~ This post has been a work-in-progress for five days; I began writing it on Monday, Jan 26 ~
First off, belated Happy Birthday wishes to Duane, who turned thirtysomething on Saturday! We sent you a card, Duane, but I was too cheap to use Xpresspost (≈$10 for a card!!!), so look for it in the next day or three. (Update: Apparently the card showed up Wednesday. Maybe it's time to buy another scratch'n'win.)
Day 48 of the Ottawa Transit strike, although it's really affected me, personally, for only 21 days...it's long enough already. Stop the insanity. (Update: OK, so threatened with back-to-work legislation by the Feds the day after they brought forth the "budgie" - nod to Air Farce's Chrétien-inspired skits - the city and the union agreed to binding arbitration at day 51. The good news is that buses will return to the roads in a week or so; the bad news is that there will be service on select routes only. Transpo's site says it may take up to 14 weeks for full service to return. I try not to utter obscenities as a rule, but to that news my response can be nothing other than wtf?!)
It hasn't helped morale any that we've been getting some decidedly Manitoba-like temperatures, albeit not quite as cold. It just makes one want to run away. (Update: it's warmed up, but we've received snow which makes running, not to mention walking, a challenge.)
Speaking of running away, we are. We spent some time with a travel agent a few Saturday mornings ago (Jan 10), but ultimately decided that we're a little leery of the economic situation - yes, despite the skeptic in me that thinks the downturn operates analogously to a self-fulfilling prophecy that someone in the upper echelons dreams up. Realistically, we're not in a position to spend a week at a posh resort.
The Ottawa Citizen's Reb Stevenson captured our dilemma in the introductory sentence of his article, "Wwhat in the wworld is WWOOFing?" To recap, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is an organization whereby travellers enjoy free food and lodging in exchange for their help with chores, which can be "anything from weeding to harvesting to tending animals."
Enter Plan B: a telephone to James's snowbird parents in Texas. We actually booked our flights Jan 13, before the article appeared. I toss in that trivia to show how shrewd we are, how attuned to the collective unconscious.
Not sure about the weeding and harvesting--when we visited in Dec 2004 our chores consisted primarily of dishes and refilling jugs of water from the dispenser at the community hall--but tending animals is a possibility. My parents-in-law own a rambunctious male Shi Tzu puppy named Sasha (or possible Sacha, after Trudeau's son's nickname), and Sam, a gorgeous, aloof, ferocious, declawed cat, who is exceedingly discriminating in her affections (she loves brother-in-law Brian, who used to feed her, and my father-in-law, who feeds her now).
I'm not crazy about the pup, but I'm going to suck it up. What's a little woofing in exchange for some fun in the sun? And this time around, I am fortifying myself with vitamins, because there are few things less miserable than descending upon one's in-laws, 3000 km from home, with a raging sinus cold.
So while present circumstances may leave something to be desired, I'm content 'cause the countdown's on. We're "tweatin'" ourselves to a mini vacation. Two more weeks...and that's something to make a little noise about.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
no soup for me
It felt like a really, really, really long day.
I'm extremely thankful for my morning carpooling buddies who pick me up at 6am, but getting up at 5 is beginning to wear me down. This morning we got to the downtown parking lot at 6:35, and I reached the university by about 7:10. I don't mind the walk; it's rather refreshing. I had to wait for the Tim Horton's to open at 7:30. Met the student and a TA at 8am, then worked through a busy lab (i.e., lots of conversation) and a steady-paced lecture. With another 3-hour lab still ahead of me, I tell you, I was ready for lunch.
All I wanted was a simple bowl of soup--maybe cream of mushroom, broccoli, or leek & potato (mmm, that's my fave). I would have settled for what they call "garden vegetable medley," which is probably concocted from the leftover side dishes of the week before. (Right, Celina?) However, Le Snack in Marion Hall was serving something that looked like mostly watered-down beef consommé. So I girded up my loins and struck out for Faire Alimentaire at SITE. FA had two, count them, two chicken soups. Chicken Chowder and Chicken Rice or something like that. The point is they were both chicken broth based. The UO food service meatatarian soup nazis were obviously out to get me today. I didn't have the gumption to try my luck at the other Faire Alimentaire. (Fair indeed! I suppose the translation would be "to make food" or "to do food.") Good thing I had the foresight to get a Tim's donut and pack a few snacks.
I won't get into the details of the really, really, really long carpool ride home with a bunch of strangers (all university students), other than to say that fresh snow was falling as the driver-whose-first-language-is-definitely-not-English observed the posted speed limit and tailgated. And I was in the front passenger seat. Hitchhiking home is looking more and more like a viable option.
I'm extremely thankful for my morning carpooling buddies who pick me up at 6am, but getting up at 5 is beginning to wear me down. This morning we got to the downtown parking lot at 6:35, and I reached the university by about 7:10. I don't mind the walk; it's rather refreshing. I had to wait for the Tim Horton's to open at 7:30. Met the student and a TA at 8am, then worked through a busy lab (i.e., lots of conversation) and a steady-paced lecture. With another 3-hour lab still ahead of me, I tell you, I was ready for lunch.
All I wanted was a simple bowl of soup--maybe cream of mushroom, broccoli, or leek & potato (mmm, that's my fave). I would have settled for what they call "garden vegetable medley," which is probably concocted from the leftover side dishes of the week before. (Right, Celina?) However, Le Snack in Marion Hall was serving something that looked like mostly watered-down beef consommé. So I girded up my loins and struck out for Faire Alimentaire at SITE. FA had two, count them, two chicken soups. Chicken Chowder and Chicken Rice or something like that. The point is they were both chicken broth based. The UO food service meatatarian soup nazis were obviously out to get me today. I didn't have the gumption to try my luck at the other Faire Alimentaire. (Fair indeed! I suppose the translation would be "to make food" or "to do food.") Good thing I had the foresight to get a Tim's donut and pack a few snacks.
I won't get into the details of the really, really, really long carpool ride home with a bunch of strangers (all university students), other than to say that fresh snow was falling as the driver-whose-first-language-is-definitely-not-English observed the posted speed limit and tailgated. And I was in the front passenger seat. Hitchhiking home is looking more and more like a viable option.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
now that's class
Scoping out MetroNews, hoping for some confirmation on which way the striking bus drivers voted yesterday, I came across this gem (third paragraph from the bottom):
I wanted to link to the SNL "Obama: I keep it cool" sketch, but at some point Hulu took over the world and won't let anyone outside the U.S. download it (grumble, grumble). It's been removed from YouTube. It seems the Tinkernut has a work-around. I can't be bothered, however, because I don't want to download anything (a) that may interfere with my current access all over the place, and (b) I'm not certain that I can undo. The only alternative is to sit through Britethorn's commentary on the sketch for a non-copyright-infringing excerpt (at 0:50-1:28).
"I just want to thank the president for hosting us," Obama said. When a reporter asked Obama what he could learn from the mistakes of the four presidents surrounding him, he smiled and said he planned to learn from their successes. (emphasis mine)Smooth.
I wanted to link to the SNL "Obama: I keep it cool" sketch, but at some point Hulu took over the world and won't let anyone outside the U.S. download it (grumble, grumble). It's been removed from YouTube. It seems the Tinkernut has a work-around. I can't be bothered, however, because I don't want to download anything (a) that may interfere with my current access all over the place, and (b) I'm not certain that I can undo. The only alternative is to sit through Britethorn's commentary on the sketch for a non-copyright-infringing excerpt (at 0:50-1:28).
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year's Eve
Here's wishing you a warm, safe New Year's Eve, and the beginning to a fabulous 2009!
We enjoyed a quiet evening of Pepsi, pizza, Monty Python sketches and the "Final Flight" of Royal Canadian Air Farce on CBC. In the mid-1990s, I rarely missed a Friday night in front of the tube with Luba Goy, Don Ferguson, Roger Abbott, and John Morgan ("I'm Mike, from Canmore"). Ah, those were the days, my friends, those were the days.
Cheers!
We enjoyed a quiet evening of Pepsi, pizza, Monty Python sketches and the "Final Flight" of Royal Canadian Air Farce on CBC. In the mid-1990s, I rarely missed a Friday night in front of the tube with Luba Goy, Don Ferguson, Roger Abbott, and John Morgan ("I'm Mike, from Canmore"). Ah, those were the days, my friends, those were the days.
Cheers!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
bonus points
To point or not to point, that was the question.
Back in November, Shoppers Drug Mart sent a coupon informing me that (a) an acquisition of 1,965 more points by Dec 31 would promote me to Plus member status, and (b) if I were to purchase $150 worth of stuff before year's end, I would receive 15,000 Optimum points--which works out to $25. How warped is this idea "the more you spend, the more you save"? Math has never been my strong suit, but even I can figure out that when all is said and done, these calculations still mean that I'm down $125!
I used to think the Shoppers Optimum program was a devious marketing scheme, a huge, annoying conspiracy designed to hold up the cash lines as gullible members fished through their wallets for those blasted cards. I resisted until the fateful day that found me alone in line; in my weakened, solitary state, I was no match for the persuasive cashier. Only three or four years later, after I'd all but forgotten I was even collecting points, a cashier asked if I wanted to redeem points. Turned out I'd built up $55 worth of savings. Still consumeristic smoke-and-mirrors, but way less annoying.
The aforementioned coupon came close to finding itself recycled at least a dozen times. However, for some inexplicable reason, I couldn't part with it. Yesterday, when I began to tally up the items I needed, I realized they'd add up to approximately $100. Still cautious, I perused the online flyer. What to my wondering eyes should appear, but sale prices on Cetaphil, Coke & Pepsi, t.p., Swiffer refills! (insert cheer) The long and short of it: I caved.
Consequently, I'm part of the Optimum Plus crowd for a year. I doubt this will have much of an impact on life as I know it. Besides cluttering my inbox, I mean. I do think I've frequented Shoppers more here than in Winnipeg, because (a) it's a two-minute hike, (b) it's closer than Loblaws or Wal-Mart, and (c) the prices are comparable to those of the other stores. (I strongly suspected our Shoppers near Pembina & Markham of upping prices to offset the construction costs of its new digs.) Hmm, just to put checks in place on unnecessary spending, I'd better revisit The Story of Stuff and crack open Green for Life.
May your life be optimum regardless of the points you've accumulated.
Back in November, Shoppers Drug Mart sent a coupon informing me that (a) an acquisition of 1,965 more points by Dec 31 would promote me to Plus member status, and (b) if I were to purchase $150 worth of stuff before year's end, I would receive 15,000 Optimum points--which works out to $25. How warped is this idea "the more you spend, the more you save"? Math has never been my strong suit, but even I can figure out that when all is said and done, these calculations still mean that I'm down $125!
I used to think the Shoppers Optimum program was a devious marketing scheme, a huge, annoying conspiracy designed to hold up the cash lines as gullible members fished through their wallets for those blasted cards. I resisted until the fateful day that found me alone in line; in my weakened, solitary state, I was no match for the persuasive cashier. Only three or four years later, after I'd all but forgotten I was even collecting points, a cashier asked if I wanted to redeem points. Turned out I'd built up $55 worth of savings. Still consumeristic smoke-and-mirrors, but way less annoying.
The aforementioned coupon came close to finding itself recycled at least a dozen times. However, for some inexplicable reason, I couldn't part with it. Yesterday, when I began to tally up the items I needed, I realized they'd add up to approximately $100. Still cautious, I perused the online flyer. What to my wondering eyes should appear, but sale prices on Cetaphil, Coke & Pepsi, t.p., Swiffer refills! (insert cheer) The long and short of it: I caved.
Consequently, I'm part of the Optimum Plus crowd for a year. I doubt this will have much of an impact on life as I know it. Besides cluttering my inbox, I mean. I do think I've frequented Shoppers more here than in Winnipeg, because (a) it's a two-minute hike, (b) it's closer than Loblaws or Wal-Mart, and (c) the prices are comparable to those of the other stores. (I strongly suspected our Shoppers near Pembina & Markham of upping prices to offset the construction costs of its new digs.) Hmm, just to put checks in place on unnecessary spending, I'd better revisit The Story of Stuff and crack open Green for Life.
May your life be optimum regardless of the points you've accumulated.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
and the gifts just keep on coming
I know, I know, it's not about the gifts. Still, I really can't resist talking about the presents.
People tend to give the kind of gifts they'd like to receive. I remember my mom reading an article on that years ago, and I've found an interview online that corroborates that position, in which the interviewee remarks (about halfway through):
Yes, socks, undies, and sleepwear were on my wish list this year. And whaddya know, they were at the top of youlookfab's gift suggestions. Let me state for the record that I would never dream of giving such personal items to anyone other than my spouse. Fortunately for me, my hubba-hubba husband finally realizes that my family is on to something with the "select your own gift(s)" idea. Between Reitman's and Sears, I'm now covered. So is James: I bought a fleecy black robe to replace the green terrycloth one he's had ever since his first year in res at university. Since his mother bought it for him, I'm sure it was top-of-the-line. After all, it's held up for 18+ years and it sports a fancy crest that rests above the heart of the wearer (a touch of preppie). Yet I've always thought it screamed "playboy." Off with the old, on with the new. I was tempted to donate it to Goodwill before Christmas so that a hard-up church could use it for a shepherd costume, but I've decided to hang on to it just in case the new one doesn't measure up.
So, as I was starting to say, for the most part, we choose our own gifts. My parents generally give us money (it's easier to transport), and then something smaller (in size and price) for under the tree--so we can have something to unwrap. Perry usually gives us money as well. It's uncanny, though, how the presents James selects generally cost above and beyond any money he receives. For example, if he has $30 to spend, he buys an item that costs $50. So we decided that I must have been feeling pretty generous this year, because my parents and I chipped in to get him a DAC (digital to analog converter - it improves audio on CDs). For Perry's gift to him (I chipped in a bit once again), James bought Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows.
I've had a lot of fun picking out my gifts so far, and I'm not quite done yet! With the money from my parents, I purchased the two pillows for the couch (pictured in a previous post) at Linen Chest for $9.95 each--a great deal, and the best part is they are washable. Got the two blankets (pictured in previous post) on sale at Loblaws. Also have bought: t-shirt, sweater, set of 4 tumblers at Pier 1, 3 pairs of socks (I had already received another 3 pairs), 3 books, shelves (for basement storage), and body wash (Giovanni's "Raspberry Winter" - certified organic, so I hope I like it). Perry's gift consisted of two books and placecard holders from Michael's, which I'm using as photo card holders (they were all sold out of the latter, which were very similar in design).
It's been an extremely relaxing Christmas, since I haven't rushed about buying things for anyone but me. (Wow, that sounds selfish.) I haven't had to worry about the whole office party and gift exchange thing for a few years, and we narrowly escaped a small group function. I wish people would stop insisting on the "bring a $10 gift for the swap game"--especially since nobody I know really needs another snowman candy dish, vanilla tealight candle set, or pooping reindeer. My preference, and you can quote me on this, is that groups of "haves" forego the gift exchange and each contribute $10 towards a project from the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog, World Vision Gift Catalogue, or a local soup kitchen, toy drive, or other charity (e.g., Siloam Mission, Christmas Cheer Board). That will be my pre-Christmas challenge for next year.
Until then, I leave you with Pam Leo's article, "The Gift Every Child Really Wants." I especially appreciated her observation that
People tend to give the kind of gifts they'd like to receive. I remember my mom reading an article on that years ago, and I've found an interview online that corroborates that position, in which the interviewee remarks (about halfway through):
One of the big, big errors that I see most people make is that they give a gift that they themselves would like to receive, rather than selecting a gift from the perspective of the recipient.Maybe that explains (some) grandparents' proclivity to present their grandkids with underwear and socks at Christmas. I can remember when it used to disappoint me to receive socks; now I think they rock! Does that alone qualify me as over the hill? Geezerville, here I come. And for those still wanting to idle away holiday time...here's a message board with a spectrum of opinions on the "underwear as gifts" theme.
Yes, socks, undies, and sleepwear were on my wish list this year. And whaddya know, they were at the top of youlookfab's gift suggestions. Let me state for the record that I would never dream of giving such personal items to anyone other than my spouse. Fortunately for me, my hubba-hubba husband finally realizes that my family is on to something with the "select your own gift(s)" idea. Between Reitman's and Sears, I'm now covered. So is James: I bought a fleecy black robe to replace the green terrycloth one he's had ever since his first year in res at university. Since his mother bought it for him, I'm sure it was top-of-the-line. After all, it's held up for 18+ years and it sports a fancy crest that rests above the heart of the wearer (a touch of preppie). Yet I've always thought it screamed "playboy." Off with the old, on with the new. I was tempted to donate it to Goodwill before Christmas so that a hard-up church could use it for a shepherd costume, but I've decided to hang on to it just in case the new one doesn't measure up.
So, as I was starting to say, for the most part, we choose our own gifts. My parents generally give us money (it's easier to transport), and then something smaller (in size and price) for under the tree--so we can have something to unwrap. Perry usually gives us money as well. It's uncanny, though, how the presents James selects generally cost above and beyond any money he receives. For example, if he has $30 to spend, he buys an item that costs $50. So we decided that I must have been feeling pretty generous this year, because my parents and I chipped in to get him a DAC (digital to analog converter - it improves audio on CDs). For Perry's gift to him (I chipped in a bit once again), James bought Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows.
I've had a lot of fun picking out my gifts so far, and I'm not quite done yet! With the money from my parents, I purchased the two pillows for the couch (pictured in a previous post) at Linen Chest for $9.95 each--a great deal, and the best part is they are washable. Got the two blankets (pictured in previous post) on sale at Loblaws. Also have bought: t-shirt, sweater, set of 4 tumblers at Pier 1, 3 pairs of socks (I had already received another 3 pairs), 3 books, shelves (for basement storage), and body wash (Giovanni's "Raspberry Winter" - certified organic, so I hope I like it). Perry's gift consisted of two books and placecard holders from Michael's, which I'm using as photo card holders (they were all sold out of the latter, which were very similar in design).
It's been an extremely relaxing Christmas, since I haven't rushed about buying things for anyone but me. (Wow, that sounds selfish.) I haven't had to worry about the whole office party and gift exchange thing for a few years, and we narrowly escaped a small group function. I wish people would stop insisting on the "bring a $10 gift for the swap game"--especially since nobody I know really needs another snowman candy dish, vanilla tealight candle set, or pooping reindeer. My preference, and you can quote me on this, is that groups of "haves" forego the gift exchange and each contribute $10 towards a project from the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog, World Vision Gift Catalogue, or a local soup kitchen, toy drive, or other charity (e.g., Siloam Mission, Christmas Cheer Board). That will be my pre-Christmas challenge for next year.
Until then, I leave you with Pam Leo's article, "The Gift Every Child Really Wants." I especially appreciated her observation that
The people who really love us will still love us no matter what gifts we do or do not give them and whether or not we send greeting cards.Amen to that!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Having a Dickens of a Christmas*
* To kick off our Christmas season, we watched Sunday's broadcast of Church of the Rock on Global. Pastor Mark's message was entitled "Have a Dickens of a Christmas!" and wove together references to Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (aka "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), A Charlie Brown Christmas, throwing in the usual assortment of jokes, to discuss the true spirit of Christmas. So glad for that infant in the manger-turned-Savior!
Last night Dave & Ci & Nicole invited us to spend Christmas Eve with them. Good thing we didn't have supper proper beforehand, because there were finger foods galore, hors d'oeuvres vegetarian and non, a tourtière (meat pie), an Italian cauliflower dish, and a chocolate fondue to cap things off. Lara's pecan squares were delightful. (I should have tucked one away in my purse for a midnight snack.) I had meant to take the camera along, but forgot it. Their tree was decorated Martha Stewart-perfect, and all the gifts underneath matched! It's just as well I didn't take a picture, because it would have put our simple little construct to shame.
The fibre optic tree we purchased for $30 in July
from neighbors who moved to California
Today we slept in. James's parents phoned from Texas around 11am. Since we'd eaten breakfast late, we ate Christmas dinner (farmer sausage, potatoes, carrots, and three-bean salad - no dessert, unless you count the macaroons I ate straight from the freezer) around 2:30pm. James played Walle Larson's Christmas CD. We unwrapped our gifts and went for a walk around the block, to see what was open (Shoppers Drug Mart and Starbucks). Other than a few cars, all was quiet. We figure that the residents of Clearbrook Dr. must be the socialites; each driveway has 2 or 3 vehicles parked in it, while our street verges on complete and utter desertion. The roads and sidewalks are tricky at places, since the weather warmed up yesterday and Ottawa received rain in the late afternoon/evening. I've phoned my family and James phoned his (10 are gathered at his brother & sister-in-law's place). For the rest of the evening, we're planning to stay put, watching Christmas specials or Monty Python as we munch on leftovers or junk food. (I am resisting the temptation to bake cookies and buy chocolates, because we've both told ourselves and each other that we don't need the high caloric intake.)
Here are some photos of this afternoon, so that my Mom & Dad know what kind of great gifts they gave me.
t-shirt, sweater, two cushions on couch, two blankets
fleece hoodie inside - I mean, surprise!
Mr. Darth wanted in on the action; too bad it's my gift!
Curli expressing her unhappiness at the lack of presents
(sorry...Boxing Day...PetSmart...spongy balls)
"Hapy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
p.s. Have uploaded photos for vacation post below.
Last night Dave & Ci & Nicole invited us to spend Christmas Eve with them. Good thing we didn't have supper proper beforehand, because there were finger foods galore, hors d'oeuvres vegetarian and non, a tourtière (meat pie), an Italian cauliflower dish, and a chocolate fondue to cap things off. Lara's pecan squares were delightful. (I should have tucked one away in my purse for a midnight snack.) I had meant to take the camera along, but forgot it. Their tree was decorated Martha Stewart-perfect, and all the gifts underneath matched! It's just as well I didn't take a picture, because it would have put our simple little construct to shame.
The fibre optic tree we purchased for $30 in Julyfrom neighbors who moved to California
Today we slept in. James's parents phoned from Texas around 11am. Since we'd eaten breakfast late, we ate Christmas dinner (farmer sausage, potatoes, carrots, and three-bean salad - no dessert, unless you count the macaroons I ate straight from the freezer) around 2:30pm. James played Walle Larson's Christmas CD. We unwrapped our gifts and went for a walk around the block, to see what was open (Shoppers Drug Mart and Starbucks). Other than a few cars, all was quiet. We figure that the residents of Clearbrook Dr. must be the socialites; each driveway has 2 or 3 vehicles parked in it, while our street verges on complete and utter desertion. The roads and sidewalks are tricky at places, since the weather warmed up yesterday and Ottawa received rain in the late afternoon/evening. I've phoned my family and James phoned his (10 are gathered at his brother & sister-in-law's place). For the rest of the evening, we're planning to stay put, watching Christmas specials or Monty Python as we munch on leftovers or junk food. (I am resisting the temptation to bake cookies and buy chocolates, because we've both told ourselves and each other that we don't need the high caloric intake.)
Here are some photos of this afternoon, so that my Mom & Dad know what kind of great gifts they gave me.
t-shirt, sweater, two cushions on couch, two blankets
fleece hoodie inside - I mean, surprise!
Mr. Darth wanted in on the action; too bad it's my gift!
Curli expressing her unhappiness at the lack of presents(sorry...Boxing Day...PetSmart...spongy balls)
"Hapy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
p.s. Have uploaded photos for vacation post below.
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