gravel a bit more than usual, you know, on account of wanting to scare away the bears. I am bearaphobic (trust me, it's a word, just like beeaphobic is, which incidentally I also am). I love bears. They are gorgeous majestic animals that I need only ever see on TV or from a moving vehicle, thankyouverymuch. And no, tenting is NOT an option. EVER. I need walls between me and the bears.

The one above was taken the day we were leaving. Notice the bright, warm sunshine (sorry about the glare). This is Murphy's Law #8000 - the day you are leaving the lake, the weather will turn gorgeous, perfect for basking on the beach and stay that way for several days after. While you are there, however, there will be cold northern winds blowing. Seriously, one day it was likely warmer at the north pole.

Remind me why I live here again?

Yeah, I don't remember either. The scenery is nice and all but doesn't nearly come close to making up for freezing my @ss off in July. Nuh uh.

This is a field of canola - we live in the middle of grain farming central - it's quite pretty to see fields of yellow as far as the eye can see - from the vehicle anyway, can you imagine the bees in there? *shudders*

We are home, we had fun as did the kids playing with their cousins, and life is back to normal. Best part of all, I get to sleep in my own bed.

Peaks and Valleys

I do this all the time. One minute I am ranting on about rainbows and unicorns coming out of my butt and then it gets awful quiet. You know what's coming right?

Not so much with the rainbows and unicorns, that's what. I have been grumpy, moody, tired and suffering from numerous headaches. And I know what it is. It's what it always is. My hormones. AGAIN. They are the bane of my existence. They are either right where they need to be and I feel great (see above re: rainbows and unicorns) or as of late, they are not right where they need to be. I just wish I knew where they needed to be and even better, how to not only get them there, but keep them there.

And going to the doctor? Well here's how I feel about that.

The problems I have are not big, they are not life threatening but annoying, oh hell to the yes. Like the fact that this entire week I have felt like a truck has run over me for example, not endearing, folks, no endearing. I mean 10 hours of sleep should be more than enough, shouldn't it?

I also have no energy. I try to work out but I just don't have it in me. It's more than just not wanting to do it. It's not being able to do it with my normal intensity.

Top all this off with the fact that it's summer and we are in pants and long sleeves for the umpteenth day in a row and this girl is crusty.

Crusty enough to treat myself to both popcorn and ice cream last night. That's right, something I haven't done in ages because in the last few months I have discovered that the less of that kind of thing I eat, the better I feel and the more energy I have.

So this week, despite all my healthy eating, I have felt like the dog poop stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. So why shouldn't I eat some crap, I mean, I couldn't possibly feel worse at this point, could I?

Wait, don't answer that. Here's the thing. I know what is causing the issue. I know why I am grumpy. I know it will pass. But in the throes of it, I forget and I see that fine line between sane and not so sane. And sometimes I feel like I am getting a little too close for comfort to that line.

It gives me a much profounder and deeper understanding of mental illness.

While I ponder this line, I will ride out this valley and look forward to the next peak until I do it all over again. Or commit myself, whichever comes first.

Where we were at

Last week we took a little sojourn to Winnipeg, Manitoba. It's a lovely city to the west of us. And apparently us Saskatonians are supposed to loathe those from Manitoba and vice versa. Bah is what I say to that, can't we all just appreciate the differences (and frankly there aren't many) between our fair provinces?

Anywho, if you were wondering why I was awol, that's were we be. Exciting stuff, I know. But it actually was, you see because we didn't just go for fun, we also went to visit. We started off by meeting one of my (many) aunts and two of my cousins that reside in the great city of Winnipeg. Cousins that are my mother's (ish) age and that despite the 35 years of opportunity, we had never met. My mother is the youngest of somewhere in the range of 18 kids (ish). I might be able to name them all...Should I try? How's the for exciting blog fodder?

Here goes....

Nellie
Stan (both from Grandpa's first wife)

The remainder from my Grandma (*no longer with us):

Vicki*
Bernice
Anne*
Fran
Sophie
Julie
Margaret*
Mary
Rose
Benny
John
Pete*
Albin
Jenny
A girl who died ~age 4, her name escapes me

and my mom, the baby of the family, Gloria

Whew, anyone else tired? And yes they were Catholic, why do you ask?

We also fit in some fun, well for the boys anyway. On Sat and Sun, I was marking exams for the organization that I work with. The hotel I was working in and where we stayed had this fantastic play structure. It was well used. Ahoy Mateys!

Oh yeah, we also got put into jail. Well not really, this was in the recreation of a late 1600's harbour town at the Manitoba Museum.

It was the science gallery that was a big hit with our crowd though. Um, yeah, even me, the biggest kid of them all. What am I doing you might be wondering... This is a NASA training module that is supposed to simulate the no gravity atmosphere inside the space shuttle. Folks, there is a reason I am an accountant not an astronaut.

My little man and his alien. Aren't they cute?

The pins, always a hit, as is my nuclear powered flash. Really someday I ought to cough up the dough for a decent one.

A real piece of meteor. Jack was pretty stoked about touching it, being Mr. Space and all.

And a tornado, although without the trailer park demolition, it just wasn't the same, you know?

We also hit Tinkertown with my good friend, Cheryl and her little man, Cole.

The boys had fun while us gals visited. Cheryl and I had also planned a day of shopping, coffee, dinner out and lots and lots of girl time but unfortunately she came down with a nasty virus. Oh and did I mention she is also 19 weeks (ish) away from delivering twins? So yeah, when the girl get sick, she needs to rest and not feel bad about cancelling on our girl time! I know where you live girl, I'll be back. By some feat (she's amazing) she made it to work Sat and Sun so I got to hang with her in between marking exams like madwomen. It's all good.


And can someone tell me what Spiderman has done with my son?