Monthly Archives: December 2005

Not working, but getting paid still, rocks!

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Ahhh how I love these days off. I fully support more paid vacation days a year. We’d all be so much happier.

We rented four movies. Last night we watched “The Fantastic Four”. It’s based on a comic book series. I’ll give it 3/5 stars. It was a neat flick. I liked their super powers. I’m not sure I’d want any of their superpowers, but watching them learn how to use them was cool.

We also watched… hold on, gotta google for the name, I forget….oh yeah “The Great Raid”. It was about the American army attempting to rescue their POW’s from a Japanese run camp in the Phillipines. It is based on a true story. I give it 3/5 too. It was a little long. I always promise myself I’ll never watch another war movie because they are so gruesome and I think it’s ridiculous what men will do to each other, but I always end up watching another one.

Two more movies to go tonight. “The Four Brothers” and “The Brothers Grimm” are the titles (I believe).

Hey DAD are you reading? J. and I took the tiles off the bathroom wall this morning. It didn’t take that long. That J. is a real workhorse. There are still a few around the toilet that we just can’t get the right angle to take them off, but maybe we can take off the back of the toilet or something. Then we filled up J.’s truck and took a load of stuff to the dump, including the ugly wicker chair that Julie liked once but never took, my old pots, old trim, old tv from the garage that was here when I moved in, lots of cardboard, my old printer that was struck by lightning and didn’t work, etc. I think J. would have liked to take another load out of here, but baby steps, baby steps. I like stuff.

Boxing Day 2005

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The Verkley Christmas was a smashing success. I have mucho photos and videos of the occasion. Mom and Grandma babysat (pupsat?) Monty. I had my cellphone on the whole day so they could call me in an emergency. I called a couple times and they were just laughing and laughing at Monty. They had a lot of fun, only I found out later that he peed FIVE TIMES in the house!! He’s never done that with me! I guess they just didn’t know his “I really have to pee” signals.

Before we headed out, I had to boost my battery. I had turned on the interior light to find something on Christmas Eve and I knew when I turned it on I was going to forget to turn it off because it’s so dim, and of course I did. And then… AHH! my booster cables aren’t in my truck! I must have taken them out when I was rearranging the back of my truck. Good thing Brian and Julie both had cables and good thing Brian was more familiar with where to hook them because I always just watch and I’ve never been in charge of the boosting operation.

I got further truck stupid when I waited to fill up until night time. I assumed Elginfield’s Petro Canada would be open still. I went by at 9:30pm. Nope! My gut said Mitchell would be open so I decided not to detour to London and continued on. Of course Mitchell wasn’t open. I went in to the Becker’s to ask if they knew of anywhere open and a customer was helping me but where he suggested was closed too. I only had an eighth of a tank. I just had my gas tank replaced. On my old tank I would have been stranded an eighth before that. The customer said for sure I could get to Listowel on an eighth. HA. So Julie and I pressed on. I knew Brian was about an hour or more behind us so if worse came to worse he could pass us, go on to Listowel, and fill a jerry can (gerry can?), and come back to rescue us. Or should I just park at our relatives in Monkton? Well I just kept speeding on. I decided I was going to speed through all the small towns so I could get caught by the cops and I think those OPP highway patrol men carry gas for stranded idiots like me. I decided speeding through towns would be a last case scenario. So long story short we made it to the Becker’s in Listowel where I was able to get $20 in gas. I can’t believe we made it!! AHHHH what a stressful stupid drive.

So today we’re expecting company shortly, then off to Dad’s. Monty is sleeping in his crate. He gets really bitey and defiant when he’s sleepy so he might as well have a nap before the company comes. I need to go pooper scoop too.

Still not sure if I’m headed home tomorrow or the next day. I’m worried about Zeus and my house and things. I live SOO far away.. Can’t believe I used to live another 8 hours farther and I’d take 2 whole days to get home for Christmas. That was nuts.

Happy Holidays 2005!

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Boxing Day 2005! We survived another Christmas. Whew Monty is tiring me out. I’m not sure how many days I’ll be able to stay away from my home base. Everything thinks he’s soooo cute and he’s doing so well, it’s just the thousand “Monty NO!”‘s and the 150 outside trips a day that are wearing me out! There isn’t a good place for his x-pen here so when I’ve had enough he goes for a nap in his crate in the rec room. Ahhhh peace and quiet. He still sleeps all night which is wonderful!! Thanks Monty! He’s eliminates the need for vacuuming too – he’s a crumb sucker!

I thought he had growled at me a week or so ago, but it was just him talking, he’s doing it all the time now with a toy in his mouth. He growls and barks. He’s harmless, except he greets everyone with an open mouth! They love his sharp teeth, ha ha.

Everyone was over generous with their gift giving this year. Can you believe I got something off my dreaming list? A goosedown duvet! OHHHHH WOW it’s nice. I can’t wait to snuggled up under it. Thanks Mom! You spoiled me!

Julie went with a kitchen theme. I have a new table cloth with placements, utensils, many many knives, tea towels, Mom got me another pizza stone so now I can cook 2 pizzas on pizza stones at a time!

I also got a lovely toque and scarf from Grandma Stock who is spending the holidays with us. I also got a couple Nalgene water bottles, Fox 40 whistle (good thing because my last one broke and I need to get Monty used to the whistle incase we do any field training), luggage labels, lottery tickets, money, magazine subscription, a beautiful wooden memory box to keep Winger & Surf’s collars and hair locks in, homemade soaps, a pet grooming glove, more tea towels, a hand towel, and probably more I can’t remember! They had a belated birthay party for me when I got home. We had my favourite tomato juice cake. Brian and Leanne gave me the CD from that INXS Rock Star show that I liked. I haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet. Okay J. you’re right, I should have borrowed your CD player because the drive home was miserable. You’re always right.

Monty even got presents. He has this huge basketball stuffed toy now with a rope through it. It squeaks too but it’s too big for him to squeak yet, but he’s doing a good job dragging it around!

Today we’re off to Strathroy and area for the Verkley family Christmas. I want to leave Monty with my mom because there are just WAY too many people there, but at the same time, he is ALOT of work and I’m not sure she’s up to it, or maybe I’m just not ready to leave him. I guess I’ll keep my cell phone with me so I can check on him every 15 minutes ;-)

Tomorrow Bernie & Dona & Meaghen are stopping by for a visit, and then we’re off to Dad’s for his Christmas and dinner. Then the next day I am not sure. I might head home already, or visit Kathy at the Kitchener dog show, not too sure yet.

Brian and Leannio gave me the big MEC duffle bag I wanted so now I can bring my loot back to the Sault and stop borrowing J’s big duffle bag.

Okay, I need to get showered here. Julie is making cookies with her new cookie machine she got. It smells yummmmmmy. Monty is on Mom’s lap. She must be holding him tight because he usually jumps off of anyone but me. Oh there he goes. Leanne is up, Grandma is up. Brian’s lazy bones are still in bed.

Happy Holidays!

Day off!

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As badly as I’d love to be at work right now (ya right, I’m a bad liar) I took today off so I can clean up, get organized, and pack for the trip down to Mom’s tomorrow.

Gifts are wrapped. I love wrapping gifts and giving gifts. It’s so much fun! Monty thought it looked like fun too, but he was so much help I had to put him in his xpen because I don’t share well, haha, and I wanted to do it all myself.

Of course with an entire day to pack, you can be assured that I’ll pack way too much stuff. Oh well. That’s what trucks are for.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Too harsh?

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I have a new client, a small website job that I was already selected for after they liked the professional proposal I put together. My contact in the organization had already outlined with me all the elements of the project, but he is out of town for a month so he passed me on to the president of the organization.

She decided we needed to meet in person and go over all the details again. I was hesitant. It’s a $300 little job, but I agreed to meet her last night at the lounge in a hotel.

I waited there for 25 minutes. She didn’t show. Including my travel time and preparation, that was an hour of my time wasted.

I emailed her politely later in the evening and asked if we crossed paths or signals and that I had waited for her. She emailed back that something came up at home and she couldn’t make it. She didn’t apologize. She wants to get together later this month.

I emailed back that I would prefer to do this by phone or by email, and that I don’t take it lightly when people waste my time.

Too harsh? I argue not, I’ve been walked all over by far too many people in my life and I’m sick of it. My time is very valuable to me. I could have been playing with my puppy, wrapping gifts, packing, cleaning up my house, but no, I was standing in the lobby of a hotel for 25 minutes looking like an idiot. She didn’t email first, apologize, try to catch me by calling the hotel, nothing. She’s lucky I’m not sending her an invoice for my time.

**

On a lighter note, there are new picture of Monty up:

http://www.CanadianGoldens.com/monty/

My Christmas shopping is almost done. Just a few more little things I need to pick up. One of my supervisors is taking his team (including me) out for lunch today, so I’m looking forward to that. Monty is just going to have to hold it for a bit longer until after lunch so I can go home and let him out. He has slept through the night for the last 3 nights! Woo hoo! Such a good boy.

I think poor Zeus is going to have to spend Christmas by himself. I hate to do it because I love him and I’ll miss him, but he gets SO car sick. Before we even get across town he will have puked and pooped in his cat carrier. Then he drools and meows all the way home. I’ve put him through that for 4 Christmas’s now and he didn’t get any better. I’ll be gone for 5 nights so I’ll have to leave lots of food and water for him. I’ve left him that long before and he was fine, it just is so hard leave him on Christmas. I wish I had someone who could stop by and check on him but I can’t think of anyone who will want to do that for me.

Narnia

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There is no doubt my blog posts are going to be much shorter for awhile with a pupster (or is that poopster) to keep my eye on!

J and I went to see Narnia – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe this evening. I liked it. It’s nice to see a feel good PG movie once in awhile. There were really good previews for more animated movies. I rarely rent or go see those ones, but the previews made me chuckle so maybe in 2006 I’ll have to start.

Monty is in his x-pen right now because he knocked over the living room garbage, looking for something to chew on. In his exercise pen, he has his lion, a big dog bed to lie on, tons of toys, and his rawhide to chew on – and it’s in the kitchen so I can see it from my computer desk. He loves Winger’s old big lion so much. He sleeps with it, and drags it around the house, then humps it, then suckles it. I’m glad he likes it as much as Winger did.. okay maybe he likes it even more, Winger didn’t suckle it!

We’re off to bed shortly, but I gotta tell you, puppy hiccups are SO CUTE!! (even his little puppy fart was kinda cute). He had a bath today and is all fluffy.

UPDATE: I’ve never seen snow come down like this before. It just snowed at least 2 inches in the last 20-30 minutes. It looks like it’s pouring, but it’s snowballs from the sky – big clusters of snowflakes in ball shape. I guess I’ll be shovelling in the morning after all because it’s still coming down!

Happy Birthday to Me!

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Happy 30th Birthday to Me!

Started off great. I was too sleepy to get out of bed. After all, Monty was still quiet, I had to sleep while I could. haha. I had to shovel the end of my laneway out from the plow (I’ll do the rest later). I was late for work. But the power was out here, so I took a power nap at my desk.

Couple of nice emails and phone calls already today. As if I’m 30. Sheesh. No wonder I’m tired. I’m so damn old now.

Studded Tires now Legal for Northern Ontario Residents

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Yes! Studded tires are legal for Ontario’s northern residents now (anyone living north of Parry Sound) and they are allowed to drive anywhere in Ontario with them on.

I just bought snow tires last year, so I won’t buy them yet, but I’m comforted to know some of the other knuckleheads on the roads will have them so they won’t crash into me.

News Source: http://sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=14853

zzzzzzz

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Monty is wearing me out. This is a good way to get in shape! I feel like I have a new baby and everytime he zonks out I have to run around and do the chores I can’t do when I have to keep my eye on him.

He’s an awesome little puppy. Smart and very confident. I’m trying to get him to used to the x-pen and crate and so far so good, he doesn’t whine for long when I put him in the x-pen and the crate he just goes to sleep (or humps Winger’s big stuffed lion).

He can already drag big toys around the house. He can pick up balls bigger than a tennis ball with his mouth. He chews everything he can reach. He stole the end of the toilet paper this morning and tp’d my hallway. When I open the mail, he takes the envelopes and runs away to chew them. Little bugger. I love him though. He’s making me happy.. I think.. I’m too tired to know for sure ;-)