We don’t have much planned, because basically what we like to do on weekends is sit around and look at each other since we don’t see each other all that much during the week. We might go see Cloverfield, though (anyone who’s seen it – yes I know it only opens today – what did you think? Is it worth it?).

My brother and his wife went on a trip this past week, just an overnight thing because he had to get some tests done at a hospital and our hospital doesn’t offer those tests. Anyway while they were gone (my mom got to babysit, lucky thing — I love those kids!) someone broke into my brother’s garage where he is restoring a car and stole a bunch of his body shop supplies, PLUS smashed up some of the car trying to take parts of it.
So, people suck that way. I mean it’s not as though his tools were the latest up-to-date technology, and he’s been working on this car for years, so this is very disappointing to him.

When I woke up this morning I absolutely did not want to get out of bed because our bed is like a nice snuggly burrito with me and Rob in it. So I kept hitting snooze. I am very lucky that I showered last night, because I managed to get out of bed exactly 12 minutes before I usually leave the house. I grabbed a bottle of water and an All Bran bar (I don’t care what you think! They taste good!), brushed my teeth, washed my face, got dressed, and was out the door in 15. Not bad for someone who usually is so zombified in the morning that she spends an average of 23 minutes staring at the wall when she first gets up.

Going to the gym every day is hard, yo.

It’s not that I hate going to the gym. I like it there. I like exercising, I like how I feel when I’m done, I like the sense of accomplishment I get from having gone every day (well, not yesterday. But every OTHER day). I’m not looking for any type of quick fix ephedra diet pills. I know I have to actually do the work to get anything out of it.

But oh boy, do I wish there was some kind of transporter beam to get from home to the gym. Once I get home from work (and I have to come home, if only in order to get Rob to work) I just want to be at home.

I’ve given myself 15 minutes to relax (10 minutes now), and out I go.

1. Another snow day. That’s four days so far this year. Not too shabby Rob woke me up at about 6 am saying “Louise, I have the worst news. It’s horrible.” I, of course, sort of panicked and thought that the entire world had broken out in hives or something. “Yeah, your school… it’s closed again today. You have to sleep in”.
OH HOW SAD.

2. Our bathroom faucet is effed up. The handles won’t turn. We’d fix it ourselves, but we’re not really allowed to do so without calling the super first, because we rent. But considering how long it took them to fix our fridge (we called them in August… Rob managed to fix it himself over Christmas) we’d probably be better off requesting a new house I don’t know. It’s not as though we’re asking them to come and install a fancy solid-gold Hansgrohe faucet; we just want to be able to brush our teeth without having to resort to using a crescent wrench to turn the water on.

3. My mother has a coupon that will save me like, $80 on my gym membership. $80 is a big deal.

4. If you leave a comment on my blog (I don’t really get comments from more than 1 or 2 people anymore, and I don’t know why, but I’m not gonna whine because what would that help) please leave an actual real email address. No one will see it but me, and it’s way less annoying than “idontwanttoleavemyemailaddress@becauseijustdontwantto.com”.

That’s that for that.

An acquaintance and I were just chatting and she told me that her new pet rabbit (I think she got him about two weeks ago) had chewed through a bunch of fiber cable when she was out for the afternoon.

Yes, she left her rabbit loose in the house for six hours. No, she didn’t put him in a bunny-proof room. Yes, he chewed through potentially dangerous cables and had he been alone much longer maybe he’d have eaten an electrical cord and boom, no more bun bun. And yet when I asked her if she was going to set up some kind of cage or special room for him from now on, she said “Oh no, I don’t want him to feel confined!”

Irresponsible pet ownership at its best, here, folks.

This blog post comes in two parts: Weather and Other.

PART THE FIRST:

Snow day!
I spent the morning (well, from 9 am on) doing correcting, which is just neverending. Days like this are indispensible — it means this way I can probably spend a bit less time at work after work hours (this week anyway) and have a couple more hours free during the weekend. Hooray!

I think this year is the year I’ve had the most time off due to weather since starting. My first two years of working, I don’t really remember. I do remember hearing from other people I worked with during those two years that they weren’t having anything near the amount of snow days as they had the years previous, and I do remember that the total for both years was three days (although I personally was only working 50% so that would make it 1.5 days). Then, when we were in Halifax, well… they almost never closed school there. They’d have days where the buses weren’t running, but school was still open (didn’t help much during my first year there because my school didn’t have buses; the other years it just was coincidental that my classes had hardly any bus students in them so the kids would walk to school). So I think, total during my first six years of working, maybe five days, total. That averages out to less than one full day per year. The next two years (after we’d moved back to PEI), there were two days per year (I checked my old planbooks). So that’s nine days in 8 years.
And then this year– including today– is three days, and it’s not even February or March yet (when, statistically and historically we’ve had the most snow days).
It’s still pretty blustery out and the winter storm warning hasn’t ended yet (it probably will soon).

People who hate when people talk about the weather? Yeah, I can basically guarantee that their eyes have rolled back in their heads now and they are comatose. Sorry, comatose peeps.

PART TWO

All this yucky weather (ha! I tricked you! I’m still talking about weather!) inevitably gets me thinking about vacations. We never really take vacations — unless you count visiting family — but I love thinking about them. I come up with a theme and plan out a vacation, including budget and hotel rooms and Things To Do etc. etc. My latest (as of this morning when I came across a TV show that mentioned the “Roadside America” book) vacation obsession is with totally tacky US tourist destinations. In the past hour I have browsed websites for Kissimmee Gator Wrestling and Branson hotels and huge twine balls in Kansas.

Yes, this is what amuses me.

What tacky tourist traps do you love? Are there any near you? I’d love to hear from you!

I had to get that picture of Dolly off the top of the page… her lipstick was frightening me.

We’re supposedly going to have another storm tomorrow — although 15 cm. ain’t nothin’ and I highly doubt work will be closed. Maybe a 1 hr delay, if anything. Either way I’m sort of excited about it. Especially now that we’ve found someone who will clear our driveway for us (it costs us $15, but it’s done). I tell you there is nothing like seeing that dude come along with his snowblower tractor thing attached to his truck rack, getting ready to work for 20 minutes on something that would take us at least 4 hours with our shovels (speaking of shovels, I bought an ergonomic one something like this this year and I don’t see any difference. Not that I shovel that much. I spend maybe 15 minutes, then start crying about being cold, and Rob does the rest).

I have paperwhites planted on my windowsill in my room at work. Over the weekend one of the stems (I planted them on Friday) grew up like, five inches. I can’t wait to see them when they’re blooming. And what do you do with them when they’re done blooming? The instructions didn’t really say much.

I’m taking a break from Dexter (there’s only so much serial killing a girl can take on a Sunday afternoon) and instead, am watching the DVD of 9 to 5 we picked up yesterday (it says on the case that it’s the “Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot Edition”). May I just say how much I love Dolly Parton?
I know, I know…

But the woman has led quite a life and no matter what her detractors might say, she is a classic songwriter, and a great singer, has a fabulous sense of humour and doesn’t take herself all too seriously (one of her more famous lines is “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap”).

I think my Dolly-love has to do with my childhood, actually. I was always seeing her on TV (she had her own TV show for awhile, plus she appeared on Captain Kangaroo and there was a character based on her on Sesame Street). I thought she was beautiful. One of my greatest wishes as a child was a visit to Dollywood (I later joked with Rob about taking our honeymoon there, and even looked up Pigeon Forge cabin rentals to scare him a little), because for some reason I had it in mind that she actually lived there in a cabin or something. I realize now that’s not bloody likely, she’s probably got more money than God, but what do you know when you’re 9?

Anyway. 9 to 5 is what’s happening right now in my life. That is all.

Since the gym is closed today (yeah yeah, I know, it’s only been a few days) I have decided that I will be vegging out all day. Look, I already have my stuff all set up:

(that’s our new sofa. There’s also a loveseat. The photo didn’t really pick up the colour properly I don’t think but whatever).

Yeah, my own personal home theater seating. Me, the chesterfield, the lappy, my blankie, and seasons 1 and 2 of 6 Feet Under and Dexter. (plus, of course, the ever-present correcting but we won’t think of that for another hour or so). Rob’s going to be joining me in a snuggle-fest fairly soon.

Hooray for Sundays!

Does anyone remember that TV show? I think it only aired in Canada, back in the 80s. It was called The New You, and in half an hour, they’d do a makeover on some regular Canadian housewife who’d written in. I can’t find any Net links for it, but I know I’m not imagining it – it was on in the afternoons right after The 20-Minute Workout on CTV. There was one lady, Betty, who would do a colour analysis on the subjects– telling them whether they were a Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter, and, according to her findings, which shades of makeup and clothing to wear.

I sometimes wonder if there are ladies still wandering around out there who refuse to wear anything but light lilac eyeshadow.

I was in a bit of a makeover-ish mood last night. Of course I personally can’t be bothered to learn how to change anything on my blog so Rob was called into play. He used this photo for the header and did all kinds of other magic for the rest of it. I think it looks pretty good.