Category: Hmmm?

I’ve heard of Baby Brain, but Bridal Brain too????

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?, I Got MarriedLeave a comment
Oh my…things are getting busy at Chez Impending Nuptials, with less than a month to go.

JD and I just returned from a 10 day trip down to Texas, to pick up a used scientific instrument for my work. We also made a bit of a scenic roadtrip out of it – using the opportunity to visit/drive through Indianapolis, St. Louis, New Orleans, Galveston, Houston, Dallas, a bit of Oklahoma, Hot Springs and Little Rock – travelling throughout the hiways and scenic byways of the American South and MidWest. Saw bayous and mountains (Ozarks), the Gulf of Mexico, rivers and plains….and many many interesting vistas and people. More about that, and pictures, later on.

I’m glad we did it, though it was a LOTTA driving and felt mostly like one of those “see 10 countries in 7 days” type of tours (except we did all the work).

I’m very upset (since last night) at my brain. I am even more forgetful than usual these days, which means things are getting quite bad. I attribute this and my mental fogginess to “Bridal Brain”. Not sure if anyone has come up with this term before, but let me tell you brothers and sisters, it is REAL, as real as Baby Brain.

Here’s what happened. Way back…just before our trip, I made a trip to our jewellery store to finalize my wedding ring purchase (JD’s was bought last year but we were hemming and hawing on what mine should look like), and I managed to do this without JD in tow, so a perfect opportunity (so I thought) to pick him up a little wedding day surprise from me to him. Said Surprise was tucked into the car in a big ol’ Rubbermaid container we keep in the back of Edward the Sparkly Prius to house groceries and other items we want to hide from view. My plan was to drive to work and then remove Said Surprise to my office, to hand off to the Best Man at some future convenient juncture, to give to JD on the Day Of.

But of course, you must know what happened, right? Bridal Brain kicked in and I forgot about it. In my defence, I didn’t have an opportunity to sneak it into my office before our big trip and then, well, the trip happened (Edward stayed home ‘cos work rented a van for us) and we came back and had to resume our normal (??) lives again, in full-on overdrive and catch-up mode.

Then last night, we were packing Edward with groceries at the store and JD lifts the lid off of the container and says “There’s a Birks bag in here?!?”. He took one look at my stricken face and says “I didn’t see anything”, and promptly moves back to the task at hand. Gotta love the man for that, amongst other things! But I was quite crushed, at yet further evidence of my declining mental abilities. Sigh. I guess as long as I still recognize JD at the altar, it can’t be that bad….yet.

The Said Surprise is now firmly ensconced in my office and I’m saying a little prayer to please help me remember to pass it on to Michael before September 3rd.

Wedding Planning Update and Random Assorted Ramblings…

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?, I Got Married2 Comments
Lookee what I found on eBay!Swarovski dragonfly hairpins!!!!!

Not sure how they will be er….implanted…in my wedding ‘do, but that will be for the marvelous Suzie at Essence Salon to figure out. I am pretty much hair-stupid…it takes all of my hair dressing skills just to scrape it offa my face and and anchor it with a clip. I think it’s a matter of patience, of which for hair, I have none. Three hands would be a plus too.

Invitations were either mailed out or hand-delivered this week to all of our guests. Mizzus K did a fabulous job on them. What a wonderful gift these were!I do hope all of our guests can make it, though I am thinking some might not, for various good reasons. Some have even hinted that travelling to the wedding is not going to be a viable option, but I sent them invites anyways, to let them know we consider them to be our honoured guests regardless of whether they can actually make it or not.

New Topic

Random shots of daylilies from my sadly neglected but thriving somehow anyways front garden:

The first was a gift from my daughter, the second a gift from my son. I’ve split them once already, and am going to be taking some to our new home at JD’s place. And the third? A “volunteer” who magically appeared one season in the front garden from somewhere, most likely from the ones in the backyard.

I leave you with this, to ponder:

I see this truck every once in a while, parked at the golf course that JD is working at this summer. Hard not to forget a pickup with a scrotum. I would love to know what kind of person feels the need to give his motor vehicle balls. Does he love his truck so much he wishes it would reproduce? (I am assuming it is a guy and perhaps that is sexist of me, but really…would a woman decorate a vehicle in this way?) Maybe I just don’t get it. Thoughts?

Serenity NOW……please!

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?, I Got MarriedLeave a comment

Bless me Mother, for I have sinned….it’s been over a month since my last pedicure, since I last intentionally exercised, since I’ve taken anything more than the most cursory care of myself.

I said I’d never go back to Crazytown (I say that every time) but I found myself there once again.

The refridgerator is almost empty and the cupboards are getting bare. The house is neglected. My dog is a scruffy shaggy mess. The yard is an embarrassment. I have no friends anymore and my family doesn’t remember who I am.

JD and I have been busy with a capital B on a large accounting project with a deadline outside of work and it has taken its toll on us and our surroundings.

But now the worst is over and I am ready to rejoin the life currently in progress, which includes matrimony in about… !!!!EIGHT WEEKS!!!!!!
How did that happen?

Already, the anxiety dreams are happening. You know the ones….where you suddenly realize it’s the day of your wedding and you’re getting married in 20 minutes and you haven’t picked up your dress from the store yet. In fact it hasn’t even been altered yet. Then your eyes open and you realize it was just a dream and there’s still time…

But not a whole lot of it!

And not a whole lot of time to post to the blog either, at least not till I get somewhat caught up at home. When life gives you an empty fridge, don’t make lemonade – at least not until you clean the darn thing inside and out….which is what I plan to do tonight.

Chore List 4 2Night: The Negative Space approach – like the art exercise of drawing the negative space around an object instead of the object itself, only the housework version
(oh goddess, I’m punchdrunk from lack of sleep….)

1. Empty fridge (should take less than 3 minutes) and formulate shopping list from items that are NOT being removed from fridge.

2. Clean fridge.

3. Go shopping for the edible essentials of life.

4. Fill up sparkly clean fridge with purchases.

5. Feel less insane

Have a good night!

We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?3 Comments

My home computer has been infiltrated by a very nasty virus, ostensibly AND ironically promoting itself to be AntiSpyware software. I don’t know how I came to download it, because as soon as it popped up, I knew it to be bogus and tried to get far, far away from the darn thing. Alas, the damage was already done. And what a lot of damage it proved to be.

My IT guardian angels have laboured valiantly to cut the cancerous trojan out of my old wreck of a tower for several days now, but it looks like the patient died on the table. My computer has to be reformatted.

Which means, at home, I am cut off from cyber-space at least until next week. In the meantime, I shall:

Doin’ the Java Jive, again

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?1 Comment
March 12 POD – soy and coffee “latte”

Technically speaking, is it still a latte if the other half of the drink is not milk? Is not latte very close to lait (French for milk)? Or do I have my languages/root words/meanings mixed up here?

Believe me when I tell you, I feel guilty not only for taking up coffee as a habit again, but putting a non-moo liquid in it too. (Mizz D works in the dairy industry…shhhhh…but don’t tell anyone). I have nothing against dairy….in fact I am very pro-dairy. I love all manner of things about cows! (And, as one of my suppliers put it, so succinctly: cows are very interesting animals, and tasty too, especially on the BBQ.) At the very least, they are responsible for putting groceries in my fridge and keeping a roof over my head!

Sour cream, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, fluid milk….I love and consume them all. But there is something about the taste of soy milk in coffee or chai tea….well, I just like it, OK?

Last time I was fully caffeinated, I drank it black. And only freshly ground Columbian beans (with a pinch of cinnamon in the mix) would do. Yes, I was a TOTAL COFFEE SNOB. Every morning I would brew (and drink) a big pot for myself. My kids were quite little at the time and I was pretty sleep-deprived. Coffee was my Mommy’s Lil’ Helper.

What got me off the coffee was that it was giving me uber-painful breasts at that special time of the month. My then-doc told me that caffeine was the cause and I wouldn’t believe her. (Typical addict behaviour: outright denial). Until the month came where I was in so much pain that I was popping Tylenol to get through the day…..at that point I thought: well, what if she’s right? I should at least try giving it up and see. And, of course, she was right.

I switched to tea. Became a TOTAL TEA SNOB, of course. Loose leaf tea blends, infusers, special pots, you name it – I had it. I actually had to pack my own tea when going away on business or vacation because goddess knows, the tea bags provided by the hotel might not be up to snuff – then what would I do? Eventually I decided to give that up too, as I didn’t like the feeling that tea owned me, instead of the other way around. So I’d start my day with a glass of water. And have the occasional cuppa herbal. More so in the winter months, to keep warm.

Now I mix it up. Some days water, some days tea – herbal or green. The occasional black tea. And now coffee again.

This go-round I am drinking it only at work (1 cup…ok…mug per day), and with some kind of whitener in it, moo or otherwise, because I am probably deluding myself that a) this makes it less potent, and b) it won’t stain my teeth as much. I’m drinking it mainly for the mental clarity/alertness it brings me. Boss’s Lil’ Helper.

So here is where I am at, with caffeine. I may have to kick this habit to the curb once again, but for now let’s see where it takes me.

Another week closer to….Spring and Everything

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?, I Got Married1 Comment

See…the plants in my office know Spring is coming. March 8th POD – Orchid sending up 2 spikes for another spring/summer of blooms like last year. Hoo-dogie!

March 9th POD
And the quest for organization continues! Above is a pic of my credenza…er…cadenza….er…the thing behind my desk….whatever it’s called. It’s cleaned up now. I really should have taken a before pic for full effect but sigh….I wuz too ashamed. Nah, I just didn’t think of it. (But I really should have been too ashamed.)
Now this is either March 10th or 11th. Can’t really remember. Let’s just say it’s March 11th because I know I skipped a day somewhere and I think March 10th was overcast. I got up exter early (who talks like this? Someone I know but can’t for the life of me think of who) and headed out-of-doors with Mizz Lucy for an exter long walk. And I brought my camera for a change. Thus was able to capture the sun rising over the forested hills at….wait for it…6:45 a.m.!!!!!

Yes, gentle readers, the sun is actually up that early now! Isn’t it grand? I’m loving it. And am going to be getting up earlier as a result, with the aim of getting more walking in before heading off to my mostly sedentary job.

The ol’ pedometer has not been counting too many steps of late and I’m feeling a bit lacklustre as a result. I also have been remiss in doing regular weight training of late. Only logged one upper body workout this week. And one session of doing sprints in the pool. This will never do.

This weekend I intend to draw up a plan for working out as somehow my exercising is not just spontaneously happening like I apparently deluded myself into thinking. Go figure!

Other unspontaneous happenings this week: we met with the man who is going to perform our wedding ceremony. Al, of Kettle Creek Weddings, is just a lovely warm soul, an ordained minister who performs weddings whenever, wherever, however couples want him to. JD and I were very happy that we clicked, as we couldn’t imagine getting married by someone we didn’t have a connection with.

During our discussion JD mentioned that he has his vows just about written. Eeek! Writing own vows? Are we doing that? And already? Guess this means I have some writin’ to do as well!!! I should’ve suspected he would want to do this though, as he is very creative and was our class valedictorian in high school.

JD said something very sweet when telling Al the story of how we reconnected, after all those years. He said when he heard from a mutual acquaintance that “Mizz D said to say hi”, he felt like “a fog had been lifted.” I’ll have to dig deep to come up with something better than that.

Game on!

Oh, What a Feeling! What a Rush!

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?Leave a comment

The Winter Olympics are now over but I am still so pumped!

The Men’s Gold Medal Hockey Game – I watched the last 10 minutes of the 3rd period on the computer while tidying up some stuff at work on Sunday. When the US scored in the final seconds, putting the game into overtime, I was so tense, I just couldn’t sit still and watch anymore. I called JD to say I was on my way home. He asked when I would arrive. I said “By the time Canada wins the gold”. “So, in 4 years then?” came the reply – JD’s way of steeling himself in case we lost.

On the way home, I tried to relax by coming up with consoling thoughts (a survival strategy) in case we did lose. Thoughts like : “Well, the women got gold in hockey anyway”, and “Our goalie couldn’t help himself, facing such an onslaught” and “We still have the most gold medals we’ve ever won, and the most of a host country”. Somewhat calmer, I charged into the house, shouted hi to JD and ran right to the remote. The TV revealed the hoisting of the flags and there was the Maple Leaf in centre, top position, and then the camera panned to our team, hung in gold medals and smiling. OMG, OMG, OMG – we did it!!!!

I was glued to the TV from then on, watching replay after replay, analysis after analysis, interview after interview.

I watched the Closing Ceremonies in their entirety too (and taped them for JD, who was finishing an assignment on the computer) and I have to say how much I just LOVED the piece with Michael Buble (sorry I can’t figure out how to accent his name in Blogger) and The Maple Leaf Forever.

Flying moose! Dancing canoes! Giant inflatable beavers and Mounties! Scantily clad Mountie and Maple Leaf showgirls! Cutouts of tabletop hockey game players! Loggers, bears, and courier des bois! Plaid flannel shirts! Stetsons! Cloggers! The only things missing were mocassins, igloos, Niagara Falls and maple syrup. Oh yeah, and a dogsled or two. Maybe a snowmobile too. (Bob and Doug McKenzie would have been a nice touch, however diverting from the Canadian souvenir theme).

It was like the tackiest Canadian tourist trap gift shop sprung to marvelous, over-the-top, self-deprecating life! Like Night at the Smithsonian, only at Table Rock in Niagara Falls instead. (Only in Canada can something be both over-the-top and self-deprecating at the same time).

What I didn’t like about the Closing Ceremonies were the two pieces by William Shatner and Catherine O’Hara. Not only unfunny, but O’Hara’s piece was very un-Canadian – rude, and somewhat gloating. Too bad, because I usually really like Catherine O’Hara. What was she and/or the writer of this piece thinking?!?!?!?

Overall, I thought it was a good ceremony though, although I must confess I don’t have anything to compare it too, never having watched a closing ceremony before.
This morning I ordered the 5 disc Commemorative DVD set just because….I AM CANADIAN. After fuelling up with my “Ode to the 2010 Olympics” breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon, dates and raisins, mixed with Greek yogurt and topped with golden-y (is that a word?) maple syrup!

Um, yeah, it’s Winter calling. Sorry I’m late…

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?, I Got Married, See the Beauty2 Comments

This is what Mizz Lucy and I woke up to on Feb 23rd – winter wonderland. Um, a little late, doncha think? I was hopin’ this would be winter’s (first and ) last hurrah, but we continue to get snow dumped on us as we head into March.

 

I do really think that February is the longest and cruelest month, and this winter, though exceptional weather-wise, hasn’t changed my opinion much. Well, nothing to do but make the most of it.

 

Wednesday’s photo (Feb 24), I tried to capture the beauty of the sunrise coming over the hill in the part of the trail I walk Mizz Lucy on every morning, that I call the “Cathedral”. It’s a steep hill covered in tall thin deciduous trees, which seems to me like a church, the way God would design it. If She was “into” churches. Which I am not entirely convinced is true. It’s the only church I really feel comfortable in.
Feb 25th brought us another snow storm. Blowing winds, a sudden drop in temperatures, snow…again. I hurried into the grocery store on the way home from working late, just wanting to get a few necessary things. But ended up with all this:

 

There was just so much good stuff on sale! What gives? Is it the recession? Or Wal-Mart Supercentres providing competition? No matter, it’s bargain-city right now, for those that have any extra cash.

When I arrived at the store it was fairly busy, but suddenly it seemed to just empty out. A store employee asked me if there was a storm brewing, is that why the store was devoid of customers? I said definitely, that it was nasty out. Someone else piped up that the women’s gold medal game was on (Congrats Canadian Womens Hockey Team on your Gold! Smoke ’em if you got ’em. Oh yeah, you did….Ha!), and also Survivor. (Is that show still going on?!?!? Haven’t they run out of deserted islands yet?). It was certainly a good night to get home and stay home, whatever the reason.

 

And now this morning, this:

I got up nice and early, planning to walk Mizz L as usual, and then have time to do an upper body workout. On the way back to the house, I laughed at the absurdity of hurrying inside to lift dumbells to the instructor on the DVD when I had a driveway full of snow I could be lifting instead! So I made things easier for Edward by clearing a path to the street. Shoulda brushed him off before I cleaned up the driveway though….

And now tonight I get to do it all over again ‘cos it’s snowing and snowing hard and heavy. However, things are looking up for next week. Temps in the pluses for most of it. Yay!

On a completely different subject: I’ve been tracking my weight loss for the past 3 weeks and I’m averaging 0.9 lbs lost per week. At this rate I will lose 26 pounds by the wedding date. Not too shabby! I developed a little Excel spreadsheet and even created a graph in it to help me track my progress towards this goal. I am delighted that I am seeing success with making just a couple of little changes to my lifestyle and being more mindful of everything I eat and how much I move.

Now to get back to snow shovelling. Wish me luck!

 

 

The Zen of Toothbrush

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?Leave a comment

JD and I recently went electric. With our toothbrushes that is. Handy little Oral-B Vitality numbers, cordless with charging stands – Feb 1 POD.

Now I have to be IN THE MOMENT when I brush, instead of wandering down the dusty dim hallways of my mind to goddess-knows-where while I mechanically scrub away at my choppers without thinking.

I have to carefully, S-L-O-W-L-Y, and thoughtfully move the brush around all the surfaces of my teeth such that all are given their appropriate due before the 2 minute timer on the brush signals me by “hiccuping”, that the brushing can now cease. Have you any idea how hard it is for me to focus on this one little thing for 2 whole minutes???? Especially in the morning!

I really do need to work on my powers of concen….did I just hear a car go by? Where was I?

New Obsession

On By The Widow BadassIn Hmmm?2 Comments

Bengal Spice Tea by Celestial Seasonings. Jan 31 POD.

This tea is spiced perfectly, and for some strange reason, tastes sweet although it contains nary a bit of sugar or any sugar-like chemical.

I. LOVE. IT.

Which means of course, that at any moment, it will be discontinued. Lipton Raspberry Mandarin and Celestial Seasonings Vanilla Maple (not the decaf version), I am looking at you BOTH.