I Should Be In Bed . . .

. . . sleeping (sorry to disappoint if you were expecting something a little racier). Seriously, I need to get a few hours of sleep. I have to be out the door at 5:50. That's a.m. For the Disco Event we're decorating for tomorrow. I'm still tired from the Gala. And I have a wicked sinus headache just over my left eye. Oh, and I'm out of Advil Cold & Sinus. Fucking wonderful.

So, I'll be working all day tomorrow, and then I'll get a few hours off while the event happens (otherwise known as the fun part in which we, the decorating fairies, do not get to participate). And then take down. I don't know how long I'll last, considering the church/choir commitment, followed by the kids' family birthday party. The scary part is that I'm sending Hubby to the (brand new, very big, very sterile-looking) grocery store to get specific ingredients. Hmmm. Oh, and it's a case of I need A, B, and C. If they don't have A, then don't get B or C. Then you have to get D, E, and F. Watch, he'll come back with A, E, and W. Because "they were out". Which translates to "I couldn't find it and I'm genetically unable to ask for help. Because it's like asking for directions". That's why those male sperm have to be fast swimmers. Because they have to swim around and around and around, lost, but not asking for directions.

5:50. A.M. Blech. I have to get up at 5:25. Did I mention that I'm not a morning person? Sweet dreams, everyone. Have a couple for me.

I'll be having a Venti something at SBux. With an extra shot of espresso.

Because My Dream Was THAT Good

You're an Passionate Kisser

For you, kissing is about all about following your urges If someone's hot, you'll go in for the kiss - end of story You can keep any relationship hot with your steamy kisses A total spark plug - your kisses are bound to get you in trouble

What Kind of Kisser Are You?

Random TT

Thirteen Random Things about Canada 1. I'm currently running on about an hour of sleep. Yet, now that the kids are off to school, I can't fall asleep. Go figure. 2. I love decorating for Gala events, and the setting down is okay. Not a huge fan of unloading at the warehouse as the sun comes up, but I avoided that one today as I had to be home by 6 so Hubby could go to work. 3. I really need to get more music therapy clients. If I could get another 7.5 contact hours, I would be very happy. 4. The kids' birthday party absolutely rocked last Saturday. Clara and Corwin had their party together (they each invited their own friends and hosted their own table). It was a Make-Your-Own-Pizza event, and it was wonderful. Especially the part where I had no cleaning, no set-up, no coordination of food or games to do. AT ALL. Worth every penny! 5. I'm loving my voice lessons. The aria I'm singing from Handel's Messiah is really fun, and I'm looking forward to the Masterclass. 6. So the voice lessons may be going to my head. I now have a major desire to sing first soprano instead of second. Because I can sing those high G's and A's. And another woman (who is really sweet and nice) who joined after me last year moved up. Weasley says I should lobby for it. I don't think so. I need to be moved up on my ability. So, there will be lots of hard work ahead. 7. I started my flute quartet three weeks ago. I love it!!!!!! I have missed playing more than I realized. 8. In the flute quartet, we divide up the parts. Sometimes I play first, sometimes fourth - we share. 9. I really only put a lot of effort into practicing the pieces in which I play first or second. And I also practice the first line of the pieces in which I don't play first. I'm starting to recall why I developed performance anxiety. I have a perfectionistic streak. And I feel a strong need to play better than everyone else. This may not be healthy. Or it may be the challenge I need. 10. I'm really not competitive in anything else. 11. I'm going out to dinner and a play at the local amateur theatre tomorrow night with a friend of mine (she and I share a season subscription). I can't wait. So, decisions, decisions. Thai food? Or Vietnamese? Or Indian? Or drinks and a salad at Baton Rouge? I'm really craving sushi (esp after seeing platters of it backstage being carried out last night), but that's one thing she's not into. 12. I'm doing decorating again on Saturday. We start setting up the Disco Theme event at 6:30 am (blech!!), and work until it's ready (about 6/6:30 pm). Then we have a break and take-down starts at 1/1:30 am. I have to be out of there by 4:30 - I have church (which includes singing in the choir), and then Hubby's whole family back here for the kids' birthday lunch (their actual birthdate is Oct 2). And Corwin has invited a few extra people "because they're part of our family". Gordon (the organist) and Gaston, Weasley, and Renee and her new girlfriend. Yes, all of Corwin's guests are gay. Too funny. Esp with my very Catholic parents-in-law! 13. I think I'm ready for a nap now. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I'l add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

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More Decorating TT

Thirteen Paint Colours in Canada's House 1. Entry, living room, stairway, upper hall: Trenchcoat by C2. In the main palette. 2. Powder room: Tea with a Golden Glaze by Benjamin Moore 3. Dining room: Pondstone by C2, main palette. 4. Family room: Buckwheat by C2, main palette. 5. Kitchen: Pale Ale by C2, main palette. 6. Master bedroom, ensuite: Riff by C2, main palette. 7. Sitting room off master bedroom: Ralph Laurenbrushed suede treatment in Desert Cactus. 8. Kids' bathroom: Amontillado by C2, main palette. 9. Corwin's room: Raffia Basket by Sherwin-Williams (discontinued) 10. Clara's room: chair rail and below in New Leaf by C2 (main palette), top part of wall in sunrise-effect wash with pink, apricot and yellow. 11. Basement rec room: Outback by C2, main palette. 12. Basement bathroom: Sisal by C2, main palette. 13. Basement guest bedroom: Canal by C2, retired colour. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. crse

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Weird and Disturbing

Unlike crse, I don't often have sex-filled dreams. Well, sometimes. Thankfully, this wasn't one of them. But this morning I woke up from a very real, intense dream in which I made out a LOT with . . . my neighbour/friend's husband. And in the dream, it seemed just fine. However, when I woke up, I had a "whoa, what the hell was THAT about?!" moment. Especially because he's never been what I considered an "eye candy" neighbour (we have a few of those on our street). Yes, he's good looking, just not someone I ever gave much thought to, not really my type. Bizarre. I just hope I don't run into him for the next few days, because I'm sure I'll end up blushing!

Blogthings Knows All!

You Should Get a MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)

You're a blooming artistic talent, even if you aren't quite convinced. You'd make an incredible artist, photographer, or film maker.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Okay, wrong medium (I do take great pictures, but I can't draw stick figures!). But I'll go with it - music is an art.

How Do I Make A Withdrawal?

My blog is worth $10,726.26.
How much is your blog worth?

Seen at Clare's. She's worth more than I am (well, her blog is, at any rate!)

Pump You Uuuuup!

Thirteen Things About the BodyPump Class Canada Participated In 1. Even in the middle of the day, this is a popular class. 2. So it's tricky to get a spot, esp when you've never done this class, and aren't quite sure how much space you'll need. 3. The instructor is on a raised platform at the front of the room. 4. There are more mirrors than anyone who's trying to get into shape needs! (really, do I need to see myself at every angle?) 5. Each woman has an aerobics step with two risers at each end, and a yoga mat. 6. Each woman also has a barbell, two clips to hold the weights on, and each woman chooses their own assortment of weights for their level of fitness. Also tricky for the newbie! 7. This whole class is a weight workout, using the barbell. 8. For the warmup, most people use just a bit of weight. No problem. 9. For the second section, people add weight. I was conservative. During this portion, I thought "okay, could've used more weight - this was pretty easy" 10. The third section involved removing some weight. Maybe I removed too much? Maybe I didn't have enough on, so I didn't really need to remove any. Also easy. 11. For the tricep workout, people removed more weight. I didn't, because I didn't have enough for the previous part. Besides, glancing around, I seemed to be similar to other people (not including the woman in front of me, who had obviously been doing this class for a while!). This part was done laying down on the yoga mat on top of the aerobic step. It started out well. And then I heard this voice screaming "TOO MUCH WEIGHT!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!" I was very happy to realize that it was only in my head - I wasn't actually yelling for the entire class to hear. 12. It's difficult to complete the abs workout (including pushups, but I do yoga plank so I don't mess up my neck/shoulder that's almost fixed) when your arms are quivering like jello. 13. It takes about six days for your muscles to recover after doing too much weight during the tricep section. Now that I've recovered, I'm going again today. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Zeus

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.
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Jack Frost, Where Art Thou?

Not so much to nip at my nose (or is it toes?). Just to kill all the flippin' ragweed pollen, so that poor Jazz dog doesn't have to be all doped up on Benadryl. Yep, my poor little pup (okay, she's almost 10) has wicked seasonal allergies that cause her paws, chest/underarms, and eyes to itch. Thankfully, this year it only kicked in (the itching/scratching/gnawing) around mid-August, which is a whole month later than usual. It has also subsided a bit in the past couple of days. There were rumours of a frost in the Ottawa Valley (further northeast) a few days ago, so maybe some of the pollen was eradicated. I just want a good, hard frost - I'm even willing to bid farewell to my annuals just to see the dog more comfortable (and shedding less!). Then it can go back to being nice, at least until mid-November. Is that asking too much?

What Was I Thinking?

Lately, Corwin has started enjoying it when I read chapter books to him. You know, more like novels, with very few pictures. Clara would rather read picture books by herself, and often does crafts while Corwin and I read. We read Lois Duncan's Hotel For Dogs, which was one of my favourite books when I was little. In fact, I took it out of the library so often in grade three that both sides of the card had my name on it. Then we read The Littles Have A Wedding, which I read in grade one. That was a very quick read, and Corwin was pretty fascinated by the idea of tiny people with tails. Now we're reading a classic - E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. He's really enjoying it, and Wilbur has just met Charlotte. After our chapter last night, I remembered that I always cried at the end of the book, so I decided to read ahead to see if that was still the case. Uhhh . . yeah!!! Crap, how am I supposed to get through the last pages of this book with a lump in my throat? Hubby used to laugh at me because I couldn't read the last page of Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You above a whisper because I was always choked up. Damn, this could be problematic. Any suggestions?

Bits of Monday

You'd think I would be blogging more now that the kids are in school. What is up with that? Could be because I really haven't done much that's very exciting, except try to get some stuff (tedious stuff) done. And I've been loving my new gym, so I've been going there way more than I was going to the old, crappy gym. My friend, the Senator, is even thinking of switching (we met at the gym that went out of business). Yay!! I hope she does, because it's always fun to work out when she's there to chat with.

Last night, Weasley came over to watch a movie. Hubby has been working ridiculously long hours (he even went in on Saturday for a few hours) and had some reading to do last night, so he passed on watching with us. Instead, he did his reading and went to bed early. Anyway, Weasley and I had a great time, drinking beer and eating Dill Pickle chips (yes, bad for sure, and not helping in the fitting back into my favourite jeans, but whatever), and watching Friends With Money. Kind of a weird movie, with the worst ending ever! And the whole scene where Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) actually uses her client's vibrator -eeeeew! I said something like "oh, yet another reason I don't have a maid", and Weasley laughed and said "the first being that you're far too anal about clealiness - you'd be recleaning after she left". Oh, honey, I'd be cleaning even before she got here!

And my Mom's knee is doing well, but she's starting to go crazy not being able to do anything (this is a woman who washes the kitchen floor daily, and irons sheets, and has a huge garden that weeds are afraid to show up in because they get yanked before they have time to see the sun). The funny part about this is my Dad - let's just say that his "job", since he retired, is to clean the finished basement(vacuum, clean the bathroom, dust). And he does it "once a month, whether it needs it or not". You should see the look of horror on my Mom's face when he says this, and the full body shudder that accompanies it! Anyway, my Dad was going for groceries today. And he's been making all the meals. And my Mom asked him to sweep the kitchen floor. To which he responded "Oh, okay. It looks all right to me." And my poor Mom was thinking "oh, it needs to be washed, but he won't do that, so maybe I can get him to sweep". I keep telling her that she can't expect him to be a clean freak, because she trained him not to worry about it - she did it all. Me, I broke Hubby in early! That's all I got, except this crappy cough that has been here for over a week. And a voice lesson and my first client of the new school year tomorrow. Great. I hope I don't cough and hack through it all!

Make a Wish and Blow!!!!

Oh, the joy of birthday parties. With twins!

Clara and Corwin have always had their own cakes, even when they were a year old. For their second birthday, we had a few friends over for Kraft Dinner (macaroni and cheese) and cupcakes. They had their third birthday party (with about 7 friends) at the Canada Agriculture Museum. They did a little craft, made ice cream, toured the farm and saw all the animals, and even got to hold a bunny, before washing their hands and having cupcakes and the ice cream that they made. And then it was time to turn four.

"Mummy, I want my OWN party this year. A Princess Tea Party, and all my friends have to wear beau-u-u-tiful dresses." Ummm, okay. How do you make sure that the dress code includes a "beautiful dress", anyway? (I got around that by writing At Clara's request, please wear a "beautiful" dress. I told Corwin that he could have his own party, and invite his friends. When asked what he wanted for his party, he announced that they were going to play with trucks. I said they could each have four friends. Clara counted four on my fingers, pulled up my thumb and named a sixth. Fine, whatever. When it was Corwin's turn, he named three. I said he could have one more. His response? "Nah, that's good." Anyone getting the picture of who is high maintenance here? He ended up with a Shrek theme and cake, Clara had Princess Tea Party with finger sandwiches, lemonade and very weak tea, and a teapot cake with cupcake teacups (all made by the extraordinarily talented La Patisseria).

When they turned five last year, I planned separate parties again. Clara had a Fairy party with a facepainter who made all the girls look like fairy princesses. Her cake was a Fairy Toadstool House, with little fairies on the roof. Corwin had a Fire Truck Theme party, with a fire truck cake. The highlight was the arrival of the fire truck (complete with firemen!), who let the boys get in, look at all the stuff, work the lights, take a group picture on the fender, and put the siren on when it drove away. So, what to do for their sixth birthdays? (Corwin - "Can you get an ambulance this year, Mummy?" Ummm. . . no.)

Well, this year they are having a combined party again. They both like the idea of a pizza making party at a local grocery store that has a cooking school/party room upstairs. But the minimum number paired with the cost was getting a bit high. So . . . they agreed to each invite 7 friends, and have their party together. They will each have their own cake, and their own table for their friends. And I have no prep, cleanup, or second day to plan. I'm really liking this idea!!!!

Skydiving, Anyone?

My Personality

Neuroticism	49
Extraversion	71
Openness To Experience	81
Agreeableness	31
Conscientiousness	61

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Seen at Polyopia, home of the Fabulous Luckybuzz

Thirteen Things Canada Has Been Doing BESIDES Getting the Kids Back To School 1. Having my parents visit from last Thursday until Sunday. They were supposed to stay until Wed, but my Mom had knee surgery on Monday. She and I have matching left knees now - I had an orthroscopy when I was 13, but she had a torn cartiledge, so she gets crutches for 2 weeks (I didn't) 2. Visiting new home sales centres and getting packages of plans. 3. Driving to view model homes east of the city (because it was the only model available to view) 4. Modifying model home plans on paper, tediously using grid paper and a ruler 5. Finding information/websites for climate-controlled, accesible self-storage units 6. Finding furinished apartment-hotels that will take pets on a monthly basis 7. Gathering information and pricing about the Maax Rainforest steamshower unit 8. Searching for doctors that may be accepting new patients in the area 9. Going to new building sites to clarify possible closing dates, new lot releases, etc 10 Going to another model home to look at how long the dining room is, and check out the half wall with arch 11. Modifying my sketch again 12. Getting information about fireplace upgrades 13. Sending all this info to my parents, who are FINALLY planning on moving here!!!! They told the kids over Labour Day Weekend, and they plan on listing their house in April, moving in the fall. They have picked a design, with some modifications, and are just getting organized to choose a lot, etc, etc. They need to talk to an agent in their area to get a good idea of what to list for, and then they will get going on the details. Yay!!!!! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1.The Knut Hut

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants