Great Big World Out There

peace

I had grand plans to do nothing today.  I almost succeeded, but for a trip to town to have some lunch and get pictures developed.  The local walmart doesn't develop real film, but prints digital.  It's also completely automatic.  As I watched, the printer flipped up an envelope holder and began spitting out prints at the other end that were conveyed to the envelope thingie.

It was bizarre and oddly disturbing. 

***

My neck is still horribly sore, so much so that I sat in the hot tub for 30 minutes and had to give up to come have some advil and some milk.  mmm.  Milk and advil. 

***

The RV park in which my parents are currently spending their time is  very full.  It's the busy time of year for snowbirds, what with all the snow up north.  Go figure.  This means that the pools that were pleasantly empty back in November are crowded with large groups of retirees.  I am thankful I only venture out to the pools at night, when it is dark, and a multitude of swimsuit sins can be tacitly ignored. 

I ate half a pound of carrots this afternoon.  I have missed my orange obsession these past days.  Perhaps soon I shall turn orange.

***

What this place needs is a decent bakery.  I ate toast from a loaf of bread this morning that was so foul it beggars belief.  I wandered through walmart to find a better loaf, and I think I succeeded.  I am kind of thinking about sending some bread with Kevin when he flies here on Thursday.  Seriously.  Yuck. 

***

The oilers won tonight.  Much better than that 10-2 drubbing the other night.  Oi.  I'm not sorry I missed seeing that on tv. 

I am exhausted, I am sore, and I am looking forward to a glorious massage tomorrow afternoon.  I'm going to read my book the rest of the day and maybe go see a parade.  aren't I exciting?

Windy

I am in California. The state does not seem to aprove my arrival, the wind is blowing like mad. Lots of things blown all over the place.

Neck very sore. Slept stupid on the plane this morning - long flight from atlanta to phoenix - thank heaven for first class. Worth it, worth it, worth it.

Had lovely time in hot tub. Was hot and good for angry neck.

Must sleep now.

misty

I wrote a large portion of a thesis chapter this morning, then booted over to the congress center (via cab because I am a gimp and I was late) to set up my poster.  Got there and realized I had no idea what my poster number was.  No problem, I'll look it up on my blackberry.  Except my BB was dead and I'd borrowed Vals.  I tried calling but that didn't work.  I decided I could maybe register, get my agenda, and find my poster number that way.

In the meantime I had been all worried because I had no tacks.  They don't provide tacks!  Except they do.  Lies, lies, lies!

I register, discover I don't have to pay because I am a student (score!) and more importantly, I get my book.  I skim the pages of the book for my poster, I cannot find it.  I start to think I have been dropped from the program.  I skim a little closer this time.  I find it. 

I hang my poster.  I leave.  I realize I don't need to carry the poster tube with me, I can leave it with my poster.  I go back and leave the tube.

I leave again.  I am halfway out of the building and realize I've left my abstract book, CD and agenda by my poster.  Irreplaceable, so I have to go back.

I go back, get my books and leave again.  This time I make it out of the building, down the street and past the massive re-construction work at the Omni hotel (damaged in the tornado last spring) and through the Olympic park.  It's quite a pretty park, as parks go. 

I arrive back at my room and proceed to write like a fiend until it is time to go stand by my poster for a couple of hours.  I get some questions, some discussion, it's all good.  Then an entertaining conversation with some people and I got the best line ever, 'Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!'

I'm still not done laughing at that. 

We got back to our room and I was ready to go for dinner.  Val was not.  I wrote some more and she finally got ready, then I wasn't ready, so she read her book, and eventually it was getting late so we went to Cracker Barrel.

Love cracker barrel.

Some sonic limeades for dessert, a trip to a defunct kmart (sad) and a wee stop at walmart and we came home.  I finished my chapter, we drank baileys to celebrate and cleaned out some emails.  All in all a successful day. 

It'll be more successful if my committee doesn't hate the chapter.  If they do I'll just fix it anyway, so no need to waste time and energy worrying about it.

Am tired but not sleepy.  This room is hot because I don't know how to adjust the heat/cool without setting off the the seven suns of Endor in the heating unit.  Ridiculous.

Now I must go.  Lovel the lovely baileys.

chasms

Yesterday, as we waited to board our first plane, I made the expedient decision to purchase a couple of bottles of water for the flight.  It being an airport, and having chosen to purchase the large bottles, the water came to $7.  Ridiculous.  That depleted my store of cash.  Thus, when we wanted to purchase food on board, we had to dig through our collective pockets and couch cushions.  I told Val, 'I spent all my money on the water.'  Bless her, her first thought was, 'When was Brenda on a boat?'

We laughed a long time.

***

Tonight, having met all day, the board of the association Val is a member of went out for dinner.  I've been to one of these dinners before, back in 2006.  It's not just a meal, it's an experience.  One starts with a boozy drink of some kind (usually some impeccable wine that one of the good drs of the stuff I work with has chosen) and is followed by a bewildering array of appetizers, mains, and the never to be forgotten desert.

By the end of the evening one is invariable awash with booze and food. 

Tonight was no exception.  We went to Daileys, a local Atlanta restaurant just down the road from the hotel.

Yum. Mee.  I had California strudel (which included cheese, pastry and various bits of various things that were very tasty).  The menu doesn't change often, they claim in 27 years things are the same.  For main, I had a filet steak.  Lovely.  It came with a scalloped potato and wilted spinach.  That spinach was rather good.  In the meantime I'd been working on a beer I'd taken on the advice of the good dr sitting opposite me.  Then the good dr seated kitty corner to me offered wine and I could not pass it up.

For dessert one paraded oneself past a bewildering array of choices, arranged neatly behind glass on a raised dais at the far side of the dining room.  All the choices were so large as to beggar belief. We chose to share a slice (more accurately a splodge that would have fed my entire family) of Black and White cake.  Very good.  Being rather sloshed, a shot of baileys seemed a good idea.

On the way back to the hotel Val and I walked through the Westin, ostensibly so I could see what it was like but I think so Val didn't have to climb up the hill.  This was good because I didn't have to climb the hill either.  I was rather drunk.

Then we stopped in the little park devoted to Andrew Young.  Photos under his outstretched hand and we were approached by a hilarious carriage driver who offered us a special deal on his tours. (It was a deal, normally $25 per person but he offered it to us for $35. It was cold outside tonight (well, by Atlanta standards, anyway.  3C is a hell of an improvement on the -48C with the windchill I heard about at home).  Anyway.  The ride was hilarious and we paid $50 anyway.  It was fun and I'd never done that before.

Now I am in my bed, trying to feel sleepy and instead listening to music while wishing I hadn't had so much water to counteract the booze.  I am so full of water I felt sick.  That has passed.  I should sleep eventually. 

I am tired, actually.  Read my book and I will soon sleep. 

leaving on a jet plane

I didn't get sleep enough to claim it as 'sleep.'  I am so tired I have a headache. 

Our flight left just after 8 this morning.  I should say it was 'scheduled' to leave at 8am.  We waited at the gate for a while and eventually the captain came on and said they were just fixing a small problem.  A short bit later we pushed off from the gate and then had to go back because they had a problem with an engine.

Apparently NWA planes don't like Edmonton branded cold.  It's not like Minnesota is known for balmy winters, which is where we were headed enroute to Atlanta.  Eventually, the problem was fixed and we were only about an hour late when we finally bumped our way into MSP.  Being delayed was kind of excellent, because all the 'pay' snacks were complimentary.  HAPPY DAY!  It seemed that everyone else on the plane was connecting in MSP, so we held off getting our stuff and running for the front of the plane.  We leisurely made our way to the new gate, kind of concerned because Val didn't have a seat assignment for the next leg.  We took a little tram thingie, which was fun and then walked the rest of the way.  The tram voice was british, which was rather odd.

Anyway, we got to the gate and saw a crush of people.  Turns out a flight leaving here this morning was delayed from 630am to 245.  Lots of people trying to get on earlier flights.  So we got into a line to try to get Val her seat assignment.  Took a while, and included having to watch a mom in uniform say goodbye to her kids.  That was hard to watch. 

Our luck continued at the gate since the attendant helped Val get her seat (with no problems!) and then announced that he was moving over to the gate where the next flight was departing.  Talk about being blessed.  That was awesome - because the lines were growing. 

We wandered off for lunch, amused at our good fortune.  not only had Val gotten a seat and not had to line up forever - she'd also managed a seat right behind me.  Score!  We figured we could maybe get someone to switch with us so we could sit together.  Why not, right? 

We wandered off to a pub where we had breakfast/lunch. We had to wait so long in customs this morning that we didn't have time to grab more than a bottle of water.  We were HUNGRY.  So finished lunch, we headed off to our gate.  We had a few minutes to spare, but not many.  Imagine our joy when we saw the sign flashing 'volunteers to give up seats.' 

We scored confirmed exit aisle seats on the next flight out (leaving at 5pm), $200 vouchers AND a meal voucher. 

Best travel day ever.  We shopped through the mall here in the airport and set up shot in a festive bakery, where we've had naked juice and overpriced by decent pastries.  Val saw a lady try to buy a banana but give up in disgust when she discovered the organic bananas cost $2 each.  That's ridiculous.

We're kind of hoping that they ask for volunteers again.  Whee!  Another $200 would be awesome.  I need to change my car reservation, but whatever. 

pesky details

I think I have finally finished the poster I will be presenting in Atlanta in a few days.  I'm leaving for Atlanta on Friday morning, the meeting starts Monday.  I can do this because I am taking some vacation days and I plan to do some work while I am there. My hotel room is covered until next Wednesday, I am only on the hook for 1 night. 

I really hate the stress of doing things at the last minute.  It seems to work for me, though. I rarely get things done that far ahead of time.  I'd planned to have a draft of a thesis chapter to my committee by today; but luckily I promised the committee they would have it before I left for Atlanta.  That gives them 13 days to review my work - I know many of them won't look at it until the day/night/morning before the meeting.  I'm ok with that.  It means I can gad about for a bit in Atlanta this weekend. I had grand plans of doing some sightseeing the last time I was there but that got derailed by my hospital stay. 

Must write chapter now. 

Fearless

Your Word is "Fearless"

You see life as your one chance to experience everything, and you just go for it! You believe the biggest risk is being afraid and missing out on something amazing. Sometimes your fearlessness means you're daring. You enjoy risky activities. And sometimes your fearlessness means you're courageous. You're brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary.

What's Your Word?

 

I've seen this in many different places, and most people bemoan that their word didn't quite fit them.  I'm pretty happy with mine - it fits. 

when the lights go down

I have so very much to say.  I have my dog back after a ridiculous and expensive pile of treatment.  She has a splint, needs tons of care and I kind of wish I hadn't put her through this.  Helping her walk to go to the bathroom is painful and yet she smiles the whole time.

She's such a happy dog that I can't help but be glad she is still with us.  Thousands of dollars in treatment and all.

***

I spent time online last night researching alternatives to elizabethan collars, e-collars, etc.  There are a lot of options out there, from the comfy cone to the bite not to the pro collar.  I was willing to try any of them after this morning when the dog couldn't get her head into her food dish.  She needed her food because it was laced with her painkillers. 

The problem is that many such products are not easily available in Canada, let alone Edmonton.  If I lived near Toronto or even Vancouver it would be easier.  Especially since I could just dash across the border to Bellingham or Buffalo, but that's beside the point.  I didn't have a lot of hope at being able to find a fancy e-collar alternative that was available in Canada.  Most of the websites didn't list any Canadian distributors, except for the ON and BC.

Then I looked at Petsmart online, and they had pro collars listed for sale on their website.  They even ship to Canada!  I figured I would try in the store today while I was in the city and didn't have any luck.  I helped a friend sort through belongings (she's moving) this afternoon and on my way home inspiration struck.  G&E Pharmacy!  They have all sorts of dog food, pet supplies, vet supplies, shampoo, odd and unusual treats, you name it.  I figured if any non-vet would have a cone alternative, it would be G&E.

So far all my fellow Edmonton area residents, I can assure you that G&E carries the pro collar and something called a haylo.  I got my brother to run outside to measure the dog worth the purchase price of a smallish new car and purchased a large.

I got it home, removed the hated e-collar (she hadn't eaten most of her food and she had managed to get a fair amount of straw and dry dogfood stuck in there, poor doggie) and attached it to her regular collar.  I must say, it looks a lot more comfortable.  I'm more comfortable, and she seems slightly more smiley (though it is hard to tell, she is always smiling).  Success! 

***

I made a potatoe casserole for supper and then ate only a wee bit.  I'd been busily snacking on chickpeas.  Love the lovely chickpeas.

I am tired and I will now go to bed.

title: lost, anouk

Power gone. Sad.

I am still reading the outlander series, they are a good read but certainly not quick.

So I can identify with them tonight, as the power is out and I type on my phone with the faint glow of candles to light my words.

Our big outing today was to home depot. We bought shelves. Crazy expensive shelves. Will begin insulating dog palace tomorrow.

miles and miles

I have two sleepy little girls (well, one might be sleeping already) ensconsed in their respective inflatable beds on my bedroom floor.  We watched Treehouse until it was clear they would keep their eyes open until the dawn, in fear the tv would go away.

This is why television in kid rooms is wrong; of course they won't sleep.  I've seen it in action.

We were off to a party for my aunt's birthday this afternoon.  It was quite nice to see the cousins again, so soon after Christmas.  The kids were hilarious, Anna tried to crawl up my coat when she saw everyone.  It's not a very large or voluminous coat so that was really quite a feat of engineering.  A trip to Crappy Tire and Walmart and to a house listing my brother is considering and we were home.  We had supper, we watched tv.  We drank orange pop.  Sarah had a bath.  She had two baths, actually.  I was in the bathroom but was occupied with inflating one of the beds.  I glanced over and her look of concentrated effort struck terror in my heart.

As well it should, as she pooped in the bathtub quite spectacularly.  Gross.  I removed the offensive turd, scrubbed the tub well with bleach and deposited her inside with fresh clean water.  Little turkey. 

She's so cute I don't care she pooped in my tub.  Bleach is an amazing thing.

***

Knowing I would be away most of the day woke me early, that or the raging pain in my neck.  It was dreadful.  I took myself and a massive carload of recyclables to town and then proceeded to empty my deep freeze of the upper layer of freezerburnt junk.  I pried a rubbermaid container of considerable size worth of ice from the sides of the deepfreeze.  That was an oddly satisfying operation.  I think we gained several cubic feet of additional space in the freezer - what I shall do with these riches is unclear.  We are not in any need of food in the next while; the freezer is full (all three, to be sure).  I might go stock up on some staples, replenish the spice cupboard (based on this article, which I found fascinating and inspiring.  Any excuse to shop, I suppose.  I am stimulating the economy). 

Both little girls are now asleep (within 12 minutes of turning off the tv.  Interesting, no?)