Does a G-rating make me boring?

Too bad if it does...



My only flagged word is death x1, so obviously this works by scanning the text and not looking at the context and it doesn't dig into archives and I'm not about to check out each page of my blog.

Out of curiosity, I checked out the ratings of some of my daily fixes.

F365	G	No bad words found
Heddy Bear	PG	hurt (5x) dead (2x) punch (1x)
what's-her-lips	PG	death (6x) gun (2x) suck (1x)
dooce	R	dead (2x) poop (1x)
Crazy Aunt Purl	PG	poop (2x) bitch (1x)
Post Secret	G	suicide (1x)
The Globe and Mail	G	drugs (2x) breast (1x)
Nanny Shanny's 365 site	G	punch (x1)

Interesting...not sure how accurate though. The most interesting is that two poops and a bitch are only PG, but two deads and a poop make an R rating (I guess my rating is going up as soon as I hit publish!)

The Across the Lake Swim, Part Eight

It's that time of year again.


Yesterday morning I got up nice and early to cheer Team Hardcore and Punk on as they once again swam with Ogopogo. This is the first year I didn't participate. I have never actually done the swim (I'm sure we all know how much I LOVE swimming), but every year that I was in town, I was in a spotter boat and last year I dragged Alex along with me.


Kelsey came across the finish line first and I almost missed her. She was easy to identify in her yellow swim cap, black bathing suit, and goggles. It was nice that no one else was dressed the same way.

Rebecca emerged from the water not long after and this time I was paying better attention.

Yay girlies!

Of course, after the swim, swimmers, boaters, and spectators all need some sustenance so off we went to the Bohemian for brunch.




mmm...blueberries

We gathered later for more food...the flames are deceiving - they're not burning anything, just making the bacon good and crispy.

And of course brunch and burgers just weren't enough so we had to go get ice cream...

along with half of Kelowna.

How do you end a good day? The same way you started it of course, in the lake...this time trying to cool off a little bit before bed.

Eerily quiet...

I've been sitting near an open window now for a while, hoping that a wonderful breeze will miraculously start blowing and cool me off. It's supposed to stay around 20 all night tonight.

While sitting here, trying not to move so that I don't break a sweat, I was thinking there's no noise.

The upstairs neighbours' usual quiet rumble of conversation isn't there. I know they're home, periodically I hear a floor board creak. I can't even begin to imagine how hot it must be UP there...it's stifling down here.

The adorable cuties next door aren't out playing in the yard, not even spraying each other with the garden hose.

The Greeks aren't screaming at each other.

The television dude across the alley isn't watching television.

I guess it's just too hot. Everyone's doing what I'm doing...trying not to move and contemplating yet another ice cold shower.

I can't wait to go back to work...at least our office is by the ocean and there's a bit of a breeze there.

sigh...

Potter Madness

This past weekend I picked up our tickets to the Harry Potter party at the VanDusen gardens.


We're pretty excited, can't you tell!

But not as crazy excited as some. Last night and well into this morning, Alex and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean. We got there and there was a line up of people...a line up...and the movie has been out for an eternity. So long that it's not even going to be at that theatre anymore.

Turns out the line up was for the die hard Harry Potter fans who had been waiting for hours and would be waiting for hours more, just to see the 12:01 show. I'm just not that into Harry Potter.

And I should have guessed that's why they were there, not just because of the big sign, but because a bunch of them seemed to be dressed as wizards and witches.

We're excited about the movie, but I'm far more excited about the book! NINE MORE SLEEPS!

Our new friend Max

Max came to see us last night.


Alex was taking the garbage out when I heard him yelling for me from outside. All of the blinds were closed against the heat, so I went down to see what the problem was and found Alex and Max having a stare off.

Max came over to see me and showed me his doggy license right away, but being late on Sunday, animal control was closed.

We were worried he was lost, but all of the gates into our yard were closed. Which made us worried to let him out in case someone stole him or he got hit by a car. He was a very trusting dog and he really wanted to be buddies with us. I would have gladly kept him, but I was sure that his owners probably wanted him back.

After a few hours of him pacing the yard and coming up the deck steps and the front steps in an attempt to get us to love him, his family came back. It turns out he was locked in the yard next door, but he figured out how to escape into our yard somehow.

Glad I didn't let him go!

My 81st Birthday Bash

Somehow I went from turning 30 to being 81 because of a picture and comment on Facebook...the party was still great. A bunch of our friends showed up, although it was bit chilly and mosquitoey, so only those who ventured out to the deck where I was sitting got to have their pictures taken (missing people include: Jason, Maria, Warren, JJ, Julia, and Mikey).

Alex sent me away for a loverly massage (thanks!) so he and Stacey could decorate the house.


I came home to the door all decorated and pretty and "30" stuff everywhere in the house.

Just in case you weren't sure which house was ours!

We had to mix our slushy martinis up - apparently it takes two people to do this. These are the best inventions ever - you buy them at Linens 'n' Things of all places, add the al-co-hol and some water and freeze them for a few hours. Instant blender drinks without the mess of the blender!

Shannon mixing frozen martinis

Stacey mixing frozen martinis

Then my lovely cousins arrived and brought with them the evening's entertainment.

Bret-Alise

Kamiah

What party is complete without a BeDazzler? Not this party, obviously. We all had to try BeDazzling something.

Pretty please can I open the BeDazzler?

Not sure what I'm telling Nate and Stacey, but they don't look too impressed. Probably something to do with BeDazzling them?!

Stacey getting the BeDazzler ready to go

Nate says: No, I don't think I need my jeans BeDazzled tonight, thanks. Besides, I don't really think the BeDazzler should be mixed with al-co-hol. It should only be operated below .08.

So I found something else to BeDazzle.

Can I do it? It requires a lot of concentration you know!

See...lots of concentration

You should try it Steve!

Isn't it pretty?

birthday cake!

whoa...it's on fire!

beautiful cake from cupcakes

The girls...they were here early and the last to leave....Heather, Stacey, and Shannon

Heather and Shannon

Thanks for a wonderful day and a great party Alex!

Clean up time...interesting how the cheese plate looks like it's been attacked, the pizza boxes are empty and in the garbage (no you can't see them in this picture), there are a few chips in the bowl, and the watermelon, raw veggies, and broccoli are still abundantly present...hmmm...go figure!

Child in progress

As I walked up to the spa for my warm stone massage (thanks Alex) this afternoon, I passed this interesting car. It was covered with fuzzy material and had all kinds of things attached to it.


Including this bike seat, with the message "Child in Progress" written on it. I'm not sure if that's where you put the kid when it's making too much noise or if the idea was the kid gets to ride on the back of the car all time.

(click for larger image)

This crazy car closely rivals the crazy car from last summer!

Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry

...if you don't have patience you'll only start to worry

At least I think that's how it goes...I don't remember much more of the song except that it was on a brightly coloured record that we had when I was a kid.

Anyway, I made a quick trip to the department store on my way home from class tonight. It was about 8:30 when I got to the cash desk to make my purchases. There was one cashier there who was on the phone taking some complicated telephone order, but she dinged her little bell and called someone else to come and help me.

A second lady came quite quickly. As she started ringing my purchases in, another lady joined the line up. The cashier hadn't even rung in two things when the lady behind me started huffing and puffing and tapping her feet. Then the cashier came across something I was buying that didn't have a price tag, so she went off to find one with a price tag.

Then the lady behind me started pacing and looking at her watch. And sighing very loudly. Cashier number one had in the meantime gone away to look for something for the customer on the phone. She arrived back just as another cashier appeared who was helping a customer find something.

Cashier number three, thinking cashier number one was the only one working at that cash desk, came over to help me and then realized I was being looked after, so went back to the customer she was originally helping.

At which time the lady behind me yells, "Excuse me! I need someone to ring this in. Your store is closing soon and I have other things to do. I don't want to wait in line all night. Put this on my credit card." The startled third employee came over and rang it through for her, all the while the lady was tapping her foot and looking at her watch.

My cashier came back and finished my transaction and I left after the impatient lady...and it was only about 8:35. I can't believe how self-centered some people are...yeah, she had to wait, but the wait was not excessive.

Maybe it was the heat?

Works well with others

Comments from elementary school reports cards.

But it's true. For the past few weeks I've been arriving at work long before anyone else, if anyone else every arrived. There has been all kinds of restructuring in the department we share space with and there has been no one working in this office on a regular basis for a while. Today I got here and three of the new full time people had started. I think I got an entire week's worth of work done in about three hours...amazing how having other people working in the same space can either lead to reduced production or increased production. I like it!

Ready, Set, New Decade!

The clock is creeping closer and closer to midnight which means I am getting closer to starting a new decade.

Right before my tenth birthday, my mom took me to visit Gram, her grandmother, and Gram told me I should celebrate my last few days as a single digit...I wasn't sure what the big deal was and a few days later when I turned 10 everyone kept saying how exciting it was that I was now into the double digits. I thought it was fine, but I was waiting for 13, when I got to be a teenager.

I think the year I turned 20 some friends came from Vancouver to stay for a few days and we hung out in city park and played poker using bulk candy from Safeway. Which worked great until we decided we should eat it too! They left early on the morning of my birthday and then my sisters called from camp to say Happy Birthday. That's about all I remember about that one...I'm sure there was a nice dinner and a cake too...

This year, well, it's just a number. I've had a number of friends jump into their 30s before me, and quite frankly, none of them has died from the experience, so I figure I'll be fine.

This past decade has been pretty incredible...

• I graduated from university (phew, glad that's over)
• I lived in London and Switzerland
• I got a "real" job
• I learned how to ski
• I pulled my first all-nighter (and that was AFTER I had my degree)
• I spent an entire year away from my family
• I made some super friends as I meandered my way through my 20s - at Pax Lodge, Our Chalet, the corporate entity in downtown Vancouver, Guiding, the university I met so many wonderful people...you know who you are!
• I met Alex
• After trying a million different options and thanks to a patient doctor, I found a migraine drug that WORKS!
• I lived all by myself...not bad for a chicken!
• I was presented with a Silver Medal of Merit
• I insisted on demonstrating how klutzy I can be...and have managed to survive with all limbs and fingers still attached and my back mending nicely
• Alex proposed
  

Yeah...lots has happened in the last decade. I'm lucky - I've had my wonderful family and friends there with me the whole time. I hope this next decade has at least as many highlights! And unlike my ten year old self, I'm not waiting for some date in the future...life started 30 years ago and I plan to enjoy every day of it...as it comes...and try not worry about the future...because the future will come, whether I'm ready for it or not!