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Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
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11:18 pm - Ring-a-ding-ding!!!!
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I always have mixed emotions when the holidays come to a close.
I've got the house tidied up, and all the gifts put away, but I'm keeping the tree and the decorations up for a few more days. I'm not ready to let go yet.
A big Thank-You to all of you for the wonderful cards! They give me a big smile every time I walk by them.
The New Years Eve Party last night was a great time. Matthew's hockey coach, who also happens to be a good friend and neighbour had about 15 families over. What a hoot playing street hockey at midnight (parents against the kids). We lost, only because the young'uns wore us out.
In the typical holiday fashion, I'm reading all of the books I got for my kids this year, while they play the new X-Box. The Dark Is Rising and the new Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. Good trivia for the tub, with all the new bath stuff Santa put in my stocking.
Happy New Year one and all!!!
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| Sunday, September 9th, 2007
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7:56 am
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Hi everyone!
I only have time for a quick post to thank everyone for the birthday wishes. It's always a good feeling to check the friends list on your birthday!
Life has been busy with camping, traveling, visitors, and now my life is all consumed with soccer, hockey, football and cheer-leading! (I'll post some photos. She's just to die for!)
Friday was a full day with no kids. It was strange actually, but I got used to it very quickly!
My husband even knew about Dan Radcliffe in the leather vest. I must go look!
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| Saturday, July 21st, 2007
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8:10 pm - I'm in!
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Between picking Matthew up from camp, cleaning up after sleep-overs, running the dog, and hiding from kids, I've only managed to get 100 pages in today, and hopefully another 100 tonight, but it doesn't matter. I'm just soooo happy to be spending time in this universe with these characters again!
current mood:  cheerful
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7:12 am - It's time...
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Finally, it is 6:00 a.m. on the West Coast, and I can walk down to the grocery store and get my book.
I've been feeling like many of you this week. Excited and curious, yet anxious about all of this coming to an end. This has been a big chapter in my life, in which I've met a lot of interesting people, made some good friends, had some fabulous discussions and some great laughs. I don't feel like it's over, but it can't really be the same after all the answers are out in the open.
Six years ago, I was my maternity leave, a week past my due date and was told to take it easy, lest I wanted to be delivering a baby on the hiking trails behind the house. (Hmmph!) I barely even knew how to use the internet, but I stumbled across Mugglenet while searching for some information about Harry Potter. (I had read the books only six months before that.) From there I found Fictionalley, where I met most of you, and started on an extraordinary journey. The fun, the wank, the friendships, the stories, have made this a unique and enlightening time in my life. It's been great!
I know it's not over by a long shot, but I've been kind of clinging on to this time of uncertainty. I could have picked up the book at midnight last night on the way home from the film (The boys wanted to see Transformers instead. Harry Potter is now all my obsession. They've moved on.) but I wasn't ready to let go and let the "end" begin. I'm ready now. And I need to buy eggs too.
When all of you have finished (and I know many of you have already) I'm curious to know how you found your way here to the HP fandom. Had you been part of an online fandom before? When did this start for you, and how do you think things will change now?
I'll be back for your answers in a day or so. :P
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| Saturday, June 2nd, 2007
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3:49 pm
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Regarding this. Good reviews here, in case any of you are still undecided.
I'm still dazzled over it. It was such a great show!
This weekend I will be doing damage clean up from the disaster that happened on my front lawn last weekend. The neighbour decided to let his 14 yr. old son back his car out of the driveway so he could wash his truck. His kid hit the gas instead of the brake, panicked, and froze with his foot floored on the gas. The car sped across the cul-de-sac right across my driveway (where Ellen plays hopscotch), launched itself airbourne as it hit my retaining wall, continued through my hedges, and spun around, coming to a stop as it crashed into my maple tree. Meanwhile, the father is chasing after the car, as gets RUN OVER as it spins around.
Mike was at lacrosse with Ellen, and (thank God!) I was out. If I had been home, the boys would have been on the drive way playing hockey. If Ellen had been out there, she surely would have been killed.
So, I'm driving home, and I see emergency vehicles (fire truck, ambulance, police) all stopped at my house, and a crowd of paramedics gathered around my neighbour on my front lawn. And a CAR on my lawn, crashed in to my maple tree!
Thankfully, the dad is ok. A few fractured ribs and some bruising. Oh, and an injury to his scalp, as the car wheel ripped his toupee off. Did you know those things were glued on? We had to leave it lying in the grass until the RCMP came to investigate. Poor dude.
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| Friday, June 1st, 2007
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11:53 pm - Magic, magic, magic!!
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Hello all! I've missed you a lot!
Life is busy, as always. I see we got some wank to play with again. Cool. (Or not.)
I want everyone to know, that the kick-off for the Police tour here in Vancouver was awesome! The guys gave a great show, with all the energy and charisma I saw them with in 1981. Stewart is a bit grey on top, Sting is a bit bald, Andy is a little chunky, but they gave us a fabulous concert! (Three of them, actually.) The crowd was great too, which always makes a concert better. Sting was all emotional at the end, and got teary-eyed, then Stewart hugged him! They were so well received here, and gave three very successful shows. You could tell they really loved playing here.
If the Police are coming to your town, GET TICKETS!!! We managed to get $108 tickets for $150, which isn't bad, but we should have been there Monday, when $400 tickets were going for the same price. The scalper told us that some American "tour companies" (ha!) had bought up a load of tickets hoping to make some money off them, but then they added another show. Whatever. I was determined to get in!
It was a little more than my girlfriend wanted to pay, and she really couldn't afford it, so I helped her get a ticket. I couldn't just leave her outside to regret missing this for the rest of her life. Because she would have!
One of the kindergarten moms sent me this video, saying she thought I would get a kick out of it. I'm not really a Star Trek fan, so how would she know? (Even though she was right!)
Hee!
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| Sunday, April 29th, 2007
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10:49 pm
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Oi.
All over the lower mainland, every restaurant has duck on the menu. Roast duck, broiled duck, curried, Peking, even duck barbecued with a Kokanee beer up the ass.
That seems to be the only duck we've been able to cook. These Ducks are tough, and we're getting fried.
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| Monday, December 25th, 2006
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12:59 am - Happy Holidays!
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Dear friends list,
I've missed you guys! I hope all of you are enjoying the season. Thanks so much to those of you who sent greetings this year, you really helped me get in to the spirit early!
The kids are tucked in, the house is glowing with little white lights, and the dog is WTF-ing all over the place (he really wanted to pause at that tree when I brought it in!).
The food always seems to be the best part of the season. Christmas time is the only time I'll indulge in my favorite treats without guilt. I love Almond Roca, my holiday trifle, and Gorgonzola on ritz crackers. Mmmmm!!!
So, what's your favourite holiday treat that you look forward to all year? Did you get enough? Will you be having more? Please tell!
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| Saturday, November 4th, 2006
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1:21 am
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Greetings all!
I'm still alive, still visiting, and still keeping you all in my thoughts. It seems that whenever I have something interesting to post about, I have no time, and when I do, it's no longer all that interesting.
So, I'll dump it all on you.
Everything was going well with Jack the first month of school. His teacher said in her interm report that she was very impressed with the improvements in his penmanship, writing and comprehension. She showed me his journal entries, and it's almost like they were written by a different kid! The Orton-Gillingham tutoring has really helped him, and I let him know how proud I was of him. Unfortunately, by the end of October he had fallen so far behind in math, we had to spend two weeks catching up. He had been telling me he had no homework, and unfortunately I was so busy with football, hockey, music, and work that I just trusted him without checking his planner or looking on the teacher's website. OUCH! It was awful! The sad thing is, he was able to do each worksheet and assignment in less than half an hour, he just didn't want to do it. We've still got some catching up to do this weekend, and they'll be no sleepovers or play dates until this is done. I'm not his favorite person right now. He's not mine either.
Halloween was a great time and a welcome relief from all the stress around here. The boys went out on their own in a group, and Ellen and I went with some of her kindergarten friends. Good times! This neighbourhood is rockin' on Halloween! One house was giving out coffee with shots of Bailey's for a trick. Ellen and her friends recited a pumpkin finger game, and we all got one. Must thank the teacher for that!
I managed to get a permanent two day a week position at the woman's clinic this month. It's going to be perfect, because I'll easily be able to pick up extra shifts if need be, but I don't have to commit to any more than that!
Oscar turned one on October 30. He's big. A bear!
I've managed to keep up with the running for three months now with no injuries! As you can see by the nifty little counter in my profile (nabbed from a nice person on ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) we_can_do_this) I am finally starting to see some results! Nothing huge, I realize, but at least I'm going in the right direction!
I do hope to comment on all of your journals soon. So many things are going on with all of you, and I hope you know how important you all are to me!
I was flipping through the phone list on my cell, and I still haven't deleted all the numbers of those I met up with at Lumos. I can't delete them; they bring a smile to my face!
This meme almost had me running fast in the opposite direction, but I surprised myself!
I think I understand Cubism, but definitely not Pi. I sure as Hell never got 91% in anything in high school. Food Science, maybe.
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| Sunday, September 3rd, 2006
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11:51 pm
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No!! Not Steve Irwin!! :-(
My boys loved watching him, as much as he loved what he was doing. Their love of nature and knowledge of animals was first inspired by the Kratt brothers, but it stayed alive because of Steve.
My heart goes out to Terri and their kids. What a loss for all of us.
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| Thursday, August 24th, 2006
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10:59 pm - What block of ice are these people from?
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I'm with all of you, who will dearly miss the lovely planet Pluto as it is demoted to a dwarf planet.
This even screws up my favorite mnemonic.
"My very excellent mother just served us nine pizzas." will now become "My very excellent mother just served us nothing!". Great.
All of you have been posting madly, and I can't keep up! I will be popping in on your journals in the next few days!
The kids and I went to the PNE today, for the official sign-off of summer. School opens up again in two weeks. (Whah!!! I want to spend more time with them!) Where did the summer go?
Cute Conversation in the car:
Radio: Don't miss Black Eyed Peas live at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday, October 6th with very special guest Rihanna and Swollen Members.
Me: That's a stupid name for a band!
Jack: Why?
Me: Do you know what that means? It means an erection!
Jack: No, it doesn't!
Me: YES! If you have a swollen member, that means you have an erection!
Jack: So. It's good to have an erection.
I'm not taking that any further.
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| Monday, August 21st, 2006
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10:17 pm
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8:55 pm - Back on track!
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I went for a run again this morning! New shoes with extra support plus a gel sports insert, and it felt OK. Let's hope this lasts.
I feel very happy about this, because I really over did it this weekend. One of the neighbours from down the street came up with a brilliant idea of a Block Party. It was great! We had the BBQ's and coolers out there, the music going, and people of all ages and walks of life. The pot-luck was fabulous too. Very trendy and flavourful fare (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) irinaauthor, you would have been impressed!) with roasted veggies, warm salads, curried shrimp etc., but the cutest thing was a little old granny hobbling down the street with a bowl of her ambrosia salad! It had coloured mini marshmallows! All the kids went wild over it, especially since it counted as salad, not dessert.
It was great to actually take time to talk to the neighbours and find out more about them. One lady down the street does independent colour and interior design consultation, so I'll be calling her! We'll be doing this every year before school starts.
I started my own version of Weight Watchers Monday morning. It's not bad.
Cheers to all!
current mood: cheerful
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| Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
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8:00 pm - On Leaving Las Vegas
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Hey everyone!! I finally made it home today at about 3:00 P.M.!
I think the fates must have heard me complaining about leaving, and decided to make me stay until I was begging them to get me the hell out of there.
My plane was delayed four hours in Vegas, thus I missed my connector in San Francisco. When we finally did get on the runway, there was a mechanical problem (sound familiar laurel_potter?) and we were delayed another hour. Gah!
The interesting thing is, I was in such a good mood after meeting all of you and having such fabulous time, that I just shrugged it off. The lady at the check-in seemed absolutely floored when I smiled and laughed as she told me. We had the old "What's-the-point-in-getting-angry" and "Why-do-people-always-yell-at-you-when-this-happens" conversation, and she was so appreciative, that I know she called San Fran to tell them about me. (Truthfully, I was rather pleased anyway, since it gave me the day off today.) When I reached customer service in San Francisco at 1:30 A.M., the guy had my hotel and meal vouchers all ready for me. Usually before taking on a plane full of tired and angry passengers these guys are a bit sheepish, but his face lit up when he heard my name (dude, she called!). He said in the sweetest tone: "Mrs. B****, I have a hotel for you, but if you're booked on the 6:00 A.M. flight, you'll barely have any time to sleep. Why don't I put you on the 10 o'clock?". He was right, I slept like a stone.
The hotel was all right. Sheridan Gateway. Nice lobby and restaurant looking over the harbour, but the rooms were mediocre, and the halls a bit seedy. I think I've been spoiled after staying at the Marriot. No three-cornered jacuzzi, no crisp bath robes, marble floors, gentle rain showers, lavender body lotion (they had Jergin's for Christ's sake!)or thick duvets. Just a comfortable bed to sleep in, and Maxwell House in the morning. ::Sigh:: Did I have to come back to reality so quickly?
I miss all of you greatly, but it's good to be home. The boys are daring each other with Bertie Botts Beans, and bursting out in fits of giggles. Ellen is completely mesmerized by the loaded dice ("One, two, three...Mommy, I got seven again!!!"). I'm so tired right now, that jacuzzi sounds so good. But that's not my reality, this is.
current mood: content
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| Monday, July 24th, 2006
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6:39 pm - ::Dusts off the LJ::
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Glad to see that all of you are doing well, providing lots of on line entertainment for me. Great!
My life is much the same as always. Work is is fun and fulfilling, but I'd rather be home with the kids every day. Matthew is back from "Extreme Sport" camp where he learned rock climbing, BMX biking, skateboarding, and horsemanship (I know that's not an extreme sport, but the whole thing takes place at an equestrian camp), and Jack is there this week. I gunned it home today so I could spend some time with Matt before he went to football practice, but I missed him. And I'm sad. I'm glad he's having an eventful summer, but I really need to spend an entire day with him before I go to LUMOS. GAH! THURSDAY!!
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No spoilers, opinion only
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This weekend the boys and I went to the cineplex so they could watch Click while I was foolish enough to walk into Lady in the Water. Ummm...WTF was that Shyamalan?
I think the reason the trailers looked so appealing, is because he truly is a great director. The misty grasses, eerie music, and sudden movements in the night mislead us into thinking there's something outstanding and riveting about to happen. It doesn't. The plot was all over the place, almost like he forgot to edit out his first, second and third draft, and then realized he liked his first one best. With that much backpedaling in the story, I wasn't sure if I had the real point behind this film. Thankfully he was smart enough think of this, and had a character spell it all out for us. That would be his water nymph named Story, who looks so much like Opie Cunningham I had to stifle a laugh.
I actually sympathized more with the actors in this film than the characters. They really worked hard to save it. Paul Giamatti is absolutely endearing, and gives a lovely performance of a tragic and saddened, guarded little man. The scenes with the Korean girl, and the apartment full of philosophical stoners are a hoot, and Bob Balaban proves once again (as Jason Alexander is often saying) how hard it is to shake a Seinfeld character. The same pompous, self important yet vulnerable nerd, transported as an unlikeable film critic. Even Elaine's smart-assed Korean manicurist is there with a big chip on her shoulder. The super softens her nicely though, better than Bette Midler tickets! M. Night Shyamalan (the actor) himself tries hard to get this film to fly, but unfortunately, in the end it feels more like he's laying a guilt trip on us for not liking it. It worked. I feel like such a shit for saying this. It sucked.
Shyamalan could take a page from the fandom. When you're bitten by a plot bunny, pass it on to someone who can write.
current mood:  blah
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| Wednesday, July 12th, 2006
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6:54 pm
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Thanks everyone who commented on my last entry. I actually went for a long hike, uphill while we were camping yesterday and it got me huffing and puffing well. In fact, I may try to do the Grouse Grind after work twice a week while I'm waiting for this shin splint to heal. There's plenty of hiking trails in my sub-urb as well. Thankfully, I haven't gained any weight this week.
Camping for two days with the neighbours was a great time. All the kids played together well, there was swimming, campfires and great food. I was even able to get up early this A.M. and drive in to the city for work, leaving poor Mike to break camp by himself. That's my kind of camping.
I see some new people have friended me. ::Waves:: Drop in and say hi!
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| Monday, July 10th, 2006
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8:53 am - Ow!
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I am so ticked off right now.
For the last six weeks I've been making another attempt at the Couch to 5k running plan. Slowly! I increased my intervals by thirty seconds every two weeks, instead of one and I spend almost $200 on a proper set of shoes from a specialty running store. Everything was going great, I was enjoying it, the dog was running with me and getting his exercise, and I was finally starting to see the scale go in the right direction. Last week I got another shin splint and it hurt too much to run. I tried again this morning, and no go. I'm going to have to wait it out for a few more weeks. SHIT!!!
I think what's happening is that I'm pronating with my right foot (my other one feels fine). I'm going to go to a "Foot Solutions" store, that makes specialty orthotics to see what they can do for me. The problem is, by the time I get fitted for one, I'll be starting from scratch again. No, I don't want to go swimming, or go to a gym for low-impact aerobics or use a stair climber. I don't have time for that. This is the only way I'll be able to get in shape. It's the only thing I like doing and the only thing convenient for me.
You know what's weird? I used to run three miles a day around campus in my tennis shoes. I never used to get sports injuries.
Blah! The worst thing is, I'm so bummed I just want to pig out!
So, how are all of you doing?
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| Saturday, July 8th, 2006
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11:16 pm
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Thank-you all for the PotC spoiler cuts. Last night it sold out for three showings at the local theatre. I even floored it to the next county, over the Fraser River, through a cow pasture, to a giant space-ship (nightfalltwen knows of where I speak) only to find it was sold out there too!
Tonight, we got there early, I'm back, and I loved it! What's wrong with these reviewers? Why can't they just lighten up and enjoy a greatly fun film?
( Well,that'sinteresting... )
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| Tuesday, June 20th, 2006
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12:17 am - A few random things.
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I've spent a lot of time on line these last few days, laundry has piled up, kids are clamouring for attention, and it's time for a break.
Tomorrow is Ellen's pre-school graduation, Jack is out of school Thursday, and Matthew has yet another project due before school is out.
I've let most of you know how I feel about the current situation on the fandom, so I won't be saying much more. It affects me because it has affected some of my friends and people I have a lot of respect for.
chickadilly is a sweetheart.
Good night and good luck.
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| Saturday, June 3rd, 2006
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7:49 am - Question for Pay Pal users
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For those of you familiar with Pay Pal:
When I make a payment with my Canadian Visa, does it get converted to American dollars, or do I have to do that myself?
Yes, this is good news.
current mood:  excited
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