Grace in Small Things #61

1. The power came on at 5:30pm.

2. It was warm enough to be outside today to kill time, waiting for it to come back.

3. Luckily, we were not in Saskatchewan with no power or heat. We'd be dead right now.

4. We made it home safe on the highway last night, unlike some other drivers.

5. Only my festival tent was damaged, and not our camper.

6. Might have a lead on another tent. Phew.

7. The dogs had fun frolicking in the massive amount of snow.

What is left of my event tent. :(

8. I had fun frolicking in the snow too. Especially after Smyrish shoveled a labyrinth for us to run in.

9. Even though it was a tough day, we are all safe and sound and drying off.

Summer Nostalgia

I'm just sitting here looking at pictures from summers gone by.......

......and all I have to say is, that if it doesn't warm up soon, I'm going to lose my ever lovin' mind!

Grace in Small Things #6

1. Even though I stayed up way too late for no reason, I feel rested today.

2. I think it helped that I got to hang out with Schmutzie and Pocket Buddha for a few minutes before I went to bed.

3. My brain is feeling creative, and I just might hit the craft store today.

4. I don't have to work today, or tomorrow. You "working-for-the-weekend" types may not understand why this is so wonderful, because you always get weekends off. I do not, and am grateful when I do.

5. Instructables is awesome, and just killed half of my morning.

6. There isn't much housework to do today. Phew!

7. I have lost another 4 pounds. So that totals 10 lost pounds in a month. Not that you can tell, but whatever.

8. Smyrish moved the cardboard out of the hallway.

9. It is not -50C today. At this moment, it is a summery -8C, and I am told it will warm up even more. Who wants to hit the beach?

10. My moccasins are my new best friend. Thank you, Knuckle Toes!

Crazy Bitch

I have mental problems. This is a self-diagnosis, mind you, but I believe it to be true.

I don't know what's up with me lately. Nothing seems to make me uber-happy or excited, and when I am feeling "up", I am constantly wondering when I'm going to start feeling down. I am ruining genuine, happy and scrappy moments, because of this gigantic raincloud over my head.

Maybe it's the rainy weather, or maybe it's the fact that I haven't been spending loads of time drinking beer in the sunshine like I did previous years, but I just don't have that summer joy running through my veins, as I usually do this time of year.

I spend all my time at home, or at work. I have acquired an incredibly dull morning routine at home, and actually pray that I will get called in to work most mornings, just for something different.

I normally enjoy being alone, to a certain extent. I think the current problem is though, that I've run out of things to do to fill my time. Everybody else works during the day, so they're busy. I have had limited computer access, it's too rainy to go for walks, and I've run out of ideas and motivation when it comes to cleaning, decorating and organizing the apartment. In the end, I wake up, make coffee, watch "What Not to Wear", followed by "Law & Order", eat lunch, wash dishes, have a cry, and play with the bunny as much as possible before he gets sent away. Sometimes, I shower, but only on those special days. Usually those are the days when the phone rings, and it is actually for me. I live the rock and roll lifestyle, yes I do.

I feel "out of the loop", lonely and bored the majority of the time, and don't even really care to do much about it. Sure, I could leave the house, and search out some familiar faces, but it's raining, and I'm broke, and the last few times I have ventured out, it's been the same ol' gossip and conversations, and I just end up getting tanked and saying something rude, just to change the subject. Which in turn makes me feel foolish, and I decide that maybe I shouldn't be out in public anyways. The shitty thing is though, that no money + no pub = no friends. And that's sad on a couple different levels.

Listen to me whine. Sheesh. Slap me if you feel like it, I won't blame you.

Things aren't really that bad. They sure as hell have been worse. And I'm not alone, I have the best boyfriend this girl could ever ask for, who is actually putting up with this mood, and doing his best to make it all okay.

It's just a funk, I hope. I'm sure once the sun comes back, and the annual camping trip draws near, and I get to keep some of my hard-earned money for once, things will start looking up, and I'll start cheering up.

This Springy Thingy

With this fresh layer of snow from last night, and the grey skies, it sure doesn't feel like Spring today, but officially, it is. And thank Jeebus for that. Winter was just one big pain in the butt.

Spring is my favorite of all the seasons. Socks and coats are no longer necessary, there are puddles to jump in and around, and everyone's mood and attitude changes from icky and negative to springy and positive.

Spring brings the promise of change and BBQ's and impromptu Frisbee games and pints in the sunshine, walks in the park and camping and suntans and beach days, pretty skirts and tank tops and boys playing football around the skateboarders in the street.

Life is good in the Spring.

Pig Spleen Guy's Son Predicted This Blizzard.

It is days like today, when I feel the need to thank my parents for making me grow up on a farm, and thank all the small town boys I hung out with as a teenager for teaching me how to drive on the snowiest, muddiest, ugliest grid roads in the world without getting stuck.

Why? Because I would be down right embarrassed if I didn't know how to drive through 3 feet of snow and ice, in blowing snow with zero visibility. It is a skill, that I have mastered and am grateful for. Especially on days like today, when I am forced to drive all around the city multiple times.

Pondering the Weather

Sometimes, I really have to wonder what made anyone want to settle here. Did their wagon lose a wheel half way to the coast, and they just thought, "Ah, fuck it, we'll deal."? Back in the day, this city was just a big mass of clay and dirt, not a tree for miles. Who in the world thought this was an ideal place to live? The old country must have been really, really bad, for this to look good.

I knew it was cold last night when I went to work. I figured it was around 40 below. The snow was blowing so badly, I couldn't see the streets, and I just prayed that nothing was in front of me as I plowed through. Half way there, a man was standing right in the frickin' middle of the road. Just standing there. I thought for a second that I should just run him over for being so incredibly stupid, but instead I just veered around him, and yelled "Dude! Get off the way!!!" as I drove by. When I got to work, I had to wonder what was up with him. Maybe he was frozen solid, and couldn't move. I somewhat hope that nobody smoked him off.

It was -53 degrees with the windchill this morning, when I started getting ready to send the ladies to work. I thought of keeping them home, but I figured, if I had to work, so did they. But seriously, how cold does it have to get before the city just issues a statement, tells everyone to make a quick run to the liquor store, and shuts the city down? Are there people out there that are really shopping today? Going to restaurants? The movies? If so, you're all fucking crazy.

Myself, I'm staying in. I'm putting on my pj's, crawling into bed, and staying there. Well, at least until shortly before midnight when I have to go back to work.

First Big Storm

You know you're from Saskatchewan when you leave the house in capri pants, ballet flats, and a sweater, and a few hours later, you're wishing you had a parka and boots on.

Thank goodness for my Safeway Club card. If it wasn't for that, I never would have been able to scrape all the ice and snow off my car windows when it was time to drive home after work.