And now just because ...

There is something wrong about this:

Summer vacation

Schools out for summer. The two older kids go off on the first leg of their summer adventure. Little red "turtle eyes" abound.

I'm kind of looking forward to the downer-time. It just means that I have a 25% greater chance of going to the bathroom ALONE or without having to ref a fight from the throne. (The Huz picks up the slack, thus not a greater percentage.)

I'll also have some time to go hunting for library books that have found themselves wedged into the most interesting places (I think I've previously outed my children as being part squirrel).

And maybe I'll get around to the neglected victory garden, though I think I should try and cut my losses and open a free for all to the skunk who uses the yard as a free way every night.

While they're gone, life will go on. I've got a show at a local coffee shop, and it's getting positive feedback. I'm volunteering for our community fun run through the neighborhood. I'm also taking up some activist causes that have a short shelf-life (to match my current attention span).

And for spice in my life? On going parking war issue (parents of the daycare in the neighborhood park North on the East side of the street - that's parking backwards on the correct side of the road) that just got escalated when the representative from the counselor's office that we were working with outed me and The Huz (not that we really were hiding) by sharing our names and e-mail addresses.

I've been more or less careful about when and were I post my email address since experiencing stalking behaviors from The Ex. It showed lack of judgment on the senders part to include the email addresses and even more so, our names. Stay tuned for stories of by-law being used to retaliate. Weee.

Alas, that's a mere distraction for what's happening over in Josie's world.

When I stop and try to mope about my sheet, I get distracted by her story. What a freaking year since I lucked out and followed her id back to her site. (BTW she writes well, and is very witty, and it worth going back a bit to read earlier posts.)

What a difference a year makes.

Grape vines

It's a weird four days away. I've come back to a warped version of the world.

I'm in a cross-roads of interpretation with one friend. Interpretation of events are considerably different. Makes me wonder who's universe I'm living in. I had to ask my dear Huz about a comment made, that I believe pertains to me: that I hold grudges. Now he's agreeing with my friend about this, so I had to look up the word in Websters, that states: "to be unwilling to give or admit : give or allow reluctantly or resentfully". Huh. I wouldn't have used those words to describe me at all. (Except for three instances we agree on, and another instance I voluntarily admit to, and in each of those instances, the person came after me through my children.) So, to the friend who is flirting with dumping the friendship. Do what you must do. Let me know if you ever want to come back and play in the same pool.

In another weird turn of grapes on the vine, The Huz was talking to him Mom who gets a day pass from the hospital to test the waters at home, and see how she can manage. It's a good thing to because Grandpa is having his later-life crisis now that he's living life like a cat and is counting on extra lives. Apparently he's gone out and got his ear pierced. WTF is all I can say about that one. I guess there's another store we can shop at now for his Christmas present.

While we're in the WTF mode, a fellow blogger, whom I count as one of my friends, is going through a significant, earth shifting period in her life. It's a "holy crap" moment and I'm very very sorry for it. Though I haven't been through the exact same thing she and her BFF are going through, I can relate. I had a very close friend who went through the same scenario. I'm sorry you're going through this. I can still recommend coming to Ottawa. We've got lots of amenities and support, if things go that far.

June 20

Their point of view:


Mine:


Need I say more?

Insane

If you follow Miss Vicky's blog, you'll know where I've been running around to for the last couple of weeks. There's a lot going on in my community and, for the most part, I love it. The downside is that laundry and the cat-hair dust rhinos just don't get attended to.

Last week I was on course for the entire week. Lucky me. In many ways. I have a great employer who sees value in education and is open to trying some new things after some one has consumed the kool-aid of the day. Last weeks was all about facilitation. It took five days of discussing what markers to use, how to rip paper, and how to lead people through a chat about how to do things!

I'm being flippant about the subject. It really was an exceptional course. For people who don't feel comfortable leading a group in discussion, TAKE THIS COURSE. For people who need to try to direct a group of people to come to consensus



(sometimes its like herding cats), TAKE THIS COURSE.

It was good. Actually, great, as courses go. With applicable processes! (I spent the better part of today trying to figure out how to integrate parts of the techniques into how I do my job currently. The first test comes Thursday when I get to take a group of people through a review of work that's already been done on their project and conduct a gap analysis.) Thrilling stuff by the sounds of it eh? Well, for me it is.

Downside? I'm taking Friday off.

Schools out for summer!

Boo versus Yah

Alison over at Party of three is having a cheerfest of the good and the bad. She's asked for an update on her reader's status. Seeing that that pile of laundry hasn't shifted from my kitchen table in about four days (it's a bit like the magic pile that never goes down, but the colors have changed), and I've been burning candles towards the middle, and like every year, I keep forgetting about the end of the school year, I'm posting my response.

There's WestFest AND Le Frano both going on. Yay.

I don't know if I'll attend either. Boo.

***

I got my lawn mowed and the garden tended a bit (yes, bylaw doesn't have to come by and site me!) Yay.

***

My eldest daughter told me about a sleep over she's having a school tomorrow and has asked that I make cookies, from scratch. Yay for her.

***

I didn't know about the sleep over because she transfers to her other home tomorrow - aka the cone of silence. Boo.

***

This last week has been a rough one. My FIL and MIL both have been hospitalized. MIL the great has been out for a couple of weeks in traction with a broken femur. FIL gave us a good scare when his health went down very very quickly. The Huz and I were worried that we were on a death watch. The details were frightening (and involved some pretty serious tests). All boo.

The Huz talked to MIL the great tonight. She's going to still be in the hospital for another six weeks. Double-boo for boredom.

FIL? He's being sent home tomorrow. Hoo-ray for fast recovery, with no foreseeable damage to his internal organs. Yay.

***

I have Monday off. Yay.

I have to spend the day running back and forth between the kid's school collecting bedding and food and eventually our summer boarder - aka Bingo/Bibi the rabbit. (Last year we had birds. I won't do birds again thank you).

I'll also be doing an installation of some of my photography at a local coffee shop. Yah.

So, for the most part - it's a pretty good dose of yays, if I can just stay awake long enough to enjoy it all!

A familiar site

Table for nine please

As I type this, my kitchen is running amok with 9 pre-pubescent girls who are going to be here for another 20 hours. Yes. It's a 24-hour birthday marathon for CU-2. CUs 1, 3 and 4, and The Huz have been banished to the Northern regions until such time as the coast is clear.

Four hours down. So far so good.

7:30 and it's party games, gossip and hot

It's freaking hot. About 27 outside. A bit warmer in the house as it retains it's heat. I have no idea how these girls are going to sleep tonight, or maybe that's the point ... they just don't.

I'm working on having a headache - probably stress related - as I'm worried about the party and the next hours to go well. Parties were never my forté. I only had the one friends party as a kid and the memory of that one still makes me cringe (I invited several boys and only one showed up. The girls teased him so much he went home early. He'd been my best friend and of every one there I wanted his company the most.)

To this day my parties don't often turn out well. Well, at least not like the rocking parties I hear about or occasionally attend.

This one is going well so far and CU-2 is happy. She's received a pride of Webkinz. If I can hold her off from entering them all, she can have a long, happy playing life well into 2015.

It's June! Woo hoo

Well, not really. CU-4 aka Chew-ba-boy has shared the love once again. I've got an itchy throat and body aches at every point where things connect.

To make matters more interesting, between chasing him around to do the perpetual nose wipe, and trying to complete this entry, I'm running behind him as he slowly takes apart the house.

The funny thing is I can appreciate the fine dusting of flour across the floor. The foot prints left behind are the results of a wordless, beautiful story.

Or, maybe that's the drugs talking!