Monday, December 31, 2012

It's official....it's a concussion
and it's not apendix....probably one of those stones in my gall bladder.  Really have to get the sucker removed one of these days.  I've been living with that couple stones for 10 years now.

Okay...that's two
waiting for the third thing to happen

When my head hit the pavement, it sure scrabbled up my stock of words ...it's as if I lost my extensive vocabulary suddenly.  That is really driving me crazy.  All those pauses in my conversation...when that stupid word just won't come out.......

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Oooh...oh
Apendix
Kidney
?????
owwww



And where on god's green earth are my DRIVING GLASSES.
They have been missing since xmas noonish
...I'm trying to remember
...If I came in the house with them on my head or not ...since that tumble I took out front
I know they were on my head ...before, after all I waaas driving home, I would have noticed if i left them at my daughters.  I just can't remember if they made it into the house. Hmmm mmm
Where would I have put them....can't find them anywhere.  I found the old ones...they fit funny.  Like bad underpants ...those ones at the back of the drawer that only come out when you need to do laundry.
It's pissing me off.


Friday, December 28, 2012

Seriously.....I have got to get out of this bed
I have waaaay tooooo much to do....the days are screaching by
I turned this stupid thing on at 5am and it's 10am now.  Get the .....out of bed

Some of your people are just too funny and I gotta read and read and read somemore.  And then I have to reread things to my hubs wasting time right next to me.  Thank you for the no football this morning anywhere....But enough of the stupid "ice pilots....all morning looooooong:"  I'm going to get out of bed just to not have to watch these stupid shows.

So,,,,let's see, I woke up at 5ish
it's not 10:30 ish
that 3 hrs ...give or take
so if one were to add 3 hrs onto the 10:30 am mark, for the extra 3 hrs that i've been up since 5am instead of the normal 8am
that makes it

close to
....1:30 ishhhhh

....that means

it's time for wine....isn't it?

...that's a good a reason as any to get outta bed


...update...


....one down
it's even a good size...if I didn't hate beige and browns so much I might consider keeping it.



....two down ...pj's and matching pillow case
why not just buy pj's and pillow case?   Well...if it wasn't for crappy california that might be ok, but I just can't bring myself to saturate my g'kids internal organs and brain with more and more fire retardant.  that's right fire retardent.  It's my latest pet peeve with a capital "P"
the chemical used has been banned for years for it's carsenagenic ...nous but it's still being used in furniture with syrofoam stuffing and any fabric used for curtains, pj's bedding and mattresses.  It's in all our organs in highly large doses.  And everytime anyone jumps on furniture or bed's the chemical is released into the atmosphere, usually as dust particles that our kids....and pets cause they are smaller ingest.  It's in the dust on the carpet where our kids roll around and hang out.  It's deadly stuff.......and stupid ass california still insists that it be added to everything flamable. And since every manufacturer wants to sell into that market, they use the shit. Very hard to find upholstered furniture without it.  Even though it's been proven time and again that it DOESNT WORK WORTH SHIT....cause you will die from the fumes in the stuffing of the couch and mattress before the flames even get you.
So I refuse to buy pj's for them, or blankets or bedding.   I just feel better making it myself.  I even made sheets for their cribs when they were baby's and they all have quilts and blankies homemade.  I even have a pile of receiving blankets that were home made (used as dish towels now) some of these receiving blankets my kids were using 30 yrs ago even.


whew....finally finished

4 pairs

next time I decide to sew a slew of pj's, someone lock me in a closet until the feeling passes.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The other day as I was leaving the family xmas dinner, after I handed over (offered up) yet another handmade xmas DIY project I fondly noticed other contributions from past years.  And wondered "how come I don't have any stuff" ...cause I give it all away ....all the time....in multiples.

Way back in the day...late 90's (wow that was a loooong time ago), I was minding my own business walking through a mall in Edmonton when a crowd of people (mostly older men, as it happens) we OOOOwing and aaawing over something.  So I walked over to have a look at what was causing all the excitement.

It was a Shopsmith. (do they even make them anymore, cause I sure want one again). I stayed through two demo's in a row when the guuuuuy doing the demo finally noticed me and started engaging in conversation...probably cause all the old guys finally walked away, and he had time to kill.  I've always liked tools, woodworking stuff.  But didn't take shop or ever had anyone show me anything or how to do anything. Except we did built a house.  Stick built, if you know what that is....from a book no less.  When we were stupid  in that place "we can do anything". But that's another story.

Back then my husband was working out of town (what else) and came home around midnight ....ugh. What can anyone do getting home after being out of town for three days, then you come home at midnight.  With three kids that are sleeping.  Not much to do.  So maybe a fully stocked shop in the basement would be usefull.  Just think....all the stuff he could do.

So back then when I had good credit and no brain.  I signed the papers and like three days later it was delivered.  Of coarse three days later I had buyers remorse and trying everything I could to STOP THE DELIVERY ....they should not sell things to women that are wandering around a mall...probably the first day in months, alone, childless.  The state of my brain was probably worse than pregnancy brain.  And a man was giving me all this attention.  I would have signed anything to keep him talking to me in adult conversaton.

But these three burly guys dragged the thing into the house, set it up downstairs.  Again, I was having adult conversation for the duration of the install.  They showed me a few things.  And I covered it up with a blanket and there it stood for about 20 days before my husbands birthday.  I walked around it, had to keep the kids away from it.  Back then our house was a four level split. And It was set up on the third level just down the other end of the room that was the rec room.  It was about the size of a small horse....imagine trying to keep that thing hidden...and away from little hands and fingers.  The only person that didn't see it was my husband.  This was also around the time I quit smoking and banned the practice in the house or anywhere around me, but since my husband was still smoking - this caused some gripping on his part.  Since he had to go outside several times a day.  But when I happened to sneak out of the house whenever he was in town - he would sneak into the bathroom in the fourth level, turn on all the vents in the laundry room and bathroom down there and smoke to his hearts content.  And he walked by this monstrous thing many times (and he never saw it) and I know this because the kids squealed on him everytime he lit a cig in the house....anywhere.

By the time his birthday rolled around and the presentation was made he couldn't believe that he walked by it for almost a month.  He could not get over the idea that it was down there all that time.  Well he turned it on and then he turned it off.  And that was about it.  I was really pissed off.  And all of a sudden I started noticing all these woodworking mag's and books.  And whole section in the library even.  I dragged them all home.  Didn't have a clue what I was doing.  This was waaaaay before internet. How did we ever live back there in our ignorance.  It boggles the mind. I bought some fancy wood.  Boy was that an eye opened expensive proposition.  There had to be a better way.  After all I quit working at this point.  We were a one income family now.  No $$$$ for the next 10 years.  So I decided to figure out a way to get FREE wood.  I phone around to places that used fancy wood and dragged boxes and bags to them so they could dump all their scrap into them instead of the dumpster out back.  Yes I even dumpster dived for fancy wood.  You can get little kids to do anything for you if you ask.  "I will hold your feet, just grab the wood"  "I'll take you to micky d's if you go in that dumpster for mommy"  I had piles of wood all over the house and was making all kinds of things....for everyone else except me.  I can't believe the stuff I gave away. bowls,fancy boxes, nick knacks,  puzzles, toys of every discription. and I usually didn't make just one of everything but at least six or eight....assembly line fashion.

So now I have to go visit my stuff at relatives homes.  I WANT IT ALL BACK
Why do I still give stuff away.  When will I ever learn.  I gotta buy another shopsmith one of these days.  I don't know where I will put it, or even turn it on---all that sawdust.  But I gotta get me some of that.

So history seems to be repeating itself...and it's that damn PINTEREST site.  All these people with all those creative ideas. And I want to do it all. My sewing room looks like a small bomb went off



I've got three or four projects going on at the same time. Pj's for two g'kids still not finished, since they aren't leaving town till monday...I still have time. And then there's this embroidery thing that still isn't made.  The other day, actually probably months ago I noticed an interesting pot holder, or "hot pad" that they seem to be called these days, made out of selveges of fabric.  Who would of thought.   I took out one of my many bags of quilting cottons out and promptly cut off some fancy selvege and even sewed some together to make maybe a basket or something.  But there it sits.  I've dragged home some coffee bean sacks to make baskets out of them.  They are all sitting in boxes, taking up space.  Because I saw something else on pinterest that caught my eye instead.

So now I'm into making that....
A few years ago...I was parttaking in a fabric exchange with other like minded people and I got a stack of ugggggly 5" fabric.  Browns....what to do with them.  So I finally found something usefull.
I was very happy...took me a bit to actually find it. But it will look presentable on my sons dinner table under a hot pot someday.  And someday I will probably want it back.


I've been up since about 5am cause I'm in pain.....I reaLLY need some muscle relaxants or something.  But that requires leaving the house....it's too damn cold....getting to the clinic...which is going to be FULL of sicko's...so I will probably come home with SOMETHING other than a persciption.  I bet if I look around here I will find some from my husbands old injuries.  There's gotta be some ...somewhere.

But maybe I just need some more coffee, and maybe a shower...HOT shower...long enough to drain the tank.


....and "ARE YOU KIDDING ME....RANDY ZUKERBURG"  "ASK YOUR PERMISSION TO POST A PIC"
I laughted so hard I almost peed...a little bit
H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T.....did I spell that correctly
the nerve....privacy settings ....just for her and her family it seems....the rest of us mortals....well we can just suck it up.   But she EXPECTS an apology and PERMISSION. Has she been living under a rock for the past two years.  I'd shake my head if it didn't hurt so much.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

We were leaving home Monday and I had the car keys in my pocket.  When I walked outside ...Lo and behold...my car was on.
I noticed a vehicle down the road about three cars away was also running so I assumed ...once again that someone else`s remote started my van again.
It must have just happened because the van was still ice cold.  But then later that night my husband was trying to prove that maybe I was just a little  nuts and still didn`t believe someone else`s remot started our van.  So he pointed the remote outside and wouldn`t you know it...with a big audiance, damn if it didn`t start, and stop and start and stop several times.

IT`S A XMAS MIRACLE

I suggested that maybe by some devine intervention...maybe our garage door will suddenly open.
And wouldn`t you just know it, the remote still works.  But everytime I use it now I notice that there is another car also running.  Now I don`t know if my remote suddenly starts other cars now.  I will have to test it next time I start the van.  This is really driving me nuts.

I stepped out of the car xmas  between returning from a sleep over (my g`son asked if we were having a sleep over at his house.  funny guy) at my daughters and attending the family dinner at my neice`s.  And I slipped on my ass.  Well as I was going down I over compensated and ended up whipping my head back ( it all happened so fast, it truly astonished me) and bashed the back of my head on the ice covered pavement.  And....just layed there.
No one was around.  I knocked myself out, blackness followed, then stars.  I was so afraid someone would run over me because the road was a sheet of ice.  I tried in vain to get up but nothing was working.  My arms and legs weren`t getting any signals from my bashed in brain.  I couldn`t believe it.  Everything was spinning  and I couldn`t get my legs to STAND UP

When I finally did manage to get up my legs wouldn`t move in any regular pattern to actually walk. I was really getting pissed off.  I finally got to a little tree along the boulevard and held on to it till I came to my senses.

By the time I managed to get in the house I had such a banger headache.
And then this morning My legs didn`t want to function as I was getting out of bed.

Me thinks....concussion.

Great...
All day I`ve had to get up slowly otherwise I might topple over.
...and don`t touch the back of my head.  It`s unbearable
concussion and whiplash.

....Great
I wonder how long this is going to go on.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Since I've oppted out of xmas, why am I still running around like one of those stupid last minute shoppers?

Yes...I've opted out!  There I'm PROUD to actually say it.  And I-WILL-NOT-FEEL-QUILTY!!!!!

...except I already feel just a little guilty...ughhhhh

....Last year - I also INTENDED to opt out.  But as I was mailing my xmas cards (something else I'm opting out of this year) I was at shoppers (its all their fault) paying for all those stupid stamps when I turned to leave....and
IS THAT EVER CUTE....thing - sitting ot n the discount shelf
...for my latest greatest-almost didn't make it-grandson of the 1yrs old sect.
So I bought it-some stuffed animal kinda thing that made stupid noises and had interesting features....anyway
That's where it started.  Of coarse I would have to get three more "isn't that ever cute".  Then shopping for those things I happened to notice all kinds of interesting stocking stuffers.  So of coarse i hade to hunt up the household stockings...Ughhhh - this never ends.
...and after all was said and done and mailed off or couriered off.  The first "isn't that ever cute" ......he already hade one just like it-in a different color.  I-could-not-believe-it!!!!! The stupid thing that got me to spend untold ---I don't even want to think about it $$$$$$. He already had one.
So I told them to ---never mind---regift it when you get a chance.
Yes, I'm one of those.  If I give it to you....do whatever you damn well please with it.  I don't care regift it....chuck it....take it back.  WHATEVER floats your boat.  I really hate those people that give you a gift and expect you to bow down to it FOREVER.
So this year.  I've stuck to my guns.
Just 2 gifts for the gift exchange after xmas dinner---it's usually a riot when there are lots of adults attending.  Much grumbling and stealing and restealing.
But.....I do have lots of flannel...for pj's for the g'kids.
When my grandaughter asked me the other day "but baba....what are you going to get me for xmas"
and I said "baba doesn't buy anything for xmas for anyone----"
she looked at me like I was completely nuts.
So I qualified that with....."You know...baba doesn't buy toys --except at garage sales.  And you know---baba doesn't buy CRAP FROM CHINA. Except in garage sales, because if the toy survives to go into a garage sale, then it's OK"
That's when I decided to make pj's for them all, and a pillow case that matches the pj's.
So earlier I was at COSTCO filling up with gas, and buying those stupid green beans from ...oh I don't know Costa Rica, or Equador, or Maybe Mexico....I love them ...ok....Don't bug me about "in season" or "100 mile radius"   bull....they are beans.   and they are good.  So sue me
That's when I loaded up on socks for everyone.  So everyone is getting socks in their xmas socks. and the g'kids are also getting pj's...that's it.
So why am I running around looking for Shallots for gods sake.  The roads are a skating rink, it's -38 with wind chill, This is stupid.  Thank heavens I'm home now....sitting here enjoying a glass of wine before I have to go into the sewing room and finish .......
Why on earth I left all this sewing for the last minute----that was just really really dumb

Saturday, December 22, 2012

8:30 am
The first day all week that I could have slept in, and my husbands stupid ass iphone started beeping at 5am.  One of these days it would be nice if he actually learned how to use the damn thing so that he can turn crap off.  So I got up and made coffee. Stupid phone.  I hate that thing, I wish he had the brains to buy a samsung one like mine.  At least that one I know how to use.

I have so much to get done today.  There won't  be enough hours.
- four pairs of jammies for the g'kids, I finally found a suitable pattern. And when did patterns become so expensive. It's a good thing I got 50% off. I opened one of the many bins in my sewing closet and low and behold found piles of fabric I purchased heaven knows when, that would be great for pajamas.  Princess' and hockey player fabric. Yay don't have to buy anything other than elastic.  And the pattern of course. Now it's just the sewing them assembly line style.
- shopping for gifts, haven't even started yet. Not even one.  I always shop last couple days.  What's the point otherwise. I have't been anywhere but a grocery store for a long time.
- breakfast...i'm just propped up here on my pillows dreaming of breakfast. And my coffee carafe is almost empty...and it's not very hot anymore anyway.  I really should get up.  My husband is watching junior hockey on TV ....I don't care if it's in Europe - it's too early in the day to have to suffer hockey.
- I'm going to have to get my butt off to Costco for the green beans.
- I picked up yet another cauliflower yesterday during one of my several grocery store stops, I've been dreaming of the soup I made the other day.  It's been all week without cream of roasted cauliflower soup with smoked applewood bacon.  I can't seem to think of anything else lately. Another big pot of that is a must that's for sure.

I noticed a blog the other day for the first time
www.dinneralovestory.com
and noticed an interesting soup that is just begging to be made
http://www.dinneralovestory.com/avgolemeno/
avgelemeno
I even went so far as to purchase some orzo yesterday...in antisipation.  And even bought both veg and chicken broth...just in case.  Now all I need is some leftover chicken...maybe turkey will do.

Well here it is 9am  "GET OUT OF BED"

Friday, December 21, 2012

Well I've been busy today
It actually started wednesday when I decided to drag all my baking stuff over to my daughters since I'm THE babysitter full time now.
Three huge bags full of stuff plus sheets and scoops.  My kitchenaid and cuisinart are already making their homes over here since I didn't feel like dragging them home probably last xmas.
First on the list was a nice little number that caught my eye in the sobey's inspired holiday magazine.


Coconut, cranberry & pistachio cookies.  Look so yummy. I drove to several different stores looking for some pistachio's already shelled.  But no luck
Couple nails were sacrificed in shelling them. And a couple got eaten by me and g'kids shelling them. But we just had enough to throw in the cuisinart.  I can't believe that I have lived whooooo these many years and never ever made rolled log cookies.   It's a good thing cause I didn't have a good time making these after rolling into logs.  The next day I had a heck of a time cutting them without crumbling them up and just making a general all-around mess of giant proportion.  I got so fed up that I threw half the batter in the garbage. After doubling the recipe in the first place.

I baked what batter was left after cutting them up and they tasted kinda crappy.  Then later yesterdtay I was walking by the bowl of them and ....by the fourth one...they didn't taste all that bad.  When the adults got home yesterday and much sampling was done the general concensious was that they were damn fine cookies after all.  I quess they just had to sit awhile.  Too bad the dough sitting at the bottom on the garbage can couldn't have fulfilled it's purpose.  Next time I attempt these - and there will be  a next time - I will remember to reduce the flour a bit.

Then today I made


but only 1/4 of the recipe.

and then




even though raisins were used.  I think this is the first time that I didn't scorf down any batter before they got in the oven.  I really really hate raisins.  But my g'daughter hates chocolate.  So it's raisin for her.

And finally



It would have been nice to actually start and end the baking day without the many trips to the store.  First I ran out of flour, even though I brought some from home.  Then it was the raisins.  But I should have actually read the recipe cause then I wouldn't have had to make yet another trip for baking soda.  Who doesn't have baking soda.  My daughter obviously.

I did all this and it's not even 3pm yet.  Wow ...I'm impressed with myself.


Thursday, December 20, 2012

I got the following email the other day:

"Hi, So I am not sure if you have looked at the calendar lately but xmas day is on Tuesday. How that happened I am not sure. So I have been playing with recipes and here is what I think I know for sure.  We are having a Turducken with stuffing and mashed.  We will have fresh fruit and an apple pie for dessert.  We will have a spinach salad.  So Holly can you bring a veg that DOES NOT  contain Brussel Sprouts and Auntie Kathy can you also bring a veg that DOESN'T contain Brussel Sprouts.  I will also have some fresh buns.  What am I missing?"

which I responded with:

"I WILL bring a veg...that WILL contain brussel sprouts...and you WILL eat them.. and wonder "how did I ever live this long without this recipe." this years Thanksgiving dinners' favorite...hands down were the beet top parcels and the maple syrup glazed ( with baba N's hazel nuts) brussel sprouts...Sometimes u gotta "suck -it-up" it you invite the "family" or "this family" specifically for xmas dinner...really -u-will-LOVE-them....I promise."

then later I added:
"I can't bring the beet top parcels cause I  don't actually remember how we made them....too much wine was consumed and it was a communal project...as it is I will probably have to call around and ask if anyone remembers what we put into the sprouts exactly...again too much wine"

to which my neice responded:
"oh sooo sad you can't bring them!!! Make sure there are NORMAL veggies that the rest of the group can eat.  I have gravy and cranberry sauce covered. Pickles, olives, pickled asparagus, etc will be part of the app's which are all covered.  All I really need are SOME VEG"

WHAT???? does this girl have against Brussel Sprouts anyway

It's like ....every family dinner they have to be included because ...someday.....they may actually be good.  It's that never ending side dish that is never made the same way twice cause there's always that hope that they will actually be good.  How-many-different-ways- do-they-have-to-be-prepared?????  I've never made them the same way twice.......
....except for....finally...I've done it..I think....
....The presentation for Thanksgiving was by far...the best...so far
And I'm confident that even Leigha will eat them...and enjoy the process.  I think I have finally done it.  Brussel Sprouts that ANYONE and EVERYONE will love.  I just wish I could remember how we made them - exactly

and what about the stuffed mushrooms....we have to have stuffed mushroons.  How could she have forgotten about them.

"I will bring some green bean thing with bacon and shallots, along with the sprouts"


Monday, December 17, 2012



My husband had a sudden craving for lemon meringe pie, so that's what we had for lunch on friday.  In fact I was in the middle of making this when we heard the news.  But the pie was good.  My sister was in town between flights so I took a piece to her and sang Happy Birthday cause tomorrow she's really really old.   It's always good to have and older sister, that gets older faster than you.
 She was nice enough to deliver a sewing machine that works, so that's what I spent the weekend doing. Sewing



My mother also sent along her yearly xmas gift box of perahi.  These are a combination of cabbage, carrots and onion.  There's also potato ones and cheese ones, some with beets and others with peas and some with some sort of bean concoction.  But the veg mix is my fav cause one can enjoy them cold with your morning coffee for breakfast, right out of your hand.  That's what I had for breakfast on Saturday.  Someday I'm going to have to learn how to make them.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

:(
Heartbroken

Thursday, December 13, 2012

TA...DAAA
So I was planning on picking up my glasses on wednesday...with the new lenses.
But things got away from me and I never got a chance.  So later that night I get a phone call from the place where the stupid lense vanished into thin air.
  "I was sorting our the tupperware drawer of lunch containers and you will never believe what was in there?" said my son-in-law
tupperware, I said
a glass lense. he said
crap....Since I already put the order through for new lenses I just bit the bullet and decided to go through with it and pick up new ones on Thursday
So this morning I put the old escaped lense into my pocket and that was it.  I still cant believe the lense bounced all the way into that drawer.  But....oh well
So this afternoon I stepped up to the counter with a heavy heart willing somewhat ...to waste money on a set of lenses that I really didnt need .  I put them on....wait a minute,
I asked the counter person to hand me something to read, cause these were reading glasses after all, hmmm...things are a little ...fuzzy wierd.
She asked me, arent these driving glasses
no reading glasses
ohhh ...the person who wrote this up put down distance lenses.
so i whipped out the lense that was in my pocket, and the other lense was in the little plastic container with the order, and she put both old lenses into the frames, and VIOLA ...I didnt have to spend any money after all
yay

by the way the asteric key seems to be not working...something else in printing out on the screen and I cant figure out how to fix it.  So no asterics today

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The other day I was scrolling around pinterest.com on my phone and ...thought this was kinda cute

Normally I really hate machine applique but this didn't look tooooo onerous.



Since the site didn't offer a pattern, I copied something similar


Hmmm, which fabric...which fabric--always a difficult choice

I opened a couple bins and discovered some interesting stuff I had forgotten about...it's been years since this particular bin was opened, I really should open the others and have a look...see...

And this is as far as I got. MY MACHINE DID A PROTEST OF SORTS...has decided that it doesn't like the needles, or the thread, or the tension.....It's just not working.
So after much cussing and tantrums I remembered my sister was arriving on Thursday from the Kootenays (on her way to Hawaii---why she's doing it via Calgary is beyond me...but she is) so I phoned up my daughter-in-law to request her machine for the duration of my sisters holidays. Cause she's going back eventually.  When my aunt passed away a few years ago and a few of us were going through her things I grabbed her machine to give to one of my girls or girl-in-law.  I've kinda regretted not keeping it myself since.  Cause without fail, everytime i have multiple projects in mind, my machine goes on a strike.  So that's it....finally...It's going to be replace in the new year.  I've finally HAD it.  I can't remember how many machines I've come across at garage sales this year alone, not to mention the estate sales.  It's always amazing how cheap they are because the seller usually has their mothers or grandmothers machine and they don't have a clue of it's real value.  Of coarse stupid me....left them - because I already had one and why would I need more than one.  Crap!!!

And it didn't help that the other day i picked up this book  from the library. And found all kinds of interesting things to try





...And I even managed to secure a couple recycled coffee burlap sacks.  But I'm stuck waiting on the machine coming tomorrow.  I've been waiting since Sunday.  All the parts better come with the machine. My luck has been soooo good lately I can only imagine the cord, or some other crucial part will be left behind, or fall out of the vehicle at a gas station or something.  I've got too many things to do to be sitting here wasting my time.

I should cook something...
Chili ...yea chili sounds good for a couple days of not cooking afterwards....if the machine does show up with all it's parts....I'm not going to have time to cook.   I should go replenish my wine too---now that I think of it.  Can't sew and eat chili without wine.



Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Strangest thing happened on Monday.  I was dropping off my g'daughter at k'garten and looked over at my vehicle for some reason and ....it was running. W...hat...
I got out my keys and turned it off...that part of the remote seemed to be working.
Then when I returned to the car I tried to use the remote to start it --- nothing....
But the door lock/unlock button all of a sudden started working. Hmmmm
When I mentioned it to my husband...."that someone else's remote started my van"  ---I came to this conclusion because a few other parents were all using their remotes at the time., but I was told that this was IMPOSSIBLE ...different frequencies...not likely blah blah blah....my brothe-in-law said exactly the same, he even kinda chuckled.  Like I'm stupid or from mars or something.  How do I come up with these things kinda thing....
Then today....I was leaving a store and as I was leaving someone was entering...and he hit his remote to lock his vehicle and pointed it around my vehicle and ....MINE STARTED...AND I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES.
By the time I looked back at him to grab his remote and ask him to do it again...he vanished.
SO....THERE...... frequencies be damn
Coarse my remote still won't turn the car on.  The garage door still won't go up....and my sewing maching won't work either.  And then something really weird happened.
I'm still baffled...
I wear reading glasses, when I don't need them at the specific second...I usually put them on the top of my head.  I was at my daughters making kids b'fast and bent over and the glasses fell off my head.  I picked them up and forgot about it.  About an hour later I grabbed them to read something and noticed one of the lenses missing.  The same lense that usually falls out grrrrr ...and do you think I could find the damn thing.  It was NOWHERE..
I moved the stove out, the fridge out, I crawled around on my hands and knees....several times, Searched in the heat vent, EVERYWHERE.....I asked them to search over again.  Nothing....
So that's why I was at the store today.   Getting new lenses for the frames.  Grrrr
WHAT THE F&#K IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!?!?
...I'm just sitting around...waiting for the next shoe to drop.....

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Three ...is the number

Things are falling apart, and it's really starting to PISS ME OFFFFFFFFF

Why do things always have to happen in 3's...

It all started about 3 weeks ago....I drove into the garage and the front of the van tapped/hit the freezer, which hit/smacked the wall.  Ever since then the garage door opener, REFUSES TO OPEN
It's fortunate that it stopped working after I drove out the next day.  I didn't know there was a problem until I came home late at night and the stupid thing refused to open from inside the van.

The next day I managed to open it from inside the garage....but why would I park in it...I just knew one morning at 5am it just wouldn't open for me and I would be stuck.  So I've been parking on the street and I've been kinda busy to get it fixed.  I need to get into one of my neighbors garages to have a boo at theirs, to see what could be wrong with mine.  And they haven't been around the same time as me.  And i refuse to get a professional to come have a look.  It's probably something really stupid and simple.   And it's too damn cold to actually spend any time out there to actually get a look at things.

Then about a week later at 5am I needed to get to my daughters and pointed my handy dandy automatic car starter out the window to start the van and when I went out to get into it, "hmmm...how come it's not running---did I take that long that it automatically turned off???  But it's friggin cold in here"  Well who has time to figure these things out at 5 in the morning when it's snowing and your half asleep and you have to drive 20km....without a coffee.  It wasn't until I was making the return trip later that day that I noticed the van didn't actually turn on....WTF
 So with this cold weather I've been trudging outside to start the thing up and then running back inside to wait....And I'm getting PISSED OFFFFFFF

Tried resetting things.   Pushing buttons.  NOTHING SEEMS TO BE WORKING TO GET IT TO START AUTOMATICALLY.

And again....I refuse to seek out a professional.  My brother-in-law ....that handy dandy guy...that installed it for us last year doesn't know what could be wrong and he's in Vancouver....and we aren't.   GRRRRR

Then on Friday

Last week things kinda warmed up to 1+ degree or so...for a couple days--things started melting.  And slushing...And the roads were a mess of brown stuff.  The really bad thing about a van???   TOO MANY WINDOWS to keep clean.  Not only is this a pain in the neck when removing snow in the morning.  It's a pain when you can't see anything out of them at intersections, or when changing lanes.  And when the sun is sitting so low on the horizon it's blinding.  AFter trying to clean them a couple times when filling up with gas and noticing that the water in the holding tanks for squeezying the windows is blah  brown and the windows are dirtyier after cleaning them....I decided to pull into a car wash and driving around looking for one such place where there isn't a line-up from hell is one problem.  Now you have to realize that actually washing a vehicle this time of year is tricky.   Sure....it's warming up right now....at this second in time....but you just know 15 minutes after you drive out of the car wash the temperature will surely drop to something below zero.  And your screwed.  Either the door locks will be impossible to open cause water gets in there and things freeze up or the windows will refuse to go up and down....or something really unforseen with happen to traumatize the vehicle.  "ughhhh you should have left it alone and driven around blind"

Cause on Friday around 9am I finally washed the van.  It was very nice to actually see something out of the windows.  And Saturday it was kinda sunny and only -1 or so.  But by the afternoon....when I was out and about ....in and out of the van....I noticed the stupid ass button on the drivers side wouldn't lock or unlock the doors.   Tried all afternoon....the passenger side worked fine.   The drivers side .... f**k....

And today it's -32 out there.

So I can't drive my vehicle into the garage....cause I can't get the damn door to open....So I'm sitting here trying to decide if I will have to drag out an extention cord to plug the damn thing in...cause that's just too friggin cold...it might not start
I can't automatically start the thing to warm it up....so I have to freeze to get it started...if it does start...out there....when I have a perfectly good...warm...garage
Have you ever had to unlock and lock the doors up manually....it's a friggin pain in the ass.  Especially when there are sooooo many of them.

So its a question of ....should I wait...and maybe there's just some wires that are wet and frozen up or do I go and see my handy dandy mechanic that always ALWAYS charges me $200+ for anything ...Doesn't matter what....it's always $200.  I hate having to pay that.  Why can't one of my daughters have married a mechanic.  Is that tooooo much to ask for.  Or and electrician....Or a garage door specalist.

I have an...itch....to make something - today



the last quilt I made (well the top of it anyway...i did manage to pin it all together, to start actually "quilting" it...but that's about as far as I got) produced a pile of itty bitty scraps...They might be usefull for something scrappy for homemade ornaments

  three glad bags up here, and four more ....downstairs that haven't really been unpacked seven years since we moved here....not to mention the bins - there are four of them.  I should open them ...see what's inside - maybe another day...
 I was on the hunt for purples, white/on/white's and ...stuff I've accumulated since probably June.

The poor pitiful tree looks so bare. I should make some ornaments...from scraps, cause I noticed that one of the g'kids stuck a plastic piece of electronic junk under the pinecones...to the left.   I should decorate the poor thing, before it's time to take it down.


Maybe I should just stick some glitter on it and embellish it with something...see if anyone notices it's just junk.

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Somebody bring me donuts, or cinnamon buns, or I will settle for some coissants. I can't believe I've got this headcold.  I hate headcolds. I HATE HEADCOLDS

I'm hungry
I'm sick
...I'm kinda lazy
There are no leftovers to nuke
...crap

I'm trying to figure out what to make, that I want to eat.
I hope I have some bacon that's not frozen
Maybe a BLT

saw this on "CBS Saturday Morning"




This looks good for dinner....or maybe I'm just hungry
Maybe I will give it a go this evening.
I guess someones going to have to go buy a chicken first


***UPDATE***




hmmmm....I don't know....it was o.k.a.y!!! sorta.   Well I have leftover chicken for another meal.  I don't think I'll make it again.  The house reeeeeeks of oil.  It would be something to make on the bbq burner maybe.....outside.  Maybe it would have tasted better using legs and thighs...but I kinda don't like either of those....too veiny for my liking. I chopped up breasts into 5 pieces each.

But I DID enjoy the bacon

And the pickled baby peppers were HOoottt. The potatoes really picked up the peppers.  It's a good thing I only used 1 quartered and seeded.  Didn't particularly like the flavour of the pepper.  Now i have a whole jar to deal with.



But on the plus side.   Breakfast tomorrow morning is all set. Yay

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Lily...the elf



Wednesday, December 05, 2012

One thing that can't be said about me is "you never know what she's going to cook" no-sir-rie....not me.
One thing you can say about me....I'm a creature of repetition.  Unfortunately my husband thinks he lives in a restaurant (working out of town on the road tends to do that to a person), and walks around saying things like "I sure would like.....(fill in the blank) for dinner. It's usually something really stupid with mashed potatoes and gravy.  If I open a can of cream corn he gets excited.  I on the other hand could eat the same thing 3,4 times a day for a week, then make it all over again for another round.  When I first left/ran away from home at 17 the only thing I cooked was pork chops, white rice and steamed broccoli.  I ate that for years.  That an alot of take-out and restaurant meals and hotdogs and beers for lunch (that's another story) ...I was TALL (well still am...) but back then, I was misstaken for ....over the legal limit....There was one time-----a bunch (all under age) were sitting around the local watering hole and suddenly I got asked for I.D. (the server was only asking me cause she thought for sure I was legal therefore everyone else could stay).....wrong idea. She was really pissed at me cause she was convinced I was legal....and then she had to deal with all those pitchers of beer... Needless to say we all had to move to a different watering hole after that.

...Anyway

...I bought yet another head of cauliflower, much to my husbands shaggrin (is that how that is spelled...looks weird)
...cream of roasted cauliflower soup....again
...with bacon and dill.  YUM
...my husband says he's going to get a burger.


Tuesday, December 04, 2012

I went to the library today and got my haul of books...and several were cookbooks
The Epicurious Cookbook
was the first one up....
I enjoy cookbooks that should be read cover to cover
One of the firt recipe to catch my eye was
Belgian Leek Tart with aged goat cheese

The recipe called for a tart pan with removable bottom....but since I only had a rectangle tart pan with removable bottom, that's what I used.  That might have been why the pie/tart/quiche wasn't all that thick. (Which was preferrable anyway...to me - Doesn't get soggy and cooks better anyway) I used pillsbury pie crust...the ones that come two rolls in a box.  The best invention since....I don't know when - but that's what I always use and they are very good. I just had to roll it out a bit more into a rectagle.  Of coarse by the time I toke the crust out of the oven to precook, I've never used this particular pan before for anything let alone a crust and by the time I got it out of the oven and on the cooling rack It cracked and shifted and ended up in the garbage...so it's a good thing that there are two crust rolls in each box.  Cause I had to redo it.

I used two leeks for the leek confit and two baby zucchini (grated raw).  I added everything into a mixing bowl (milk, cream, leek confit, zucchini, two whole eggs, 3/4 cup of crumbled up feta, I had some weird goat cheese that I purchased on sale so I threw that in, about 1/3 cup in little bits. and 1/2 cup grated cheddar.salt pepper, and some nutmeg)and mixed the hell out of it, and then realized when I read the directions in the book, that I shouldn't have done that.....but it came out real good. So no biggy

After the second crust was nice and brown I poured the mixture into the pan and threw it in the oven for about 1hr....give or take. i had to cover the pie crust edges with foil.

I served it with some ceasar salad and it was a nice veggie dinner.  I've been picking at it all evening.  I doubt there will be any for breakfast tomorrow. It was t-a-s-t-y!!
I don't know why I have never made a leek quiche before.  But this leek confit turned out very good.
There was something missing though....maybe next time I will add some bacon crumbled into it.

All in all, a great dinner and i copied over several recipes ....most of which are on-line or easy enough to copy over from copy and paste program of recipe saving.  I will def make this again.  The G'kids will probably really like this as well, though i will have to peel the zucchini cause they always get their noses out of joint with "what's that green stuff"

I think I will have to go and cut off another piece.....

Sunday, December 02, 2012

It's too ....much



I remember when.....
STOP SNOWING....ALREADY....



Friday, November 30, 2012

Ginger Chicken

I haven't cooked chicken thighs in a long time.  I find the veins, veins, and other ...stuff unappetizing.  Breast are just a ...cleaner chicken piece to deal with and still eat afterwards.

But then after buying some boneless skinless thighs I thought I would make some "Black Chicken"  even though I haven't made any for ages.  I had to really search for the original recipe from Barefoot Contessa's Indonesian Ginger Chicken recipe.

The only difference is her recipe calls for 2 cut-up 3 1/2 lb chickens.  I quartered the recipe add 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp lea and perrins.

I  wanted to cook up 8 chicken pieces cause there's only two of us to eat it. But I'm sorry I didn't use all 15 thighs.

Add all the ingredients into a dutch oven thing and bring to a boil for about 3-4 minutes. Put 8 boneless skinless thighs curled-side down and simmer for 1/2 hr


and sorta spread them out and push them down.

after a 1/2 hr turn them over

then throw the whole works into the oven, covered at 350 for 1/2 hr.  Remove pot from oven and turn them over and return back to the oven at a lower temp about 250 for 15-20 min.


During the in-and-out of the oven you might want to baste them
I turn them "curly" side up....at the end so they don't dry out if your waiting for the rest of dinner to be served


I covered the pot and kept it in the oven after I turned it off and the liquid was almost all absorbed.



MMmmmm....mmmm
I should have cooked all 15 cause I almost polished all of them off just picking at them.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

I've been doing everything to stay awake  .It's not even 6 o'clock p.m., yet.  My early mornings for the last two weeks has finally done me in.  I've been waking up before 5a.m. to get to my daughters (20 miles) by 5:30.  When your 2nd vehicle breaks down and there are two different daycares, that have two different "don't bring them before...times" and one parents starts at 6am and the other at 7am,  two different parts of the city that parents work...well it's a recipe for disaster in the mornings.  So grandma has been doing the daycare and before school care delivery.  In order to give my daughter a break on daycare costs I also ( a week before the breakdown of the vehicle) informed her that we would be available for the g'kids on mondays and fridays. Since she has to pay even when it's a long weekend or when there's a friday off from kindergarten (they seem to take one friday off a month).  Then beginning Dec 16, it's going to be full time monday through friday.  Cause daycare is just way to expensive - as in more than a mortgage payment.  It's nuts. When I had to deal with the reality of unsubsidized daycare for my kids---way back when---I packed it in and decided to stay home for 10+ years.  But that's not the reality for most parents these days.

Another wrench in this whole plan was my decision to find a stupid part time job---somewhere in the neighborhood.  I just had to get out of the house.  Since my client only needs me quarterly and I'm too lazy to find any others --- and my husband is home ALL DAY LONG.  So in late October I became a cashier in a neighborhood mega store.  And NO it's not Walmart.  As---if that would ever happen.  Though it's almost as bad. Of all the things I've done with my life I have never been a cashier in a retail store.  And since I hate people I figured I would last 4 hours, if that.  But it's been a little over a month and for some reason I'm still a cashier.  Gooooo figure.  It's not the $$$ that's for sure.  I worked out that the last time my salary was so bad was wayyyyy wayyyy waaaay back in 1976.  How rediculous is that?  It's almost a joke.  I'm the only "non immigrant" they probably hired in ages.  The guy that "trained" me was 19 and asked me really stupid questions about denominations of our currency.  I looked at him like he was nuts.  What???Are you kidding me?  He explained that most immigrants have trouble with our currency. ...o--kayyy!!!??

So I've been wasting my days (5hr here and there) doing this, and looking after g'kids on mondays and fridays ---at their house. I'm trying to remember the days that i had nothing to do.  The reason for getting the stupid job in the first place.  I was becoming a home body and when I found myself talking aimlessly with clerks at stores about nothing but nonsense.  I figured I better get-out-of-my-comfort-zone....as in ...get out of the house.  It's either feast of famine with me.  I either have too much to do...or nothing at all.  And then their stupid car broke down.  And it's $$$ to fix right now...being xmas and all. So now---it's g'kids all day monday, delivery to daycares tuesday - thursday mornings. and g'kids all day friday.  Work saturday and sunday. And I get calls every once in awhile to come in to cashier evenings during the week. So I don't even remember the day when I didn't have anything to do.  Plus I'm very tired.  I'm just not a morning person.  I really really hate getting up early.  That's one of the best parts of non employment.

Last night I bought a winter jacket for my g'son...that was too big.  So this morning after dropping both off I returned it to a different location of the same store.  One that I'm not familiar with. So I returned it, and then walked around a bit.  And completely went nuts on discounted items.

pkg of cherry strudel, banana bread, pumpernickle, fancy french, butterhorns, and a bag of coissants


celery, green garden salad, two dips, pineapple, two cottage cheese (i see lasagna, manicotti, or canelloni in my future) and a container of greek feta that isn't here







I got carried away, I will admit to that....It's a good thing i remembered to also buy some freezer bags. Cause I was going to need them..

This is what made it into the freezer.
2 rib steaks about 1" thick (i'm going to have to get a refill for the gas tank of the bbq)
3 bags of 500 kg(1lb) of ground sirloin all repackaged
3 bags of 600 kg of sirloin and ground pork that I mixed up and repackaged
the pork roast was portioned into 2 - 350 kg cut up pork for stirfry
5 bone-in chicken breasts
2 bags 250 kg beef stirfry
2 bags of 4each smoked sausage ( will be very tasty I hope with perogies some day or the bbq)
15 boneless chicken thighs portioned into two meals of 7-8 each
1 box of sole breadsticks that the g'kids will probably enjoy
5 bags of pork breakfast sausage of 10 each
1 12" roasted chicken pesto pizza (uncooked)
5 sirloin weird steaks that I've never bought before, prob good for steak sandwiches or stirfry

...and a pkgs of 10 snicker bars, two bags of sour candies, some weird english toffee, and jujubes.  The experation date on the candy was September 1213.  I didn't know that stuff even had an experation date
 I paid a grand total of $93

I probably forgot something....But what a deal. I will have to put a sticky note on the fridge to remind me of what I put in the freezer in the garage.  This begs the question.....WHAT WAS I THINKING....SOMEONE HAS TO COOK ALL THIS .....EVENTUALLY.
I better not hear "there's nothing to eat" from my husband.  All that bakery crap is for him.