The Great Scuffle Epiphany of 2013

Scuffles are something my mom has made for Christmas since I can remember. My aunt also makes them. If you are not familiar with them, they are irresistible little cinnamon roll ups of sweet devilish goodness. I started making them a few years ago and because there are one of Jack's favourites I keep trying. You see, my mom and aunt are experts. Their scuffles are always so much moister and more uniformly shaped than my sad little experiments. People, what I am saying is I got big shoes to fill. I haven't even attempted perogies yet. Hold me.

Last year when I lamented at how dry my scuffles were, my mom suggested I bake them at a lower temperature. Guess how I remembered that this year? Not with my spidey senses, oh no, it's because I wrote it on the recipe card. I am magic like that.

I went to yoga after supper and while lying in final resting pose (savasana)I had an epiphany on how to make the shape more uniform. Don't try this at home folks. The last thing you are supposed to be doing in savasana is thinking about what you are going to do later. I am a rebel at yoga. Leah (aka my yoga instructor), don't read that part. Oops, probably should have mentioned that sooner, eh?

Edited - Leah said the following:  "That is what is SUPPOSED to happen.  Clear the crap and clutter in your mind through the postures and conscious breathing. And then a better and more concise thought process occurs. My work here is done."  

Here is what came to me:

So because I can't roll out a uniform circle to save my soul, my epiphany was to make a uniform circle using a plate.  Huzzah!! That way, when I cut the circle into slices like pizza (the prop department failed to take a picture of that part - they are so fired), they are all the same size.  More or less.

It totally worked!  They are much closer to the same size and they are so much moister.

Now if I just hadn't made them with real milk and butter, I could actually eat them.

(Why I did that is a whole other post that involves Jay and I in Jamaica in less than 2 months and wanting to not look like someone spread cottage cheese on the back of my legs.  Stay tuned, I know you can't wait for that.)

In My Head....

I am uneasy and feeling blah for a couple of weeks.   Hormones are likely to blame. I also had a lovely tension headache for about 3 days off and on last week.  Nothing makes you more full of life and happy than a tension headache.

I chose to look on the bright side posting this to FB:

Looking on the bright side is hard when you are on day 3 of a tension headache. But I am. Three things I am thankful for: the wonderful friend who made a massage work for me in her busy schedule (love visiting with you as much as the massage), the GNO with another friend that was FUN and took away the headache temporarily (also the wine, good food and laughs) and the amazing friends my boys have. We are blessed in so many ways. Go ahead and hurt head, you cannot break me.

After some pondering, because that's what I do, I have come to conclude that I need to do some re-evaluating of my goals and aspirations related to fitness but more importantly body image.

I have been inundated with pictures of perfect bodies in barely there bikinis of late and regardless of my own self body image, good or bad, this has been affecting me more than I thought.

I know people who post those pictures do so because they are really proud of what they have achieved, and rightly so, and also because they might inspire others.

BUT.

When that is what I see, day in and day out and then I look at myself in the mirror, there are two possible outcomes (okay maybe more but I go back and forth between these particular two), I get inspired and work hard to be like them (guess what, I never get there, unattainable much?!).  Or I think for the love of Pete, I look like crap compared to them. I am worthless and hopeless and  I will now eat a tub of ice cream (and you know how bad it is when I will knowingly eat dairy!).

Let me explain.

You all know me and what I look like.

I am a healthy weight and body fat percentage. I am overall a healthy person. I rarely get sick, I get enough sleep and I eat pretty reasonably.


I do not wear bikinis.  I have cellulite. My belly button has been influenced largely (HA!) by the miracle of birthing my two of my three favourite boys in the entire universe.

I have body fat. And here is where I am going to lay it out there.  I am actually supposed to have body fat. And way more than these people in barely there bikinis.

So for my own sanity and healthy body image, I do not need to look like those girls.  And consequently I don't want to see those pictures because it's a vicious cycle of self-loathing.

(Facebook settings are very helpful here.  I like the people, they are awesome. This is about me. And my needs.)

What it comes down to is that I don't need to look amazing in a bikini. Because oh my word are there more important things for me to focus on and my worth is not based (in any amount whatsoever) on how I look in or out of a bikini.

Now if my heart and mind could get together on this, that would be all kinds of perfect.

Do Bullies Know They Are Bullies?

Wednesday April 10th is Anti-Bullying Day or some such thing. The intent, I think, is to raise awareness of an issue that is as old as humans. Because humans can be real jerks, you know?

The kids were talking about it at breakfast today since Jack's class is participating in a flash mob this afternoon. I am also currently reading, for the second time, "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult and said out loud,

"I wonder if bullies know that they are bullies?"

Both boys looked at me like deer in the headlights.  Oh dear, here she goes on another one of her rants....

In the book, a 17 year old boy, does the unthinkable and goes on a shooting rampage in his school.  He was also the object of much torment on a daily basis (from his older brother among many others).  I don't condone what he did but I do think a lot about what nobody else did before this happened.

No one stopped or even tried to stop the humiliation that went on daily for this poor kid.

This is a fictional book, but let's be honest, we all know of or were someone who was treated the same way. In grade 11, I moved to a small town and saw this first hand.  And saw teachers who either didn't see it, ignored it, or basically participated in it.

It made me sick, and still does.  But I did what every coward does, I ignored it. I hope I never laughed, I certainly never found it funny.  I wish I would have had the courage to stand up and say what I really thought. I can say it now, but it is way too little, way too late.

"Stop, you jerk.  You are not funny and it's actually quite sad how little you think of  yourself.  Only people who have no self esteem themselves need to belittle others to make themselves feel better."

I am also very certain that I exhibited some pretty mean behaviour over the years and pretty sure that at the time, I didn't much care if I was being mean or not. Hopefully I learned from my mistakes but I am still in the learning process so....

My point, and I do have one, I think, is that Anti-Bullying day is great and wonderful but does it serve any purpose?  Do kids or adults who exhibit bully-like behaviour recognize that about themselves? Do they know they are a bully?

I sincerely doubt it.  And if they do, do they really care? I think by definition, a bully is someone who lacks compassion for others or they wouldn't be a bully in the first place, would they?

I wonder if wearing pink. making posters and dancing in a flash mob with your class will really has any impact at all on reducing this kind of behaviour.

My theory is that the fault lies in what we are teaching our children.  Justifying their behaviour with comments like, "Oh he's just being a boy" or "They are just having a little fun" are likely the real problem.

I am big believer in ensuring our boys see the consequences to their actions.  Hurting someone else is never okay especially where that was the intention.

The story, "Nineteen Minutes", is told from the perspective of the kids and parents of those who were shot as well as the boy who did the shooting and his parents.

I don't want to be the parent of either of those kids because both are equally heartbreaking.

During the trial, the boy who did the shooting makes an astute observation after hearing one of the boys who tormented him for years claim under oath, after being shot and seeing his friends die, that he was just having fun when he did all those horrid things to the shooter. 

He observed how little things had changed despite how much things had changed.

How poignant.  And I think it proves my point.  Yes, I know the book is fiction but I happen to think it's pretty dead on reality.  If getting shot isn't enough to make a bully recognize he's a bully, then a little pink and some posters sure as hell ain't gonna.

Don't get me wrong, awareness is a good thing,  I just don't think it's enough.

Change Takes Commitment

2013 had a bit of a rough start for me in my second gig as a personal trainer. I don't want to talk about the situation in detail because that's not cool. And those of you whom are my confidantes are likely sick to death of hearing about it already. I have to give a shout out to you all though, you all know how to do the support and advice part of friendship right.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My first client broke up with me.  Before I started this new adventure, I thought I would feel like a total failure if that ever happened.  It turns out I was wrong.  The break up was mutual.  I let the client make the first move though because I am, after all, the "professional".  The jury is still out on that, hence the quotes.

I don't feel like a failure because this actually isn't really about me at all.  Okay a little bit, but I will get to that later.

My experience is fairly limited in that from the perspective of someone starting on a journey to getting fitter and healthier, I have only my own to draw from.

By the time I started working with a trainer, I had made the commitment to make it happen.  It being the journey to fit.  It's not a destination, it's a journey that I began five years ago and continues to this day. 

So when I came to my workouts, I was ready, willing and going to do whatever was asked of me. Except when the nausea set in because, of course,  that was my body saying "that's my limit" thankyouverymuch.

I wanted to be pushed past what I thought was possible for me. And I was almost every time.  I kept getting stronger and it would take more to challenge me and I loved every minute of it.

Okay, maybe I am weird but I also happen to know a lot of other people who feel the same way. 

To this day I love the strength and endurance my body can handle.  I would say with ease but that would be a bold faced lie.  But the key is that what it can handle now with a bit of duress is about 100 times more than it could way back then.  I think I did a total of three push-ups during my first fitness assessment, and I am probably inventing two of the three.  The other day, I did 30 consecutively.

In the meantime, I have become a runner, completing two half marathons, about five 10 km races and at least as many relay races.  Five and half years ago, I would have laughed like a hyena if you told me that I would do that.  Hysterically.

My point, right, I should get back to that.  My point is that if you want to make a change, whatever it might be, lose weight, get fitter, make a pinata, or remove the possibility of being on an episode of Hoarders,  you have do the work. With a smile.  And the smile comes with the fact that you know, despite how hard it is, that this pain will get you closer to that goal. 

And tasting that goal is a reward so sweet you will have a bounce in your step and grin on your face for a month.

I know from experience.  So trust me a little, okay?  Just a little.  But more importantly believe. Believe in yourself. Believe that the work will get you there.  Not today, not tomorrow but slowly and surely and safely.

And when you are working out, building a pinata, or cleaning out the pile of stuff that is beginning to resemble an application to be on Hoarders, give it your best effort.  No excuses.  Excuses are just you standing in your own way.

And if someone is helping you out, your trainer, your glue maker, or your daughter who can no longer come visit because the couch has disappeared, make sure that your personalities gel.  If they annoy the snot out of you from day one, they are probably not going to be able to motivate you.  Oh and this can be measured in direct proportion to the number of eye rolls and critical comments you direct at them, just in case you were wondering.

That's where this whole break up was about me.  Personalities are personalities and if they do not work together, they just do not work.  It's not you, it's me....or actually it's both of us.  So there is no feeling of failure because that is out of my hands just like the level of commitment and self-belief of the client.

It's part of the gig.  I was a bit naive going in but this was a great learning experience.  And I will appreciate my other clients (Hi C & RL, you rock!) and my trainer even more (she kicked my butt today and I loved it from the bottom of my  heart).

Amended to add this very fitting quote:

"What if I told you that ten years from now, you life would be EXACTLY the same? I doubt you would be happy. So why are you so afraid of change?" - Karen Salmansohn

Fair is Fair

While I was trying on clothes while shopping in Bismark, ND with a friend this past weekend (such a fun weekend with an amazing friend) a comment was made by one of the store clerks. I was showing my friend a top and the lady commented that it looked nice. Then she went on to clarify that it looked really good on me and something to the effect that it wasn't fair. Let's just say the lady was no size 10 and leave it at that, shall we?

I actually didn't think to much about it at the time but at 5 am this morning when I awoke for no good reason (other than....you know) I remembered the comment and lo and behold the elusive blog post was born.

*insert trumpets here*

Incidentally enough, when I logged in today, I noticed two things. Blogger looks completely different and my last post was almost a month ago...but I digress.
It got me thinking about how much luck was involved in this whole scenario.

(And then I went looking for a photo of me from a few years ago and got sidetracked looking at the photos from my half marathon in Sept. Mental note: those shorts are not the most flattering and two words: "sports bra".)

Here's me in 2004.  Yes, Kamden was about 3 months old, but truthfully, I did not shed the double chin I am sporting here until he was 3 years old.

How much of that process was luck, really?

Was it luck that made me make a change because I was unhappy?

Was it luck that made me change what and how much I ate?

Was it luck that started pushing me physically harder than I have ever pushed myself in my life?

News flash:  Changing habits is hard and it was no easier for me than anyone else.  I chose to make the changes and because I worked hard, I reaped the rewards.

I used to look at fit people and be green with envy.  Then I got serious about my own habits and health and now I look at people both fit and on their journey to fit and am incredibly inspired.

It's a choice.  The only luck involved is that I was and continue to be able and healthy enough to do so.

A Rant and The Bright Side

In no particular order, things that miff me:

- spam phone calls, that when answered either by me or the answering machine result in loud beeping. Are you kidding me? What possible purpose does this kind of thing serve? Someone, somewhere needs to find a life. These are annoying during the day (3 times in 20min yesterday thankyouverymuch) but at 2am? Someone is going to pay. I registered on the National Do Not Call List but am skeptical yahoos who create this kind of crap refer to that list.

- Sledding etiquette, learn it, know it, live it. WALK UP THE SIDES OF THE HILL. Seriously. If you walk up the middle of the sliding area I will run you down. Okay, okay, Jay wouldn't let me, something about setting a good example for the kids...whatever. Also of note, if you are there with your 12 year old son and his friend, please deal with them when they lay down in the middle of the sliding area and there are 20 people at the top waiting for them to get up. I felt like a complete ass when I had to go ask them to please (said in my head - for love of Pete, get the HELL out of the way) move as they were holding everyone else up. They had found a toonie and where trying to dig it up, completely oblivious.

- Extra Christmas pounds. Enough said.

- that I no longer write like this

However, often for every con there is a pro:

- okay I actually don't have a pro for the spam phone calls. I lied. Sue me.

- Sledding was ridiculously fun. And we are currently experiencing non-winter like conditions. We are all scratching our heads and bracing for it because it's obvious Old Man Winter is seriously messing with us.

-LuluLemon Studio Pants and LuluLemon Quick Step Pants. I have two pairs of the Quick Step pants (on sale right now - looks like they are discontinuing them....boo) and one pair of Studio pants. I live in these pants (bonus to working at home, holla!)

- Converse to the extra Christmas pounds, some serious endorphin inducing workouts. Also walking is a bit on the difficult side today. No worries, boot camp tonight will loosen things right up.

And lastly, these two are a pro, if ever there was one.

Photo Food Journal

Back in early 2009, I documented my journey to fit. This journey has not ended and I have not stopped seeing the positive results. I began my journey by doing cardio 4-5 times a week. In 2008, after a year of cardio alone, I was determined that I needed to kick it up a notch. Or three.

Cue working with a personal trainer. Worth every single penny. Then I took up running and ran a half marathon and then kept running regularly (much shorter distances though, whew) along with regular weight training.

This brings us to today. I am down to the weight I was when Jay and I first got married, I have much more energy (most days) and I just feel all around better. We won't discuss my shopping addiction. It's the only downside so far to getting fitter and healthier. I want to buy fun, trendy clothes now because when I try them on, my reaction is not what the %&$&$^ is that?

However, this last week and half, I have been lethargic and down right grumpy. It's not my hormones this time. Those are under control thanks to a lovely prescription to Seasonale .

What it is, and I know it, is my eating habits have been sliding backwards. Over this journey to fit, I have made several changes to my eating habits, slowly and surely. Lately, what with Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and turkey, I have been falling back into the trough. Literally.

So today, I am getting out of the trough and back into clean eating (Kami's edition) and because I am desperate for blog material, you are the lucky winners of a photo food journal. Hold your applause until the end, please.

For breakfast, calcium added orange juice, 9 grain oatmeal with a few raisins topped with almond milk. Did I mention that I am lactose intolerant? I have, for the most part, given up all dairy. And I don't actually miss it that much because when there is a dessert or dish that has dairy, all I need is a little help from my friend, Lactaid.

Breakfast is followed by my morning coffee, Organo Gold Coffee to be specific. Whatever that ganoderma extract does, it works. I living proof. Regular coffee makes my menopause symptoms go bananas (and not in a good way) but this stuff doesn't. Colour me happy, coffee coloured to be specific. I split the pack into two and have two cups a day.

Another important change I made to my eating habits is eating less but eating more often. It works, people, it really works. Energy levels stay much more constant and you stay happier. It is win win. My snack range from fruit and nut mix, to Sweet and Salty Peanut granola bars (YUM) to this one, soy yogurt, half a banana and 1/3 cup of Choo-it oatmeal mix.

Lunch is often leftovers.

Today it was turkey meatloaf with sun dried tomatoes, steamed broccoli and cauliflower and snap peas.

There will be another snack before supper, since today, the boys have swimming right after school and then Kamden has a soccer game. I am also sipping my second cup of coffee as I type this.

Supper will be a packed picnic to eat in between. Somehow.

Today, for Jay and I, supper will be salads accompanied by last night's BBQ'd steak. Top it off with the oil and vinegar dressing my mom has been making since I can remember (I can make it now. All by myself. I am so growed up), it will be good. I hope.

And later, because every day still requires some form of sweetness, I will have a square of dark chocolate (70% cocoa butter). Mmm. And probably another snack once the kids go to bed.

So there you have it. I am pledging to get back on track with this here gem (Ha!) of a post.

Because it is all worth it.

Any ideas on how I can eat even better? Or did I inspire you to make a few changes? Or did I bore you to tears? I am going for a record!

To Find A Soulmate

Dear Jack and Kamden,

I have dreams for you, my dear boys. Not the kind you might think, like that I want you to be doctors or lawyers or neurosurgeons. Rather I want you to find that which makes you happy.

This includes finding someone to share your life with. Not that sharing your life with someone is required, because it is not. What is required, if you choose to share your life with someone, is that this person bring happiness, love and friendship to your life.

And vice versa. I got lucky and fate brought Daddy and I together. For me, your Daddy is this person. But I experienced the opposite of this for a brief time in another relationship and that relationship, still to this day, keeps from taking your Daddy for granted.

Here is my list of criteria (not exhaustive by any means):

- your partner should bring out the best in you and you in them, in fact, you should both become better people because of your relationship

- you should always feel comfortable around your partner and able to be who you are

- your partner should get you, understand your interests (not necessarily share them but respect them) and you should both support each other

- together, you should be able to laugh at the silliest of things, just because

- Seven letters: RESPECT. Both ways. Always.

This list might seem too lofty but I assure you, it is not. I believe that there is one person for everyone and if you wait, you will find them.

These are things that evolved almost immediately when Daddy and I met. We just knew that we were supposed to be together.

If you don't know if they are for you, they are not for you.

If you think that things will get better once you get married, they are not for you.

If you think that if you can just change this one little thing about them, they are not for you.

If you can't come to a decision, together, civilly, 85% of the time, they are not for you.

Being alone is preferable to being miserable and lonely with someone else. This is easy for me to say, I know, having not been alone for over 17 years but I think there are many people in the world that can vouch for it.

The key is to figure all this out before you make a life long commitment and especially before you bring kids into it. But that said, we all make mistakes and what separates the men from the boys is how you deal with them.

Because I know you will both turn your noses up at any advice I might have for you when you get to the age of dating (30 years old, of course), I will give this to you and pretend that someone else wrote it.

Deal?

Love always,

Mommy

Bits and Pieces of Nothing*

(I wear glasses all the time because contacts are pretty much like putting concrete directly on my eyeball. I am not into that kind of pain. Every two years, to the day, I get new glasses because that is what our insurance will cover. And by cover I mean pay for part of them. These are very different from my old ones, which is exactly what I was going for. Jay and Jack helped me pick them out.

I was at a photography workshop last week where the instructor noted that some people even use the self timer on their cameras to take photos of themselves.
WHO would do that?)

I watched an episode of Oprah last week, which is very unusual for me, I rarely turn the TV on during day. It 's funny though, because this one was perfect for me. Kismet? Maybe.

The show was about busy families and how disconnected they feel from one another. Peter Walsh, the "expert" had a family take the Strip Down Challenge. The family was required to relinquish all electronics for 7 days.

Basically, the moral of the show is that we feel more disconnected than ever because of our cell phones, lap tops and busy lifestyles. It hit home. Hard.

At one point, Peter said (loosely quoted from memory), "we can sit in a room by ourselves and send and receive 20 emails but we aren't connected".

Ouch.

I am the queen of emailing. My problem is that I am a chatterbox so a phone call will take an hour, an email, 2 min.

The thing is? I AM NOT THAT BUSY.

And if I showed an ounce or two of self control, I could likely cut the phone call down to 20 min or less.

(We were in Moose Jaw, SK this past weekend - yes, that is a real place - and these are the cross walk signs on Main Street. They cracked me up. I am easily amused. Carry on.)

So I am faced with an issue. My work takes place over the Internet. I can easily slip into Facebook to play a couple scrabble moves, read everyone's status updates and maybe update my own. I also can slip into my blog reader and read and comment on a few posts. Before I know it, I have spent the entire morning on the computer. And then the afternoon too. I have worked but I have also wasted (a matter of opinion) time.

If I worked in an office setting, I would be in the same boat, minus FB and blog reading because I, while it's been 6 years (SIX!) since I worked in an office, I am pretty sure it would be frowned upon.

The difference is, I am alone for the mornings and Kamden is often busy doing his own thing in the afternoon. So if I am on the computer working, and interneting (it's not a word but work with me) who I am disconnected from during the day?

No one. BUT.

(5 km walk we did as a family this past weekend. It did not go well. We'll leave it at that. Also? My youngest son appears to have inherited my temper and stubbornness. Oh joy. Also? Notice the cool spot right between Jay and my heads'? What is it? Ghost? Sun spot? Our deep abiding love?)

I do have to consciously make sure to socialize with other people. Thank goodness I have great friends, some of whom work from home like I do. Others I see outside of working hours. Honestly, the only thing I miss about working in an office setting at a "real job", is that social aspect. But there I felt guilty for visiting when I should have been working.

Good gravy.

I just realized there is always something to feel guilty about.

Anywho, my point (if I have one) is that I have to keep things in check. I am like a broken record but again, it's about balance. Family time, friend time, time with my hubby.

It's a good thing I know how to keep things in check so that I am not so busy I am running around trying to keep the balls in the air. Because being busy, is a choice. My choice is to keep things manageable.

I am pretty sure I will never regret that.

(*Would you expect any less?)

Finding Me Again

My last post sparked another post, funny how that works. It seems that some of you can relate to my ramblings about finding myself on the other side of the mommy trenches. In fact, someone asked how I have gone about that.

I don't really think I did it consciously.

I realized that couldn't be the mother of small children forever. I think we all to often don't visualize beyond the early years of motherhood when we dream of becoming a mother. Once that phase passes, we wonder what we are supposed to do with ourselves. We lose what has defined us for so long, dare I say, even before we actually became mothers.

I always knew I wanted to be a mother. I was 4 years old and pretending with my dolls. Of course, being me, I was realistic about it, fully thinking that the only thing that might stop me is not finding my one and only. At age 19 I did find him and he, too, wanted children. It was no longer if, it was when.

And then I blinked and my baby was starting kindergarten. I remember feeling a bit lost and torn about the approaching first day of school. My days as a stay at home mom to little boys were over.

I wallowed in that for a bit and then like I always do, I moved on. The truth is, yes, that part of my life is over but my life is no where near over. In fact, when I sit down and think about it for 5.2 seconds, it is full, full of blessings.

Family time with boys that no longer need their butts wiped but instead can have intelligent, funny and deep conversations with me. We can play the adult version of Monopoly. Easily. There is much less screaming and crying and more laughing and joking (I know, I should be over the crying part but it takes time, you know).

Now that Jack and Kamden are almost 9 and 6 (gasp!), I have much more time for me. I get the impression that some mothers consider me time incredibly selfish. I never have but perhaps that is because I am a bit on the selfish side. Or realistic. I prefer to think it is the latter. Without me time, I get grouchy, resentful and down right awful to live with. I have never believed in being resentful, instead I make things happen. I prioritize. I make me as important as laundry, cleaning and work afterall I am a many things, mother being one of them.

This is how I found me again.

I watched other moms who worked from home. I took a risk, tried it out and made it happen.

I watched other moms who were fit and active and I wanted it too, so I made it happen.

I watched others take amazing photos and post them on their blogs. I was inspired. I picked up my camera and played. It's become a hobby that I love. There is no pressure, only joy because I can pick it up and drop it as wish. My aspirations are only to capture the memories for me and my family.

I watched (and still do) other moms and people be good friends. I am still working on being a better friend, mother, wife, daughter and sister. It's a life long journey. But again, it won't happen unless I make it happen.

I have always been a big believer in the fact that I am in charge. I am captaining this here ship and it goes where I choose. Naturally there are storms and waves that rock the path but that just gives me different choices and opportunities. I have to roll with it.

I think that I began to find me again when Kamden was only a baby and I made the decision to work from home and it's been a process and a journey since. That decision and each decision I have made since has been made with my heart.

When I was a kid and the song by Whitney Houston, "The Greatest Love of All" was popular, I remember my mom saying to me that she wished someone had told her to love herself when she was a kid. I have never forgotten those words and have tried to live by them. My philosophy is that if I don't love something about myself then I change it. Granted this is easier said than done but I have come to learn that never trying is the biggest disservice I could ever do myself or my family.

I am, and always will be, so many things, one of which is Mommy to these two incredible beings.

Yup, I'm crazy

I got me some random opinions I want to share and you know since it's my blog, you are forced to read them. Ha. Actually if you do read my ramblings I am honoured. I threw in some random photos because I am in a zone with my camera right now (manual mode only thankyouvermuch) and having so much fun developing my hobby 'cause that's all I ever intend it to be. I know that is stating the obvious given my skill level - just call me Captain Obvious - thanks for that one Lori, it's a keeper.

building a pull up bar - dude is buff

First it's time to refill my coffee. Ah, that's better. So I didn't give it up, in case you were wondering. I had a migraine one day last week (also a symptom of my lovely menopause because they only began about a year ago) and thought whatever. I feel like a piece of dog poop stuck to the bottom of someones shoe anyway, I am making a pot of coffee. And that's all it takes. One pot and I am brewing a pot daily.

Life is short. Time is precious. Coffee is good. End of story.

You will remind me of that next week when I swear I am quitting again, won't you? Great, thanks, I knew I could count on you.

Brothers at work - sandbox, best investment ever

I haven't talked Mother Earth crusade forever. Here's my latest and greatest. If I can smell laundry soap on you, you are using too much soap. I have a pretty keen sense of smell, just like my mom, and lately I have been noticing that a few people reek like Tide. Or Cheer. Or whatever. Here's the thing people, you only need a quarter of the amount they recommend on the bottle. That's right, a quarter. Unless you regularly douse yourself, fully clothed, in mud. I am guessing you don't which means your clothes are not dirty enough to warrant that much soap.

The manufacturer of the soap, see, they want to sell lots of soap. If you use lots, you buy more. See where I am going with this?

I should do an experiment because the thing is, if you can smell the soap that strongly on your clothes I am willing to bet you could put them in the washer with no soap next time and there would be suds. There is no way there isn't a tonne of soap left in the fabric of your clothes after the rinse when they smell that strongly. And then people use fabric softener in the rinse yet. Oy. It gives me a headache. I have two words for you. Dryer Balls. I have been using mine for years. There is no static and our clothes are very soft thanks.

Think of the money you will save on laundry soap and fabric softener.

Okay off my soap box (ha!) now. Oh wait, I have another one. iPhones. Apps for iPhones. Blackberry's. Blackberry pearls.

So. Sick. Of. Hearing. About. Them.

I am sure they are great but here's the thing. I don't, I repeat, I don't need one. On any level. I live in small city, Saskatchewan. I can drive 15 min and be anywhere in my fair city. That means I know my city - no maps required. I am, at any time 15 min away from my computer in case, you know, there is a crisis or something. We all know how often it is life or death if I can't get on the internet.

They have their place for business people especially those in big centers. But for everyday Mom like me, it's just another gadget that they are trying to trick me into buying because it's going to make my life so much better. Sorry I am not that gullible.

Oh and if you have one and are just like me, ignore me, like I said, my opinion, for me, about me. Friends?

could he be any cuter?

That reminds me of a ziplock commercial that I saw the other day. It was all about how much food people waste and that if you just bought ziplock bags to store them in well by golly gee, end of waste. I call bullsh!t. Sorry. Who doesn't store their food in some kind of bag or container already? If you answered yes, the for the love of Pete, please get some ziplock bags already. What are you waiting for?

I sometimes wonder about the marketers. I do. They have a very low opinion of average joe's intelligence. It's discrimination I tell you.

I mean, just because I regularly dump my spagetti and meatball leftovers on the fridge shelf, that makes you think I am an idiot? C'mon, work with me here.

I kind of love how much they love each other

And that concludes my submission for admission to the looney bin. I am thinking there's a pretty good chance I qualify. Just think of the blog fodder I'll accumulate there.

Anonymous Comments of the Dumbest Kind

Lately, I have been back and forth between allowing anonymous comments or not. I like to allow them because I have friends and family that comment via this method.

Here is one of the reasons why I had to shut them off:

"good morning fellas. I'm honestly into shoes and I have been searching for that exact model. The prices as regards the sneakers are approximately 210 pounds on every site. But completely I set this location selling them as a remedy for half price. I absolutely love these (url removed). I will definetly buy these. what can you tell me about these?"

NO. I cannot tell you about some stupid shoes that you have already decided to buy. And for the love of Pete, I am a girl, not a fella. Trust me. And I don't want to be mean but English is not your first language. Sorry it was the composition of pretty much the entire comment that gave it away.

And just to keep me fuming, here is a good one:

"Do You interesting of Viagra 100mg dosage? You can find below...(url removed)"

We may be the house of khlopchyk (boys) but none of them have any need for this crap for at least another 30 years, if ever. And also, guessing English is not your first language. Yup, it was the composition again, kind of gives you away.

Or this one, it's a repeat offender:

"Nice post and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you seeking your information."

Boy do I feel good, I mean here I am contributing to post secondary education and all. I should be getting paid for this. A post about how I printed off my blog into books must be integral to many college assignments....at the University of Ridiculous anyway. And by the way alot is not a word. It's two, a and lot. That's $25 more, this advice is invaluable.

I have received many of these in the last couple of months. And here's the dumbest part, even dumber than than the bad English, they are all on old posts. Um, if you want someone to see your ridiculous link to some probably illegal store selling Viagra, putting it on an old post of mine is not your best line of defence. I might have a big ego but even I know that I don't have a huge audience on current posts, never mind posts from three months ago.

Who does this crap? I am assuming it's some techno geek in Malaysia or someplace who created some computer program that posts these comments and he thinks he's the cat's ass, only better because he doesn't need spell check. But why on God's green earth? I kind of get why they post comments with links...they are trying to drive traffic to their site. I am going to go out on a limb and say my site hasn't be a big contributor. But some of them don't even have a link. And some are addressed to Alice. I have been called a lot of things but Alice? C'mon people, play nice.

Just think what these people could accomplish if they channel their abilities to more useful projects. I have many suggestions, like world peace, and reducing human impact on the environment, just to name a couple. Maybe when their spam program comes by in a couple of months and attempts to post a dumb comment, it will read this and pass on the message.

What can I say, I am an eternal optimist.

Until these yahoos give it up with their hokey spam programs, I am leaving anonymous comments off, sorry y'all.