"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER...

...itty bitty living space"

The Genie - Disney's "Aladdin"

I don't have anything new to report today but that quote flashed through my mind this morning and it made me smile. It always does. I love Robin Williams - especially what he brought to the Genie in Aladdin.

Ok - I lied. I do have some news. Our friends, Brian & Heather, we married in a lovely ceremony yesterday in Havelock followed by one of the most enjoyable, casual, relaxed receptions I've ever attended. Probably the first one I wasn't in a hurry to leave. :)

Congrats, Brian & Heather!!!

10 Things you might be surprised to know about me:

1) I often have a mug of warm milk before I go to bed because I have difficulty sleeping.
2) I don’t know how to say no and as a result I often find myself spread very thin because I try to do too much to please too many people.
3) I know people in my office think I’m a snob because I don’t socialize with them, but it’s really because I’m very shy.
4) I have never in my life tried recreational drugs of any kind (despite MANY opportunities to do so) and I am very proud of that. I am, however, sadly addicted to beanie babies!
5) Public displays of affection make me uncomfortable.
6) I have a hard time telling people that I care about how I feel about them.
7) I miss my Grandparents terribly, especially my Grandfather, who I never got a chance to say goodbye to.
8) I STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
9) I had turned in feet as a child & wore “special shoes” to correct it. I still find my feet turn in when I’m walking and either not paying attention or very tired.
10) My favourite filmmaker is Jan Svankmayer. Not because his films are entertaining (they're actually very convoluted and sometimes difficult to follow), but because I admire the process with which they are created.

"The Silence was the loudest thing I ever heard."
- Great Big Sea "Clearest Indication"

Earlier this week, my DH and I were at odds and not speaking for a couple of days. It happens from time to time and we're past it now and all is good and right in our world.

But that, combined with another strange event, produced one of the most surreal moments I have experienced in recent memory.

On Wednesday evening, at about 11:30pm, I was debating whether or not I was still pissed enough to sleep on the couch, so I was sitting in the den in the dark in a completely silent house and the "noise" was almost unbearable. Whether it was just the sound of blood rushing through my veins, or perhaps just the underlying hum of electricity around me and throughout the house, I don't know, but I remember thinking "For the house to be so quiet, I can't believe how loud it is!"

And then, if you can believe it, I heard a cricket chirping. All the windows were closed, no traffic was going by the house and there's this "reet" "reet" "reet" "reet" noise splitting the darkness. That sucker was in the house...it was on the second floor and it was BIG.

The entire "moment" was just that, no more than a moment, but it seemed to last for much longer while all kinds of thoughts tumbled around in my mind.

Then, the light at the intersection in front of the house must have changed because then the sound of traffic drowned everything else out. And like that, the moment was over, and I went off in search of the interloping cricket, who I discovered had taken up residence under the floor boards in our still-under-renovation main bathroom. I could see him, through a crack in the boards, larger than life and twice as ugly, but couldn't come up with a way to dispatch him without the potential of burning the house to the ground, so I grudgingly went to bed while he chirped on and on throughout the night.

Apparently, it was also annoying others in the house, since it was discovered yesterday morning deceased in the kitchen minus one leg. No one has confessed to the crime yet, but I suspect Quinn since she has a history of insecticide (she spends hours outside in the summer, laying on the patio, squishing ants with her nose).

Cool little game. Try it out! Gone to the Dogs ---- Click on "Game"

I'm a Norwegian Buhund...not quite an elkhound, but pretty close!

Wolfsheim's Kissing Buddy CD is coming out of retirement for another kick at the cat, so to speak

"Monty" is 8 1/2 years old now and has always been a challenge to train. He acts more like he's 8 months old sometimes (which I'll gladly tollerate!!). He does sleep a lot more these days and he's slow to get moving when he does wake up, but man does he get excited when it's time to work!

All summer, I have been taking Quinn out a couple of times a week to agility classes and poor Monty would get soooo excited thinking he was going and I would feel like such a first-class heel for leaving him at home dancing at the door with a big "Do I get to go this time, mom? Do I?! PLEASE!!" look on his face.

Well, this time, he gets to come and Quinn stays home! Monty has done obedience and has his CD title, but will never be able to get his CDX nor do agility since jumping is required and his arthritic hips no longer allow him to jump, however, he can do Rally-O.

So this evening, we're starting a new adventure for both of us into Rally-O... more info to come!

(Photo on the right was taken 3 years ago when he was training for his CDX title)

What is a picture worth?

In my daily 9-5 life, I work as a real estate assistant (unlicensed), and one of my many jobs is to take (attractive!!) photos of all of the houses that we list for sale. I've been doing this for many years and I quite enjoy it.

Over the last couple of years, I have turned this interest in photography into one of my hobbies away from the office - I don't specialize in any one specific genre. I dabble in many fields - even recently taking on the daunting task of shooting a wedding!

I was just doing some organizing on my computer and came across a couple of photos that show the spectrum of my interest from one end to the other; macro to landscape...

Above is a photo I took in Watkins Glen, NY in July early in the morning on a cool day. My subject was having a bath in the early morning sun on the hood of a car.

Below, again taken in the early morning hours, is a field of hay bales. This was taken in mid-August at about 6:30am in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Right now, my camera is the Canon Rebel EOS but I have my eye on the Rebel XTi...I'm hoping Santa gives me a gift card for Henry's again this Christmas!!

PT's ONLY CANADA/US CHALLENGE
September 10, 2006 in beautiful Gananoque, Ontario

The show is just a memory now. After all of the anticipation and the rush to get the new bumper painted and installed in time, it was all worth it.

We came away with first place in the mild custom division!

I have to say, what an awesome event. Well organized, great location, great people - who else would close down the main street of a bustling tourist town for a PT Cruiser show? Thanks Nick!! You're awesome! And a special thanks for the "purple" star! ;o)

We got to spend a fantastic day with a great group of people who we look forward to seeing again in the spring, as this was most likely our last show for the year. What a note to go out on!

I also have to give a big shout out to my DH - those tires didn't get that shiny all by themselves! I promise, we'll find a mustang club for you for next year...

This year's challenge went to the US folks. Congratulations!! Next year, the plaque will be Canada's!!

...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...

I have news. It's neither good, nor bad, just news.

Late last evening, I got a call from the new team representing me in court and I have a new trial date - March 19, 2007.

That will be 15 months and 10 days from the date of the original accident.

How's that for expedited court service??

Well, at least I don't have to think about it now for another 3 months, then I get to get all stressed out again.

*sigh*

Eureka!

I remembered at least one thing I had been meaning to put in the blog.

Lately, I've been moaning a lot about how a small-minded paralegal prick took off with my retainer and left me hanging high and dry less than 3 weeks before my court date.

Well, I'm absolutely tickled to report that things are looking up. Not perfect, but definitely looking up.

Goes to prove that old adage, it's not what you know, it's who you know (had I known that little gem when I was in school, I would have spent far more time schmoozing and less time with my nose in a text book). But I digress...

I got a call Tuesday afternoon from a friend who had originally referred a lawyer friend of his to me, who in turn had referred the aforementioned paralegal to me (try to keep up with me here, I'm going to do this without mentioning any names, so it's going to get rather convoluted from time to time). He (the friend), suggested I call the lawyer who had recommended the paralegal.

Not having anything more to lose, I called the lawyer. He apologized profusely for the lousy referral and promised me he was going to get my retainer back. He would take the paralegal to small claims on my behalf and would waive his fee for doing so.

It's only $500 bucks, and I'd pretty much given up any hope of ever getting it back, so this was a really pleasant surprise. If this all works out, that $500 should cover the cost of the remaining repairs that my car needs!!

As far as the progress with court, there was supposed to be a hearing on the 5th to request a new trial date but it was delayed until today at 1. If they don't permit the new trial date, the trial is still scheduled for tomorrow at 2:30.

Fingers and toes crossed and hoping this will all be over soon....

I'm going to have to start carrying a notepad & pen with me...

There was something this morning. A fleeting thought that crossed my mind more than once. I distinctly remember saying to myself "Wow, that would make a really interesting blog entry!", but amid all the other crud I've mentally processed over the course of the last 12 hours, it's gone. *POOF*

Haven't a clue what it was.

But it was good.

That I do know.

Ah, you hadda be there.

Yesterday we journeyed to Brantford Ontario to visit relatives and while there, we also took a short side-trip to see their horses. Of course, as usual, I had the camera with me, so took the opportunity to fire off several hundred (no kidding!) photos of this gorgeous creature. Here are the 3 (again, no kidding!) worth sharing. Oh, and one of "Jake" the dog who watched everything with interest.

Does the phrase "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" come to mind here?

R.I.P Gale

Gale was my Siamese Fighting Fish (Beta). I've had him for close to three years (would have been 3 in November). In the summer, he lived on my desk at the office and kept me company. In the winter, he came home to live on my kitchen counter and keep a watchful eye on the comings and goings of our family. Gale got his name because I brought him home the day of our first winter storm in 2003.

Yesterday, I went to feed him, and he was in his usual spot under his favourite plant, but when I opened the lid to his tank (which usually he responds to by dashing up to the top in the middle - "got food???!") he did nothing. Not so much as a fin fliker.

I knew he was gone right away. It mustn't have been very long as his eyes hadn't started to cloud over yet.

See ya little buddy.

Talking cat

Although most of this clip is amusing, the cat at the end always makes me laugh so hard I cry. "Why I eyes ya...all the live long day" tee hee