Sometimes at work I have educational videos that I need to show. Unfortunately, that means I need something to show them on. We have a TV/DVD player for each floor here, plus an LCD projector. Wow, that makes it sound like we have a fairly tech-savvy school, doesn’t it? The only problem is, the LCD projector for my floor is broken, and everytime I go to reserve the TV/DVD player, either someone else has it reserved, or someone else has it hidden in their room and I can’t find it. It can get pretty frustrating, especially since these videos are part of the curriculum; it’s not as though I’m showing episodes of Family Guy.
A few of my coworkers have come up with a solution which I think is a pretty good idea. They’ve brought in their own TVs, and they just keep them in their own classrooms at all times. The lady who is in charge of the AV equipment for my floor was really helpful when I went in the other day looking for the TV/DVD player (but it wasn’t there, of course). I was slightly frustrated, because I had reserved the equipment, but someone else had taken it and left the broken LCD projector for me. So the AV lady (notice how I’m trying not to name names?) pointed out that there was an extra TV in her room that didn’t have a DVD or VCR attached, so no one ever used it. She said I could take it to my classroom and keep it for myself.
I’m thinking that’s a great idea. There is the fact that it doesn’t have a DVD player or even a VCR with it; that’s not too much of a hurdle though because those type of things are fairly inexpensive nowadays. I was checking out the sale at buy.com and they have a DVD player there for less than $30. They also have a DVD/VCR combo for less than $100.

Either of these would be great for my work – actually the DVD/VCR combo might be the best just because we are so far behind the times here that a lot of the videos I have to show are only available on VHS. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
It will be so nice to actually be able to get through my curriculum without constantly having to mount a search expedition through the school!

Rob’s parents got us this cool little turntable/CD player/radio for Christmas. I like it alot, and for such a tiny thing, the sound is incredible. I’m excited, because I have loads of old vinyl that I haven’t been able to play for years. The only thing is that eventually we’re going to have to go to a discount furniture store and get a small table or something to put it on, but at the moment it is sitting on top of its own box and that’s good enough for now.
Read the rest of this entry →

The lovely Ree was kind enough to ask me some questions. She was interviewed in an exercise that was started by Maggie, and enjoyed it so much that she held up her end of the bargain and agreed to interview others. (not that she wouldn’t do her part if she hadn’t enjoyed it – wait, I’m not implying that she DIDN’T enjoy it- oh heck everyone forget this sentence. FORGET IT). Lucky for me, today is one of those days when I have everything so ready at work that I can actually take the time to write a blog post on my lunch hour. Yes, yes, it’s a life of glamour here chez moi, no doubt about it. But if you’re jealous, if you’re wishing you could be just like me and be interrogated mercilessly about the innermost workings of your mind, guess what? You totally can. Here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment asking to be interviewed. Make sure you leave your email address! (it would also be nice if you commented on, oh say, my answers, but I know sometimes that’s not as fun )
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. Update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. Include this explanation and an offer to interview someone
else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, ask them
five questions.

And, without further ado, here is everything Ree wanted to know about me.

1-What is the very favorite piece of clothing you ever had?

When I was 3 years old, my grandmother sent me a sweatshirt with a beautiful picture of a black and white kitty on it. I loved kitties. I loved puppies. I just loved all animals. The sweatshirt also had some writing on it, but I only learned to read when I was 4, so it was all hieroglyphical to me. The kitty was nestled in a bed of flowers. I loved it, but I had never worn it. I wanted to wear it. I wanted to wear it SO BAD. But my mom? She was still picking my clothes and helping me to get dressed. And she never picked the beautiful kitty shirt. For weeks it languished in my drawer, never seeing the light of day. It was so wrong.
One day my mother was taking my brother, sister and I to get our photos taken at a Professional Studio. She mentioned to my father that morning that she was going to have a heck of a time deciding what we should wear and getting us all dressed (with a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old to get ready, it no doubt would be! My sister was 10 so she was probably alright) and I, being the kind, mama-loving girl that I was, decided that I would put on my most beeeeyoutiful clothing and that way mom wouldn’t have to worry about choosing clothes or helping me to make sure I didn’t try to get my head out through the arm-hole. So I snuck up to my room, ignored the dress that had been set out on my bed, struggled into my sweatshirt and pants, found socks, and came proudly downstairs, declaring “I am ready for pictures Mama!”.
Imagine my chagrin when she, my father, and my sister all burst out laughing. Not giggles, either. Total gut-wrenching laughter.
My pants were on backwards, for one thing.
My heart was broken when I was told that I couldn’t wear that for our portrait. “But I loooooove my kitty shirt!” I cried. And that’s when my dad explained it to me:
The writing above the kitty’s head? Said “I’m a little stinker”. And the kitty was not a kitty, but a skunk.

So that was my most-loved piece of clothing. But I think one of my favourite pieces of clothing that I have owned in my adult life was (*gasp*) a dress I made for myself about 10 years ago. It was a 1940s style shirt dress (similar to this one, but the sleeves were longer and I didn’t put a belt on it) and since it was my very first sewing project, it took me literally weeks to make so I was so proud of it when I could finally wear it. It was so comfortable, and was very flattering to my body type. I think I might still have it packed away somewhere. Of course in order to fit into it I’d need about 50 times the recommended daily allowance of Lipovox, but what’s a girl to do?

2-If you could have dinner with one Prime Minister/President who would it be?

This one’s going to be a shorter answer:
John A. MacDonald. Why? Because 1) he was an inveterate drunk so you know he’d have some of the good stuff stashed around there. 2) He was also notoriously witty, and 3) Because of this.

3-What did you want to be named when you were younger? (Like 7-ish)

At that point in my life I was totally in love with Hans Christian Andersen’s story, The Little Mermaid. There was a cartoon version of it that used to be on every Easter (NOT the Disney version – this one!) and I was mesmerized. The mermaid’s name in this movie was Marina, and I thought that was the most beautiful, elegant name ever. Please remember that 4 years previous to this I thought that a skunk shirt was the most beautiful, elegant shirt ever so maybe my judgment had something lacking.

4-What’s your favorite smell?
You know, I’e never really thought about this. I really love the smell of books. I worked at a library for years and loved working in the stacks – even the ones that were a little musty.

5-If you found out that you were reincarnated in your current life, who would you have been in your prior life? (I think I was some woman who crossed the U.S. in a covered wagon)

I’ve been asked this in the past – and I always jokingly reply “A doxy.” Seriously? I think probably some type of peasant who had to work in fields and birth babies in the woods (I need to brush up on my history skills, obviously).

So there you have it! Play along if you’d like – just remember to leave your email address.

Guest post! Rob here, in a guest blogging capacity. Rather awesome, I?m sure you?d agree.

One of Louise’s gifts for Christmas was a new cell phone. Noodling around with the features, it also had some GPS functions. Rather neat, and maybe something we might subscribe to, as we do get lost on occasion. That reminded me of this, which made Louise giggle.

Back in the day (this would have back around 1981, before rural Newfoundland had such things as fitness equipment ? hell, it?s a wonder there was running water) my Grandfather and I would go for walks. Just around the block, usually on Sundays. It was one of those things. One particular Sunday someone in a car stopped us, asking where they could find <town name> Ave.

Now, My Grandfather had lived there for 20 years at this point, and he?d never heard of <town name> Ave. In fact, there were only 2 streets anyone bothered to identify by name, and that Ave was not one of them. For even further fun, one of the names wasn’t even correct, we’d find out years later. Fun.

So, the 60 year old, and the 6 year old, both baffled, told this person we had no idea what street they were refering to. Off they went, thinking the town full of knobs. Fine by us, as who the hell ever heard of <town name> Ave?

Which was fine, till we got home, and related the tale. Upon which we were promptly informed we lived on <town name> Ave.

I’ve kind of been ignoring the blog this week… not because I hate it, just getting back into the routine of work and all. Which – on Monday I was asleep by 7 pm and stayed that way until 6 am. 11 hours. Tuesday I was up until 11 pm. Yesterday I managed to go to bed at a more normal time. ISN’T THAT FASCINATING?

So that’s why I haven’t been blogging – all the fanciness around here. I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath.

**EDIT** a bit of difference: we had a one-hour delay today. So there’s a bit more excitement.

Soooo… tomorrow I’m back to work, and I basically have done NOTHING to get ready. I haven’t gone in to work in the whole two weeks of vacation – something pretty much unheard of for me. I’ll go in fairly early tomorrow morning just to make sure I know what I’m doing.
I have to say, being at the same place 2 years in a row is really helpful, because I can always go back and look at what I did last year and not be completely running around like “Oh no what do I do!”. I mean, I change things up a little, but it’s still useful.

Celebrity Big Brother. Ohhhh yeah. I don’t care if it’s a terrible terrible show, I can’t stop watching it. I mean, Coolio’s there! LaToya Jackson! Mini Me! And a bunch of British people I’ve never heard of!

My nephews… I don’t know. I just want to squeeze and squeeze them. The youngest especially, because the oldest would just be like “Hey stop hugging me! I’m five!”, and the youngest actually likes getting hugs and kisses. When he smiles, his entire face lights up.
Tonight, Rob and I went over to my parents’ to share in the New Year turkey (a day late – 60 cm. of snow yesterday!) and my brother and SIL had brought their boys over for a sleepover. Anyway, my mom had bought them each a new toothbrush, because the ones they keep at their house were getting pretty old. Little D. was so excited about this new toothbrush (it was this one, if anyone needs to see it – the smiley face and the suction cup bottom were particular favourites) that he played with it for a full half-hour. Making it talk, pretending to brush every doll’s teeth… and then he moved on to the nativity set. I think this is the first time anyone in the world has ever uttered the phrase “Sweetie, please don’t brush the Wise Man’s teeth”.

In lieu of any reasonable content, I give you this. You’re supposed to tag people, but usually no one responds when I tag so – if you want to do this, do it. If you don’t, then YOU ARE A LOSER
Read the rest of this entry →