Did I scream like a girl?

From the front of the house, this just seems like an innocent little bush. It may not be the most neatly trimmed or shaped, but you wouldn't think that within this bush lurked grave danger...

Kelly took the day off on Monday and we decided to do some yard work. Our bushes desperately needed to be tended to. So while Kelly did the weed eating, I took out our electric hedge trimmer and began to trim the front and top of this bush. When Kelly glanced over and saw me laboring to reach the top, he immediately came over and offered to finish where I couldn't reach. He's such a gentleman. A few moments went by and I heard him say, "Ouch...I just got stung by a wasp." But being the big strong man he is, it didn't really phase him.

In hindsight, I suppose we should have seen that as a warning, but we didn't. A couple of seconds later, I heard, "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" and saw Kelly fly down the path and around the house, ripping off his shirt!
"Are you okay?" I yelled as I ran around the corner after him.

As you may have guessed, the other side of that bush looked like this:



Well I must have agitated the little guys something fierce while I was hacking away at the other side of this bush, cuz they were pretty upset. Thank God he only got stung three or four times...It could have been so much worse had the electric trimmer sawed right through the middle of their happy home.

It wasn't long before my neighbor came over to see if Kelly was badly hurt. She and her husband had heard him yell and thought he'd lopped off a limb or something. After she had gone back home, I was saying to Kel how sweet it was of her to be concerned but Kelly's biggest worry and only question was, "Did I scream like a girl?" LOL I said, "No Sweet heart, you screamed like a man."

We gave them a good spray with some wasp killer last night and will probably do another dose before we remove it. Those little buggers mean business!

finally!!!

It was lovely...but it's finally over. After dresses and make up and tickets and shoes, ceremonies, diplomas, report cards, boat cruises, winter formals, rides here, rides there, finals and deadlines, grad pranks, up-dos and hand bags...Alicia is finished her graduation. She had her final grad event on Friday night when she went to the four seasons hotel for her dinner dance and then at midnight was bussed back to the school where they partied until five in the morning. She looked so beautiful.

this is a picture of her up-do that I did for her. What a princess...
Her make-up was done beautifully at estee lauder, but the lady took an hour and a half to do it. I swear it took ten minutes to put on the foundation alone. Though she told me it would take an hour, we ended up running very late. I had been doing other up-dos during the day, and Alicia's was planned for two oclock. Her make-up appt was for three and she was to be at the school to catch the bus with her fellow graduates between five and five twenty. Well after waiting forever for her makeup, we whipped home, got her changed, and ran her to the school. Sadly, because of various wardrobe malfunctions and some disorganization on my darling daughter's part, we made it to the school about five minutes after the last bus departed. Sigh. We were going to the hotel anyway because the parents were invited for the first hour to take pictures and to have the first dance with their child. Kelly was really looking forward to dancing with her and I was stoked to get pictures of it. Anyhoo, that was a bust since the traffic was so heavy, we got there right after the first dance when all the other parents were leaving. I could have cried, but there was nothing that could be done to change it so I made them stand like they were dancing and took a picture. LOL




below is a picture of the two of us with Alicia's friend. They all looked so beautiful and grown up.

Now she just has to figure out what she wants to do with her life and jump in with both feet. I can't believe that when I was her age I was just getting ready to bring her into this world...

Summer

Well, we've seen the sunshine here and there, so I guess it's almost Summer. LOL Last weekend I went to one of my dearest friends' Birthday party. It started out a beach theme, but people started changing their clothes when it started to get chilly. Here's me and the Birthday girl!

As usual, we got home and to bed as the sun was coming up the next morning. I think the clock read 4:30 when Kelly and I laid our heads down on our pillows. The next day was a write-off, but we usually relax on Sundays anyway. My sis and I have a Sunday ritual of watching coronation Street together and now that Kelly is in the picture, he comes and watches too. He was hooked after one episode. LOL




We're getting ready for Alicia's grad now. It will be at the end of the month, but they have a winter formal, which has already passed, and a boat cruise, which was a couple of weeks ago. These pics are of Alicia with
her new black hair and her friend Tenby with HER new black hair. I guess black is the new blond.
I had sewn a shawl for Alicia that was the same color as the cream on her dress. I carefully sewed fine tassels on each edge of the shawl and was still sewing the morning of the event.

There they are driving away when I suddenly realized that she had forgotten her boat cruise ticket on the cork board on the fridge! So, like any crazy person would, I chased them down the street. They must have been wrapped up in excitement, because they didn't see me waving my arms around like a lunatic. So I ran inside and called her to come back and get the ticket...and by the way, she forgot the wrap that I so lovingly made her, too!

Here they are coming back for the ticket AND the wrap...there was no way she was getting away without that wrap!!!There's Frisky in the corner with his ears up.

Hmmm

It's so hard to think of something interesting to post about when life is uneventful. Do-de-do...hmmm...Nope I got nothin'. Sigh...

On the other hand, no news is often good news. My car is running, so I don't have that to bitch about anymore...I could bitch about sitting on the phone with Fido for an hour on two separate occasions this month, but I'll spare you all the details on that one...all in all, everything is running smoothly, but the thing is, I'm kind of bored. Not that I want bad things to start happening, but I need to shake things up a bit. The problem is, with the aforementioned car problems we had in the past, we don't have a lot of coin to play with. I'd just go to the casino like my Uncle Curtis does, but I don't have a big ole horse shoe up my bum, so that's not gonna work. I'm running out of colors to dye my hair, so I can't keep changing it just for the sake of changing it. I keep saying I'm going to start working out aside from the two days a week I already play squash, but I'm pretty undisciplined about that kind of thing these days...

Oh well...I guess I'll just go down stairs and finish up the client I'm doing. I'm sure I'll think of something to get out of this funk. Until then, I'll just have to count my blessings, of which I have many.

My beautiful girl

Well, I guess she's not a girl anymore, but a young woman. My girlfriend, Kiki, pointed out that the night she and I had our grad pictures taken, Alicia was there with us. I had just found out I was expecting. In some ways it seems like yesterday, and yet, in other ways it seems like a hundred years ago.

What a beautiful life I brought into the world, and how she has blessed my life, I could never put into words. I sit here welling up with tears while I type this. Sigh...what a sap.

My car has had an engine transplant!!! Ok, so I'm putting my new mechanic's kids through collage, but at least my ride works. LOL. The heat works, the radio works,...Am I dreaming? Kelly's car has also gotten a new engine, but Kelly did that one himself. I was pretty darned impressed that my computer technician hubby actually did an engine swap all by himself.

It's funny how you can be soooo stressed out about some ongoing problem for so long, and then all of a sudden, the problem is resolved, and you have no stress. Besides, of course, the credit card that has been exhausted, and the looming monthly payments on it, at least I have my independence back. That's huge!

Today is my day off, and I'm still sitting here in my pjs drinking tea. I'll do my morning crossword, work on a little craft I've been working on, watch "All my Children," and then later, "Dr. Phil." Then I'll go do some shopping and maybe make a nummy dinner. It's a relaxing day. Kelly and I went to a friend's for cocktails on the weekend, and, I'm just not 20 years old anymore. I need some recovery time now. LOL

Hey Bloggers! Long time no blog! LOL I can't believe my last post was over a month ago! Where does the time go? I'm pondering what I should blog about...There are a few options, but the one that affected me the deepest may not be suitable. Oh well, I'll throw it out there...

About three years ago, I got a part time job at the beauty supply store that I shop at. After working only five shifts, I knew I would be miserable if I continued. The manager was probably the most unhappy person I have ever encountered, and she took it out on everyone around her. The employees, the customers, even her little 6 year old son. She was rude, impatient, and disrespectful. One day, I was working the till, and I had a computer question for her. She was in the back room, and I couldn't leave a lineup of people standing there with the till unattended, so I did what I saw everyone else do countless times. I sort of yelled to the back for her to come and help me. I had been employed by them about two weeks, but I had only worked five shifts and the computer program they were using was way more complicated than it had to be. So anyway, the manager...who we'll call Michelle...cuz that's her name, came to the front and began to reprimand me for interrupting her phone call. Well, I guess I embarrassed her by asking her in front of the customers what I should do in the future in this same situation. Well she spat out that I should just figure it out, or wait till she was finished on the phone. Well, I had said, "so I should leave the customers waiting while you finish your call?"

Well that was a big mistake. Later that day, she called me into the back room and ripped me a new one until I was welling up with tears. That's when I knew that I couldn't be happy working there. She was just so mean.

The beauty is, I already had my job as a hairdresser, so I didn't need this one. So I called her on the phone the next day and when she answered I said, "I won't be coming back to work for you because I think you need psychiatric help." I know, I'm cheeky, but she was a mean person.

After this happened, I started shopping at another branch of the same store. Unfortunately, her store closed down the following year, and she was transferred to the one I had started shopping at. Not as the manager, though. Just a lowly worker like I was. So for the last two years, every time I go in there, she is cold, rude, and unprofessional. I mean, I know what I said was cheeky, but quite some time had passed, so get over it. You know what I mean? So last week I went in, smiled at her (trying to keep things friendly) and even said hello. I'm thinking surely to God she isn't still mad after three years! She does not smile back and certainly no hello. She rings my order through, and shoves the bag in my direction and turns away. Well I'm just sick of this. I've been shopping there for 12 years. So this is the dialog:

Me: Well thank you for that great customer service and warmth. And then I walk away toward the exit. Then I hear her say

Michelle: Oh, you're just the same F**king b**ch you've always been!

Me in complete shock: I beg your pardon?

Michelle: I don't have to listen to this (and turns away)

Me: I AM a customer here, you know!

Michelle: I don't give a s**t WHO you are!

Note: there are other customers and employees in the store, and she's yelling across the store to me! I was so floored and caught off guard, I started to shake and sweat!

Me: It's been...(this is where she interrupts me to say...)

Michelle: Take that (gives me the finger) b**ch!

By this time, I'm so upset, I can't even think straight. I just wanted to blurt out the first thing that I could come up with. I wish it was more cleaver...I wish it had some wit...I wish it was more intelligent...I wish it was something that I could be proud of, but my emotions took me over and what flew out of my mouth was...

Me: TAKE THAT! (fingered her) YOU F**CKING WHORE!!!

and I stormed out of the store! I was so angry at her for saying the things she did, for interrupting me when I wanted to use intelligent argument, for inspiring such a crass response on my part, but I was possessed by my urge to hurt her.

On the drive home, my emotions were so mixed. A big part of me was so upset, I was still shaking and felt like bursting into tears! A small part of me wanted to laugh at how unbelievable what I had just experienced was. I did phone the manager the next day and told her after 12 years of shopping there, I would never set foot in that place again as long as she was there. She was shocked at what had happened (she was not there at the time) and told me Michelle was leaving that coming Wednesday. It's no wonder she felt so comfy blowing her top on me like that.

Anyway, that is what happened, and although I know I played a part in the situation, I don't care WHAT a customer says...there's no excuse for that kind of conduct. As far as I'm concerned it would be grounds for immediate dismissal. Never mind waiting til her last day. To be honest, I'm just glad I never have to see her face again. Frankly, I'm not a violent person, but that day, I wanted to punch her teeth down her throat.

Oh, and to top it off my car overheated on the way home...sigh.

The whiteboard

My family is definitely on the "artistic" side. One example of this is the rather fair sized white board we have hanging in our kitchen for important information. Well what could be more important than expressing one's creativity?



This is our white board. As you can see, we started with the best intentions of having Ali's work schedule at the top...then it all went downhill.


The duck was just a doodle by Alicia. I just like the expression on his face.





Then, for some reason, she drew this paranoid booberry...looks a little stressed.

Then she really got creative and made the "loo berry," followed by my personal favorite...the "moo berry."


















Of course, then Kelly had to throw his two cents in with the "shoo berry" and so Alicia went with the "Atchoo berry!" Then she went "screw berry," which could have been way
worse. .. such as Her "poo berry, " and Kelly's "Jew berry!" How un P.C!














Well, you knew I was going to add my own little something, so I went with the "spew berry." How many things rhyme with "blue" anyway?!? This last one, Alicia was grasping at straws with the "glue berry."
They can't all be masterpieces, I guess. LOL.


Sigh....There's no room left...we're gonna have to wipe it down and start again with something new and equally inane. Take care blogging buds!

So my car met it's new mechanic the other day. We had it towed to this guy who came highly recommended by a client of mine. It was the weirdest thing...we took it in, we waited until the next day, we gave him some money, and we drove away in my running, heated car. It was so smooth. sigh.

Well, there was one day that I had to travel by bus to the beauty supply store. I had no choice. Kelly was going to take me, but his car crapped out on the side of the road the night before. Can you believe our luck? Anyway, don't even get me started on that.

I was chatting with a client about my bus experience (two buses there, and two buses back, but whose counting?) and she told me a funny bus story about her friend.

This girl gets on the bus one day, and takes an empty seat to rest her bones. She glances around the bus half noticing that there are some people standing, even though there were a few empty seats. "mmmmmm, I smell parmigiana cheese," she thinks to herself as she ponders dinner possibilities. "I think I'll have pasta tonight."
Coming out of her thoughts, the girl looks down at her feet to discover she's had them sitting in barf for the entire bus ride.

LOL! Isn't that hilarious? I was laughing out loud while typing it. Poor thing will never be able to have parmigiana again without associating it with some strangers barf.

I got squashed playing squash!

OUCH! I should have gotten a picture before it started to heal when it was all swollen and purple. It was my own fault for standing too close to my opponent as she tried to return one of my shots in squash. I'm glad I got a shiner, though...I figure if I'm gonna get whacked in the head with a squash raquette, I bloody well want some evidence that I was injured. How else will everyone know to give me sympathy!?! LOL

Anyhoo, ya know how I was all pissed about my car having no heat since I had it in the shop? Well I took Alicia out for a driving lesson yesterday. Half way through, I was going to get her to venture into another neighborhood, and asked her if she had her drivers license with her. OOPS! She forgot about that, so we went home to get it before we could continue. We parked the car, ran in for her license, and by the time we got back outside, it wouldn't start! AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH! I think my head spun around three times!

So I was in a foul mood yesterday...foul.

On a lighter note, I had to share this story a client told me recently. I thought it was funny.
So one night, my client, "C" was in bed, waiting for her teen aged daughter to return home from wherever she was. It was getting late, and she was drifting in and out of sleep. When she awoke in the middle of the night and her daughter still wasn't home, she called her on her cel phone. She heard a groggy voice answer and she started freaking out on the girl. "Where are you!" she demanded. The girl's voice replied sleepily, "I'm in bed. Who is this?"
"It's your mother! Who do you think? And don't give me that! I know you are not in your room, I was just up there! Now tell me right now where you are!"
"I'm in bed!" she said, getting defensive, but still with a sleepy, bewildered tone. The girl was clearly confused. So my client demanded she get her ass home and hung up.

To be honest, I don't remember the part of the story that revealed where the daughter was....I was too busy laughing at the fact that "C" had dialed the wrong number, and thought she was talking to her daughter, when she was, in fact, yelling at some unsuspecting girl who she woke up in the middle of the night! I have the most vivid imagination, I can picture the girl being woken up out of a deep sleep, by some psycho mama on a mission! "C" was so embarrassed when she realized what she'd done! LOL

I love the part of my job that allows me to hear stories like this. There's never a dull moment when you are chatting with so many different people throughout the day.

Hey folks. It is a bright and sunny day here in beautiful BC, though it's pretty darn chilly. I've been in a fairly foul mood lately, which is probably why I can't decide on a color or style for my hair. I just hacked off about 7 inches and highlighted it. Change always cheers me up.

My car has been in the shop for two weeks now, and my mechanic doesn't listen to a word I say. I'm seriously irritated and feeling trapped at home. Kelly just called me saying he talked to the mechanic and told him we are going to pick up the car tonight regardless of whether or not it's done. I brought the thing in before Christmas because it was leaking coolant. A week and a half later he finally finished fixing it, and when I got it back, it had no heat! So I waited until after New years and brought it back, explaining to him that there was no heat since he had it. Well, a week and a half later he's saying he doesn't know what's wrong with it, so maybe I should buy one of those plug into the lighter kind of heaters. Well, talking to his son later, I found out that he thought I had NEVER had heat and was unaware that I did have heat before he got his hands on it. HELLO! I told him that 5 times! So then he wanted to take another look at it, which took a few more days. Ugh! So now we're just gonna go get it and take it somewhere else. What a pain in the ass.

Meantime, I've thrown out my neck, been on antibiotics for a painful bladder infection, AND had a very sore throat with swollen glands! I need a vacation. Anyway, enough of my whining. I just needed to purge myself of these negative feelings. Now, I must go and enjoy the rest of my day off. It's almost 12, so I'm gonna watch my soap opera (All My Children) I've watched it since I was a fetus (or listened to it.) It's not really that good, just comfortable and familiar. Maybe I'll fix a snack, too...

Merry Christmas Bloggers!

Hello Bloggers! I was just reading my comments and I feel so bad for neglecting my blog! Now that all the chaos has passed, i will have more time to post and to read your posts. I won't lie...I haven't even looked at blogs for a month now. (oh yeah...and I'm brunette now;))


As I'm sure you all were, we've been busy preparing for the big day. Making the gingerbread house...



decorating the Christmas tree...



And preparing for company! My brother and his wife came on the 22nd with my gorgeous little niece, Sophia. Isn't she the cutest thing you ever did see? She has been the object of my affections since she came into the world 3 months ago. Adorable!!!






So Christmas morning my family came over and ate my sister Sheryl's yummy breakfast that she makes every year. Then we did prezzies followed by an afternoon of appetizers and goodies. Then in the afternoon, Kelly's family came over and we had dinner for 18 people. Kelly made some extra large table tops to affix atop our table in conjunction with my sis Sheryl's dining room table. The result was a 16 foot long 4 foot wide table!
Above is my brother Dennis, Kelly's parents and his uncle.


LOL Here's Kelly after opening a sweater I got him. So cute.

Here's Alicia with a couple of her prezzies and Sheryl in the background enjoying a champagne and OJ. mmmmmmmm.


Above is Kelly's Aunt and Uncle recovering from a hefty meal and below is my mom and dad sharing a squeeze.



Here's Sheryl and Kelly's Grandma Leona.

Then My brother Mike, his wife Glenda, and of course our little angel Sophia!


















Last but not least, Kelly's cuz Ryan, Alicia, Kelly's nephew Christian, and his other cuz Adrea goofing off for the camera. Work it!





Unfortunately it was Anastasia's year to be with her mom, but she's coming tonight to spend the weekend and New years with us. she'll open countless gifts and then on new years eve we'll have a little birthday party for her. She turns 10 on Jan 2nd. More family over...more food to be eaten...more chaos...more fun!

I hope your Christmas was as joyful as mine, and to all of you a huge New years hug! Take care all!

Moulin Rouge

So I went to this party last weekend that had a Moulin Rouge theme. I know Penny was commenting that I should get off of face book and get blogging, but now that she can see my face book profile, she's gonna know everything I'm writing about before I write it! LOL Anyway, everyone was all fish nets and corsets and it was really cute.



Rrrooowwwr! lol Saucy!

That was the weekend before Halloween. So on Halloween, we just stayed home and handed out candy to the dozen or two disinterested kids who came to the door. It's a fading tradition.

Alicia went and hung out with friends dressed as a doll.
Very cute!

Other than that, I've been insanely busy organizing the new place and painting my butt off. My Uncle John (Mom's brother) was in town, so he and my mom spent the night last night, making it easier to get to the airport on time this morning. So Kelly and I wanted to get the main areas of the place painted before the family came over. Phew! What a job!

I am finding it harder and harder to find the time to post these days, and to read my favorite blogs. I'm not giving it up, though! I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I can't post as often as I want to and just do it when I can. On that note, I'm going to read a few of my faves right now. Take care, all!