This Foxtrot strip is hilarious yet true. If my kids were older I could certainly see this happening.
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Nano car
This $2000 Nano car, slated to hit India soon, is really cool even though it might be scary to drive it beside 18-wheelers.
Here and then gone
After hearing about the death of actress Natasha Richardson after falling during a skiing lesson, I found myself saddened and shocked. I think the most stunning factor was that she didn’t take a horrible fall down a double-black diamond run, nor did she collide with a tree – she took what seemed to be a very simple tumble down the bunny hill. She was laughing and joking about it when she got back up and appeared to be fine. Then within the hour she was being rushed to the hospital with excruciating head pain, and before we knew it she was being announced as being brain dead. Tonight I read that they had taken her off life support and she had passed away.
Normally, celebrity deaths make me sad but then the day goes on. This one is haunting and I think it’s because it was just so abrupt. A long time ago, I had one of those deep philosophical discussions in college (in other words, a group of us had been doing tequila shots and decided to talk about heavy matters while inebriated) as to whether you’d rather have a lengthy illness and know you’re going to die or whether you’d rather die quickly.
I had always said quickly. I said I’d rather just die immediately in an accident or slip away in my sleep. I didn’t want to have to sit around and ponder my own mortality.
But that’s changed as I’ve gotten older. I’m only 34, I don’t feel like I’ve got one foot in the grave just yet, but I’m old enough that all kinds of things do indeed make me ponder that mortality. Having kids did that. Having more and more people in my life pass away did that. Experiencing the signs of aging – putting your back out for no good reason, having random aches and pains – have done that too.
Now I think I would really like to change my answer. While I don’t exactly hope for a long, painful illness that leaves me suffering for months, I would much rather know. I’d rather hear a doctor tell me I have X amount of weeks or months to live than just go on my merry little way only to be hit by a truck and killed instantly. In that time given to me by doctors I could get things in order, I could do the things that you always put off (and some would argue that you should do those things anyway, but that’s just the way life often is – you procrastinate because there are bills to pay or floors to mop), and most importantly I could find the time to say good-bye to the people that I love.
Natasha Richardson had a husband and two young sons, as well as a mother and siblings. Of course they all knew that she loved them, but given the choice, I’m sure that she would have preferred to be able to say it one more time, to actually say the words, “I love you” to them before leaving and with the incredible speed of her brain injury, there was no time for that. They apparently kept her on life support so that family could come and say goodbye to her but I’m willing to bet that she would have wished for time to say goodbye too.
I don’t even know where I’m going with this, just that it was sitting there in my head, nagging at me. This is the sort of thing where you want to go see everyone that you care about and tell them that – just in case.
I definitely change my mind on how I want to go. I want the time and I want to be able to squeeze as much into that time – whatever it may be – as I possibly can.
(Also, I realize that this is two posts in a row about death. I promise I’ll be more cheerful next post.)
God knows I love Twitter, but this is still really hilarious! “You’ve summoned the Fail Whale, you bastard!”
Remembering
This afternoon we got some bad news as we found out that a friend had passed away at the end of last week. His sister called because she was going through his phone to see who had called lately, not really knowing who she should contact, and George had just called last week.
Long time readers (really long time) probably remember that before I had kids I practically lived in local bars because George played guitar and sang in a band called “The T-Birds”. They did 50’s, 60’s and 70’s rock and roll with a bit of blues as well. Technically, the band was actually called “Billy Ray and the T-Birds”. Bill, the lead singer, is the one who passed away.
I can’t remember the last time I saw Bill in person, it’s been years, but I spoke to him on the phone a couple of months back. He was saying that he wanted to have the old group over to jam in his basement and that I was welcome to come along as I so often did. Unfortunately, it never happened and I never got to hear that one last night of live music with Bill at the helm.
Bill had a huge following of friends and fans on YouTube. He would play a music track on his computer and then record himself singing and people loved it. Tonight I was looking for some pictures and found this one, back in March of 2002 when they played at the legion, with Bill singing. That’s how I’ll always remember him, with a mic in front of him.
However, I couldn’t remember any of the gig dates, so I decided to type the band name into Google to see if any of the links led back to my own site and hopefully some photos. Instead, the first link I clicked was this one, which led me to a video he had done only two months ago. It struck me particularly because it was one of the songs that they always did in the band, and in the video he says some really nice things about George’s guitar talents – the track he uses is actually one that they did at practice one night.
I know that as I get older, it happens more and more often that you hear this kind of bad news about people that you knew, but it doesn’t make it any less of a shock or any less sad. Six months ago, he lost his wife, and I truly believe that he’s with her again. I hope that he’s at peace now, he deserves it.
Could it really almost be here?
This time last year we still had quite a lot of snow, and had even gotten a rather heavy snow storm, the kind that makes you want to just give up on your will to live.
Or maybe that’s just me being dramatic. But really, we got so much snow last year that it was ridiculous and I figured either I may as well move up north and enjoy the tundra because what difference would it make, or I’d better move south. Like Ecuador or something.
This year has been a really good winter in comparison. We had that crazy cold snap where it all but hurt to breathe outside and my hair turned white because it was just that cold, but we didn’t get as much heavy and constant snow. And now, here we are on the Ides of March (beware!) and dare I admit this out loud (so to speak)? It almost looks like SPRING is just around the corner.
Granted, yes, spring really IS just around the corner. On the calendar. But please, I live in Montreal. We don’t necessarily follow the calendar when it comes to our seasons. However, today George and I played the “Divide and Conquer” game where he took Hayley with him, and I took Breanna with me. For Breanna, that meant accompanying me on a nice long walk with Pearl.
Breanna was confused. “Where’s the snow?!” she asked as she plopped her snow-suit-free self down in a tiny remaining pile of snow of questionable cleanliness.
Hey, sorry kid. You’re asking the wrong person for sympathy. Begone, snow! Shoo!
She got over her mourning pretty quickly. As we got closer to home, she noticed some puddle and started picking up random tiny rocks and bits of gravel to throw in the puddles, one of her favorite pastimes. Then she spotted a fairly large puddle. Her eyes got a bit big, and she slowly tiptoed towards it, worried that I might stop her.
You know… So often I have to tell my kids not to splash in the puddles – usually it’s Hayley because she’s on her way to school. Today Breanna had nowhere to go but back home.
So I let her splash to her heart’s content for five minutes.
Let me tell you, it’s good for your soul.
What is good for the soul, too, is feeling like maybe, just maybe this winter stuff is done. Tuesday’s forecast is for 11C and that’s just crazy talk for the middle of March. It will be so nice to not have to bitch about the winter anymore.
(Please stay tuned for plenty of bitching about the ridiculous Montreal high humidity!)
Life is like a box of chocolates
This is just brilliant – Forrest Gump in one minute, and one take. Love it!
Awesome relationship moments
When I was reading this hilarious entry over on MamaTulip’s site, I laughed. But then I read Katie of Motherbumper‘s comment on the entry. She said this:
I double checked, and you are right, there is nothing in the vows about that but there is a clause that states HE must be able to select and purchase the correct flow-requirements and preferred brand of feminine protection without breaking a sweat or being embarrassed. It’s a double standard really, but fair trade I think.
That sparked a memory from November that still makes me laugh so hard that I just had to share.
I know that there actually are men out there who are so squeamish about a woman’s period that they can’t even bring themselves to walk into a pharmacy and buy pads for their wife. While I understand that different people are embarrassed by different things, I’ve never really gotten the aversion some men have to picking up a pack of pads and paying for them. I mean, it’s not like anyone is going to think they’re buying them for themselves, right?
I’m lucky though. George occasionally rolls his eyes or jokingly refuses to buy me any when I put them on the list or ask him to pick some up on his way home, but he truly has no problem with buying them. It probably helps that I’m not all that picky. If I’m in the store buying them myself, there are specific brands and types and blablabla that I prefer, but if I’m on the phone asking him to buy pads, I don’t really care. For the most part they tend to work really well regardless of brand.
That means he doesn’t have to pay much attention to what he’s buying and he usually just strolls down the feminine hygiene aisle looking for the one that’s on sale for the lowest price.
This can, apparently, be a mistake.
One day I asked him to pick some pads up while he was out. And by “ask” what I really mean is that I moaned, “Oh my GOD, I need some fucking pads, oh my god, cramps, augh!” To that he responded with a negative, at which point I said, “fine, I’ll just use your socks again” and he scratched his head and asked, “oh is that what was wrong with them last month?” I know. We’re dorks.
So off he went and he bought all the stuff he was supposed to get and then he came home with a few bags. I started unpacking groceries and putting things away, and then from the bottom of the last bag, I pulled out a package. And I stared, somewhat incredulous. And then I started to laugh hysterically.
Maybe I need to develop brand loyalty after all, and demand ONLY that pad from now on. Because George bought me Poise “discreet bladder protection” pads.
Really, it was a dangerous mistake. I don’t know about you, but my PMS can swing pretty wildly. I *could* have gone completely batshit crazy and started crying. Luckily I was on an “up” swing right then and the only tears were from the laughter. I laughed so hard that I’m surprised I didn’t pee my pants.
Too bad, really, because dude, I was totally prepared for loss of bladder control.
Rain, pain, and something awesome
It was pouring rain this morning, which is not necessarily the best way to get me to leap out of bed with joy at meeting the a.m. you know? Rainy weather is what usually makes me want to lie in bed with the covers pulled up high, a cup of coffee on the night table, and a good book (or my laptop) in my hands. Unfortunately, it was Wednesday, not Sunday, so there was no lounging to be had.
When we got outside, Hayley at least made me smile. The water was rushing down the streets and gushing loudly into the sewers. She heard the gurgling sound, stopped to listen for a second, umbrella clutched in her hands, and then she grinned and said, “Mommy! The sewers are singing a song with the water!”
I guess rain can’t be all bad if it’s musical, right?
*******
She was less cheery when she came home from school. At lunch recess she was running around and someone bumped into her, knocking her to the ground, and she sprained her ankle. We wrapped it up in a bandage to help her out, but she spent the rest of the afternoon and evening either crawling or sitting on a cushion and scooting herself around the floors. I pointed out that she can’t crawl all over the school tomorrow and eventually managed to get her to walk around by showing her how to put minimal weight on that foot, but good lord.
The DRAMA.
I don’t mean to sound like an uncaring mother, and I know a sprain hurts. But I guarantee, a greater drama queen has never existed. To listen to her moan about it you would think that she had actually shattered every bone in her body.
I think I’ll be sending a note into the school asking them not to make her go out for recess or lunch recess if she doesn’t feel up to it.
*******
Something awesome happened back in early February, but I was asked to keep it on the down low until everything was formalized. That was HARD because I was excited. However, everything is up and running now so I am free to spread the word.
Catherine of Her Bad Mother contacted me to let me know that the Silicon Valley Moms blog had expanded and was now adding a Canada Moms Blog to its impressive roster. That’s interesting enough, but they wanted me to be one of the writers for it.
I can’t tell you how flattered and honored I was to be asked. Seriously. When I saw the final list of contributing bloggers, there were so many names that I recognized because I read them all the time; the names I didn’t know were immediately added to my Google Reader list and let me tell you, I am in some EXCELLENT company over there.
We’ve been posting for a little while now but I wanted to wait until I had something to add as well. Today I finally got my first post up – please feel free to pop on over to read “All Aboard for Junk Food” and while you’re at it, throw a comment in if you could. Then when you’re done be sure to check out the other incredible bloggers with whom I am sharing the space.
Pretty damn cool!
56 hours of my life in photos
On Friday morning, Hayley’s last official day of March break, my alarm went off with a vengeance at 6:30 am. By 10 am I was sitting with George, Hayley, and Breanna on a train heading to Toronto.
The girls were remarkably good considering it’s five and a half hours sitting in seats. Breanna started to fuss about an hour out of Toronto but it was because she was tired; she finally fell asleep and got a half hour in which made a big difference for her. Overall they really enjoyed the train and we kept them busy with lots of coloring books, notepads, books, impromptu games (I taught Hayley to play Boxes, she did great!), and snacks.
We had gone to Toronto for George’s sister Elsa’s wedding, so we went to her condo first, where we were staying for the weekend, had a bite to eat since we were STARVING, and then we went to a hotel to visit with some family from out of town. It was tiring but fun to see everyone. We were all wiped out, but still hungry, so we stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken to pick up some food, ate a piece each, then we all crashed by 10 pm.
I don’t sleep well away from home the first couple of days so I was awake for a couple of hours in the middle of the night, and then we were all jolted awake by a blaring siren coming from the ceiling. George called his sister to ask what the hell it was and she said if there was any problem we’d hear a voice telling us what to do from the speakers in the ceiling, and that’s exactly what happened – like the voice of God or something. It was weird. A security guard from the lobby announced there was a fire in one of the parking levels and to stay tuned for further instruction. We immediately got everyone dressed and waited by the door; fire trucks came and then within five minutes they announced it was a false alarm. Alas, it was 7:15 am and we were all groggy but far too awake to go back to sleep then.
Luckily, the building has a big pool and spa room so after breakfast I took the girls downstairs and we alternated between swimming in the smaller pool and relaxing in the spa for an hour. It was really nice and I would have stayed longer if we hadn’t had things to do. We had to hurry to get ready because Hayley and Breanna were flower girls in the wedding, so we had to get them over to the wedding site to get them dressed and to have photos done.