Anndi's Luggage

I don't want to roam...

2008-05-31T12:54:00.004-04:00

I want to go home.

It doesn't mean I'm not going to be using my luggage anymore. Just that it's time to settle at long last. And that all efforts from this point on will be geared towards leaving the past behind and focussing on where I want my life to go.

In that spirit: this is my last post here... and it comes at just the right time, courtesy of a beloved friend and a Fabulous new « acquisition ».

Since there's always a soundtrack playing in her head, I thought I'd select a tune from the jukebox for her... this seemed perfect.

My dear friend Turnbaby is finally home, and I'm not talking about the new abode. I know she is truly cherished and loved, at last. I couldn't wish a better present for her than that. Revel in the little things, giggle, be silly and christen every room if you haven't already!

Babe...

Happy Birthday (tomorrow)!

Happy New Beginnings (now)!
I love you (forever).

Thank you for stepping in (in hot, hot shoes) when I needed you.

Thank you for reminding me that a miserable but dutiful me isn't a good daughter or mommy.

Thank you for giving me those damn fine gropes.

And to the man who is man enough to make her so damn skippy happy: welcome to the family. I'm available for shoe tutorials *wink and giggle*.

So my friends and dear readers,

If you chose to follow me, you are welcome (whether you comment or not).
There will still be hugs, smooches and gropes and I'll still love you more than my luggage.

Soldier - remember the ones we lost

2008-05-25T09:32:00.005-04:00

Some people say, I'm a fighter
Some people hate what I do

I stand for my country

I stand for you

I got a family that loves me

They respect what I do

Try telling your child you're leaving

Believe me it's a hard thing to do

So, If I die don't judge me

Cause, I will not judge you

And If I die, please accept it

Cause, I will die for you

We have our reasons

Rules, morals and beliefs

I won't slander your opinion

I'm just searching for peace

So, If I die don't judge me

Cause, I will not judge you

And If I die, please accept it

Cause, I will die for you

Words and Music by Shawn Hlookoff... he makes me proud to be Canadian.

Thank a soldier, Hug a veteran.

Peace

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm... HOT

2008-05-24T10:38:00.004-04:00

My lovely plumber -sans plumber's crack but with cute tushie, for those of you who like that kind of detail- fixed my hot water tank - shut up! it is not a metaphor, my hot water pressure was reduced to drip drip drip - and I look forward to a LONG HOT STEAMY shower... But until my honey can travel up and join me, I'll settle for a hot shower with strong water pressure ;-p!

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Paying respects... thanking the brave

2008-05-23T06:35:00.005-04:00

To my American loved ones and friends... May you never forget what this Memorial weekend represents.

My heartfelt thanks to the Brave men and women who stand for their country, no matter the cost.

My thanks to Mr Trace Adkins and his label for allowing people such as myself to embed his message. Yours is a beautiful song, sir.

Lest we forget.

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Yeah, I'm still alive

2008-05-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around babes... I've had a very long week last week. I'll probably have another very long, well, a four day long week (which means I have to cram 5 days of work into 4 days) this week. This, combined with difficulties sleeping, has made me one very tired and cranky person lately.
But over the weekend, I had the house to myself (ok, the dogs were constantly under foot, but what can I say... they keep hoping I'll drop food). I did some cleaning, cooking, mowing and attempted to catch up on my sleep. A very wonderful friend and kindred spirit that I've never actually "met" felt a disturbance in my lifeforce and sent me a little "how are you" e-mail. Thank you dear... your e-mail gave me energy.

I listened to all manor of music as I went about doing my chores (I need an I-Pod for mowing, truly I do) and I ended up listening to some country music (Brad Paisley - he cracks me up, he does...), classic southern rock and some big band swing - Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Chick Webb and Tommy Dorsey. I pulled out some old Louis Armstrong too. This sent me in search of clips, because I not only wanted to hear his mastery, I wanted to see it, albeit it on a little screen.

And I found this...

This clip reminds me of my Chicklet, but not just because of the drum solo I can't wait to share with her. You see, I want her to take something from this clip.

No matter what she chooses to do or be in life, may she show the same exhuberance and love of what she does that Mister Danny Barcelona exhibited as he played.

Danny Barcelona, a self taught drummer (this will thrill Chicklet beyond words) became Louis Armstrong's drummer at the tail end of the 50s and was a part of his "All Stars" for about 15 years until the day Satchmo put the band to rest because of his failing health. You can tell, by watching him in that clip just how joyful his music makes him and all that passion he feels for his "job".

I was telling someone that some of the best stories about music that can be written aren't about the front men or big name artists.. there's a ton of information out there for someone who might want to learn a thing or two about "the legends".

The ones that intrigue me are the session musicians, the supporting players, the performers who spend their lives on stage, in small venues, just jammin'. The witnesses and "background" participants in music history, the stories they could tell just beg to come out if only we would listen.

I'll be taking my daughter to the Montreal Jazz festival, but not to experience the big old (and expensive for someone on a tight budget) concerts... I want her to walk about and hear music coming from the street stages, the lesser known artists, the "working" musicians, who never give up the love of music just because they didn't "make it big" and who hold on to that hope. The artists who play for the pure joy. I know my friend Coco teaches music with that kind of passion.

No matter what you do in life babies, find the things that bring you joy and go with the flow.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I need to be....

2008-05-20T16:10:00.002-04:00

locked up in a room filled with bubble wrap.

I could stomp it.

I could hide in it.

I could wrap myself in it (it has it's own handy-dandy airpockets), hop in a box and mail myself to Abu Dabi.. no wait, that's Odie...

I could squeeze it and listen to the soothing popping sound.

Or... I could just go to bed.

an angel...

2008-05-11T07:40:00.011-04:00

I sat at the computer this morning with my Mother's Day Giant Mug of Coffee (aka Mommy's little helper) that my Chicklet had lovingly prepared for me as part of my Mother's Day breakfast in bed.

I checked my e-mail and found this which I share with all of you.

A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?'

God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'

The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.'

God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'

Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?'

God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'

'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?'

God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'

'Who will protect me?'

God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'

'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore'.

God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'

God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'

Thank your angel today, be she with you on Earth or watching over you in Heaven.

Merci Maman... je t'aime.
This was one of my Mother's favourite songs... "Les Roses Blanches".
A song about a young boy's love for his mother, the roses he gave to her.. and his loss.

Times of Joy and Love...

My Chicklet will be a fine mother some day... and I'll know a grandmother's pride just like Mom.

distance

2008-05-09T06:35:00.002-04:00

...has been making so many things difficult this week.

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday... and distance prevented me from being with him. We'll have to catch up this weekend.

I'm stuck in a place that doesn't feel like home... so very far from where my home truly is.

And this will be my second Mother's Day without Mom.

I'm a cranky blogger at the moment.

Sorry guys.

Wordless Wednesday - healing

2008-05-07T06:22:00.004-04:00

If you would...

2008-05-06T06:38:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all for the wishes for a great weekend... we had a wondrous time. But if you would, I'd like to ask a favour.

My Honey is undergoing surgery today and I'd appreciate the good thoughts and prayers (if you do that sort of thing) you might send his way.

It's very difficult not being there to take care of him, he's shown me love the way no other has... he is home.

I'll tell all y'all about the concert and other fun stuff when I can actually get my thoughts focused.

Thanks babes!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

time

2008-05-01T06:45:00.005-04:00

It's odd isn't it, how it can seem to drag on forever... and then you want to stop it because it flies by far too quickly.

For my Chicklet, who makes me proud and amazes me everyday... soon, you'll be ready (though I might not be).

“Time is swift, it races by; Opportunities are born and die... Still you wait and will not try - A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly.”

-- A. A. Milne

and for my Honey, who feels like home...

"The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough."

-- George Moore

I love you both more than I can say.

29,957,928,790

2008-04-30T06:21:00.003-04:00

That's how many grains of rice have been donated to the United Nations World Food Programme over at Freerice since it's beginning in October of 2007... click on the logo and go add some, m'kay?

Today should be wordless, but...

We are looking for alternate fuels to end our dependance on fossil fuels...

So what do we focus on? Food.

People are starving all over the world... families in our countries have a hard time sending their kids off to school with a full stomach and instead of feeding them, we feed our cars.

*sigh*

My ten year old book-monster wonders if this is wise... I honestly don't know what to answer. Looks like I have some research to do.

I love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

it's raining...

2008-04-29T07:19:00.003-04:00

but in 3 more sleeps I get to see my honey... squeeeeeeee!

That's enough to make the sun shine babies!

Now I have to start packing some shoes... ;)

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Have you lost your mind???

2008-04-27T12:36:00.005-04:00

I spent some time this morning chatting with a dear friend and he planted a seed in my head... I was complaining that my life was a bit boring and that I didn't know what to post about lately. He suggested I get out and try new things - like last year's “Lobster Jacuzzi” and the time I resorted to lobstercide. For my Dad, I sucked it up and tried something new . You can read about my encounter with Morty and Saul here - I decided to name them... (the part about the lobsters is at the end...).

His suggestion for a fun new thing was: waterskiing.

Of course, my first thought was... um, NOOOO!

Why, you ask? (and if you didn't ask, I don't care, I'm gonna tell you anyway... so there!)

One, I like to look cute and I can't picture myself looking cute whilst waterskiing. I don't look cute in a bathing cap and butterfly wings, screaming and being dragged through water like snapping turtle or shark bait.

Two, I like wearing bikinis (reference number one and my desire to be cute)... I don't think there's enough engineering know-how on the planet that will allow for a bikini (a cute bikini) that can hold it's own against the water pressure exerted on a bathing suit when you fall off your skis and are dragged through the water like snapping turtle or shark bait. With my luck, I'd end up with the bottom wrapped around my face like a squid and the top would become a Mickey Mouse hat.

Three, this one follows directly from number two (novel eh?)... I'm afraid of ending up with an enema as there will no longer be a bikini bottom protecting me whilst I'm being dragged through the water like snapping turtle or shark bait after I fall off my skis.

Four, I know I'll end up swallowing a bunch of water while I'm being dragged through the water like snapping turtle or shark bait after falling off my skis... and I KNOW what people do in that water. BLECH!

Five, snapping turtles and sharks. Enough said.

I don't even think this video can convince me...

So, what kind of sport don't you want to try, and why? What kind of new things do you suggest I try?

If you can come up with valid reasons why I should go waterskiing, by all means... let me know!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

And the SURPRISE goes to...

2008-04-25T06:27:00.005-04:00

I'm telling you, this was a hard choice. Now I understand the agony that Doc must go through trying to pick a winner worthy of his peach (that sounds wrong doesn't it...)

I was having a rough week and I REALLY needed a good laugh (today will also be a zoo but hopefully not quite as much... oh no, I've just tempted the "Fates"... crap-in-a-hat!). And all y'all kindly delivered!

There are some seriously ~~sick and twisted~~ gifted and funny folks out there and I'm glad you were around to cheer me up.

I snorted Pepsi up my nose (Thanks a million Roger!), I let out a loud HA! (and caused the clerk who has a desk near my office to poke her head in to see if I was ok - Lu'... that was your doing) and I ended up smiling for a good part of my day and evening (which also had to do with my HABS winning last night- phew!) because of everyone of you (even you Sage just cause you're you) ... but I had to pick one:

The honours go to Coopernicus for a caption that I could actually hear in my head being spoken by a very proper Englishman on the BBC (or someone from Monty Python) which GREATLY enhances the experience:

"Direct from the West Hamptonshire University Team Charades Finals, this year's third place winner The Belton-Hatchley Family with their configuration of Bridge Over Troubled Water."

So, as I said, the winner gets a SURPRISE! and this...

Now for the surprise part... if you want it (and are willing to reveal your identity to moi), I have a little gift for Coop. But it has to be sent via snail mail, so to receive part deux of your prize (it's smaller than a breadbox but bigger than a lady bug) e-mail me your coordinates my friend and I'll head to the post office this weekend!

I greatly enjoyed this and I know I'll do it again (it's as good as having a guest poster!)

I'm one week away from being with my honey *sigh* and this song made me frolic around the house as I was getting ready this morning and sets the tone for today's mood... enjoy and dance! Go on... it can't be worse that the neo paleolithic dance troup (that was VERY funny Travis!).

Have a great Friday babies!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I wanna know...

2008-04-24T06:25:00.005-04:00

I'm just not feeling it. I walked away from my computer last night uninspired and annoyed.

"But it's HNT!", I thought. And I just didn't feel it.

So I thought I'd put up a picture (that I found at random) and let you all come up with a caption for it... whoever is funniest, wins ~~something I haven't decided on yet~~ a SURPRISE!

Here goes... (hey! They're half nekkid.... although I have NO clue who they are)

Please make me laugh! PLEASE!

Oh... You get points for originality and straying from the obvious BTW...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I’m ashamed…

2008-04-22T14:37:00.001-04:00

WARNING... I’M ANNOYED AND THERE IS TALK OF SPORTS IN THIS POST (but there’s something else at the end worth your time).

I witnessed some shameful behaviour on the part of so-called fans aka fanatics last night after the Habs went back to their season winning style in game 7 of their series and pulled off a shut-out (THANK YOU Carey Price!!!) to clinch the series and move to the next challenge.

I’m a born and bred, died in the wool, blood runs red-white-and-blue Habs fan. It’s family tradition. No matter if they win or lose, I love my team and I’m proud of it’s long and illustrious history.

I want to apologize to my team for the behaviour of some misguided, intoxicated, poorly raised arses and the way they tarnished my team, my city, the rest of Habs Nation and sports fans in general.

What kind of fan does this? Are they even fans at all? In the old days, the great days of La Sainte Flanelle, we took each of these victories as a step towards the ultimate prize… Lord Stanley’s Cup. The playoffs aren’t over, we have not won the cup (yet- a girl can hope) and we have miles to go before we can start chanting “25” (The Habs have won 24 cups over the years- I witnessed a few of them and they are making a run for this one). The Habs won their best-of-seven quarter-final series.. not the cup. They still have to win 12 games to bring that cup “home”… easier said than done.

After the riot, 16 people were arrested on numerous counts, among them 2 17 year olds and a 14 year old… FOURTEEN!

Many people are asking why… It’s on every radio station’s morning show and will carry through to afternoon call-in shows and be discussed ad nauseum in an attempt to answer that very question. You look at the age group that participated in this, you wonder about the level of intoxication, you ask where the hell were those teenagers’ parents? Basically, you ask: WTF!!!

This is but one facet of what has become the sports fanatic. There are many ugly sides.

I want my daughter to experience the pride that comes with the Cup win. But I’ve told her how ashamed I am of what happened last night and that I question what kind of idea of “sportsmanship” those miscreants were brought up with…
In sports, one team plays the best game (sometimes that day- sometimes it’s a reflection of the season) and bests the other and one team ends up losing… but I’ll give props to The Bruins who fought the good fight and tried to come back from a deficit but just weren’t in the long run able to sustain it. I celebrate my team’s win (not the other team’s loss). This was a hockey fan’s beauty of a series... hockey at its best.

There is a great deal of research into the sports fan and fanatics phenomenon which titillates someone with a psych background like myself. Are riots like this and other anti-social behaviour often engaged in by “fans” caused by deindividuation? A phenomenon by which “people lose their self-awareness and have decreased concern for how others around them evaluate their actions” (Mann, et al., 1982). People have done shameful things in the name of being a sports fan… thinking it’s harmless.

We have to start thinking about how we’re going to deal with the next matches… What are the measures we have to put in place to avoid this kind of stupidity.

I don’t know what went wrong, but I’ve seen some behaviour in fans that I don’t like… this kind of crap, bleacher creatures, opponent bashing…. So, I’ll do what I can to guide my Chicklet so she focuses on the good stuff. It’s all I can do really.

That, and fly my HABS flag high and proud. :)

Thanks for a great series boys… now let’s regroup, learn from our stumbles in this series and tackle, or is it cross-check ;-) the next one!

On a positive note…

Earth Day aka the important stuff…

If you’re at a computer and you don’t know today is Earth Day you’ve been playing too many games, dude.

There are many ways you can have a positive impact on the environment and improve your environmental footprint.

Sign up for online bills. This allows you to reduce waste and the need to recycle – which by the way, is NOT available everywhere (I KNOW Newman will get upset with me for this… but hey, let him go postal. Besides, I’m not pulling a Kramer asking ALL my mail to be stopped).

Find out about composting. It’s a great way to make whatever doesn’t qualify as edible left-overs (assuming the food was edible in the first place) and your kitchen waste work for you. You won’t have to buy chemical fertilizers, no bagging of lawn cuttings (free-up landfill space) and you’ll be saving your money and the environment… If you think that can’t really make a difference, 24% of the municipal waste stream in the U.S. is made up of yard trimmings and food residuals. Think about it.
For more info on composting: in Canada and in the U.S.

Find out how to block unwanted mail from heading strait to your recycle bin… Because paper can’t end up in your compost bin.

Try to wash your clothes in cold water, using phosphate free cleaners and really ask yourself if it needs laundering… and if you can, line-dry your clothes. Less energy is used up, you might be able to reduce waste water generated and there’s something great about sleeping in line-dried sheets. If you can’t line-dry because of too much dirt where you live, that should be incentive enough to do what you can to be greener.

If you can, plant a garden (you have to use that compost somewhere!) and while you try and reduce your CO2 emissions by driving around less, you’ll be planting things that will absorb some of that CO2 you can’t eliminate… plus it’s seriously pretty AND there’s nothing like fresh veggies on your table. Get the kiddos involved!

I’ll let everyone else bombard you with other ‘green’ solutions…

Enjoy the day , I hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods. (Watch out for UV rays though…)

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I wonder..

2008-04-19T08:41:00.002-04:00

well...

2008-04-17T06:49:00.003-04:00

I've got nothing.

Guess I lost my signal... maybe I need a "converter" or a "magic box" or something.

I'll be back when I find my funny bone again, or when I actually think this is worth a hoot.

Oh.. and if anyone knows how to completely overhaul this place, give me a shout.

Bye,

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Mo's Manic Monday - Bud

2008-04-14T12:28:00.009-04:00

Bud.... hmmmm...

Okay, so I decided to close my eyes and see where this word would lead me.

Oddly enough, as much as I'd love for spring to finally get it's sh*t in gear (yes, I used an asterisk because I have no intention of calling Mother Nature out again and ending up with a snowstorm), what came to mind was not this:

And despite how much time I spent chatting yesterday, I also didn't come up with this either:

So, what popped into my head?

'Nip it in the Bud'... also known as: deal with a problem while it's small before it has the opportunity to grow into something serious.

Not an easy thing to do... but it sure does save a lot of aggravation and heartache. I think it's one of those wise sayings (even though apparently Barney Fife kept saying it.. and he was just plain old silly) like : 'never go to bed angry'.

This is really more about not letting feelings of hurt and anger sit there thinking they'll magically disappear... they won't.. unless you stop caring of course.

So folks, if you have any, tie up your loose ends... or you might end up tripping on them like Jack Tripper and end up in some poor woman's cleavage... hmmmmmmmm... wait... that's a bad thing, right? ;)

Join in the fun and say hey to Mo over at It's a Blog Eat Blog World... mkay?

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Smooches are GOOD!

2008-04-13T09:42:00.006-04:00

I'd like to thank Mt Cat for leaving a lovely little present for me this morning... and all I had to do was enjoy playing with his post on Friday (yes people, his post, get your minds out the gutter... sheesh!). He asked us to come up with retirement community names and my fellow players and I really had fun with this. Some mighty funny and cool people hang out with the "Us People" over there!

So far I got my hands on his peaches (when he subbed for a vacationing Doc and hosted the Tuesday Word Challenge) and now I get a SMOOCH! WOOOOOOOOO!!!

Last week I got to play the first ever Hall of Fame edition of the Tuesday Word Challenge... it was craziness I tell you.. like Midnight Madness sales at Spatula City! ;)

Do yourselves a favour and go play with Doc and Mt Cat (out of the gutter.. good grief).

Their years of friendship really do show when you spend enough time there, especially the comment section. I don't know why some folks don't realize that some of the most interesting stuff on a blog happens in the comment section, it's like a clubhouse really...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

girls wanna have fun

2008-04-11T10:22:00.011-04:00

Hey! Somebody finally gets my snarkiness for what it is (with the exception of my chosen recipient for this award) and actually gives me kudos for it... hehehe!

Recently, I've had the immense pleasure of interacting with this amazing, funny, hot chick... Leighann. She's a kindred spirit. You have to think fast with this one, but it's always a blast (and as tough as she can be... I know she's really a softie).

She saw fit this week to bestow upon yours truly this award:

Here's what she had to say about me:

"And last but not least, Anndi. She's a spicy little vixen who's ~~going to get her ass beat as soon as her plane arrives~~ great gal who gets my sense of humor and no matter how fast I dish shit out, she gives it right back to me. Oh yeah, she also participates in Half Nekkid Thursday! "

*giggle and blush*

I was honored to be in the company of the two awesome chicks she chose for this... the funny as hell and fellow smartass extraordinaire Lulita and the cooler than cool Dana and fantastic half nekkid Thursdayer (is that a word?). I seriously pink puffy heart these 3 women...

So.. thought I'd pass along the good juju to:

Turnbaby

She's a great blogger, a fantastic blogtalk radio host, a sultry participant of Half Nekkid Thursdays... but most of all, one of the best people to ever walk into my life (she gives kickass gropes and smooches by the way - real ones!) and I simply love her. I couldn't ask for a better friend (and no, I am not all misty eyed as I write this since I'm not a softie).

This is the kind of sound I associate with Turnbaby....

and babe, you ARE getting a Sunday Kind of Love, and it's about time! For both of us. SMOOCH!

At any given time, people may be overwhelmed with too much real life crap... and sometimes, we end up with blinders on because what's going on is just too damn intense. But true friends find their way back to one another, always.

Turnbaby has shown me a very important dimension of friendship... one that very few people possess. So many say they love their friends "warts and all and that they don't try to change them"... very few actually walk the walk. Turnbaby sashays and bounces (*giggle* and is that ever fun to watch) her way through that in the most sincere and delicious way. If I didn't love my honey so much I'd probably fall in love with her.

She knows I'm not a coddler. I get it from my Mom. It can be tough sometimes being my friend. If people don't take the time to really get to know me, they tend to misinterpret what I say. I possess very few filters. If you want an honest answer, I'll give it. She knows this and still hangs with me (ok, I know my gropes can be real good, but it can't be just because of that...*wink*)

It sucks (and not in the good way) that she's so far away from me... because there's nothing I'd love more than to spend time talking about anything and everything with her, sharing a cocktail ( I already know she'll take care of me if I need her) and drooling over righteous shoes. Of course, the world probably isn't ready for a ton of Turnbaby and Anndi together time *giggle*

I love you my dearest, sweetest friend... thank you.

HNT - ticklish

2008-04-10T06:22:00.001-04:00

Soft... vulnerable... waiting...

Don't forget to check out Osbasso at the HNT home... Visit a few other nekkids! Like Turnbaby and a fond(led) memory!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

another year...

2008-04-09T07:07:00.003-04:00

About this time last year I wrote a post that was born of memories... Memories that were both joyful and painful.

As my sidebar states, I live somewhere near Montreal. I listen to the rock station here (CHOM Rocks!), and every year they hold a radiothon for The Montreal Children's Hospital.

Today is the first day of the radiothon and I'm home with my Chicklet who has a fever and a tummy ache (probably a version of the flu I had about a week ago). My heart breaks as I listen to parents recount their losses, for not all stories have a happy ending. But one thing is constant in all their stories... there are angels walking among us in that very hospital, and their support through the most difficult times a parent can be faced with bring renewed faith that there is good in the world.

Here's the story I shared in that post... with a few minor edits. (You can read the original here if you're so inclined)

Hope... give... life... angels... better days

December 24th, 1997.

Christmas Eve. I sit up in bed, surrounded by darkness, and it hits me. I get out of bed and make my way to the washroom, as quickly as I can waddle. It feels like the child I’m carrying is trying to push my bladder up through my right nostril and if I don’t get there soon, the Great Flood of the Saguenay back in 1996 will look like a someone spilled a glass of water.

As I open the door I come face to face with the man responsible for the basketball that has slowly been inflating itself under the skin of my previously flat stomach (have I mentioned that basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian?) and start doing the pregnant woman’s version of the peepee dance.

We exchange a quick nervous glance and he knows.. if he doesn’t move, I’ll run over his 6ft 190 pound frame on my way to relief (a few friends have experienced a mild version of sudden impact with me.. and I all but knocked a few of them down).

Um, sorry dear reader, you are NOT following me in here.

*door closes*

*hum the theme to Jeopardy here as you wait or look for Waldo in the bus at the top of the blog*

OH NO! I remember that I’m actually not supposed to go this morning.. have to keep it in if I can as per doctor’s instructions and of course the father-to-be chimes in with that very comment as I am about to sit down.

Ok.. you can come in now… Might as well start washing up.

As I stand in front of the sink brushing my teeth, I stare at the woman in the mirror. Who is this slightly puffy faced woman standing before me? Man am I glad I’m not her… I don’t want to be in her shoes.. wait… wool socks. Not today…

The phone rings, he answers, I pretend I’m not interested… it’s Mom.. oh now I’m really not interested. I want to crawl back into bed and pretend today never came. I especially want to go pee, but that ain’t happening either.

He hands me the phone with a sheepish smile, kisses my forehead and whispers “it’s your mother”. **cue sinister music here**

The following takes place in French, so I’ll translate.

“Hi mom”
“No, I haven’t listened to the traffic report”
“A jam huh?”
“I’ll be ready in 30 minutes, I just need to find a tent to wear and I’ll be good to go”
“Yes mom, I’ll be sure and wear nice underwear”
“no Mom, I didn’t go pee”
“ok, see you in 30 minutes”

I have dear reader, as a courtesy, spared you the other end of the conversation which was quite long and filled with numerous admonishments and instructions, and talk of what the neighbor’s daughter had done lately (or something to that effect). My mother had a tendency to become chatty when nervous, or should I say chattier.

My child’s father-to-be stands in the doorway waiting for me to hang up. And when I do, eyes rolling and head spinning, he walks up to me, hugs me and asks me to call him as soon as it’s done. He turns quickly, I hear him sniffle and heads out to go to work.

I have an appointment at Montreal’s Children’s Hospital for an ultrasound. They want to look at my baby's heart.

I’d been having a lot of contractions lately and since my due date was Valentine’s Day and a while away, my OBGYN , a lovely slip of a woman who although little had a look in her eye that told you she was the kind of person that could rival Atlas in world shouldering duties, had me regularly scheduled for fetal monitoring at the hospital where I was to give birth.

It was during one of those routine visits that the nurse had heard something that made her frown, stand perfectly still and close her eyes.

Have you ever wondered why we do that? Closing our eyes when we want to listen better? Goes against everything your mother told you doesn’t it: “look at me when I talk to you!”. I of course, have never used that line on my child or the big grown middle-aged babies I work with (I much prefer “Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial” when it comes to them).

There was a skip in my baby’s heartbeat.

And my heart sank.

I think it may have stopped beating altogether for a few minutes as I held my breath. My doctor was informed and I had to go back the next day so she could listen to it herself.

That’s when she told me she was going to send me to The Montreal Children’s Hospital for an ultrasound of my child’s heart. The appointment was made and I was surprised how quickly I had been given one. Which didn’t reassure me one bit.

I am standing in the kitchen by myself on Christmas Eve morning, desperately needing to pee but holding it in, wanting a big ass cup of coffee, in my pyjamas, looking at the bedroom door across the hall, my feet unable to move, knowing I had to get dressed and ready…

Next thing I know I’m sitting in my mother’s car, cursing the seatbelt for adding that extra bit of pressure I needed to make my holding it in a complete experience. I thought it couldn't be any harder to hold it in until we hit a pothole (I swear Jimmy Hoffa was in that pothole) and I start wondering if my mother ever got her seats scotchguarded.

I’m quiet during the trip and my mother feels the need to ensure that sound waves will indeed fill every single moment of the trip.

We park the car in a lot near the hospital and we make our way through snowbanks and slush towards the entrance. I waddle elegantly (yeah right) and we walk in looking for admission.

We go through the whole process of registering, I'm directed to the proper floor and told where to go. The lady sees I am nervous and reaches out, in that moment I feel I have made a friend for life... that an angel has touched my hand.

In was the first in a series of celestial contacts.

I meet the nurse who greats me with a soft smile, introduces herself to my Mom and leads us to a blue room full of equipment. She asks me if I've managed to hold it in. Proudly I say yes .. ''but I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to''. She laughs and tells me we'll get started in a few minutes. She has a lovely lilting laugh and I know I have met angel number 2.

I sit on the examination table and take the gown she hands me telling me she'll give me a couple of minutes to slip it on and then the doctor will come in and get things started.

Mom stays with me, I put on the gown (it's surprisingly soft). And I wait...

The nurse peaks in and checks on me and the doctor follows her in. He steps up to the side of the examination table and extends his hand as he introduces himself and starts explaining the process. ''Of course you've had an ultrsound before, this one will allow us to get a good view of the baby's heart''. At this moment I feel the need to blurt out that I don't know the baby's sex and would really like it to stay that way. He smiles and looks at Mom who would love to know and says ''well, Grandma, looks like you're not going to find that out today now doesn't it.. ''.

I have to say, the staff at this hospital are some of the most caring and compassionnate people I've ever met, it's a hallmark of the Montreal Children's Hospital.

I'm helped onto my back and the lights are dimmed a bit, it's actually quite soothing. The equipment is turned on, the nurse lifts up the gown and the jelly wasn't even cold. Now that's a detail my full bladder appreciates.

I look at the monitor and I have no idea what I'm seeing. It seems like at eternity and he finally says ''this is your baby's heart''. I can see the rapid beating.. my baby's heart. The most beautiful thing. I feel Mom's hand on my foot but I can't tear my eyes away from the screen.

''It's normal, a beautiful strong heart''.

No truer words have ever been spoken, my girl has shown me how beautiful her heart is. She has throughout her 9 years taught me so much.

My baby...

I can't tell you how it felt, there are no words. An expecting mother's deepest fear is that something will go wrong. My baby's heart is perfectly formed, and I am surrounded by angels.

My daughter is now 10, basically healthy and is currently reading in bed. Other parents aren't so lucky.

I'll be calling in today, to give. To give back.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

it helps when someone makes you laugh

2008-04-08T16:02:00.003-04:00

My honey sent me just the thing to make me laugh my ass off... he's the best man I could ever hope for.

Here's a little funny folks...

A co-worker got a pen stuck inside our printer. He started to try and remove the pen, but I told him we don't have time for that now, just put a note on the printer telling folks not to use it and then report it to the Help Desk. So he grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled on it. I left before he finished the note.

About 20 minutes later, one of my techs comes in laughing and says he was just in the lobby, saw a piece of paper on a printer and went to investigate.

Attached is what he found. Sometimes things don't always come out the way you want them to...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

what do you do...

2008-04-07T16:11:00.001-04:00

when someone asks you why and you don't have the answer?

could it be?

2008-04-04T07:28:00.004-04:00

I took the dogs out this morning and the birds were chirping... for the first time in a long time I didn't freeze my pyjama bottom clad butt waiting for Dum-Dum to pee on every vertical surface he could find and for Shark-dog to finally decide on a spot to daintily squat and do her thang.

Dare I hope against all hope to think that spring is in the air?

Yes, I do realize I probably just jinxed myself by writing this.. and Mother Nature will torment me with yet another wave of the White Death.

Ugh...

But a girl can hope... right?

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

HNT - sweet promise

2008-04-03T06:34:00.007-04:00

Following the pearls to the nape of the neck...

soft kisses...

bites...

pleading moans...

pleasure from pain...

bliss...

Treasure.

Don't forget to check out the HNT home...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Hi Ho.... it's back to work I fear

2008-04-01T13:00:00.002-04:00

This is one way of dealing with it...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Homeward bound - sticky post

2008-03-31T20:05:00.005-04:00

I've got a new home... and you are more than welcome to come visit.

I'll still post here, but probably not quite so often.

This blog was witness to some of the hardest moments of my life, it's from here that I have come to know some fantastic folks out in the bloggosphere and it would be wrong to just discard it.

But I need to make a transition and some important changes in my life and my new blog home is a way for me to start the process. Some difficult moments served as a catalyst for this. But from pain comes growth...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

in a moment

2008-03-28T16:37:00.003-04:00

the world changes for someone...

This is NOT the kind of world I want for my child.

exposure...

2008-03-28T09:42:00.005-04:00

I'm bored.

I'm stuck at home, I'm achy (oh.. good news, my fever broke - I think)...

My mind feels fuzzy because I keep walking up at 2 am and then I can't get back to sleep until about 5.
I tried reading, since it usually puts me to sleep - but to no avail.

Oh... know what the word of the day is?

I didn't either until I looked it up on Dictionary.com.

Our hot water pressure is low... wonder how I can fix that without calling a plumber and exposing myself to his exposed crack...

While on the topic of pressure and being exposed to nastiness, today marks the 29th anniversary of the Three-Mile-Island nuclear accident on Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River...

March 28th, 1979. What started out as a mechanical or electrical problem, was compounded by critical instrumentation failure, procedural errors - many caused by gaps in training (especially in proper emergency response) and operator information overload, failures to communicate and finally stopped short of a catastrophe... total meltdown and the subsequent "China Syndrome".. Aha! That's the movie I should watch this weekend!

If you like science shows, and reports on technology, and you want to learn about this major hiccup, I strongly encourage you (if you have 45 minutes) to watch this... "Modern Marvels - Inviting Disaster 1, Three Mile Island" (2003) as shown on The History Channel.

If you're bored (like me)... and/or curious (like me and my Chicklet)... check this site out. You can also visit the PBS site if you want to get some learning materials for kids. My Chicklet is now 10 (I was 9 and a half when it happened), and they're learning about energy at school, specifically electricity. But, the other day she gave me the skinny on what she thought of nuclear (and she can pronounce it correctly too) energy. That child is too smart for my own good...

Oh... the word of the day:

hullabaloo
\HUL-uh-buh-loo\,
noun: A confused noise; uproar; tumult.

Three-Mile-Island caused one of those... yup.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I'm going to blame the fever...

2008-03-27T08:58:00.008-04:00

I've lost my mind and apparently a good portion of my clothing...

Here's my entry folks... be kind, I'm a virgin.

Do check out the UBER hot Sanni, and the ssssssmokin' Turnbaby... RAWR!

If by some chance you're still reading at this point... *giggles* (Jeff.. yoohoo!! down here babe!) I asked myself: Why not do this? I mean, girl, you bare your soul here.. why not show the shell it inhabits?!

Many thanks to Osbasso... you rock, babe!

Love you all more than my luggage (and even my peeptoes)!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

oh my my my my my my my

2008-03-26T17:59:00.004-04:00

This is not the kind of performance that would make a girl get rid of a fever... I didn't catch it last night, I couldn't stay awake. I just now finally saw this...

oh

my

THUD!!!

Ok.. so this was Chris Cornell's version.. the one that inspired David Cook. *whimper* (I don't know how much hotness I can take, man, it's hot in here....)

Do I have to? The gloved wonderpoop, er, I mean ... The Gloved One himself...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

fever and zombies

2008-03-26T12:19:00.005-04:00

I had a restless night last night... now I've got a fever.

Know what movie ALWAYS makes me feel better?

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! *cough wheeze**

I LOVE the scene where they "discover" their first zombie, a chick called Mary and Ed (Shaun's best friend) throws a rock at it... OY!

The idea of using Vinyl to decapitate a zombie... Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! **cough-wheeze-fall on floor**

You MUST see this movie!

Beating up a Zombie in time to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now"!

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! **cough-wheeze-pass out**

Love you all more than my luggage
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Lookie what The Mountain Cat gave me!

2008-03-26T07:52:00.003-04:00

I have to say, it made my day! I had strange dreams all last night, woke up with a fever... and saw THIS! I only wish there was chicken soup in that bowl...

I had fun playing Tuesday's Word Game over at You Just Keep on Believing That. The premise is, the hosts (usually Doc, this week was the dashing Mountain Cat) give you a sentence to finish and a little background story on something absurd going on in Pop culture (like there's any other kind).

Join them next week and give it a shot. My fellow commenters came up with doosies of their own and I laughed so hard it sent me into a coughing fit.

Thanks again Mountain Cat, you rock!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Manic Monday - Eggspect to be dazzled!

2008-03-24T07:50:00.006-04:00

OK.. not really dazzled... More like informed.

So:

Interesting facts about eggs.

1. If you hold an egg in the palm of your hand and then try to squeeze your hand into a fist, you won't crush the egg. (and no... it isn't because I'm a weak girly girl... sheesh!)

2. Eggs don't crush under the weight of a mother bird when she sits on the nest because she hovers.. like when we women folk go to a public restroom. Actually, I was just kidding about the momma bird hovering part - however we women do in effect hover quite nicely. The reason the egg isn't crushed is because of the "design" of the egg. When a force is applied to an egg, the curve of the egg distributes the force over a wide area away from the point of contact.

3. Hens with white feathers and earlobes produce white eggs, and hens with red feathers and earlobes produce brown eggs. Does anyone know what a chicken's earlobe looks like?

4. If you accidentally break an egg on the floor or a counter top, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean-up (in case you try number 1 and it turns out you're a freak of nature or something).

OK.. I've shared enough egg facts. I'm off to make French Toast (Pain Doré) and bacon... YUMMO!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Happy Easter babies!

2008-03-23T08:30:00.005-04:00

I'll make this quick because Shark-dog is eyeing the foil-wrapped chocolate eggs the Easter Squirrel Bunny left and I do NOT want a repeat of this Christmas' "sparkle-poop" incident...

Enjoy the day with family, friends or meat (smooch Matt!)

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smoches and gropes!

transition...

2008-03-22T18:46:00.008-04:00

It's official.. it's spring! Could someone tell the snow it's time to melt please?

Anyway. With Spring comes "transition".

I'll be making changes to The Luggage, over the next little bit (you may have noticed I've already started). It felt like it just wasn't me anymore. It still feels cluttered and I feel the need to simplify.

But I also needed somewhere to do something slightly different. I needed a safe harbour.

so... I'll be posting (when I have time) here too.

If you want to join me in this next phase of my life, you are most welcome.

Chicklet is looking forward to her Easter egg hunt tomorrow.. and we have been bunny-sitting for the school's rabbit. His name is Roger (yup.. Roger Rabbit!). He's been a stellar house guest so far.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

remembering...

2008-03-20T07:28:00.003-04:00

Today is the anniversary of "Shock and Awe"... but there is something so much more important and uplifting I want to remember today...

Happy Birthday Mister Rogers... you are sorely missed.

In view of what this day stands for... I thought this was a fitting clip.

Thank you Mister Rogers... You've made so many days a special day... just by being who you were.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

The day after... and stuff

2008-03-18T06:30:00.000-04:00

Well, it's the day after St Paddy's and you can bet your shamrocks quite a few people are feeling a wee bit green this morning.

I’ve gone through my share of "Day After" mornings... One of the strangest remedies for a hangover I’ve ever heard of (and I am debating as to whether or not I actually want to attempt a scientific albeit non-statistically relevant study of) has to be drinking dill pickle juice.
They say it has something to do with the salt and mineral content. Look, I live in Canada... if all that was needed to get over a hangover was a bit of salt, I could just lick the street in winter... It’s just about as appealing.

And of course, you know this got me wondering... Does the pickle juice have to come from the really crunchy kind? Isn’t one’s liver already pickled enough at that point? Who discovered this? Have any of you ever tried it?

And I can just imagine what your breath must be like after... lovely!

The alternative to pickle juice might be spending quite a bit of time with your face near cold ceramic, but it's better than this:

I seriously don't know where to begin with this story...

Seems a woman spent so much time sitting on her boyfriend's commode (2 years in fact), and her um... "cheeks" actually somehow "fused" to the seat... dudes, read the story here...

People are strange...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

and the snakes were driven out...

2008-03-17T06:47:00.005-04:00

"May you be half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead!"

Happy St Patrick's Day to the Irish bloggers out there... and to those who wish they were!

Have a pint (or two...) and sing a wee bit!

And remember... Wear your green lest you get pinched!

For my grandmother Mary of Belfast...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I haven't been this jazzed ...

2008-03-12T07:01:00.005-04:00

about the show that shall not be named since Taylor.

But last night.... WOOOOOOOOOOO! This made me grin and shake what my momma gave me... and I needed a pick me up.

The Idols sang from the Lennon/McCartney catalogue.

Here's the original by the Beatles

And here's CHIKEZIE!!

I LOVED this!!! Dude, I actually stood up!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Ryan's reaction was so cool! You can tell the band was having fun! And I gotta say, Chikezie's momma rocks!

They finaly got the rights to pick from the catalogue and overall it was a really good show!

I'll try and catch up with all y'all soon.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

It doesn't get easier...

2008-03-10T21:49:00.004-04:00

I would have liked my first post after spring break vacation to be fun and silly.

My cousin called me with the news that my uncle passed away today from a stroke. He was a jovial, wonderful man.. never afraid to show emotion.

He loved music, sweets and his family. He raised three daughters and was a devoted husband for more than 50 years.

Every Christmas when I was a kid meant going to Midnight Mass... and this song was always sung. My uncle loved it and sang it with all his might, attempting that high note with gusto... the way he lived life. It's my favourite memory of him. I can still hear him singing.

I know Mom was waiting for him.

Bon voyage Oncle Marcel... Je t'aime.

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

time flies...

2008-02-25T06:26:00.007-05:00

Ten years ago today, during a snowstorm, a pink, naked, dark haired, blue-eyed, sweet baby girl was laid on my breast. I finally got to say hello to the being that had taken over my body. The being whose feet would poke out and give my basketball-sized belly odd shapes. Soft music was playing (she still listens to this every night) and time stood still.

That day, I realized just how much a parent loves a child, I knew the deepest love.

In those first few days, I'd lay in bed, gazing at her for hours... wondering what the world would hold for her, my sunshine.

I find myself still gazing at her, usually in awe. She's an amazing person. Her kindness touches me. Her infectious smile warms my very soul. Her questions test my patience and my knowledge of the world (thank GOD for the internet)... and her observations about the world humble me.

Fast forward to today and I'm faced with a mini version of me (my parents' revenge). She's a great traveller, a music afficionado, a budding scientist... and a very cool chick indeed. We're embarking on quite the journey after the first 10 years... I've got my shots, my passport and I guess we'll see where this next decade takes us.

It promises to be quite the ride.

Bonne fête mon trésor!
Je t'aime de TOUT mon coeur!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes.

may peace and comfort come...

2008-02-15T06:37:00.004-05:00

In memoriam

Northern Illinois University

My thoughts and prayers accompany the families and friends of the victims...

My gratitude to the emergency measures personnel...

Too young...

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes

Sweet love...

2008-02-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

The most wonderful man owns my heart...

I love you honey... heart, mind, body and soul.

A boy's best friend is his frog?

2008-02-12T12:55:00.000-05:00

This joke is for my Hoochie sister Dixie...

A young boy, about 14 years old was walking down the street, dragging a flattened frog on a string behind him.

He came to a house of ill repute, and knocked on the door. When the Madam answered it, she saw the little boy and asked what he wanted.

He said, 'I want to have sex with one of the women inside. I have the money to buy it, and I'm not leaving until I get it.'

The Madam figured, what the hell, so she told him to come in. Once in, she told him to pick any of the girls he liked.

He said, 'I heard all the men talking about having to get shots after making love with Amber. THAT'S the girl I want.'

Since the little boy was so adamant and had the money to pay for it, the Madam told him to go to the first room on the right. He headed down the hall dragging the squashed frog behind him.

Ten minutes later he came back, still dragging the frog, paid the Madam, and headed out the door.

The Madam stopped him and asked, 'Why did you pick the only girl in the place with a disease, instead of one of the others?'

He said, 'Well, tonight when I get home, my parents are going out to a restaurant to eat, leaving me at home with a baby-sitter. After they leave, my baby-sitter will have sex with me because she's very fond of cute little boys. She will then get the disease that I just caught.

When Mom and Dad get back, Dad will take the baby-sitter home. On the way, he'll jump the baby-sitter's bones, and he'll catch the disease.

Then when Dad gets home from the baby-sitter's, he and Mom will go to bed and have sex, and Mom will catch it.

In the morning when Dad goes to work, the milkman will deliver the milk, have a quickie with Mom, and catch the disease, and

HE'S the son-of-a-bitch that ran over my frog!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

the sounds of the peace... love... life

2008-02-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

Peace and love.. life goes on!

I’m looking to restore my inner peace after the pain that ripped through my ankle this morning when it went in the opposite direction as the rest of me.

They say music soothes the savage beast… so, may as well listen to some tunes...

On February 5th, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi passed away. On the same day this was sent into the Universe …

Across The Universe Lyrics

Jai Guru Dev

The Maharishi’s body was cremated today on the banks of the Ganges.

May he find Peace.

May we all find Peace.

« Happiness radiates like a fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. Allow your love to nourish yourself as well as others. »
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

« Knowledge has organizing power. Pure knowledge has infinite organizing power. »
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

His words fed the souls of his followers. In his honor, I’ll be spending some time donating rice to feed the hungry as I sit with my sprained ankle elevated… maybe if I meditate, the pain will go away.

I’m sending good thoughts for the man who makes me feel this way…

I know it will all go well today honey.

«The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.»
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

And finally…

A Happy Birthday to the little man who has me wrapped around his little now 3 year old finger. WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

You are gonna break some hearts...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I got distracted...

2008-02-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

Ladies, can you blame me?

Just to be fair... she distracts me too...

Just one more....

*sigh*

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Something wicked this way wafts...

2008-02-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

I was lying in bed snug and comfy, dreaming of something deliciously wicked when it hit me...

And now I'm left wondering just what crawled up Shark dog's butt...

Ugh!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Proud Mama!

2008-02-08T06:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was parent-teacher-child conference. And I'm very proud of my Chicklet. She's a math and science whiz , got a great evaluation in English as a second language, gym and dramatic arts.

Her chosen reward? a book!

She's been working very hard this year, and we've all noticed that she's matured a lot this year (we = homeroom teacher, English teacher and myself).

She was so proud to show me a powerpoint presentation her project group worked on about lizards (I'm thinking of contracting out that part of my job to these 9 and 10 year olds... it was that good).

Considering I've been having a crap week.. this was just what I needed.

Oh.. she wrote a lovely little composition about friendship. I'll have to share it with you soon, kids are wise.

Enjoy this tune, Chicklet and I really love these guys.. The Alternate Routes a great bunch of guys with a great band that we discovered when we went on our summer Chick Road Trip to see Taylor Hicks in concert...

The guitar line slays me... *sigh*

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Thursday Thirteen - he said...

2008-02-07T05:59:00.000-05:00

I haven't done a Thursday Thirteen in ages.

I've spent a lot of time lately remembering some good times...

I’ve said it before.. I LOVE hockey… and I love my Habs.

Stephen Leacock said it ever so eloquently:

"Hockey captures the essence of Canadian experience in the New World. In a land so inescapably and inhospitably cold, hockey is the chance of life, and an affirmation that despite the deathly chill of winter we are alive."

I spent many a Saturday evening, sitting on the carpeted floor of the living room while Mom sat in her spot on the chesterfield (aka a sofa) and Dad was in his armchair. We'd watch "La Soirée du Hockey" and I was the designated volume adjustor (aka dad's remote).

It was something we did as a family, and I've experienced something similar with my Chicklet when she and I were swept up watching Taylor Hicks on the show that I'm not supposed to name. Sidenote: my daughter asked me recently as we were watching hopefuls audition, a fun but sometimes unfortunate process to watch, if we were ever going to find another Taylor. What I really like about this is that she's so willing to get enthralled again...

Back to hockey...

Watching hockey with my parents was a formative experience, I learned a lot about being a good fan. I'm thankful for that.

There are some really good hockey quotes out there, and I thought I'd share a baker's dozen with you.

1. "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." -Wayne Gretzky.
If you don't try... YUP

2. "That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my (expletive) clothes." (when asked why he kept a picture of himself over his locker). -Stu Grimson
That one just made me giggle, and I've needed giggles over the past few days.

3. "The only difference between the Coyotes and ‘Days of Our Lives’ is that nobody has been shot on our team yet." -Jeremy Roenick
*looks out the window for a black sedan and some men in business suits that have something in common*

4. "How would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?" -Jacques Plante
It can't be easy to be a goalie...

5. "When Hell freezes over, I'll play hockey there too." -Author Unknown

6. "We get nose jobs all the time in the NHL, and we don't even have to go to the hospital." -Brad Park
LOL! Some of the funniest quotes are self-deprecating.

7. "I was happy to have an attraction in our building that we didn't have to pay for." -Harold Ballard on a streaker who ran across the ice at a Leafs game, March 1980

8. "It would have been worse if we hadn't blocked the kick after
Toronto's second touchdown." -Alex Delvecchio (in 1971, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 13-0)
Losing with a sense of humour, I'll hand it to a Dreaded Leaf... that was good.

9. "I just don't know what to think. I play in Colorado, they tell me they like me, and I get traded. I play in Calgary, and at the end of the season the GM tells me he likes me, and I get traded. I just hope my fiancee doesn't tell me she likes me." -Chris Drury

10. "I don't think you ever stopped Bobby Orr, you contained Bobby Orr, but you NEVER stopped him!" -Larry Robinson
Larry was always able to acknowledge greatness.

11. "I would go to church, light candles and pray, and he would still get a hat trick on me." -Johnny Bower
About playing against Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.

12. "Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to be." -Wayne Gretzky.
The Great One...

13. I'll let you hear this for yourselves...

Jeremy: Never discount your opponents achievements. tsk tsk!
Patrick: As good as that snark was.. you could have said that your career records speaks for you.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

WW - Honourable...

2008-02-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes

...

2008-02-05T06:29:00.001-05:00

Why?

I've asked myself that question a lot lately on a variety of topics.

I've decided to keep my opinions to myself... It's just not worth it.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

There are some things I just can’t wrap by brain around...

2008-02-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

Do you recognize this sweet child?

The eight month old baby girl was abandoned in a parking garage in Toronto last week. She was found by a woman who thought she was walking past a doll lying face down on the freezing concrete landing of a stairwell (it was one of the coldest days in the city of Toronto this winter so far).

The only reason the lady stopped was that the “doll” cried.

They have security tape footage of someone driving up the ramp to the second storey and straight to the stairwell, getting out of the car to look in the stairwell. This monster, I mean, person went back to the car, opened the passenger side door taking the baby out and then left her on the floor. “It” got back into the car and took off in a green four-door sedan, believed to be a recent-model Ford Escort.

She has been named Angelica Leslie by the kind souls currently caring for her.

Angelica – well that is the face of an angel now isn’t it? And Leslie, after the street she was found on.

Police currently believe this poor little soul may be American and are investigating this lead further with the help of the Buffalo police department. No one, despite the media coverage has come forward with any clues as to who Angelica really is. You can see the news report if you click on this link.

My first “mommy gut reaction” was to curse those responsible for leaving a sweet little angel out in the cold and driving off ... and then I decided to open my heart and look at what could possibly motivate someone to leave a child behind. People do unfathomable things when desperate.

But I failed.

She has bruises...

I’m angry.

If you run a search on the subject of abused and missing children there are too many links... so many children are missing... too many...

Childfind Canada

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (USA)

Missing Children Society of Canada

Victims of Violence – Canadian Center for Missing Children

Operation Go Home (Canada)

If you’re a mother or father, and you can’t cope with taking care of your child, no matter what the reason is... there are other options. Adoption, foster care, therapy... children are not disposable. They matter.

Cédrika belle ange, on te cherche... on ne t'oublie pas...

You’ll have to excuse me, I’m going to go hug my daughter now...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

is it over?

2008-02-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

I'm concerned... the many various "official" harbingers of spring and the end of winter are in disagreement.

Schubenacadie Sam, Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willy, Gary the Groundhog, Brandon Bob and Balzac Billy might want to converse before giving their verdict. Maybe we should figure out the average instead of looking for consensus...

If only those rodents could get it together and let me know WHEN I can start planting my rice paddy!!!!

I'm going to tweak the local rink's zamboni and to harvest the rice.

It's not that I'm afraid of a little hard manual labour (*snickers and winks*)... but what if there are spiders and frogs in the field?

16,978,230,250 grains of rice have been donated as of February 1st... astounding isn't it?

If you want to see where the rice that was donated with your hard earned vocab points ended up visit Free Rice, play and check out the video at the bottom right of the game.

It's enough to warm my heart and hopefully melt the dumping of snow we got yesterday.

Of course, watching Jonny Lang also turns up the heat! Ladies and Gentlemen, Jonny performing "Groundhog Day with Double Trouble...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Sticky for Coco

2008-01-31T19:19:00.000-05:00

Well, I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around some news I got this week...

An amazing woman who has become my sister, my friend, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. It makes so many things trivial. So... this is for my friend.

Coco dear, if by some twist of fate your condition brings you close to me, I’ll be there holding your hand. You've been through so much since I've gotten to really know your loving heart. You've shown immesurable strength.

You will make it through this.

Love you Coco my friend...
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

oh... my.... THUD!

2008-01-30T07:17:00.000-05:00

I just learned this morning....

*breathes in paper bag*

that John...

*swoons*

Cusack...

*teeters*

is in...

*gasp*...

MONTREAL!

THUD!

*wipes drool*

The actual scene that made so many girls swoon...

*sigh*

Love you more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Saving the world...

2008-01-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Well I’m exhausted... what a week!

Sorry if I haven’t been around much but by the time I get home, deal with Shark-dog and Dum-Dum and get dinner on the table (on the days when it doesn’t consist of something instant like Chinese take-out), I feel like I’m about ready to collapse. I see to homework, chauffeur my daughter to her theatre class, check a few e-mails (a few hundred... man some of my friends like to let those rip LOL), tuck my sunshine in for the night and then spend some quality time on the phone with the man who owns my heart.

Then... I crash.

Of course, I usually end up waking up in the middle of the night trying to find a way to get back to the luscious dream I was having, but nooooooo...... *sigh* -LeighAnn I know you relate to this. And then I’m stuck with going over conversations and lists and pondering life’s important questions like: Does a bear really shit in the woods? What use can we find for the indestructible part of corn? Turnbaby and I have already ruled out using it to make the outer shell of the space shuttle as we are concerned it’ll just pop upon re-entry on account of the heat.

I’m having difficulty getting my (Damm) ducks in a row, so to speak. My mind has been jumping from one thing to another and this just might be reflected in this post (*snarf*- just this one?) so hopefully you’ll bear with me.

So, what was the highlight of my week? I got a cruel glimpse of what’s in store for the next 8 years…

My daughter didn’t want me to walk her to the door when she had her second theatre class this week.

WAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

I’m cool damnit! You’d think she’d like having me around... I know her new friends would think I’M cool! Right? *sigh*

OK… Deep breath.

So I have a tween. She’s just shy of her 10th birthday and I’m not ready. I’m not ready for her to grow up like that. I miss the little girl giggles, the baby kisses that smelled like green apples, the soft curls on the nape of her neck, watching Dumbo 3 times in a row (actually, I don’t miss that...) and tricking her into eating meat by coating it in plain yogurt (don’t raise your eyebrow at me! It worked... for a while).
Those were the days...

I spent a good part of my morning with some Amy Winehouse (what a talent!) as my background music this morning and it’s got me wondering.

The world today is taking a far more critical look at artists and celebrities who end up with substance abuse problems.
Is it because the paparazzi are ever present and we get to hear more of the misadventures of the rich and famous?
Is it because it’s a bigger problem now than in the days of Janis and Jim and Jimi?
Have we all turned into hypocrites?
Are we holding them up to a standard we never held the rock & rollers of the past to?
Was that a mistake?
Do we actually think our opinion matters to them in the end?

I’m a single mother (for now) of an almost 10 year old girl who loves classic rock, shows a passion for music and will go from Led Zep to Taylor Hicks to The Alternate Routes to Lily Allen in a heart beat. Fortunately, she doesn’t quite get some of the lyrics of some of Lily’s songs... yet...

I worry about what’s out there. I worry about the images and videos she’s apt to be bombarded with. I’m concerned about the world she’s growing up in and about the creeps who lurk on the internet.

Will I criticize Ms Winehouse for her behaviour? No. Will I throw a stone at the youngest Spears unfortunate soul? No. We’re just far too much in one another’s business if you ask me.

“But but... they’re the examples for today’s youth” I hear some say. Shit no, they aren’t. We the parents are! Not Hannah Montana, not the Manning brothers... US. And grownups all need to stop trying to be Oprah or The Donald.

Who set the standard for me? Who gave me my morals? My parents! Not actors, sports stars and name-only celebrities... Yes, I admired Nadia’s prowess at the Olympics, I dreamed of kissing Kevin Bacon like Lori Singer in Footloose, and I wanted to be Molly Ringwald. But it’s my mother’s dedication to helping others that guides me... and I’ve finally found a hard-working man who owns up to his responsibilities and doesn’t make excuses, just like my father.

When it comes to my daughter, I’m the one whose shoulders it falls upon to be an example of what a woman can accomplish. Who’s responsible for teaching her what a decent human being is.
What’s that you ask?

A decent human being is someone who believes in giving people a chance to make up for their stupidities, who allows people to learn from their mistakes and better themselves, who doesn’t take advantage of people when they depend on you, who plays Free Rice (you saw that coming folks, admit it), who helps when she can and lends a friend a shoulder to cry on.

Yes, my daughter will see things and she’ll hear things that I don’t approve of because I can’t watch her 24/7, and I can’t filter out all the crap out there... But, I can keep the lines of communication open, be ready to listen when she has questions (man does she have those...) and love her.

Maybe somehow the world will look perfect to her, no matter what crap is going on around her...

or maybe she’ll see the injustices and step up, stand up for what’s right. If I only teach her one thing...

I hope and pray that those who have lost their way can learn and change their course, and that a decent human being will give them a hand, a shoulder, the opportunity to better themselves. But I also hope someone will hold them accountable for what they’ve done instead of making excuses for them like some parents I know.

Decent? Well, maybe not quite... but entertaining, plus the tune is catchy...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

hunger... life...

2008-01-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

André "Dédé" Fortin

1962-2000

On the 8th of May 2000, the Montreal music scene lost one of it's poets. André "Dédé" Fortin was the singer of the band "Les Colocs" (which is a term you hear a lot in and around Montreal, it means a roomate or flatmate for the Brits) and he left no one indifferent when he performed. His songs were extremely personal and often times, transparently autobiographical. When you listened, you felt like you were getting to know him. His death was a great loss to his fans, because we truly felt we had lost a friend we knew well.

He directed this video for "La Rue Principale" (Main Street) released in 1993. He named the street in the song after the main drag in his hometown of Saint-Thomas-Didyme, la rue Saint-Cyrille.

He had a boyish charm, a Peter Pan quality to him. This song is entitled... "Dédé"

But there lurked a dark shadow near him, a silent menace.

“I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.”

- Richard Wright

He performed this song at a festival in July 1999, about 10 months before taking his own life. I wish I could do it justice by translating the words, his story, for you... If you only watch one of the videos, let it be this one.. and please watch. Don't read ahead.

"Le répondeur" (The Answering Machine)

"j'te dis qu'à soir dans mon p'tit coeur, y fait frette"
which can be summed up as:
Tonight, in my little heart... it's frickin cold.

"Frette" in colloquial or joual French refers to the kind of cold that stings your cheeks, makes your eyes squint and water and freezes any tears that form right at your eyelashes... frickin cold. The cold you imagine resides down in the deepest midnight blue waters of a lake. Where light never shines and life is a struggle.

I realized watching it over and over, that you really need not understand what words he's singing... all you need is the melody and to watch his eyes, his expression, to hear the tone of his voice. That smile at the end kills me... So many of us wish we could have wrapped him up in a safe warm woobie and given him a reason to smile, to love, to live, to sing to us, to be. To have given him the hunger for life.

Dédé suffered from Depression.

I know what that feels like... I experienced it after having The Chicklet. But she was my lifeline, my woobie, my light... and she kept me from going to that dark place where you let the cold numb you into a deep and permanent slumber. The slumber which provides relief from the sharp needles that stop shy of drawing blood but are relentless and ever present.

I've ended so many of my previous posts by "pushing" FreeRice and asking you to help, to do your part to feed those who have next to nothing. You know, it amazes me that people who have so little to look forward to, who struggle to just make it through another day, who feel a hunger that is so real, fight so hard to stay alive. To wake up and see another day.

Dédé didn't have any fight left. And we lost.

I hope it's warm where he is now, that his heart isn't cold anymore.

Please, to calm the hunger of the poor... play the game.

And if you have some change to spare or some time to give, donate to your local suicide helpline or a suicide prevention foundation and help give someone like Dédé the hunger for another day.

If you stumble upon this post and you've lost that hunger, please remember:

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.”

- Charles Austin Beard

Dédé, je t'aime tout court. Tu me manques.

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Now this is a cover...

2008-01-18T07:25:00.000-05:00

My friend Vince from the Couch forgot to mention this version of "Something" today...

sheesh!

Hang your head dude.. for shame!

Love you all more than my luggage!

Hugs, smooches and gropes!

WW- friends will go to extremes...

2008-01-16T06:52:00.002-05:00

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

WW- Careful you don't get any in your bathingsuit...

2008-01-16T06:52:00.000-05:00

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I needed a giggle...

2008-01-15T15:24:00.000-05:00

... after yesterday and from the comments, I think some of y'all did too!

These did the trick... for me.

How to stop a fight:

this NEVER fails...

big ole brains... I know!

Travis.. kitties, you and peas.

Finally, how much does this make me smile... you know what to do

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

One year...

2008-01-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

...and I can still feel her hands. They were warm til the end... but so frail. The hands that dressed me as a child. The hands that rolled dough to make Dad his favourite apple pie. The hands that wrote thoughtful notes in that handwriting of hers that was always so neat and even. The hands that craddled my daughter while she rocked her to sleep and held her for hours, rubbing my baby's back. The hands that comforted so many people as they struggled with loss, poverty, and all forms of hardships we are made to endure as we make our way through life.

I can still see her lying on that bed with Pepe the parrot tucked in with her (he now sleeps with Chicklet every night).

I hear her breathe... that's how I measured if it was going to be a good day or if she was going to be in a lot of pain.

I remember the feel of the chair at the end of her bed. The chair I slept in every night in case she needed something, to be there to help the orderlies on the night shift when came time to change her and shift her to the other side.

I remember...

My mother was my safe harbor... she comforted me when I was sick with Chicken pox and had to stay home while I could hear my friends playing outside. She was my rock when I thought maybe something was wrong with my baby's precious heart. She stood by me when my marriage fell apart.

I still need her.

I still miss her.

I posted this song the night my mother joined the ranks of the angels...

it's a song for her, for me, for my daughter.

tap... tap... tap... is this thing on?

2008-01-13T10:15:00.000-05:00

Yes... I'm still alive.

No... I didn't end up in Mimi's dungeon.

I've run away and joined a rock band named GLIDER and I've been recording an album with them in Marakesh.

ok..ok..

Truth is, I was tagged my Mimi, The Queen of Memes with The Band Meme and I hate the dungeon. The trolls keep losing the "guests'" luggage (well, that's what they say but I just think they steal our shoes and prance around in them) and I'm quite fond of my luggage (and shoes). I heard of unspeakable things they've done to previous "guests" as well. Besides, the dampness of the dungeon makes my hair frizz and I look horrendous wearing rollers, so... I decided to play along.

If you want to play this and Mimi hasn't already tagged you... I doubt that's possible - she went tag nuts err.. I mean, she generously shared the assignment with everyone she could think of.

Here's how it works:

The Band Meme

The premise is that you're about to release an album cause you're in a Rock'n'Roll band and in order to come up with your CD cover you go to:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/

The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Then...

4. Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together, and post the result on your blog and leave a link to it in the comments of this post.

I had fun fiddling with this stuff... The full quote I ended up with was:

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw

I like this quote.

I've done one for Chicklet who has been, for the last 2 days, fiddling with the keyboard she got for Christmas. (You see, when I was a kid, I wanted a keyboard and I ended up with a Hammond organ... sheesh! So, I gave Chicklet a keyboard for Christmas.)

What came out was ominous...

I see a punk band in her future...

Monothematic Delusions is a solid punk rock band name... don't you agree? You better... or she'll find you and do unspeakable things to your most prized possessions with glitter and hot pink paint.

So, where have I really been since the 28th of December?

I spent the last days of 2007 and the first days of 2008 with 'the one'.

And I hunted for lizards for a boy who has captured my heart.

On my return flight, my luggage took a trip of it's own and it lead me to meet the luggage fairy (don't ask, but he -yes he- did explain a few things).

And since going back to work, I've been having computer difficulties which has limited my access to the net, and, to borrow an expression from my friend Meri, that "sucks donkey dong". Most of the time I have had online has been used to check on e-mails and donate rice...

Yup.. it's still going strong at 14,056,707,390 grains of rice so far.

I hope your New Year brings you what your heart desires, and the motivation to reach for your dreams. Dream of things that never were... Go for it!

I'll try and catch up soon. Now you'll have to excuse me... I'm off to install a troll detection system in my shoe closet.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

almost...

2007-12-28T06:53:00.000-05:00

A while back I was looking for a song that reminded me of my bro Travis and his lady Pam (hi!)... and this seemed like the perfect song. (Go on and dance, I'll wait)...

I've been humming this a lot lately... *sigh*

Well, it's been a long and trying year.

I've been blessed with...

The love of my Chicklet, ma puce, mon ange, my sunshine!

Dad's hands to hold... still bigger than mine

The support of my friends - My SP buddies and The Hoochies and Hotties

(this song is for all of you... all y'all are stuck with me)

and fine bloggers I've met on my journey... (I REALLY need to update my links...)

And I've had the arms of a good man to shelter me from the storm. I love you honey...

I may get a post in before the New Year comes, but if not...

May your eyes be filled with stars
May your heart know the Joy of Love
and may you dance in the moonlight...

I know I will.

Happy New Year my dears...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Thanks.. you shouldn’t have… really!

2007-12-26T16:28:00.001-05:00

I believe I've mentionned Shark-dog and Dum-dum before...

Well, yesterday, after I took The Chicklet to her Dad’s after she and I spent a few hours with my Daddy, I came home to a guilty dog… of course the guilty looking one (Dum-dum) wasn't the perpetrator of the haineous crime.

You see, Shark dog got to the box that was on the kitchen counter, the one with the chocolates Santa left in my stocking…

So what has my boxing day been like?

I’ve been picking up “presents” left by Shark dog… she even managed to wrap them… of course the shiny foil wrapping is on the INSIDE of the present!

YUCK!

Well, I hope your Christmas was all you hoped for... Don't forget to donate some rice, Santa's already started his naughty or nice list for next year...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

For Roger!

2007-12-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

Today is my darling blogging buddy Roger's birthday and I promised him cake...

Roger is one of the sweetest bloggers around, he's got a wickedly funny sense of humour and look how adorable he is with his birthday crown on...

Love ya babe!

So grab some confetti,

streamers

and a sparkler

and go over and pay him a visit, tell him Anndi sent you with a piece of cake!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes (mostly all for Roger ;p)!

So this is Christmas...

2007-12-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

As today is Christmas Eve, I have to say thank you to all who’ve managed to make it through my Crusade to Feed the World. It almost felt like The Spanish Inquisition… but since I suppose you’ve come to expect me to include it in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways in every post since it began, guess it didn’t quite turn out like the Spanish Inquisition.

The day my dear friend Vince decided to bestow a Christmas Spirit award on yours truly I had started writing a post about Free Rice. His gracious gift brought about a different twist on the post.

You’ve all been kind and supportive and I must say, Christmas came early for me when I saw how many friends joined in promoting such a simple and easy way to make a difference and how many of you were playing. We’re at 11,239,338,070 grains and you guys rock!

When I lost Mom in January, I started thinking about the firsts I would be faced with.

You’ve all made this first Christmas without her easier… you’ve helped give me focus and the knowledge that the world goes on and that it’s a good place filled with most excellent people.

My best wishes, and those of The Chicklet go out to the awesome folks in the blogosphere…

For the kiddies out there, don’t forget to track Santa’s progress with the folks at NORAD!

Last I checked, he’d begun his trip and was in Russia, and he had eaten close to 1 000 000 000 cookies… I was told by a source in the know that Santa will gratefully accept donations made to Freerice on his behalf.

My best bud Vince had all y’all play a little game last week, and we had fun listening to some of the versions of Christmas Classics he put up (although some of the choices made us want to toss the Christmas cookies)

Here’s some tuneage from The Luggage…

Rock on babies…

Vince had folks pick a favourite version of this song… We would have loved to find this version, the definitive one, on The Couch jukebox.

This one’s my Christmas present to Matt… enjoy buddy!

Think they go well with RICE?

For those of you traveling, be safe and be mindful of those who haven’t received the gift of common sense and are out driving impaired.

Merry Christmas to all…

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Happy birthday Mom

2007-12-21T06:28:00.000-05:00

Today is my mother's birthday.

It's the first one we celebrate without her.

My mother was a giving person, she worked for Franciscan monks and managed their affairs for about 30 years. During that time she worked with them in their charitable endeavours.
I remember spending time in the kitchen at the monastery with Mom and brother Rene who was tireless in his efforts to feed the poor in our town. Around the holidays, they would gather donations from local supermarkets and citizens and we would make Christmas packages for as many families as we could. There was a lot... but we always could have used more.

I learned a great deal from Mom and brother Rene... hopefully I'll pass it on to my Chicklet. This year, as I did last year and for the past few years, the small Christmas gift my company gave all employees will be used to buy a complete Christmas dinner for a family in need and a few other supplies. As much as I need the extra cash, my pantry is full... and so is my heart.

So, in memory of my mother and brother Rene I ask that you give. All it'll cost is a few minutes on Freerice. If you can afford to, think about your local food banks, drop off a new toy or a book for a needy child, spread Christmas spirit... smile at the people you meet.

Je t'aime Maman... Merci pour tout.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Wordless Wednesday... filling Santa's bag

2007-12-19T06:40:00.000-05:00

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Tuesday tissues...

2007-12-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not kidding, you better crack open a new box...

I was looking through old pictures (it was a snowday...) and I came across pictures of the time I took the Chicklet to see The Nutcracker when she was about 4 years old (she still has the ballet slipper we got that night)...

And I started thinking about the musicals I had seen at The Place des Arts (where I actually had my B.A. commencement ceremony)... and I remembered being a student and sitting in the back at Les Misérables.

Have you ever felt like the world disappeared, have you ever wondered what it's like to float? As if your body is suddenly no longer your own and you are lifted and transported back in time simply by listening to a song? That's how I felt when I heard this...

This is the song I was looking for...

As I said, I was looking for Les Misérables and Jean Valjean, but first I found this song...

I'll give you a minute to, um... what is it that Vince says? Oh yeah, tired eyes...

There isn't an evening that goes by that I don't ask God to spare families the pain of losing a father, a mother, a sister, a son, a friend to war...

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hope for PEACE...

There are too many days where children don't eat to their stomachs content...

My Chicklet sent me an e-mail today (she's discovered how to e-mail me...) and asked me what I want for Christmas.

I want PEACE

LOVE

For children everywhere to go to sleep on a full stomach, knowing someone loves them...

Please help, show them someone cares...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Manic Monday - Carol

2007-12-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I sit at my computer, sipping a lovely cup (well, Santa mug really) of delicious and sweetly aromatic chai tea. I'm waiting for the storm after the storm that will come when my Chicklet learns that she in fact, as she predicted last night, gets to stay home from school for her second snow day since the it's-not-winter-yet-but-you'll-have-a White-Christmas-cause-you-all-complained-last-year unofficial start of the winter season.

15 inches... it never seemed so big... oh well!

Mo chose a theme word once more this week, a word in keeping with Christmas (for those of us who think in the obvious way). Well, finding the inspiration for this edition of Manic Monday was easy...

Last year, my daughter spent quite a bit of her free time at school practicing for the school's Christmas choir. She practiced in the washroom, in the car, humming in her classroom I was told, at the dinner table, she sang to her doll, she practiced in her bed... basically, she sang Christmas carols all over the place. Considering what our family was faced with she managed to bring JOY and the magic that comes with Christmas into our lives. For the not so long time reader... my mother was in the terminal phase of what was a losing battle with cancer.

They recorded a lovely song written by a man named Jean Naty-Boyer about the children of the world... and the wish for a peaceful Christmas. Thankfully, Mom got a chance to hear it.

Noël Des Enfants du Monde
(with a so-so translation by moi... my apologies!)

Enfants de Palestine (Child of Palestine)

Ou enfants d'Israel (Or child of Israel)

D'Amérique ou de Chine (From America or China)

En ce jour de Noël (On this Christmas Day)

Que ton regard se pose (Whether you should look)

Sur la terre ou le ciel (Upon the earth or up to the sky)

Ne retiens qu'une chose (Remember but one thing)

Il faut croire à Noël (You must believe in Christmas)

Matin couleur de cendre (Be it an ash colored morning)

Ou matin d'arc en ciel (Or morning filled with rainbows)

Qu'importe il faut attendre (No matter, you must wait)

En ce soir de Noël (On this Christmas night)

Que les fusils se taisent (For the guns to fall quiet)

et répondent à l'appel (And answer the call)

De cette parenthèse (Of the spirit)

Qui s'appelle Noël (That is Christmas)

Un jour viendra peut-être (Hopefully a day will come)

Un jour au goût de miel (A day as sweet as honey)

Où l'on verra paraitre (Where we'll see appear)

Un oiseau dans le ciel (A bird in the sky)

Aux plumes de lumière (With feathers of light)

Un oiseau éternel (An eternal bird)

Colombe pour la terre (A dove for the Earth)

Un oiseau de Noël (The bird of Christmas)

As we prepare our houses for the coming of Christmas, as we grocery shop for the Christmas dinner, as we plan what type of cookies we'll bake for Santa... some children may not have enough to eat.

The United Nations World Food Programme manages the funds raised through Freerice and numerous other donations, and they have distributed rice in many countries...

Myanmar...

Nepal...

Cambodia...

Phillippines...

Sri Lanka...

Bangladesh...

Cote d'Ivoire...

India...

Madagascar...

Ecuador...

May your holidays be filled with love and laughter... and may their stomachs be filled.

May the guns fall silent and may we all find PEACE.

As a quick note... I received a wonderful e-mail late Friday and have had a few exchanges with the author since... more about this is another post.

My thanks to Turnbaby who promoted Freerice once again on Turnbaby Talks. SMOOCH!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

it goes on and on and on...

2007-12-14T06:19:00.000-05:00

Some people participate in the Friday Feast...

some have nothing to eat.

8,294,816,130

Did you know that the likelyhood of donating to a good cause is increased by the presence of oxytocin, the feel happy drug our body produces? This hormone is linked with empathy and facilitating positive social interaction with our children and spouses... Empathy is associated with health, longer lives and improved social interactions babies!

SO...

Go for the good drugs, and shun the spoiled over-priced so-called athletes who cheat and enrich themselves with lies...

That number makes me happy... and so does what was waiting for me in my inbox!

Thanks Roger!

Click on the ornament and get yourselves some of the good drugs... at no cost. You'll feed your brain and get a natural high... no wonder it's addictive!

I feel the love people... you rock!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Wordless Wednesday... if you needed a reason

2007-12-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

7,786,631,170

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Two for Tuesday sillies.. return of the video monster!

2007-12-11T07:13:00.001-05:00

I hadn't planned on this until I paid my bro Travis a visit this morning.

This one's for you Trav... hehehe

This is for Dana...

Memories of youth... *sigh*

Man I loved these tunes...

so.. if y'all have been paying attention, in every post I mention a certain game and deftly craft it into my post...

How am I to do it this time?

Well, it's a word game.. so I thought, what are other word games?

Word association! (also a potent psychological tool - and no, I don't need treatment)

Cow Patty...

patty...

paddy...

rice paddy...

FREERICE!

Phew... that was a stretch. Immagonna go lie down now... maybe on The Couch. The tuneage alone is therapy... But today, there's an important post so be serious and go read it please (bring tissues cause Vince used up all of his).

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Manic Monday - Ornament

2007-12-10T20:13:00.000-05:00

Yup... me...

This walk down memory lane is brought to you by Morgen.

Mom and Dad had great glass ornaments. Dad would climb up on the stepladder to the trap door that reached the attic and bring down boxes and boxes. And he even let me climb up there and have a peak while he held on (but told me not to tell Mom cause she'd have had a conniption).

I remember the birds Dad had... I'm going to go hunting in the attic and see if they're still there.
While I do... play a little...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

They were always so quiet...

2007-12-10T12:58:00.000-05:00

In the news... I'm posting twice in one day. Well, that's not the news... but it doesn't happen often in a week much less a day!

Back to the news...

Montreal firefighters made a startling discovery on Saturday when they were called in to inspect the damage caused by a burst pipe in a commercial building in the chi-chi borough of Outremont.

It seems the Yeshiva Gedola daycare's neighbours (who were never around but apparently paid their rent on time, by cheque) were in fact pot growers.

The firefighters found 1500 mature marijuana plants ready to be harvested and quite a few younger plants as well.

The daycare operators just found the neighbours to be very understanding of the children's naptime and were enchanted that no one had called to complain about the incessant playing of Barney and Raffi tunes, such as The Schmenge Polka (thank me now before I regret inserting a Youtube video here... yes, even the video monster knows where to draw the line - albeit with crayons).

The burst pipe only caused minimal damage to the daycare which is now open for business as usual and the staff are once again up to their armpits in Pampers (wait... I thought the fit was better on those). No reports of withdrawals as of yet, but the day is young.

Nothing apparent tipped off the staff running the daycare. It seems the usual telltale odour accompanying a growing operation was absent. The smell of talcum powder and dirty diapers proved an effective cover up. The manufacturers of Febreeze, Proctor and Gamble may want to investigate turning it into their new odour fighting scent.

The kids ever present munchies calmed by nothing less than massive quantities of kosher arrowroot cookies and minigos also failed to arouse suspicion. Pringles, also a Proctor and Gamble product was apparently not on the daycare's menu of chosen snacks.

I checked and couldn't find out whether P&G are sponsors of the Free Rice ... so I don't feel bad AT ALL about associating their products with pot growers and Barney.

Oh, had I told you they've doubled up on the rice? 1 word equals 20 grains... We're up to 7,536,669,470!!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and ... wait til the kids naptime for the rest...

Swing la bacaise...

2007-12-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

I went shopping for Christmas decorations yesterday. I feel the need to renew and start some new traditions.

The Chicklet and I snagged the last tree we liked (as it was the floor model I even got a discount - now THAT'S Christmas, babies!) grabbed a lovely star for the top (picked out by The Chicklet - she really likes sparkly things) and headed out for home.

We had planned to set it up in the basement in my father's house next to the wood burning stove that I can't fire up on account of the chimney has to be checked and will probably need a liner, but it's the perfect and traditional doorway for Santa, so...

But it was too tall! So today, PLAN B. The new tree is in the living room (but not in the same spot as it was when I was a kidlet - new traditions...) and we'll put the old tree next to the wood burning stove (The Chicklet has been advised that this does not mean Santa will double up on presents though). I promised I would wait for her to come back from her weekend with her Dad to trim the tree so today was shopping and outdoor decorations day.

Saturday morning she and I attended the kids Christmas party my company has every year. We have connections to the North Pole and Santa himself makes an appearance. My daughter and her friend from school were, as has been tradition for 3 years running (this one's a keeper), Santa's elves and gave Santa the Christmas presents his other elves had laid out under the tree for him to hand off to the very excited kids in attendance.

I got to hold a baby, smell her head. You know, there's nothing like the smell of a new baby's head. Some people say new car.. but no. It's that little pudge at the nape of a baby's neck that holds the secrets to the universe.

I even sat on Santa's lap and thanked him... but I didn't ask for anything. Because I don't need anything. I have a cool way to make a difference in someone's life (yes.. Free Rice ... you KNOW what I'm talking about and did you know as of December 8th, 7,354,236,430 grains of rice have been donated).

Sure, it would be nice if I could win the lottery, pay off the debt a greedy self-centered arse saddled my father with, take care of the college funds for my bestest friends kids and actually deliver some food to the starving... but my Chicklet is healthy, Dad's healthy, I'm healthy and after all I've been through in the last year, that's all I ask for.

All this Christmas stuff is hard I must say. I have so many memories of Christmas that are wrapped up in my mother's arms. She loved Christmas. If I didn't have The Chicklet I probably wouldn't celebrate, but I learned from my mother that missing a loved one (as she had lost a mother, a father , a brother...) doesn't mean you should stop living life.

I pulled out a CD The Chicklet and I fell in love with last year that brings with it memories of Mom (La Volée d'Castors is their name and they bring old fashioned Quebec folklore back). As frail as she was, she held on through Christmas and New Year's... and when we played this for her I saw her tap her foot as she had during what we French Canadians cherish at Christmas time: Le Réveillon. A MASSIVE gathering of family and friends, food, singing, dancing, music and kids tunneling into the fur coats that had been laid out with care by our aunts on the bed in the spare bedroom. Our family got smaller, the kids grew up and we haven't had such a gathering in many, many winters...

I hope some time in the not too distant future, we'll have new Christmas Eve parties, singing, dancing, laughing with something soft and fuzzy for kids to curl up in on the spare bedroom bed.

All in all.. yup Roger, it WAS a good weekend...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Je me souviens...

2007-12-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

I remember my sisters...

December 6th, 1989

A young woman walks out of her classroom unaware than kilometers away, in a university she is considering applying to after college, women are being hunted, killed, terrorized... because they are like her. Women. Bettering themselves. Learning.

How does this happen in my country?

In the spirit of the women killed as they were enriching their minds... please donate.

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I'll make it back soon...

2007-12-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

I hope

I hope you're all still playing! It's really a great game if you're snowed in...

Total Donations by Date

OCTOBER 2007 ......................................... 537,163,380
NOVEMBER 2007 ...................................4,768,969,790

December 1, 2007 .......................................235,092,740
December 2, 2007 .......................................231,789,260
December 3, 2007 .......................................252,053,160
____________
Total All Dates ..........................................6,025,068,330

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

what comes around...

2007-11-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

First off...

3,804,662,490 grains of rice!!!

When I first started talking about this inspired and inspiring effort to make the world a better place, we were sneaking up on 2 billion grains... that was on November 14th. We're now standing on the verge of 4 BILLION! I can't tell you how truly pleased I am at the phenomenal numbers we're getting on this. Thank you to every single reader who has donated even the most minute amount... every grain counts.

Secondly, I want to say a special thank you to Roger...

He gave me one of his balls! He even wrote my name on it...

And so, I thought it would be a good time to award a prize.

To the most voracious (and delicious) of the Free Rice devotees...

Thanks darlin'!

Did I mention our special visitor?

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I might be a little rusty..

2007-11-26T07:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't played this in a while but felt compelled to for some odd reason...
(Please interpret as: she needed a distraction from housework!)

(Holy crap! It has been a long time...)

Today's word is:

RANK

And this is what popped into my head before reading the definitions.
(You mean besides the smell coming from the back of the basement closet? You know, the one you haven't gone through yet cause you're playing word games?)
I'm gonna put you in the basement closet...
(HA! No room, good luck!)

Hold on... wait a minute.
(You were about to tell them what you instantly thought of... focus woman!)

I know!

I know why I felt compelled to do this!
(Oh good grief... here she goes...)

Don't tell me to get on with it I've just had an epiphany! A EUREKA moment! The proverbial lightbulb -a lovely blinking Christmas one at that- just came on! A revelation! Hark-the-Herald-angels-can-you-hear-the-trumpets-a-light-shines-down-on-me-from-the-parting-clouds moment... get the picture? SEE!! Moi, on a nature walk, clouds part, angels, ray of light TADAH!

(I'm sure they do. Now, get on with it already! Before "Dear Reader" clicks the "NEXT BLOG" button.)

(Hey! There's no snow in that picture! That can't be ...)

SHUT UP!

It's because of Free Rice -see how I worked that in there!? (Matt-man is right.. you're like a crack pusher... of course Jeff was nicer about it.. we like Jeff, he's nice) Hey voice.. who's rambling now? (harumpffffffffff!)

I know, you figure this is the confirmation that I'm certifiable, that I'm off my rocker, that I'm losing my mind...
(They figured this out now? gee how perspicacious!)

Great... just great! The "voices" from The Couch got past security and snuck in the luggage compartment.. I can hear them like squirrels frolicking in the Christmas tree... oh crap in a hat! (Turnbaby says that.. not Mister "watch-me-cook-gravy-in-my-kitchen-in-my-socks". Now get on with it...) Maybe, but the "harumpfffff" gave you away, don't think I didn't notice.

You see, playing the Free Rice word game had me seeking out other variants of word games, and Mo's Manic Monday fits!

Ok.. I'M ready now... (finally...) but you have to remember to go play and feed the world! (you really are indefatigable, pertinacious, tenacious and persistent aren't you!) I'll make PROSELYTES (converts...) out of you before long. Even the smartass in my head benefits from the Free Rice word game it seems.

Where was I?
(I'm not keeping track anymore - that "NEXT BLOG" button looks appealing and inviting.)
Oh yes, RANK! As I was saying, this is the first thing that popped into my head when I read Mo's selection:

Rank(noun): a row, line, or series of things or persons: orchestra players arranged in ranks.

(That's it? sheesh!)

Enjoy visiting other Manic Monday participants!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

dreams, hopes, happiness... take me there

2007-11-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

We've got a very important visitor coming to visit us this week and The Chicklet and I are jazzed... so we're off to do some cleaning and run a few errands.

But as every day is important, every moment counts and every grain is as precious as the rarest gem or the sweetest kiss...

So, we ask that you remember to play and Feed The World...

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

blue tea, squirrels, the X-mas tree and trouble

2007-11-24T19:14:00.000-05:00

You might think by the title of this post that someone spiked my tea as I was trimming the tree with chestnuts roasting on an open fire and a squirrel ran in and tried to get them and it all got me in trouble... That would be an excellent supposition... but no.

You see, apparently I’ve been tagged by Mimi Queen of memes, and in the spirit of positive foreign relations I decided to break down and do the deed… because apparently she’s been hearing this a lot lately

and she’s in no mood to be trifled with (like THAT would stop MOI!).

This meme comes from The Blue Tea person (hello, pleasure to meet you, I hear from Queen Mimi you are quite nice)…

Mimi was tagged by Lee and according to Mimi we should all go and say hello to the brave chap… Hello Lee, how’s the moat?

Rules: Devise a list of 5-10 courses you would take to fix your life. It's more fun to be in classes with friends, so include one class from the person who tagged you that you'd also like to take. Tag five.

Here goes... my personal improvement plan.

1. Squirrel training – Master class:

It’s always been my ambition to get a squirrel act together and cross over into Ohio to serenade Matt-man with a band of happy and clever squirrels in an effort to cure him of his unreasonable hatred of the bushy-tailed creatures. We’d pile in the Jeep and take a drive (I think I saw Travis and Songbird in there…)

We might want to stay away from Neil Diamond songs though… seriously.

So far, I’ve had success with Chipmunks, so I’m encouraged.

2. Hydroponics for beginners:

I believe it might assist me in growing rice so I can keep feeding the world.
Although… playing this game not only enhances one’s vocabulary, it too feeds the world (did you think I was going to put up a post without Free Rice in it? HA!) and I actually wouldn’t need to flood my basement to build a rice paddy. I might look cute in the hat though... don’t you think?

Speaking of hats…

3. Knitting 101:

being Canadian and already having had to scrape the car windshield off because of snow and ice, I’m letting “practical Anndi” choose this one… plus combined with my wicked Be-Dazzler skillz I could make some stunning outfits for the squirrels. Presentation is everything.

Plus, it’ll come in handy for …

4. Holiday decorating – Christmas semester:

As I patiently wait for Queen Mimi to authorize tree trimming, I thought I’d take a class. You can never know enough about de-squirreling the tree… maybe Matt-man would like to join me in this one.

5. Downhill skiing:

As I’ve already stated, I’m Canadian. You’d think I could do this… but no. I used to, but I sprained my ankle a couple of times and it feels like I’ve lost the strength needed to avoid crash-landing up a tree staring at a squirrel's nuts.

Maybe I'll stick to sledding...

6. Foreign Affairs 303:

I’ll join Mimi the Queen in this one… you see, although I have some skills when it comes to entertaining peaceful foreign relations I still have a long way to go. I mean, I’m doing the meme so as not to cause a rift between Bloggingham Palace and Canada, but I still posted too many versions of this:

Oh.. I forgot one more class:

7. 1001 ways to escape dungeons and moats…

You asked for it Mimi... Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

I tag: Travis, Songbird, Bud, Matt-man and Julie… good luck!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

I couldn't resist...

2007-11-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

As I was looking at a few videos (it was for research purposes)... I found this:

As it's still Thanksgiving weekend, I thought it was appropriate (plus it made me giggle and it's all about me).

Take a few minutes and donate (yes, I'm still going on about this) a few bowls of rice as you might be enjoying some Turkey chili (gotta do something with all the leftovers) and I'm sure some of my friends are watching football (Tennessee is giving U of K a run for it's money, but it's a tight game right now... and Kentucky is bringing up the rear *snarf*) .

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

It's Friday... still talking bout rice

2007-11-23T06:18:00.000-05:00

YUP.. I'm still going to pester you with this because I enjoy it, it's for a good cause and the word luggage is one of the definitions in the game (I like to think they threw that in just for MOI).

I get up early (for some reason I can't sleep a solid 8 hours no matter how hard I try or how early I go to bed.. take the dogs out for.. (well, you know), and head off to the computer with my morning cup of Java (vanilla flavoured) to play a few rounds of...

The left-overs from the Thanksgiving feasts are safely tucked in the fridge (which was probably raided in the wee hours for a touch of the sleep inducing turkey or a piece of pumpkin pie by Uncle Bob), families and friends are spending time laughing (some people like Matt-man are singing - too funny dude!) and enjoying the long weekend.
As many of my American friends head out to shop til they drop on Black Friday (the apparent official start to the gift buying Christmas frenzy), I hope you take the time to donate a few bowls of rice.

Feed your mind - Feed The World!

Enjoy your Christmas shopping..

Have fun putting up the lights.. (and be safe!)

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

smiling and doing a little dance...

2007-11-22T06:39:00.000-05:00

3,256,135,000

How cool are you guys! I'm extremely thankful for all the support people have given this... let's keep it going! Learn a few new words, feed your mind and feed the world!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Creeping up...

2007-11-21T06:58:00.000-05:00

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

As I type this the numbers for yesterday are not available yet...

But we stand at 2,840,667,010!!!

Just a few days ago we stood on the brink of 2 BILLION

Did y'all happen to notice that LUGGAGE was a part of the definitions?

hehehe!

For my American friends readying for Thanksgiving, take a few minutes (in 3 minutes I donated 520 grains) and share the bounty with the most unfortunate of our earthly brothers and sisters.

Many American mothers and grandmothers are getting the last minute foodstuffs for tomorrow's feast... while some mothers cry every night as they must chose which of their children will eat the next day... as they wonder if their children will all still be alive tomorrow.

Travel safe as you make your way home or to be with friends... Have a Happy Peaceful Thanksgiving folks!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

Go on... all the cool kids are doing it...

2007-11-20T06:41:00.000-05:00

We know stand at ... drum roll please!

2,628,006,040

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The Chicklet showed her English teacher who promptly sat down and whipped out 5 bowls of rice... hehehe!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

So many thanks...

2007-11-19T07:02:00.000-05:00

Dearest readers,

SMOOCH!

I'm a happy girl!

My daughter will take the link to Free Rice with her to school to her English (as a second language) teacher... she can't wait to share this with her.

I'm very proud of the folks I've come to call friends in the bloggosphere...

2,457,120,420 grains... Something more to be thankful for!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

People rock!

2007-11-16T06:15:00.000-05:00

To the dear wonderful people who have joined in with The Chicklet and I in our efforts to Feed the World...
(scroll down and find out what I'm going on about...)
My everlasting thanks!

The Chicklet donated 600 grains of rice yesterday and is extremely proud of herself! Not bad for a French Chick!

Update on the totals:

On 15 November 2007, 201,226,610 grains of rice were donated!

For a grand total of:

2,098,280,280

Keep it up guys!

Thanks to

Vince

Travis

Coco

Sueann

Turnbaby

Robin

Dana

Miss Maryfly (WOOO!)

Have you fed the World today?

Charles, I know you'll find five minutes.. and for a writer and all-round nice man, this should be just your cup of tea!

Sparkster, DUDE!... so... how many? Come on... You'll LOVE this game!

Whenever I feel a tad sad.. all y'all make me Happy!

Love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!

No lump of coal???

2007-11-14T20:59:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Vince decided to give me some bling… I wasn’t quite sure why, but I was flattered nonetheless. I mean, I’m a bad blogger.. I don’t keep my blog updated (like most airlines I lack sufficient staff to keep my flights running, staffed and on time – and don’t even get me started on the maintenance crew) and I don’t visit the lovely bloggers I’ve come to care about and appreciate who apparently are collecting miles and frequent flyer points anywhere nearly enough. I say it's because they like the in-flight movies (who said I'm a video monster?).

So he gave me one of those groovy globe-like things... the kind you shake and the snow falls… He got it from Mimi who got it from Santa himself (seriously, how cool is THAT!)

Isn't it pretty?

And I know all about snow! And zambonis... and snow angels... Okay sorry, I got distracted by the sparkly snow...

So… as Santa himself has said:

This award is for those who talk about and show the spirit of Christmas in their blogs.

What is the Spirit of Christmas you ask (believe me I wanted to ask)?

Quite simply it is those that have a generous and giving nature. Those who care about others. Those who have a kind word to say or a broad shoulder to lean on in the times that others need that. Those who display the "Spirit of Christmas".

I thought... me?

Christmas eh? Giving eh?

MOI? (That's French for me...)

So, I thought I would share something with you all… something wonderful that truly does exemplify giving back and making a difference in someone’s life.

Please click on this button (but wait til you finish reading okay?) ...

All it requires is that you take a quiz. Answer as many as you can correctly (I’m sure Santa will not frown on me for saying this: cheat for a good cause and use your dictionary when you get stumped along the way - really they won't mind!).. Visit as often as you like... sheesh, you'll even learn new words!

What am I babbling about?

Babble:
intransitive verb
1 a: to talk enthusiastically or excessively b: to utter meaningless or unintelligible sounds
2: to make sounds as though babbling
transitive verb
1: to utter in an incoherently or meaninglessly repetitious manner
2: to reveal by talk that is too free

You see, this link is about a truly outstanding project. It started on October 7th 2007. The basic premise is: for every answer you get right, sponsor companies will donate 10 grains of rice to feed the hungry through the United Nations World Food Programme.
In just over a month, people who have played the trivia (yes Turnbaby.. trivia!) have managed to earn 1,712,371,750 grains of rice. Imagine that!

UPDATE posted on the 15th of November: the total now stands at 1,897,053,670... just short of 2 BILLION folks...

If that doesn't make you jolly, you're in need of an intervention, or at the very least a hug because it must be lonely for you living in a cave with a lump of coal for a heart.

So go on, click and answer and do your part cause Vince is never going to make enough lasagna to feed the world...

Why bother?

Cynic:
A faultfinding captious critic; especially : one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest.

Well...

Apparently Vince promised tissues...

If you are one of my frequent flyers, you won't be surprised there are videos on this post. And since this is a part of my youth...

Go on folks.... Feed the World!

Oh.. come back and tell me how you did. It takes 100 grains of rice (10 correct answers) to fill one bowl and feed one person. So far, I've fed 25 people. And it's addictive. Go on... try it! UPDATE posted on November 15th: if we hit the 2 BILLION.. we (yes WE!) will provide 20 MILLION bowls of rice... it's a good start don't you think? If we get that much done in less than 40 days, IMAGINE the possibilities! Oh, and feel free to add it to your sidebar (very nice Vince, thanks!)

So... who do I give this award to?

My Soulsister Sue.. who exemplifies giving and providing a shoulder to lean on. Love you sweetie! Get your present here (just grab the code)

I love you all more than my luggage!
Hugs, smooches and gropes!