I Need Another Few Days - This Weekend was too Busy!

Wow - It's Sunday evening, and I'm exhausted! Friday evening, Vaughn, Amy & her friend & I went to the annual 'Kids Forever' fundraiser - a benefit for children with special needs. Amazingly, they raised $305 000.00 this year!!! It was a great night, as always:

Sorry - I can't be serious all the time....Who am I kidding - I can't even be serious half the time.

Saturday was my baby girl's 21st birthday! However, because she wasn't awake yet, my girlfriend, Jayne & I went and got our tattoos. Because we were so in love with Amy's, we actually both chose getting our husband's initials on our wrists. As panicky as I was, it was surprisingly not that bad.

Saturday evening Amy had a bunch of friends over for birthday cake and fancy slushie drinks. Her requested cake this year was fruit pizza, so, what my girl wants - my girl gets.

Adam's school's Drama Club is performing 'Cats' this winter and he auditioned this week and will be playing the role of Skimbleshanks, so, rehearsals started this afternoon. I dropped him off, and then proceeded to meet Kare at the dog park - lots of fun! Then the usual Sunday activity....grocery shopping. After getting home and finally getting everything put away, I slumped on the couch & went into a coma for about a half hour, until it was time to pick Adam up. I think it'll be an early night tonight. I'm only staying up long enough to see if Britney Spears makes a fool of herself on the VMAs tonight.

Have a good evening, everyone. Peace.

My Week.

Holy shit - how busy was this week? I guess it's all the craziness with getting back into the swing of things with Adam back in school. Here's a pic on his 1st day:

It's Amy's 21st birthday on Saturday, but her friend Benjamin (remember him from last year?) had to leave last Sunday, so we had a 'Bon Voyage Ben/Amy's Faux Birthday' celebration last weekend so he wouldn't miss it. I wasn't crazy about the boy last year, but I'll bite the bullet and actually admit that I love that kid. He's a sweet guy who absolutely adores Amy. Isn't that all that matters? Here are some pics:

As well, Amy got a portion of her present today - She & my father (she calls him 'Poppy') have a bond like no other - In his eyes, she can do no wrong (rolling eyes), and in her eyes, he walks on water. So....in honor of him, this is what she got this afternoon:

My Father cried. The guy did an amazing job - so well, in fact, I've decided to get another tattoo by him on Saturday, even though I swore that my last one was definitely my last one.

Netter & DH, it took a while, but your presents were mailed today - Nett, they told me that the dog sled should be mushing it's way out of the Post Office Igloo soon and you should receive it in about 10 days. ;o) DH, even though they stuck a ton of 'Fragile' stickers on yours, I'm crossing my fingers that it gets to you in one piece. Let me know when you both get them, k?

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

Drum Roll Please....

Okay everyone - here's the situation. Last night I drew a name out of the 'name bucket', and, I couldn't get the thought out of my mind on how there are certain people that read my blog that have impacted me in some way or another....

So, when Amy came home this morning & jumped in bed with me, we started talking, and we were laughing about what kind of presents I would give certain people that reminded me of them... So here it goes...

In addition to the person whose name I picked, Amy had a favorite and an idea of what to get this person. As well, I had someone in mind. So - here are the 3 that I need addresses from:

Dan
Desperate Housewife
Netter

Nothing creepy, I promise. hahahahah

darlene_z@hotmail.com

Hey all - sorry about not blogging since last week, but the plague has overcome me. By Saturday I was feeling not too bad, but woke up with the most terrible migraine on Sunday that kept me bedridden until Monday night. Since then, I've been chauffeured around by Vaughn because I feel like I'm just not up to tackling anything yet.

On the downside, our holidays started Friday & we were supposed to leave town Saturday. The weather has been pretty shitty so me being sick was kind of a bonus. We really couldn't go boating in the rain anyway. On the upside, much to everyone's disbelief, I'm glad I got sick while I have time booked off of work - I absolutely HATE calling in sick, and take extreme offence to anyone that does. Is that wrong? Probably, but whatever.

It was Porkchop's 3rd birthday on Saturday, and I've got some great pics to add, but Vaughn bought me a new camera, so I've got to get him to load the software onto the computer.

ANYWAY.........Tomorrow's the end of the month, therefore I'll be drawing for the prize probably tonight. I'm thinking that we'll leave to go out of town tomorrow for a day or two before Adam starts back at school. I'll post the winner!!!!

Have a great day everyone! Peace.

Grad 2009

Today was school registration - once a year it's the most chaotic, unorganized event. Why is it that we cannot confirm registration online? Why is it that we have to wait in line for almost two hours to get the school schedule, then another line for payment, then another line for lockers, another line for bus passes and, last but not least, the photo lineup. This prehistoric way of registration is only in high school, and I've been standing in these lines once a year since 1999. I swear I wanted to be shot - until it hit me...Next year will be the last time I ever have to wait in these lines again. My baby will be graduating next year. My eyes instantly welled up with tears. All Adam could do was roll his eyes, chuckle, and say, "God, Mom! I can't take you anywhere!" Where in the heck did the time go?

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

Things I Learn as I Get Older

I've been told that you should learn a new thing every day - that with every experience, whether good or bad, you should take something away from it and categorize it as a learning experience. Well, today, this is what I've learned:
Never - and I repeat never put a handful (approximately a dozen) Milk Duds in your mouth all at the one time while you're driving. Not only does the sugar rush bring on a coughing fit, but the caramel doesn't dissolve and you end up with a chewy wad about the size of a golf ball in your mouth. You then finally realize that you have one of two options:

1) Spit the gob onto your lap.
2) Swallow

I attempted #2.

Today I learned that it is impossible to give yourself the Heimlich maneuver while driving.


Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

As usual, the weekend just wasn't long enough - however, it was very relaxing and enjoyable. Today was back to work, and crazy busy.

I'm proud of one accomplishment, though. I've been talking that I need to do something. Something other than my job & housey/wifey things. So, I went to the college after work today and registered for creative writing classes. It's probably fluff, but I'm pretty pumped. This should be a hoot.

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

p.s. I can't get on sue, dan, or librarian's blogs.... What's up with that?

What I'm Reading

I noticed Amy reading this last week, and she was unable to put it down. So, as I'm in the process of reading a book that I'm having a hard time getting into, she suggested I take a break from it and give this one a shot. I've only just started it, but I'm enjoying it already. However, I have a feeling that I may shed a tear or two...

Madness??? This...Is...Sparta!!!

I'm a 'chick-flick' type of girl. Sure, when I was younger, I spent many an evening at the movie theatre watching horror - the scarier the better. I think I've outgrown that somewhat, but a little creepy is always good. I also love kid's movies - I even spent time wondering what I was going to do when my children finally grew up and I had no one to take to these movies - I often joked that I would have to rent a child just so I would have someone to go with. As well, I'm a lover of 'fluff' - you know, "Van Wilder", "Napoleon Dynamite", and stupid comedies like that. My kids and I will blurt out quotes from these movies at any given time and laugh our asses off - even if it's been months or years since we've seen the actual movie.

There are certain types of movies, however, that I don't like - anything that has to do with gladiators, any extreme ridiculous violence (vampire movies excluded). There's tasteful violence and then it borders on the line of absurd. I mean, "The Blair Witch Project" was insane good, and there wasn't one ounce of bloodshed in the entire movie. My son? Well, he's not like that. He's a huge "Star Wars" fan. Even at 3 years old, he would sit watching the old movies, with his light saber in one hand and his Darth Vader helmet on his head. I didn't get it at all - So when George Lucas decided to make 3 prequels to the trilogy, I shuddered to think that I would have to spend time at the theatre watching these, all the while, trying to stay awake. Let me just say, that after "Episode 1", I was hooked. I'm a huge sucker for a love story, and I'll pick it out & embrace it. I was enchanted by Anikin's love for Padme, and that got me to the movies - waiting in line for hours, and I was a "Star Wars" fan after all.

When the previews came out for "300", Adam was stoked. I adamantly refused to go see it, even to the point when I dropped him & his friend at the theatre to see it, and I was informed that because it was rated 18A, I had to actually go in with them, I told them to pick another movie or we were leaving. Despite all the great reviews it received, there was no way I was even going to consider it. The trailers made it look extremely violent, and plotless. So, Adam waited for it to come on DVD, and, as promised, I bought it for him on the 1st day it was released.

Just this past weekend, he was talking about it to me, so, out of curiosity, I asked him to give me a brief synopsis of the film. Much to my surprise, it had a very interesting story - as well, King Leonidas (the main character) had a wife that he adored. Wow! There's a bit of a love story! So, I figured, 'what the heck', and I sat down and watched it with him. All I can say is, holy shit - the movie was amazing. It completely captured my attention - I will be the 1st to say that I was totally wrong. I don't think it's changed my taste in movies at all, but this went above and beyond the realm of anything I was ever interested in before. I think I'll be quoting this movie for a long time. "Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in Hell!" Soooo good!

Have a great day, everyone. Peace

I want a Do-Over

Vaughn & I were invited to a wedding Saturday night. After the ceremony, we were sitting with a couple and his wife started to reminisce about her wedding. That got me thinking about mine. You see, I hated my wedding, but before I get into the reasons why, let me explain my courtship with Vaughn.

Vaughn and I dated for almost 3 years before we got married. I don't know what it was about him, but, from the first date, we just knew. We loved each other right from day one, and we knew that eventually we'd get married. However, there were obstacles that prevented us from rushing into the wedding. From the very beginning, my Father hated Vaughn. I know you may think that I'm over-reacting. I mean, how could a parent despise a man that was obviously making his daughter so happy? Well, I'm sure he had his reasons - one of them being that he wasn't rich. He was a student at the time without a steady income. At one point, early into our relationship, my dad actually met him at the door and started screaming that if Vaughn was ever to show up at our house again, people would find pieces of him all across our city. I'm serious.

Despite this, Vaughn stood his ground and we eventually got engaged. The planning of the wedding was a nightmare. Every girl dreams of their wedding day, and I was not the exception. I brought my mother to see the dress that I had fallen in love with, and when I tried it on, she started to cry - you see, I'm the only girl & my mom assumed that she would make my wedding dress. She swore that it would look just like my dream dress (big mistake), because when the material finally showed up (3 weeks before the wedding), it was the wrong color and the wrong fabric. I've always had this idea of having this amazing wedding cake, and when I sent my mom to order it (mistake #2) with specific instructions on what I wanted, she assured me that it was exactly what she ordered. When I picked it up the night before the wedding, it was the wrong shape, the wrong color and the wrong size. When I brought it up with mom, she simply said that she thought the one she ordered was nicer.

I wanted a small wedding, so we decided on a few witnesses and our immediate family. What it ended up being was 110 people & the only ones that were our friends were in our wedding party. Another obstacle was the fact that my parents are Catholic and Vaughn's are Baptist. This was the biggest nightmare. My parents wouldn't go if it was in the Baptist church and Vaughn's parents didn't want it in the Catholic church - we resolved this by not taking anyone's side and getting married in the atrium at a hotel by a Justice of the Peace. Being Baptists, Vaughn's parents also refused to attend if there was dancing and alcohol. Excuse me??? My family is Catholic. We drink. A lot. So, I had to give up the dream of our 'first dance', but had to draw the line on the alcohol.

I have this picture in our wedding album where my dad is walking me down the aisle - I have this 'deer-in-the-headlights' look on my face, and you can tell that dad is talking to me. What everyone didn't know was that, at that very second, dad was trying to talk me out of marrying Vaughn. Seriously.

Needless to say, the reception was insane - I was drunk in the matter of a few hours, and we left at 8:15pm, without saying goodbye to anyone. I realized, on my way out that I hadn't even thrown the bouquet or Vaughn hadn't removed my garter, so, I hiked up my dress, gave the garter to a guy sitting at his table and handed the bouquet to my cousin.

Almost 18 years have passed. It took a very very long time, but my father finally accepted Vaughn. There are far too many stories that I wouldn't bother boring you with, but, I like to think that he finally realized that I married a man that loves me more than anything. He treats me with more respect that I probably even deserve.

Wow - I think I needed this venting session about my wedding - Thank God that it wasn't a prelude to my marriage, because, as unhappy as I was on my wedding day, every day since has been the exact opposite. The wedding day wasn't much of a celebration, but every year, we celebrate the day we started our life together. And we are happy.

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

I'm thinking I'm letting my stress consume me. I assumed that my 'sanity day' yesterday would calm me down enough to get back to work with my mind working more clearly, and maybe my bitchiness having passed.

I did accomplish a few things off my list yesterday...The bananas are now loaves & muffins:

And even though I waited until the very last minute possible, I even managed to make spaghetti for dinner:

The suitcase is still on my floor, but I've decided that since we're going on holidays again in a few weeks, it's only logical to leave it there now - why go through the trouble of putting it all the way under the stairs when it'll only have to be dragged out again? I just love the way I rationalize things sometimes.

Back to my mood - I think today must have been the absolute worst day at work. I could actually visualize myself flailing my arms wildly and screaming to the top of my lungs. Luckily for everyone, I kept these thoughts to myself, and left as soon as I could. I picked up my daughter at work and we went to visit her girlfriend who just had twin boys yesterday. It changed me completely. I held one of the babies & all of my anger diminished. It's amazing how the innocence of a little child can bring us back to our senses and make us realize that shit happens, and we really need to reevaluate our priorities every once in awhile. Did it make me want another baby? Did my maternal instinct kick in? Not even one bit. However, if it had been a litter of puppies, I would have definitely brought every single one of them home.

Vaughn has been great, and I guess a little worried about how stressed I've been, because when I walked in the door this evening, this is what was on the table:

I'm very blessed - however, a gallon of Almond M&M's would have done the trick too. ;o)

Here's hoping that tomorrow is better...*crossing fingers*

Have a great evening, everyone. Peace.

Do you ever find that your life is so busy, that at the end of the day, you don't look at what you've accomplished - instead you beat yourself up at the things that you forgot to do? When I took this job a few years ago, I couldn't believe the luck I had, working Monday to Thursday til 2:30pm and Fridays til noon, and no holidays. I could finally be somewhat domestic! Things would get done around the house, and I wouldn't feel like my days off consisted of nothing more than cleaning & laundry. This lasted for about a month. Even though my day begins at 5:20am, there still never seems to be enough hours in the day to get to everything.

I was looking forward to this past weekend. It was a long weekend, and I figured I could devote one whole day to housecleaning/laundry & then I'd have two days of just enjoyment. I don't know what it's like in your house, but when the entire family is home (especially the husband), it seems as if all plans are thrown out the window. Monday night came, the house was still a mess, and I had to be back to work the next day.

Because I'm doing a favor for my manager in the next few days, she suggested that I take today as a "Personal Day" (which I like to refer to as a 'sanity day') Wow! A day in the middle of the week! My husband would be at work, the kids would be doing their thing, and I would be alone! My mind started racing at all the opportunities that this day had in store for me. The possibilities were endless! So, being given this unexpected gift, I started making mental notes as to how I would spend this glorious time. This what I came up with:

1) Make muffins out of the bananas that are about to start a mutiny on the counter
2) Change bedding & finally unpack the suitcase that's been in the bedroom for 2 weeks
3) Attack the 4 foot mountain of laundry
4) Dust furniture, because it looks like potatoes could grow in places
5) Clean floors & bathrooms
6) Cook a nice dinner

So, that's the plan....In reality, here's how I'm assuming my day will unfold:

1) Make muffins (yes, I really think I'll do this)
2) Decide that the bedding can wait until the weekend and walk out of the bedroom, tripping over the suitcase on the way out
3) Play a few games on pogo.com
4) Start to fold one load of laundry while watching the cooking channel & decide that it's a 'me' day, so have a much deserved nap
5) Realize at 4:30 that nothing was taken out for dinner, and order pizza

Hey, at least I'm being realistic.

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

I'm Back..........

Okay, so it's been a million years since I posted last.... I promised Netter that I'd start blogging again, but as I look back at the past 3-4 months, I've realized that nothing has been going on in my life that would be considered 'blog worthy'.

I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, drinking way too much coffee & reading a lot. By the way - I loved the last Harry Potter book. I have taken a small oath this past weekend that no matter how boring I think my life is, I will blog nomatter what.

I've decided, in following Netter's lead, I will put on a contest. For every comment I receive, your name will be put into a jar & I will draw at the end of this month. For those of you who have been patient, I promise I'll make it worth your while. ;o)

Thanks again for your patience with me. Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

p.s. If anyone gets the chance, read the book "Lovely Bones". Kare bought it for me. It was amazing.

Vaughn left for Edmonton this morning to pick up his boat - However, I didn't go with him because I've been sitting in front of the computer with a cup of coffee since 8:45am, waiting until 10:00am to buy the Bon Jovi tickets....

Starting at 9:45, my hands started to shake....(too much coffee, perhaps?) I was in a panic, so I sat here for 15 minutes and started pressing the 'refresh' button until 10. It worked - I'VE GOT THE TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is going to be a good day!

Do I Qualify for a Car Sticker?

I was okay when I had my uterus removed at 30 - I mean, not exactly okay, but I figured it was useless after I stopped having kids anyway. Who actually misses the monthly 'gift that keeps on giving'? I was even okay when I had my fallopian tubes removed 6 months ago. I even found it humorous - wondering what my ovaries were up to now that they were no longer attached to anything.

The doctors told me 9 years ago, that I would still experience hormonal changes every month, however, that would be it. I still have PMS in a bad way, but it leads up to nothing. For approximately one week a month, I become bipolar. The first few days (stage 1), I experience euphoric bliss. I'm like a dog in heat (this is the few days that are Vaughn's favorite) - everything is right in the world, as I have no worries at all. I am a happy camper.... Then something triggers the sadness (stage 2) - I don't know what it is, but I cry at everything - it can be a commercial, 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', or even a call from a telemarketer. At this stage, I am inconsolable. All of a sudden, the anger will creep up (stage 3). When this happens, it's every man for himself. I will threaten to quit my job, I will throw random objects across the room, and I have even been known to wake Vaughn up in the middle of a deep sleep just to pick a fight.

Just a few weeks ago, I hit 'stage 1' when my washing machine died - To me, at that time, I thought this was the funniest thing in the world. It was okay because I still had clean clothes, and that I was waiting until the weekend to get a new one. However, when the weekend rolled around, 'stage 2' reared it's ugly head. When Vaughn called Sears to order the washing machine that I wanted, we were told that it would take 5 days to arrive. This was all it took - I curled up in bed, threw the covers over my head and sobbed like a child. He tried to console me, and when he asked why I was crying, I whimpered, "The washer is broken, I have dirty clothes everywhere, I'm fat and I'm getting old!" My poor husband. He took me down and got me the washing machine that day.

We've learned to live with this - it's not a fun way to live, but what can you do, right? I have not, however, learned how to deal with early menopause. It's started - I wake up at least twice a night with hot flashes, I'm slowly acquiring more junk in my trunk, and I'm craving mid-morning naps - and the busy signal at my doctor's office all day yesterday made me want to purchase a gun.

I hate getting old. This sucks. Big time.

Have a great day everyone. Peace.

Vaughn picked me up from work today for lunch. As I was sitting at my table, I was looking out the window, marveling at how quickly the snow is melting. Right in front of my eyes, a homeless man bent down and picked up a cigarette butt off the ground. He brushed the dirt off of it, lit it and looked at me. I almost threw up.

I hope everyone has a Happy Easter! I, myself, being born into the Catholic religion, am beyond excited. You see, much to my mother's disapproval, I'm not a believer of organized religion, however there are a few things I've carried with me. One of them is Lent. So, for 39 days, I have given up chocolate covered almonds, macadamia nuts & caramels. God bless my husband - he bought an entire case from a girl that was fundraising just so I'd have them on Easter morning. So, lets talk about how much weight I'm going to gain tomorrow, shall we??

Hope the easter bunny leaves chocolate for everyone! Have a great weekend! Peace.

Jumping on the M&M Bandwagon

Well, I noticed that cris and brandy tried this, so I figured it was worth a shot. Funny, I actually look NOTHING like this (aside from the coffee cup always in my hand!) ahaha Lots of fun!

So, my husband and I are off on another road trip tomorrow - this is just a day one, so it should be okay. He's in the process of looking at a boat to purchase, and the one he's interested in is 3 hours away. Don't even bother to ask what kind of boat or anything specific, as I'm not 'down with the boat lingo' & I'm not the boat type - heck, I'm especially not the outdoorsy type when it comes to the summertime. I'm deathly afraid of insects, but this is something he's wanted for so long, so I'm happy he's able to do it. I will, however, jump on board if there's a possibility that I can wear a captain's hat...

So, I go into the bank this afternoon to get a certified cheque for this ocean liner that Vaughn is thinking about getting. I walk up to the teller, swipe my bank card and tell her that I'd like to get a cheque for an insane amount of money. So, she just looks at the computer screen, says, "No problem", prints out the cheque & hands it to me. When she asks if there was anything else I needed, I told her that my bank card has been giving me a problem, as the swipey bar on the back is wearing out - could I get a new one? Do you know what she said???? "Sure, but I'll have to see 2 pieces of ID". Excuse me???? She just handed me a cheque for thousands of dollars without even verifying that it was my account. Anyone could have walked in off the street with my card & cleaned me out... Friggin' idiot. I started yelling at her, and all she could say was "It's procedure"...At least that's what I think she said - she could hardly speak English, and when I yelled for an interpreter, there were none available. ;o)

Have a great evening, everyone! Peace.

Have a Nice Day

It's amazing how many good things can happen on a day off. It started out yesterday when the manager at Starbucks told me that this morning they would be introducing a new beverage - she's aware of my love affair with caramel, so she told me that this morning, my new experience would be on the house. It's called Dulce de Leche Latte which has something to do with 'caramel milk', and, with the toffee bits sprinkled over the top, I can honestly say it was absolutely divine.

I had a relaxing day at home - got laundry done, and proceeded to go to my bi-weekly nail appointment, when I heard my daughter scream from upstairs. Bon Jovi will be playing in Calgary in July and tickets will be going on sale next week!!! I had to call my husband right away:

Me: Honey!!! Tickets go on sale next week for Bon Jovi!!! Oh My God! Oh My God!!!

Vaughn: Okay.... So, I take it you want to go?

Me: It's Bon Jovi!!! I'd mush Porkchop to see them!!!!

Vaughn: You've said this about other concerts.

Me: Oh My God!!! I've be waiting for this concert!!!

Vaughn: You've been waiting for other concerts too...Want me to name some?

Me: I'm hanging up now.

Clearly the man has no excitement in his veins....This is probably why I'd go with Amy. So, next week, I'll have me, Vaughn & Adam trying for tickets online while Amy tackles the phone lines.

This will be fun - way fun.

Have a great evening, everyone! Peace.

Ice Ice Baby

I had extra time before work this morning, so I thought it would be a good time to drop into Kare's place to bring her some of the dessert I had made yesterday for Vaughn's birthday. It's always nice to spend time with her - even if it's only a minute or two.

Everything was going fine until I parked on the street in front of her house and walked behind her car. You know how it is when you're slipping and everything proceeds in what feels like slow motion? You can feel yourself slip, so you begin to fight the fall - your arms start to flail, and your legs start to do the splits.... Well, there was none of that. It was like I was walking normally, and all of a sudden 'whoosh'! - I was flat on my back on the side of the road. The next thing I saw was Kare running down her snow-covered driveway with only socks on her feet, yelling, "Oh my God!"...As I got up to walk towards her, she was convinced that I was hurt. When I told her I was fine, she then told me that I was in shock.

So, I've had the day to think about this, and every time it crosses my mind, I burst into a fit of laughter. Kare figures I've hit my head too hard, but I seriously think that this would have been something so hilarious if it had been videotaped - even though, this evening I kind of feel like I'd been hit by a small vehicle. If you had only seen the look on Kare's face...That was funnier than the fact that I spent 1/2 the day at work with the entire ass of my pants soaking wet.

Kare, if I'm gonna kill myself in front of anyone's house, I'd pick yours. I just love you that much. ;o)

On a lighter note, she gave me the cutest chicken!

What an interesting, entertaining way to start the week...Even better, I managed to finagle tomorrow off work! Yay me!

Have a wonderful evening, everyone! Peace.

Another Happy Birthday!

Well, it's always a busy few weeks around Easter in the House of Madame Z - Adam's birthday was 4 days ago & it's Vaughn's birthday today. It's not only busy, but expensive. Vaughn treated himself to a new truck a few weeks ago, and just 2 days ago, my washing machine decided to die........all over the laundry room....... But, on a lighter note, I bought him a new front-load washing machine for his birthday!

We had a great evening last night, went out with friends of ours to a fundraiser dinner & listened to some great big-band music. Vaughn even agreed (finally) to take ballroom dancing lessons! This morning we went out for a great Sunday brunch, & I made Vaughn his favorite dessert - Sex in a Pan.

All in all it was a very lovely weekend, aside from giving my 10yr old washer a proper burial.

Have a great evening, everyone. Peace.

X-Rated Birthday

It's my baby boy's 16th birthday today!

I always try to make an 'event' out of everything. I spend a lot of time planning & the birthday cake is always so important. I did, over the past years, make a lot of the kid's cakes, but for awhile, found an unbelievable caterer who made the most amazing cakes. One year, when Adam was into Titanic, this lady actually made a 3 dimensional Titanic with the lifeboats & everything sailing into an iceberg made out of marshmallow cream. She's made a life-size computer, complete with keyboard, mouse & monitor for Vaughn once. However, her catering business took off & birthday cakes just didn't fit into her time frame anymore.

I love to make cakes - I love to plan parties. Unfortunately, this year, Adam didn't really want one. He just wanted the family, so I planned his birthday cake & dinner for just the 4 of us. So, last evening I decided to get the baking done. To make a long story short, the cake fell apart when I was taking it out of the pan. It was time for Plan B.

After our annual birthday breakfast before school, I dropped into the bakery of our grocery store. All of the pre-made cakes were covered in icing flowers. When I explained the predicament to the baker, I told her that I wanted a boy's cake. She told me that it was no problem at all - she would have a 'boy's cake' ready by the time he was out of school.

So, after Adam's favorite dinner of pizza & wings:

I proceeded to bring the cake to the table. Vaughn and Amy looked at it & started to laugh. I didn't know what was so funny, until Vaughn pointed out the yellow icing on the cake:

It was shaped like a penis. All I wanted was a 'boy's cake' - Not a cake with boy parts on it. It's no wonder after Adam made a wish & I told him to 'blow', Amy & Vaughn couldn't contain their laughter.

All in all, it was a fun and humorous night - one that won't soon be forgotten!

Have a great evening, everyone. Peace.

What happened to me????

Okay - seriously.... I think I have lost my blogger mojo. Usually when something interesting happens in my life, all I can think of is 'Oh God, I have to blog about this!' - but nothing. I really think I've totally lost my groove.

I figured I'd post about a few things that have happened in the past while because I am so out of the loop - I haven't even been on the computer for about 3 weeks, so I'll be spending the entire evening tomorrow catching up on everyone's lives.... Sorry guys... :o(

Vaughn and I finally had our 'Valentine's Day' a few weeks ago.... He took me to an amazing restaurant, had an amazing dinner. All so absolutely wonderful. He's feeling great - so great I can't even believe it. I've got my husband back! He also got me a new table & chairs that I had been oogling over for the past few months:

When I say 'oogling', I wasn't kidding. Every time this poor man walked into the living room, I would grab the catalogue and flip right to the page & oogle. So, it really came as no surprise to anyone that knows me, that when it was finally all put together, I decided I wasn't crazy about it. But, like I've always said, nothing is permanent.... I can bet the farm that I'll be oogling again over another table before you know it. I know this makes me sound like a terrible bitch, but I'm really not! I have a really hard time spending insane amounts of money on anything in my life, probably for the one reason that I crave change. I love him to death for getting it for me, and I'll love him even more when he buys me another one. Seriously, folks....It's cute....for now....

Amy invited me out for coffee this evening, which was great. We talk every day since she's moved out, and I feel the need to casually invite her over for dinner or drop down to her house just so I can bring her 'care packages'. We had an interesting conversation this evening, though...You see, Amy lives with a lesbian. Amy herself isn't one, even though she's being teased to death about it... This is how it went:

Amy: The more I think about it, the more I don't get it. I can understand guys being gay, but girls? Don't they ever just want sex? I mean, all they have to ever look forward to is a lifetime of foreplay.

Me: I know what you mean! It's kinda like getting ready to eat and knowing that for the rest of your life all you can have is appetizers. Sometimes I want more than just spinach dip.

Amy: I agree! There are just times when you need more than a starter salad...

You get the gist..... Our conversations sometimes draw stares from others, but it's nice to know that someone else is on the same wavelength as me...

My baby boy turns 16 on Tuesday! Where on earth did the time go?

I'll try to post more, I promise - and I'll be catching up on all of your lives tomorrow...

Have a great evening, everyone! Peace

I love coffee. I love art. I love coffee art.

Have a wonderful day, everyone. Peace.

My Daily Rant

I used to love 'American Idol' - back in the day, I would plan my evenings around it. One day, however, it all came to a sudden halt.

In season 4, they had a contestant named Constantine. Normally I think Paula Abdul is a total nut-job, but I was totally on her side for my big huge girlie-crush on this man. When he'd sing, I would actually giggle & blush like a little school girl. Was he a great singer? Not particularly - but what a performer. He'd seduce the camera, with his 'sly-as-a-fox' grin and his 'come hither' eyes. I'd like to say that I'm not an animated person, but the night he got kicked off, I threw the remote at the wall and screamed, "This isn't a competition! It's a goddamn personality contest! This stupid-assed show is rigged! Why don't they let us f***ing Canadians vote? At least we've got some kind of f***ing clue as to what f***ing talent is! Stupid piece of shit show!" My husband, very dryly, looked at me and said, "C'mon honey, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel". I was in no mood for sarcasm. I vowed never to watch it again.

Amanda is a total "American Idol' junkie. All last season, all I heard about was Chris Daughtry. It drove her crazy that I didn't watch the show and she had nobody to talk about it with. It drove me even more crazy, because I was boycotting it. So, I promised her that I would watch it this time - just so she could share her enthusiasm or disappointment with someone.

So, here I am - having just finished watching the elimination show, and I'm totally bewildered. Seriously, they call Simon, Paula & Randy (whom I despise with an infinite passion) judges. They're not judges!!!! They are simply people who sit there and give their opinions every week. They have no say as to who stays and who doesn't.

Why aren't Canadians allowed to vote??? I'm 1 month into this show and I can feel my remote-holding hand start to shake. They're eliminating some real talent & they're keeping some really awful singers who are clearly out of their league. I wish I hadn't started watching now, but now I can't stop... Amanda, I'm so mad at you.

Have a great evening, everyone. Peace.

Now What???

They say all good things must come to an end. I remember the last episode of 'Seinfeld'. I remember when Taco Time stopped making jalapeno onion rings. I remember when Cover Girl stopped making 'Apple Butter' lipstick.



Today will be a day I will always remember, as well....

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry - to be grateful for the 94 free coffees I've consumed, or to go on an uncontrollable rampage because I've spent enough money to pay for a small country to get these 94 free coffees....

I will light a candle in memory, and I may break out into a rendition of "My Heart Will Go On", by Celine Dion. Either way, today is a day I won't soon forget.

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

This is a long story, but hopefully this will explain to you all why I haven't been posting very often lately....

Yesterday, I was having a "feel sorry for myself" day - Not that I had any reason to, but I was annoyed, agitated, and had to get out of the house. So, I went down to Starbucks, got my usual, and went grocery shopping. Last night, as I was preparing to jump into bed, I noticed my husband looking at me. He then said, "How different would your life be today if I hadn't gone to the emergency room on Valentine's Day?" I laughed, made a few jokes, and went to sleep. Unfortunately it all hit me as I was standing in the shower this morning.

About a week before we left for Banff, Vaughn starting getting sick...He went to his Doctor numerous times, and by the Thursday, he was in emergency, and by that afternoon, he was in ICU with a million tubes and cords attached to him. The doctors assumed that there was something weird going on with his heart. But, after two days, the tests came back negative and he was released - Not because he was really feeling any better, but because they had no idea what was up with him.

So, a week later, we headed to Banff and he was still feeling sick. By this time, we had both assumed that it was a really bad flu. Poor guy, he did his best to keep his spirits up for my sake. You see, I'm a "go, go, go" type of person, and I get severely annoyed if anyone can't keep up with me. So, I hate to admit it, but I did act like a spoiled brat at times. We got through the week, but on our last day, the pains in his chest were driving him crazy. We had intended on staying in Edmonton on that last day, but drove the whole way home. The next morning, he woke me up to tell me that he was going back to the hospital. He kissed me goodbye and I went back to sleep. He arrived back home later that day and let me know that he was told that he had pneumonia - he was given antibiotics and sent home, as there weren't any beds free for him to be admitted.

The days went by, and he wasn't feeling any better.. His prescription had run out, and by this time he was sicker than he was to begin with. He would come home from work and go straight to bed. Believe me when I say I tried so hard to be supportive, but I couldn't understand what was going on. He was having trouble breathing, and the pain had started to shift up to his shoulder. The morning of Valentine's Day, he looked at me and asked if we could celebrate when he was feeling better - "It's not Valentine's Day today....It will be Valentine's when I can feel well enough to share it with you". Okay, okay, I'll admit it - I sulked a bit, but did tell him that it was fine. The day could wait.

He came home from work that night and told me he had to go back to the hospital - his was in severe pain, and upon notice, his entire left arm wasn't even the same color as his right. Because I had already ordered dinner for the family, I drove him down and came back home. I got in my jammies and spent Valentine's with the kids. By 8:00pm, I put on my coat and jumped in the car and went down. He looked up at me, as I'm wearing red flannel jammies, my uggs and a winter coat, and said, "You didn't have to come". All I could say was, "It's Valentine's Day. If I have to spend it at the hospital, that's fine, but we should be spending it together".

Within 20 minutes, I become stir crazy, so I proceed to go through drawers in the little room. In no time, I'm wearing latex gloves, a surgical mask, covered in band-aids with a tongue depressor in my hand. I look at Vaughn - "Say aah". He rolls his eyes, "I'm not saying aah". I flashed him. He said "aah".... They ran a million tests, gave him pain killers, but nothing was working. I tried to keep his spirits up, but with my attention span of a 5 year old, I quickly became bored again. So I played 'Bejeweled' on my cell phone, downloaded some new ringtones, read magazines, and then as Vaughn started to doze I noticed some really fun stuff in one of the clear drawers...Lube & giant bandages. I quietly start to open the drawer, and wouldn't you know it - The entire thing went crashing to the floor, the handle smashed into a million pieces and Vaughn looked at me - "I've been at this hospital a million times and never touched a thing. You've been here for about an hour, and you're already beating things up. How old are you???" This sent me into a fit of laughter.

At about 10:30, a nurse came in and told us that they had found something unusual in his tests and were calling in a specialist to examine him. I had to leave, as Adam had school in the morning and I had to work, and I had to get lunches made and clothes ironed, so I told Vaughn to call me and I'd come back to get him. At 1:45 am he called. After examination, the specialist looked at him and said, "You are one lucky man for coming in here tonight." They found a blood clot on his lung. The reason the pain was spreading was because the clot had started to move. He was informed that if it had made it's way to his heart, he wouldn't have lasted 60 seconds.

I am so grateful for this man for finding this... I shudder to think that I could have been a widow at 39.

Things are starting to get back to normal around here, but after this all hit me this morning, I've come to the realization that I have to stop taking things for granted - I have to appreciate every second and not get pissed off at the small things. After my shower, I sat on the bed and held him and for the first time, cried. I'm famous for blocking things out of my head, and even more famous for living in denial. Never again.

Have a great day, everyone. Peace.

Do You See What I See?

One Sunday a month, my husband and I try to get together for brunch with our good friends, Jayne and Scott. Even though we talk on the phone and drop into each other's work every now and then, I love it, because it's a time to eat a ton of stuff we don't need to be eating, and a time to catch up on a lot of gossip over a gallon of coffee.

Yesterday was one of those days - we met at our usual brunch spot and in between mouthfuls of food they told me that there was a psychic fair in town - would I like to go? Would I??? I'm all about crazy stuff like that. Vaughn isn't. So, after I bid him farewell in the parking lot, I jumped into the backseat of their truck, and we were off. The whole time I could hear my mother, the crazy, bible-thumping Catholic, nagging at me - "So, you can't spend one hour a week with the Lord, but you can go to a psychic? It's the work of the devil, you know that, don't you Darlene?" I quickly blocked her out - however, I do tend to save this story as ammunition the next time she pisses me off....

We walked into a room that was lined with fortune tellers. We then proceeded to try and decide which one we would go to. Jayne opted for this "Witch Doctor" type who is from a Celtic and Native descent - this lady claimed to be able to dig into past lives, so Jayne was intrigued. I thought it was going to be damn interesting, because I wanted to know why my dear friend was a neurotic germaphobe with the worst case of OCD I had ever come across. So we sit. Jayne touches a crystal & the lady is off and running. Jayne's life apparently began at Atlantis. She was a warrior who helped people get on the 'mother ship' when the city was destroyed. Scott & I glance at each other....I had to walk away....I returned to find out that at one point she was a man that had given a sexually transmitted disease to somebody in a prostitute-ridden town. Too much. So she was done.

I went to buy my ticket for my reading. When the man inquired as to which person I wanted, I told him, "The crazy lady in the corner". Her name was Tara - and I got an "Aura Reading". So, as I sat there, she closed her eyes, flailed her arms around a bit and kept chanting my name. I was told that I'm a person that bores easily (big surprise). I was also told that I am going to be changing jobs soon to work for the company that my husband works for. hmmmm....She also dug into the whole family thing and told me that I have to keep finding hobbies to amuse myself. So.....can anyone teach me how to knit? (kare??)

Anyway, all in all, it was fun, if not a little crazy - and everything would have been great if she hadn't looked at me when we were finished and I was getting out of my chair and said, "You can't leave until I get a hug." I hate touching people - especially crazy little fortune tellers that I don't even know. If she were such a good psychic, would she not have known this?

For pure entertainment purposes only, it was $80.00 well spent. Sorry, I can't type anymore, though - Apparently, I have to go & find something to amuse myself with.

Have a great evening, everyone. Peace.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope your day is filled with happiness, love & lots of chocolate!

Okay - first let me apologize for not posting for the last million years - getting back in the swing of things has proven to be more difficult than anticipated.

Banff was amazing - just as I had expected. The weather was beautiful and my new uggs kept my feet toasty. ;o) I didn't go skiing, however, but my husband (after months of pep talks) did manage to get me up on the gondola , even though I thought for sure my nerves would get the best of me again. Here are some pics from almost 8000 feet above sea level:



I can honestly say that I thought I was going to die, but now it's another thing I can cross of my 'to-do' list.

I found an amazing chocolate store that sold the most unbelievable caramel popcorn. I loved it so much, I went back on my last day to buy 6 bags. If you ever get there, you absolutely have to try it.

We went to Lake Louise one afternoon, and saw some ice sculptures
and it was all so beautiful.

The resort we stayed at was quite cozy
but it was the view from the outside that was breathtaking.

I spent a lot of time browsing through the great shops - probably spent too much money, but the time away was definitely worth it. These are some views of the main street:


As great as it was, it's always nice to be back home - I missed the kids and Porkchop terribly. On my way back, Amy told me she was moving out with a friend, so I've been a little melancholy about that - My first child is leaving the nest.... This has been tougher on me than I ever imagined, even though she'll only be living about 10 minutes away.

I'm going to be spending my Sunday catching up on everyone's blogs....I missed you all and I'm starting to feel 'out of the loop'.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone. Peace.