Rails are in, death by falling has stepped back a few feet.
Below, the beginnings of a nook where I could work!
Easel still to be built.
Looks oddly like a crib in this photo.....
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Progress on a space for a little painting?
Rails are in, death by falling has stepped back a few feet.
Below, the beginnings of a nook where I could work!
Easel still to be built.
Looks oddly like a crib in this photo.....
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
CRAZY Busy!
CRAZY!
OK, we've moved....mostly.
Internet and phone are on. I'm good to go with that.
The oven/range/stove is ON!
I am so very good to go with that!
The construction guys are going to put the railings into the tiny little space I plan to call my own to paint/ruminate/think/draw/escape in are supposed to go in tomorrow, so I am much less likely to fall.
I'll show you why!
Nope, I won't cause blogger isn't letting me and I don't want to waste time finding out why, cause it's already tomorrow.
Odd things you discover in another land.
Toasters, who'da thunk there could be national variation. Granted, a lot of Canadian toasters have gotten fatter to let us toast bagels at home, and I think that is an excellent thing, but when I went toaster hunting, cause the man really really wanted one, low and behold, the toasters look really really different:
WAIT! There's the crazy steep railless stairs! See!
Now, here's the toaster. Aside from looking like a short wave radio your Dad had when you were a kid, and my husband has now, you may have noticed that there is only one slot for bread and it is very very long.
You see, many people here buy their sliced bread in an actual bakery and if you get a big loaf, known as a kilo, it is round. Now if you have a round loaf of bread that weighs a kilo, you are going to have some very big slices.
Something about this makes me happy. Toasters customised for different diets and countries. Conform? No.
Chuck has also been very happy, the new house comes with a cave, apparently meant just for him.
He isn't sure he wants his picture taken in the cave though.
OK, we've moved....mostly.
Internet and phone are on. I'm good to go with that.
The oven/range/stove is ON!
I am so very good to go with that!
The construction guys are going to put the railings into the tiny little space I plan to call my own to paint/ruminate/think/draw/escape in are supposed to go in tomorrow, so I am much less likely to fall.
I'll show you why!
Nope, I won't cause blogger isn't letting me and I don't want to waste time finding out why, cause it's already tomorrow.
Odd things you discover in another land.
Toasters, who'da thunk there could be national variation. Granted, a lot of Canadian toasters have gotten fatter to let us toast bagels at home, and I think that is an excellent thing, but when I went toaster hunting, cause the man really really wanted one, low and behold, the toasters look really really different:
WAIT! There's the crazy steep railless stairs! See!
Now, here's the toaster. Aside from looking like a short wave radio your Dad had when you were a kid, and my husband has now, you may have noticed that there is only one slot for bread and it is very very long.
You see, many people here buy their sliced bread in an actual bakery and if you get a big loaf, known as a kilo, it is round. Now if you have a round loaf of bread that weighs a kilo, you are going to have some very big slices.
Something about this makes me happy. Toasters customised for different diets and countries. Conform? No.
Chuck has also been very happy, the new house comes with a cave, apparently meant just for him.
He isn't sure he wants his picture taken in the cave though.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Poor Chuck
The man and I took off running today, he very generously stays behind me and doesn't ever comment about the pace, or lack thereof. We had Chuck the dog with us, as usual. The man leaves me part way through and goes off and runs for about another, oh, hour and a half...whatever.
Chuckster himeslf loves little in life more than chasing pinecones if we toss them for him, so as I am running along if I happen to see one, I'll lob it off for him.
Now, there is also an old guy with a gigantic male boxer who Chuck is frankly frightened of. They see each other fairly often and Chuck is normally pretty good at avoiding him. The boxer seems to work on a purely visual system. Maybe those squashed noses and huffing breath also impact on their sniffers. Anyway, Chuck is normally well aware of him and takes off into the distance long before we come across them.
The system isn't working as well now we're going faster. We keep coming across them in the woods rather suddenly. It is tricky too as the man does not keep a completely regular schedule so I'm finding it tricky to avoid him. Both dogs are off leash in the hills, I should add.
Chuck normally walks slowly away and the dog normally leaves him be.
Today however, poor Chuck, I found a pine cone, picked it up and heaved it downhill as we peeled around a corner. Right at the boxer.
Ooops.
The man and I kept running, knowing that was the best option for Chuck, he ran after us and the boxer after him.
I caught up with them when there were both standing stiffly in the path. They were at least still parallel rather than T junctioned, a much closer to a fight posture.
The boxer's owner carries a stick with him, so I picked up a stick myself and walked past the pair of them. Chuck started to move with me and so did the boxer, somewhat more slowly. I turned, brandished the stick in his face and told him, in Catalan, to get lost.
Thankfully he did.
He is reasonably well trained, as in he mostly listens.
The three of us headed off for a loop in the hills, at the end of which the man left us and Chuck and I headed back, the man advising that I do another loop so I don't catch up to them. Wasn't sure I wanted to so we went back slowly, still ran into them, with an about face and rapid retreat. I also felt odd stopping so long mid-run. Made me feel weird.
Should listen to the man more often.
Moving day tomorrow and Sunday.
Wish us luck, hope the power's on.
Chuckster himeslf loves little in life more than chasing pinecones if we toss them for him, so as I am running along if I happen to see one, I'll lob it off for him.
Now, there is also an old guy with a gigantic male boxer who Chuck is frankly frightened of. They see each other fairly often and Chuck is normally pretty good at avoiding him. The boxer seems to work on a purely visual system. Maybe those squashed noses and huffing breath also impact on their sniffers. Anyway, Chuck is normally well aware of him and takes off into the distance long before we come across them.
The system isn't working as well now we're going faster. We keep coming across them in the woods rather suddenly. It is tricky too as the man does not keep a completely regular schedule so I'm finding it tricky to avoid him. Both dogs are off leash in the hills, I should add.
Chuck normally walks slowly away and the dog normally leaves him be.
Today however, poor Chuck, I found a pine cone, picked it up and heaved it downhill as we peeled around a corner. Right at the boxer.
Ooops.
The man and I kept running, knowing that was the best option for Chuck, he ran after us and the boxer after him.
I caught up with them when there were both standing stiffly in the path. They were at least still parallel rather than T junctioned, a much closer to a fight posture.
The boxer's owner carries a stick with him, so I picked up a stick myself and walked past the pair of them. Chuck started to move with me and so did the boxer, somewhat more slowly. I turned, brandished the stick in his face and told him, in Catalan, to get lost.
Thankfully he did.
He is reasonably well trained, as in he mostly listens.
The three of us headed off for a loop in the hills, at the end of which the man left us and Chuck and I headed back, the man advising that I do another loop so I don't catch up to them. Wasn't sure I wanted to so we went back slowly, still ran into them, with an about face and rapid retreat. I also felt odd stopping so long mid-run. Made me feel weird.
Should listen to the man more often.
Moving day tomorrow and Sunday.
Wish us luck, hope the power's on.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Web-log
To anyone reading this on a feed reader, sorry about hitting the button yesterday and publishing, unintentional, so here it is again, with some dessert at the end.
Few things I've seen that struck me.
Here is a link to a webcam recording the Aurora Borealis every night over Canada. It is called AuroraMAX and will stream live images till May 2012.
I think that's just wonderful.
When I was learning to be a coach many many years ago I was taught a technique called the sh*t sandwich in which you give positive feedback, then the sh*t feedback, then something positive again. It stuck with me as a technique. People seem to hear it better, especially if the 'bread' or positive feedback is as meaningfully felt and explained as the sh*t.
Here it comes folks, brown and runny. The Pope, you may have heard was in the UK recently. Spouting intolerance. Here is a great post on the topic. I have to put a disclaimer in and state that I have not, myself, gone to primary sources and read the speech myself. Don't have the internal strength right now. It does make me wonder, in a shrinking fearful corner of my eye kind of way what the heck it is that is going on that is breeding so much extremism in this world right now.
OK, bread again so I can sleep tonight. I know I have gone on and on about this podcast before, but if you haven't gone over and had a listen to Radiolab from NPR in NYC you truly are missing out. They are really very good. They ask the big, apparently stupid but in fact utterly fascinating questions and get some answers, or at least some intelligent food for thought. As an added bonus one of the producers/presenters is a sound artist so the audio (is it music? sound art? audio sculpture?) is amazing as well. Give it a shot.
Here's some dessert, plant-based dessert. Who'da thunk. Clinton's a vegan!
Hope you have fun!
O
Few things I've seen that struck me.
Here is a link to a webcam recording the Aurora Borealis every night over Canada. It is called AuroraMAX and will stream live images till May 2012.
I think that's just wonderful.
When I was learning to be a coach many many years ago I was taught a technique called the sh*t sandwich in which you give positive feedback, then the sh*t feedback, then something positive again. It stuck with me as a technique. People seem to hear it better, especially if the 'bread' or positive feedback is as meaningfully felt and explained as the sh*t.
Here it comes folks, brown and runny. The Pope, you may have heard was in the UK recently. Spouting intolerance. Here is a great post on the topic. I have to put a disclaimer in and state that I have not, myself, gone to primary sources and read the speech myself. Don't have the internal strength right now. It does make me wonder, in a shrinking fearful corner of my eye kind of way what the heck it is that is going on that is breeding so much extremism in this world right now.
OK, bread again so I can sleep tonight. I know I have gone on and on about this podcast before, but if you haven't gone over and had a listen to Radiolab from NPR in NYC you truly are missing out. They are really very good. They ask the big, apparently stupid but in fact utterly fascinating questions and get some answers, or at least some intelligent food for thought. As an added bonus one of the producers/presenters is a sound artist so the audio (is it music? sound art? audio sculpture?) is amazing as well. Give it a shot.
Here's some dessert, plant-based dessert. Who'da thunk. Clinton's a vegan!
Hope you have fun!
O
Some days
Some days, nothing will help but warm cocoa.
No?
Note to self: find a source for almond extract.
Therein lies a story.
Years and years and years ago, before the man was officially the man, and was still simply the man, we found ourselves doing a road trip in Colorado and corners of Utah. One evening we found ourselves in south-central colorado somewhere, in a tiny little hotel in a tiny little town.
The hotel was, however, exceptional. Beautiful, small and had - get this - feather mattresses. The one and only time I have ever slept on a feather mattress and it was bliss. Nothing short of it.
After our nap, simply cause we had the bed and had to spend some time in it.....doesn't happen often that opportunity, and before going to bed for the evening, we needed some food. The hotel didn't do food, or we had a craving or I know not what. Either way we ended up in a fantastic little Mexican place for dinner a good half hour or more down the road. This was rural country, we were driving on some very dark roads. The food was very very good, but the hot chocolate I had at the end of the meal was truly exceptional. So astonishing I had to ask about it.
Now, it was more in the spirit of Spanish hot chocolate, or at least Catalan, but I am assuming all of Spain here, which is thick. Not quite pudding thick, but we're working up to it. Not bitter, but very very chocolate-y (the gross stuff has corn starch in it, the good stuff, lots of melted chocolate) this also had a divine aroma and subtle difference in taste. We went round and round it but my sense of smell is somehow not hooked up with the langauge centers in my brain. I smell something, it arouses powerful memories and associations, primarily emotional, but also more concrete sometimes, but the name of the scent. No HOPE!
So we asked.
Almond extract. OMG good.
Now I strongly suspect, given both the flavour and where we were eating, that they didn't just open up a bottle from the supermarket, but instead had some longstanding Mexican traditional manner of extracting beautiful complex almond flavour and imparting it where they wished.
Still, supermarket almond extract is pretty amazing too.
I do know a woman here who is a pastisier - a gourmet cake maker. She may know where I can score some of the good stuff.
Now, back to my cocoa.
No?
Note to self: find a source for almond extract.
Therein lies a story.
Years and years and years ago, before the man was officially the man, and was still simply the man, we found ourselves doing a road trip in Colorado and corners of Utah. One evening we found ourselves in south-central colorado somewhere, in a tiny little hotel in a tiny little town.
The hotel was, however, exceptional. Beautiful, small and had - get this - feather mattresses. The one and only time I have ever slept on a feather mattress and it was bliss. Nothing short of it.
After our nap, simply cause we had the bed and had to spend some time in it.....doesn't happen often that opportunity, and before going to bed for the evening, we needed some food. The hotel didn't do food, or we had a craving or I know not what. Either way we ended up in a fantastic little Mexican place for dinner a good half hour or more down the road. This was rural country, we were driving on some very dark roads. The food was very very good, but the hot chocolate I had at the end of the meal was truly exceptional. So astonishing I had to ask about it.
Now, it was more in the spirit of Spanish hot chocolate, or at least Catalan, but I am assuming all of Spain here, which is thick. Not quite pudding thick, but we're working up to it. Not bitter, but very very chocolate-y (the gross stuff has corn starch in it, the good stuff, lots of melted chocolate) this also had a divine aroma and subtle difference in taste. We went round and round it but my sense of smell is somehow not hooked up with the langauge centers in my brain. I smell something, it arouses powerful memories and associations, primarily emotional, but also more concrete sometimes, but the name of the scent. No HOPE!
So we asked.
Almond extract. OMG good.
Now I strongly suspect, given both the flavour and where we were eating, that they didn't just open up a bottle from the supermarket, but instead had some longstanding Mexican traditional manner of extracting beautiful complex almond flavour and imparting it where they wished.
Still, supermarket almond extract is pretty amazing too.
I do know a woman here who is a pastisier - a gourmet cake maker. She may know where I can score some of the good stuff.
Now, back to my cocoa.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
We have
Windows! All but one half of one of them (?????)
We have HUGE box loads of Ikea furniture to assemble (OMG)
We have a self-created move in date. This weekend. Wish us luck!
We have finished tiles on the floor and the backsplash behind the stove.
We don't have a front door that we can close with anything other than a chain and padlock, but what the heck.
I'll go in and take some photos tomorrow, it was too late today and too dark.
Whew!
We have HUGE box loads of Ikea furniture to assemble (OMG)
We have a self-created move in date. This weekend. Wish us luck!
We have finished tiles on the floor and the backsplash behind the stove.
We don't have a front door that we can close with anything other than a chain and padlock, but what the heck.
I'll go in and take some photos tomorrow, it was too late today and too dark.
Whew!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Ummmm, shouldn't someone think about this?
OK, they have THREE, count 'em THREE sets of chromosomes, and they are all female and also sterile.
Apparently they taste fine though.
Seem odd to you? Does to me.
Not sure I'd be eating those if I could help it.
Apparently they taste fine though.
Seem odd to you? Does to me.
Not sure I'd be eating those if I could help it.
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