Gone On Walkabout

Gone on a walkabout. Not sure when we'll be back, could be a month, or 6, or maybe even a year or two. Life, working, playing and living seem to be of key lately...

Until we meet again, we wish you all the best in life and love.
Many a happy wonderful adventure.

See you on the flip side,
Hugs and squishes
xoxxoxoxox
Hugin and Munin.

the site should be around for a while... or maybe we will re-appear under a new incarnation. who knows, hard to tell. if you are looking for us, you might just be able to spot us on flickr...

Cheers for now.
m.

Thirty something....

Happy birthday beloved! Wishing you all the most wonderful things on your birthday love and through out the next year. May this day, and the rest of your birthday year, see you happy, loved, and surrounded by those you hold dear.

All my happiest wishes.
xoxoxo

[oh and happy 3 months too!]

World aids day

"5 people die of AIDS every minute." Think about it.

a month

Happy one month anniversary beloved of my heart.
Though it truly does not feel as if a month has gone by. Maybe a few days, but not a month ;o)

AWOL

We're still missing in action, but the deed is done, and the wedding was wonderful. It was a day spent with loved ones, that we will cherish for a long, long time.

I am not going to promise that we will be back soon, but hopefully we won't be gone for much longer.

Until we meet again.
lots of hugs and squishes

H & M

Proud & Pink

Giving a big shout out to my Mom whose walking in the "Weekend to End Breast Cancer" this weekend. Way to go!!!

A big thank you to every one who is participating, whether they are walking, sponsoring or volunteering. Words can only convey so much, but the thanks is heartfelt!

Real Science

via Steve

"'Ere, he says he's not dead. "*

We are still alive, and mostly kicking. ;o)

The wedding plans progress, minus a few misdemeanours and snags, and the weather has warmed up to a lovely dripping hotness. Not sure when we will be back, but I am hoping it will be soon.

Till then. Lots of hugs and squishes
m & h

In the meantime, to entertain you, a little Monty Python.

[battle sounds]
[Black Knight defeats a worthless-piece-of-crap-knight]
ARTHUR: You fight with the strength of many men, Sir knight.
[pause]
I am Arthur, King of the Britons.
[pause]
I seek the finest and the bravest knights in the land to
join me in my Court of Camelot.
[pause]
You have proved yourself worthy; will you join me?
[pause]
You make me sad. So be it. Come, Patsy.
BLACK KNIGHT: None shall pass.
ARTHUR: What?
BLACK KNIGHT: None shall pass.
ARTHUR: I have no quarrel with you, good Sir knight, but I must
cross this bridge.
BLACK KNIGHT: Then you shall die.
ARTHUR: I command you as King of the Britons to stand aside!
BLACK KNIGHT: I move for no man.
ARTHUR: So be it!
[hah]
[parry thrust]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's left arm off]
ARTHUR: Now stand aside, worthy adversary.
BLACK KNIGHT: 'Tis but a scratch.
ARTHUR: A scratch? Your arm's off!
BLACK KNIGHT: No, it isn't.
ARTHUR: Well, what's that then?
BLACK KNIGHT: I've had worse.
ARTHUR: You liar!
BLACK KNIGHT: Come on you pansy!
[hah]
[parry thrust]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's right arm off]
ARTHUR: Victory is mine!
[kneeling]
We thank thee Lord, that in thy merc-
[Black Knight kicks Arthur in the head while he is praying]
BLACK KNIGHT: Come on then.
ARTHUR: What?
BLACK KNIGHT: Have at you!
ARTHUR: You are indeed brave, Sir knight, but the fight is mine.
BLACK KNIGHT: Oh, had enough, eh?
ARTHUR: Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left.
BLACK KNIGHT: Yes I have.
ARTHUR: Look!
BLACK KNIGHT: Just a flesh wound.
[Headbutts Arthur in the chest]
ARTHUR: Look, stop that.
BLACK KNIGHT: Chicken! Chicken!
ARTHUR: Look, I'll have your leg. Right!
[whop]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's leg off]
BLACK KNIGHT: Right, I'll do you for that!
ARTHUR: You'll what?
BLACK KNIGHT: Come 'ere!
ARTHUR: What are you going to do, bleed on me?
BLACK KNIGHT: I'm invincible!
ARTHUR: You're a loony.
BLACK KNIGHT: The Black Knight always triumphs! Have at you!
Come on then.
[whop]
[ARTHUR chops the BLACK KNIGHT's other leg off]
BLACK KNIGHT: All right; we'll call it a draw.
ARTHUR: Come, Patsy.
BLACK KNIGHT: Oh, oh, I see, running away then. You yellow
bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you. I'll bite
your legs off!

Unofficial/ Official Hiatus

As probably noted by the dearth of posts, we have not been updating the site with much news as of late. Due to an ever increasing demand on the part of friends for wedding information and plans, [Did you know we needed a colour theme? A colour theme! Who knew you needed a colour theme for a wedding?!? And don't get me started on the actual theme. When did one actually need a theme for a wedding?!?] and due to the fact that I am currently swamped with work. We are taking an unofficial/official hiatus from the weblog.

But! I promise, that as soon as things settle down a bit. We will be back to share our wedding plan adventures. Which should be in about a month or so...

So until then. Much hugs and squishes.
See you all soon.

M & H. or H & M. or M of H, or H of M if you please... ;o)

Of men and maps.

This is probably one of those gross generalizations that come with being a female instructor. But. Men just don't seem to want to follow simple intructions, never mind follow step by step instruction listed in a manual. No. Instead the blazestraight through, skipping lines and words, and then find themselves confounded and lost.

At which point they wail:"Why! Why is this not working?!?"

To wish I generally respond: "Did you read the instructions?"

And can you guess what they answer?

Bonne Année

Wishing you all the best of 2005.
all our love, hugs & squishes
hugin & munin

hope.

Our hope, prayers and our sincere condolences go out the those affected by the earthquakes in South East Asia.

If you can, please give.
For more links of how you can help, please go read Michele's post.

Update: Some more links for information
The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami
Tsunami mising person

Mery Kissmass!

Wishing you all the merriest of holidays, may this seasons festivities be filled with much happiness, laughter, love and joy.

Our warmest wishes to you all.
squishes, hugs and kisses
Hugin and Munin

light at the end of a long tunnel

Seven more hours till this very long work year ends. Seven more hours to holiday vacation and 10 days spent relaxing and recharging worn brain cells till the next year of work madness begins. Seven more hours till a wee bit of freedom. Wait make that 6 hrs and 58 minutes. Wahoo!

Thank you.

Thank you all so much for your felicitations and warm wishes.
*squishy hugs* and love
m.

...and it's true. I was rather grumpy. Work grumpy. And, I was whinging and moaning about head people who shall not be named, but who shall be thought of with a lot of fist shaking. And bemoaning the lack of proper direction and consideration when Hugin popped the question.

Beloved. Words alone can not begin to describe how much I love you, and how much happiness you bring into my life. You are my everything, as cheesy as that may sound. It's true.

Meatloaf

Oh good dear cheesy blast from the past. Now I got to find me CD.*tries to pretend that didn't just come out of mouth* No. No Meatloaf CDs here...

Remembering.

'Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Maryse Leclair and Annie St-Arneault, all 23; Genevieve Bergeron, Anne-Marie Edward, Michelle Richard and Annie Turcotte, all 21; Barbara Daigneault and Anne-Marie Lemay, both 22; Maryse Laganiere, 25; Sonia Pelletier, 28; Maud Haviernick, 29; and Barbara Maria Klucznik, 31.'

Their courage to pursue their dreams, to enter a field that was considered the dominance of man. An inspiration for me to pursue an engineering degree.

Don't Worry

You know it's the end of the year when the entire consulting group breaks out in a cappella* of "Don't Worry be Happy."

World Aids Day*

De-mystify sex. Promote safe sex. Protection is the only solution! " - Raje, Canada. [BBC]

In short: Play Safe. Protect yourselves, and those you love.

...and i shall be the circus clown.

Overwhelmed, underpaid and in desperate need of the holiday season. So that I may take time off and regroup, and spend many an hour in the company of loved ones, snuggled up with my love, watching cheesy movies. And if I don't get said time off I have decided that I am running away to join the circus, where I can frolic, play and clown around.

In other news, you can find me here.

We have no comments today!

Comments are broken. I can not fix them without the help of an admin. The CHMOD has gone and changed itself again, much to my chagrin and vexation. If anyone knows why this is happening, or knows of a way to fix the niggling problem from re-occurring, please, and I say please with all the hope in my heart that someone has a solution drop us a line!

Update: all fixed! but... if anyone knows why...

The great closet exodus

The Great Winter Closet Exodus has begun. The bed's piled high with sweaters, turtlenecks, stockings, woollen socks, woollen pants and long underwear. The summer clothes are snugly stacked in piles at the back of the dresser, awaiting their spring release, and I. Well I think I am about ready to pack our bags and move to warmer climes, even though winter has only just begun to tickle us with her long cold fingers.

grumbley

Why?!? Why do people have a need to fix things that are not broken? Can someone tell me, please!

fuzzy navels & birthdays too.

The wonderful, astonishing, gregarious, and very dear to our hearts, Ed celebrated her birthday yesterday. Her age shall not be disclosed at this time, suffice it to say, that she doesn't look it. Ed, wishing you the best of everything. Hoping that you had a marvellously amazing fantabulous day, filled with all your hearts desires, yumminess, laughter, love and every tickly sensation in-between; fuzzy navels included. May all your wishes be granted. Many, many happy returns. Wishing you, once again, a brilliant and exuberant HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Go give her some belated birthday loving!

All our love
Hugs, squishes and smooches
h & m.

file under extreme geekiness.

Wahoo Firefox 1.0 was released today!
[Please note, however, that the site takes a while to load, seems a few people are happy about the new release ;o) ]

Googley addness.

It's mildly amusing and a little scary that an email thread about being on msn messenger brings up links for chat spyware, pc spyware, and instant messenger monitoring for companies...

Morning Frost

Soft morning light, dapples over the glittering breath of Autumn.

lunch: in a nutshell.

Ate Tonkinese soup, got rained on.
Dark skies. Reflections in puddles.
Clouds and pensive thoughts.

Trick or Treat

On a cold autumn eve, the goblins they stir. the witches on broomsticks climb high through the air. skeletons, and braggarts. zombies, and imps. all gather round, to have a good scare. stories are told and treats are exchanged. wishes of safety, and jolly good times. to all you lil' monsters, goblins and imps. a happy Halloween.

Silly coding question

I feel rather silly asking this question. But. Could someone please explain the difference between using an 'ID' and 'Class' in the DIV tag.

I've been trying to figure it out for a few months, and I know that it's simple, and I know that one allows the classification of multiples, whilst the other classifies a block, but I just can't grasp or visualize the difference.

Help.

Roped in

One of our larger projects is almost ready to go, and unlike the others it involves a lot of coding, touching up and reviewing. Somehow I have been roped in as web resource person. Don't ask how, or why, I really have no idea as to what possessed them to decree that I would be it. But here I sit, reading over long strings of code, tweaking, prodding, barely holding on as I try to get the look and feel of the product to gel.

My web skills are somewhat rusty, and my CSS skills can be described at best as 'fly by the seat of my pants'.

What I need are references; books, sites, webpages, people whose brains' [sp?. why does that not look right at all...] I can pick. Anyone have any suggestions on a good web development book, or pages?

Let's get it on...

Voting for whoopie.
It's an intresting idea, I wonder what effect it will have.

Signs

It has started: The little signs of malaise. The mild scratching of a throat. The tingling sensations of the ears. The tickling of the nose. The gathering of storm clouds in the front of my brain. All the signs that I am in for a bumpy ride, that the dreaded cold/flu imps, which ever get here first, are about to take up residence. That I will be called upon to entertain them, with moans, shivers and sneezes, until they are fat, satiated, and limp with exhaustion. The only problem is, I don’t have time to fight them off or entertain them right now!

Blarg! Autumn colds and flues, the devil take ‘em!

Feed me

Two, cheeky, impertinent, brazen little fledglings: Imperious in their demand for grub. Beaks poised upright, pursed and awaiting, as if to say, ‘What are you waiting for? Bring me my food, you lowly scullion!’

*click for full view

Ironically it was the rain drop that initially caught my attention.

bespectacled

Took some pictures this weekend, so that you may see what we see, with our new spectacles. Hugin's and mine.

afternoon musing

Jolly Rancher lollipos have an uncanny ability to stick to ones fillings, making it hard to remove said lolly from mouth and answer questions quickly. Must remember not to suck on lollipops whilst in training.

Words.

Things to say. Thoughts to scribble. But, alas, it's one of those days when I don't have enough time to find the right words to put thoughts down on paper.

Life motto...

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Scotch in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ~ WOO HOO what a ride!"

From a friend; source unknown.
Now there's a motto I can live by. ;o)

Public service annoucement

Wooga wooga. That is all. Thanks you.

Please go support this years Boobie-Thon. Give. Participate. Link. There are less then 48 hours left, and we are so close to exceeding last years contribution to the Komen Foundation.

Seeking: Photographic Inspiration

Been in a bit of a photo rut lately. Haven't been inspired to take any new pictures in the past few months. Need something to rouse my sleepy imagination, and rouse the sleeping artist from her slumber. So am asking you dear readers and muses to:

Think of 3 pictures you’d like to see. Things around my house, or whatever… something I can take a picture of easily. Once I have enough requests, I’ll start posting them. If I can’t, or won’t, take a picture of something you’ve requested, I’ll let you know.

Meme blatantly stolen, many moons ago, from the fantabulous Snazzykat.

world in decline.

Scary, sad and everything in between. Our world in decline.

Makes you wonder if there is any hope for us at all...

Soylent Green

coffee!

Gawds but do I need coffee this morning. And when I say need, what I really mean to say is need on the sense of a diver needing oxygen, or as a fish needs water.

The boobies are here!

The Third Annual Boobie-Thon has officially started! Go. See*. But most of all give!

Note: * is not work safe.

The Boobies are coming!

The boobies are coming! October the first marks the beginning of Breast Cancer awareness month and the Annual Boobie-Thon, the initiative and brain child of the wonderful Robyn, where a whole bunch of us get together and raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. If you want to get involved, participate, find out what it's all about or donate please follow this link or click below.

This year the donations are being given in the name of two bloggers who are battling the disease Sandee and Dori. Every little bit counts.

Backed by the buck.

Is it just me, or are there more important laws that need to be passed? And isn't 3 to 6 years a little excessive? Considering that there are "sexually violent predators" who get out in less time.

Une belle automne

Someone remarked the other day that up to this point, we were having a rather nice Fall. I stood there mouth gaping, mind reeling, 'Fall?' 'Surely you jest, aren't we still in the midst of Summer's warm embrace?'

A week into Fall, evidence of its beauty scattered about the streets in the majestic tones of reds, oranges and browns and I am still in denial. The summer can't be over. Can it? It must be a cruel joke that we have already hit the end of September. That the warm days of July and August are but fuzzy warm memories of moments spent by fountains, our bodies heated by the sun as it dances and plays across the soft ripples of the calming breeze.

200 things

In lieu of original content 200 things, snagged from the delectable Big Pink Cookie. For those that are curious, the things that I have done are highlighted in bold.

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars

21. Changed a baby’s diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favourite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse

41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer.
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job for all accounts - long time ago, when work meant play and fun.
51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government’s official in that country to avoid notice

61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theatre
80. Done something you should regret, but don’t regret it.

81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who’s not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favour of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Swordfought for the honour of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn’t have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
95. Gotten divorced
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don’t remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage - in school plays
110. Been to Las Vegas
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship

121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favourite childhood toy
128. Followed your favourite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congress person
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. …more than once? - More than thrice?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived.
140. Wrote articles for a large publication

141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone’s heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet

161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states - close, pretty close.
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad

181. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them. a Guinness glass...
183. …and gotten 86′ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions.
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196: Dyed your hair
197: Been a DJ
198: Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
199: Written your own role playing game
200: Been arrested

The weather part II.

Ironically enough I still can....
It feels like we have completely skipped fall and dove right into winter. Here's hoping that it warms up soon, otherwise, I think I may just pack our bags and move us down to the Bahamas.

quandry

Why is that I have a much easier time editing and writing past 3:00 pm? Why is it that before the clock strikes three my brain is but a mass of mushy peas that cannot discern the difference between a comma and a semicolon? I ask you why is it that I can sit and type, and type past said hour but beforehand nothing.

dog days.

Sitting on the subway watching the faces of people before me. Grim, wrought tired, rarely a smile. Wondering what they are doing with their lives.

September 11.

On this day, we send our thoughts and payers to all whose lives were touched on this day. We share: Our sorrow. Our memories. Our hope for a better tomorrow.

Photograph by: Thomes E. Franklin, Ground Zero Spirit.

Remember. Always.

And they are back!

We have 4 Gmail accounts to give away! If anyone's interested just leave us a comment and we'll set you up right nicely. Yes indeedily!

Just of the press: Gmail accounts to give away.

Gmail. Get your fresh hot Gmail account!We have 2 Gmails accounts to give away, so if you are interested and really, really want one, leave a comment and we'll set you up as soon as we can. Sadly it is first come first serve, until we can getses us some more.

Update: All gone!

wabbits. gone hunting.

Have been quiet and introspective, almost hermit like in my dealings with the world, a lot on my mind, much to think about. Currently, am content to sit and ponder, or veg, if the urge grabs me as it so often does in grey cloudy afternoons, and stare of into space, not really thinking of much, just letting it all coalesce in the background.

Until the answers are forthcoming I shall be off hunting wabbits. Which at the current rate means that if all gels well, regular musing should commence after the vacation. Hopefully. Much squishiness to you all. A biente.

brains, brains...brains. humdidum. brains

Egawds, someone just ate my brain....

Spiced, pickled and munched by the lovely Kymberlie.

bear news

"Great taste, less filling" and that's all we have to say about that. ;o)

Variety, they say, is the spice of life.

Been on a biography and “chic” book kick the past few weeks. As much as I enjoy reading sci-fi/fantasy, and the occasional “war book” it’s good to be able to pick up a paperback that is different from my regular pile of reads.

Am currently enjoying “She’s Not There A Life in Two Genders.” a poignant, well-written look at the life of Jenny [James] Finney Boylan.

Previously devoured in the “girly section”
The Devil Wears Prada
Confessions of a Shopaholic
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

So does anyone have any biographies/”chic” reads they could suggest?

Boggled

We boggle, she boggles, he boggles, they boggle, you boggle, we're all nuts for boggle.
Caution. May contain trace of nuts. Highly addictive substance.

addiction found and nabbed from A Small Victory

Olympics.

The Olympics start tonight/today. whee!

It's Friday I'm in love*

It’s a Friday, it’s the thirteenth and it’s raining. Minus the deluge, the rest I consider to be good things. Friday, cause you know it’s Friday dude. The weekend just started and we get to kick back and relax for two days. Furthermore, considering the fact that I was convinced that today was undeniably a Wednesday, the fact that it is indeed a Friday makes it an even sweeter one. The number 13 is an all-around good number. Well, for me. Yes, I know, it’s odd. But I’m one of those strange ones who actually like the number thirteen. A good bakers dozen, how can you resist it, especially when they are fresh out of the oven and the butter melts filling the soft crevasses with yummy goodness.

So, happy Friday the thirteenth to y’all! Hope it’s a good one.

Old school: a new management system.

Caution mild rant ahead.

The “company”* has restructured, opting for the structure of yore; no more flex time, breaks to be taken when needed with no congregating, lunch will be 45 minutes, no longer or shorter and is mandatory, and vacation will be taken along with the floor, which is to say that construction holiday is in effect for all. Needless to say that the “companies” employees are none too pleased. After having gone through layoffs, to then be told that there will be much restructuring, to waiting nervously as the weeks to pass for said restructuring to occur, they are a little bewildered and shell shocked. Though I do not work directly for said company*, I am just a small little cog in their monstrous machine, I still feel perplexed by this return to company management ala old school.

In my mind it’s a structure that has never really worked. It is one that removes all liberties from the employees and strips their ability to manoeuvre their work schedules around their lives; instead they are forced to ensure that their life schedule doesn’t interfere with work. It also does not make for an environment that is conducive to concept and engineering design. Most designers and engineers that I know usually will take vacation time just before burnout.

When pressed as to why they had to chosen to go the pre-teamster route, their manger had only this to offer.” It is easier for me to manage everyone’s schedules this way”. This is of course regardless of the fact that half the employees have three weeks or more vacation time per annum. As to when they can take that extra week, well anytime they please. So much for easy management…

Hippy

Have been feeling decidedly hippy the past few weeks and even though my hips have not spread from their oval’ish size, I can’t help but feel as if they are huge round things that demand attention as I walk down the street, up the stairs and weave down the hallway. They swish, they sashay, they flounce and when paired with a skirt or dress, well, they just get out of hand. Looking down at them they glare back up, and defiantly puff themselves to appear bigger then they are as if to say ‘Yeah babe, we be your hips, we are round, we’re happy and we love to prance about. What you going to about it? Eh?’

It’s weird when this happens. When a body part becomes the focal point of your attention and for some bizarre reason they take a on a personality of their own, appearing larger the life. It’s strange how when this happens you can’t help but stare at others people hips, or butts, or breasts, or hands, or feet: noting how theirs move; comparing; cataloguing; and debating if yours are ‘normal’ or if they are anomalous creatures that crept through the window one night and attached themselves to your body.

Belated Aussie b-day

On Sunday, it came to pass that the buoyant, cheerful, vibrant Oz Boy said goodbye to his twenties and joined the kvetchy 30 & something group. Gone are the sun dappled days of chasing young lithe 20 years olds [cough 19 year olds cough], the long hard nights of partying till dawn and the ability to bounce out of bed, awake, jubilant, wide eyed and bushy tailed after having partaken in such an event. As they say it’s all down hill from here. ;o) Welcome to the achy joints, stiff muscles , general malaise and “The Hangovers”. Of the things to look forward to, the inability to remember where they heck you put the house keys, definitely tops my list, especially when you finally realize that you are holding them in your hands…

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays dearest friend. Hoping that that the day was filled with all that your heart desired, that it was spent in the company of good friends, and those you loved were with you, even if only in thought. Many, many happy returns. May this year bring you much laughter, love and happiness, with the promise of many more to come.

Our biggest squishes, and love
belated birthday wishes once again
us.
[you remember the people who your forgot to stuff in your bags and schlep with you to Oz land!]

Home sweet home

Back. After 10 days and three courses. Back home to my love, happiness and snuggliness and I ain't going anywhere for a while. No way, no how. [please let these not be famous last words] Tonight. Snuggles, and luxuriating in the yummy feeling of being at home. Details on the trip, its ups and downs later in this week. Right now am just happy to be home, in my own office sitting on my own chair next to my love!

sleepy good

Five hours on a train, three hours waiting at a bus terminal followed by four hours on a bus makes for a very sleepy Munin. Going to bed at 1:00 only to wake up at 6:45 makes for a very groggy woozy Munin. So tonight, it's room service, a hot shower, a soft bathrobe, a quick review, some mindless TV and an early nights sleep.

Nini. Sweet dreams to you all.
[squishes]
m.

Garlic

Piquant. Spicy. Savoury. A little zing. Adding hint of flavour to what would be a dull meal. Alas, if taken in large quantity leaves you sitting in a corner, hand over mouth as you try not to breathe in anyones direction. Unless of course it is shared.

Strawberries, Asian pears and a lazy saturday afternoon

We spent the late afternoon lazy about house, reading, listening/watching movies and playing with fruit. Oldish nearly fuzzy strawberries and firm Asian pears to be exact. After snapping twenty shots of strawberries in black and white I can say, with authority, that they look better in colour. Here are a few snaps from this afternoon endeavour:

Strawberries...

... & Asian Pears

And, can I say for the record, thank the gods for digital. I don't think I would be willing to shoot 104 pictures of fruit if I was playing with film.

Mood music.

Sad music makes for a very melancholy workday. I should really find more upbeat stuff to listen to at work. Anyone got any suggestions?

Querry: Yo! Oz boy, do you know where my Hacker CD disappeared to? Do you have it? Or am I completely senile, and it is in fact sitting right under my nose.

Update: Listening to the Top Gun soundtrack. It makes for very silly work music and leaves one with the irrational desire to watch the movie over and over again.

Disillusioned.

Not sure if it is due to the fact that I need a vacation, that I am just a little bone tired or if the rose tinted glasses have finally fallen off, but work no longer holds it’s allure. In short, I am fed up with the lack of communication, the last minute notice, the miscommunication, the last minute layoffs and the lack of common courtesy or basic recognition that employees are human too from those who call themselves upper, upper management*.

A friend told me months ago, when the whinging began, that I should find a better job. Close to 11 months later I am at the point where I see the wisdom of his words. So anyone out there looking for an engineer/trainer/designer, who’s afraid to fly and thus won’t travel for the company unless it’s by train, but who’s willing to work hard, and will occasionally give up a Saturday to make sure that projects are delivered on time?

Sodium Free

How can a drink claim to be sodium free, when they list sodium at 2.3mg/200ml in their ingredients list? It boggles the mind it does.

Photo Friday: Clouds

Fluffy white. Dark Grey. Golden. Sunset red. Wispy fairies in the sky. Streaks across a canvas, painted in water vapour. Whatever their consistency, shape or colour, clouds are one of my favourite things to photograph.

Happy Canada Day!

To all ye Kunucks, whether ye be in Canada or in other remote/not so remote regions of the world. Happy Canada day! Hope you all have a wonderful one!

Cheers!

Stolen from Steve, 'cause we love it so much. "I am a Canadian, eh!"

muggles welcome.

JK Rowling's finally announced the title of her new book, and I am hoping that it will be out by next year...

On a side note, has anyone checked out her site lately?

Contrition

I have been a little remiss the past few days, not posting, not responding to emails or to the comments here and not adding comments elsewhere. Truly there is not much of an excuse that I can give for this, have fallen into a rut and have found myself in a retrospective, contemplative unvocal mood. [This will hopefully change soon]

So, to all you wonderful people to whom I owe emails, little love notes and inane blatherings [which I am very good at] thank you for your patience, kindness and understanding. I apologize for the delay and I promise that I’ll email you all by the end of this week. Ok? If I don’t you have full permission to nag, pester and tickle me.

As for the left comments and responses, I should be back to my quirky self soon and when I am I promise to leave little notes and oddities once in a while, which will hopefully make you smile and feel squishable.

Barrels o’ squishes,
A rather apologetic munin.

Courage.

I met a man today, while waiting at the passport office: Soft spoken, polite, and one whom I would have no problem calling honourable and courageous. A naturalized Canadian citizen he was born in Iraq and fled the country for a better life 25 years ago. In a couple of weeks he is going back to see family that he left behind, to rekindle old ties with childhood friends, to pay respect to those he left, morn those he lost and to work as a translator for the Canadian Government. My first question was, why? Followed closely by, aren’t you afraid? And how is your family coping with this?

He replied, that for him it is a matter of honour. That he does not want sit back as others who have no vested interest in his homeland, who have no ties to the land, fight for a better life for his people. That he wants to give back to his family, so that they may one day live in a world as free as he has known here. As for being afraid, the answer is yes. But that you never know what life will bring, that you can as easily be killed while crossing the street. That his family was terrified, but that this is something he has to do.

Sir. May the gods keep you out of harms way, may they always keep your feet firmly planted on the path that is sound and secure. May they guard you in times of danger. May they bring you back home to your family, safe and sound.

Little Life lessons: Courtesy of a walkabout taken a few weeks back.

If someone tells you that your destinations is only 20 minutes away, nod, smile and multiply that number by a factor of 3. Cause no matter how small that little hill looks from a distance it will grow exponentially as you trudge your weary way up it.

Knee braces are good. Knee braces are your friends. Knee braces are especially good for long, long walks. So why the heck did you leave it in your drawer. Hmmm?

Stay out of the way of mallards, especially if there are four of them who are chasing after the sole female in the park.

Botanical gardens can be fun, and are renown for serving up huge honking sundaes.

If you are going to walk for long extended period of times, make sure that your youngest sister is not wearing her 3-inch heeled boots, no matter how much she protests that she is way to short and that this way she can feel tall.

It is always good to charge camera batteries the night before you are going on a walkabout. ‘Cause you never know when that amazing shot of someone sticking a spoonful of ice-cream up their nose is going to happen, and really you want to make sure you get that shot.

Labyrinths are fun, especially when there are slides and crawl spaces and people spraying water. Next time though, make sure to tell your beloved that the adventure is going to take more than 15 minutes so that they won’t sit outside for and hour and a bit wondering if you have gotten seriously lost. Also, wear long sleeved shirt when sliding down slides that take a huge dip, failing that make sure you have lots of Band-Aids for scarped elbows, wrists and knees.

Time spent in the company of loved ones, meandering about, laughing and giggling is priceless.

Snazzykat

The wonderful Eka is celebrating her birthday today. Wishing you a wonderful and happy birthday sweetpea! Hope you have an incredible day, filled with much love, laughter and happiness. May all your hearts desires be granted. May all your dreams come true. Wishing you many, many happy returns! Sending you all our big squishy birthday hugs and love.
SQUISH!
us.

Go give her lots of birthday loving.

Fathers.

You taught us how to ride bikes. You tended scrapes knees when we fell. You were there when we needed a hug, a word of advice and provided a ear to listen to our qualms. You kept the monsters away and our fears at bay. You are a best friend, when you don't embarrass us and our greatest advocate. You have provided advice, and have been the calm voice of reason. Thank you for all you have given us. Thank you for the love, the laughter and for not wearing your socks pulled all the way up to your knees, or wearing sandals with black socks. But most of all thank you for being you. All our love goes out to those we have been fortunate enough to call dad.

Wishing all the fathers out there a happy and wonderful father's day.

flower parts

It's good to have a lazy morning after a long day of moving family. Hugin's still snuggled up in bed, nursing sore and tired muscles. I am up and about, puttering about the flat, drinking coffee and snapping pictures of almost everything in site. Here are a few of some Casa Blanca lilies that we picked up last week, and that the cat managed to knock over this morning.

moi, me, mi!

Seen a while, erm make that a long while ago at the delectable Dagoddess: Me and You~ A Meme.

1. Who are you?
2. Are we friends?
3. When and how did we meet?
4. Do you have a crush on me?
5. Would you kiss me?
6. Describe me in one word.
7. What was your first impression?
8. Do you still think that way about me now?
9. What reminds you of me?
10. If you could give me anything what would it be?
11. How well do you know me?
12. When's the last time you saw me?
13. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't?
14. Are you going to put this on your [blog] and see what I say about you?

Anxiety.

I learnt today that I may have to travel to the States for business and that I may have to either fly or drive to get there. At first when asked my immediate response was yes. The idea of training abroad was an alluring one. I thought yeah, it would be good to do that again. Two hours later, and I am in full blown anxiety attack. I can’t do this; I just can’t drive down to the states, on my own, let alone fly. I don’t want to travel for work anymore and I don’t know how to tell my bosses this. I am sitting here dry-mouthed, a lump in my throat, on the verge of tears, praying that the course will be cancelled and trying to figure out how to tell them that the traveling is something I no longer want to do. Not for work. Not on my own. And I worry that if I make it clear that I no longer want to travel, that I will no longer be a valuable employee and thus may lose my job. But, I just can’t do this anymore. The anxiety and fears are just too much.

Heading Out West

My sister and her best friend left this morning for greener pastures, heading out to West Canada to frolic amongst the Rockies. They have been gone all of 6 hours and already I miss them. Five days is really not enough time to catch up with siblings. Sigh. Hopefully we’ll see them again soon. And hopefully it won’t take us another 4 years to see them.

Wishing you both a safe and amazing trip. Enjoy every moment of it. Lots of squishy hugs. Miss ya much ‘lil Sis. And don’t go growing up on me so fast; I don’t think my aging heart can handle the shock. ;o)

Note to self # 1273

When scuffling in the dark to find bathrobe in the middle of the night so that your bladder can finally find relief and not explode on you as you lay in bed dreaming of weird and odd imaginings, do not shuffle head on into the clothes hanger dryer thingy and graze your index toe removing a layer of skin from its side. This is very painful and rather nasty thing to do to your poor toes your carry your weight about all day long.

Furthermore, once you have finally made it to the bathroom, after having performed the one foot hop of pain, so that you may tend to said injured toe; do not drop the tube of Polysporin on your other foot.

Something tells me that today's going to be a very long day.

Be vewy, vewy quite. We’re hunting wabbits.

My sister and her best friend popped in at the end of the week for a short visit and as such we have been dragging them about town, showing them the sights and haven’t been at home much to post. It’s been a good few years since I have seen her last, and it’s incredible how much she has grown in that time. I just can’t get over it. It's amazing how time passes so quickly and how when you are busy going about your own day to day life, siblings just shoot up around you. And when you finally get a breather from the day to day drudgery of work you realize just how much has happened and how much they have grown... Speaking of time, we got to run. We are showing her the other side of the city today. Will be back soon with some more stories and maybe some pictures. Until then lots of squishes to you all.

Mine!

I caved in today and bought the sandals today. They are soft, amazing light, deliciously comfortable and I can’t wait to prance about in them. Here’s hoping that the warm weather we’ve been having holds up so I can do just that!

shoes

Saw a yummy pair of comfortable sandals the other day, in a colour that was not black*. I should say they looked comfy; the leather was soft, subtle and silky. The sun is out, the weather is warm and I am sitting in a state of tortured contemplation, wondering if I should splurge and buy said comfy looking shoes, or if I should save my pesos for a rainy day.

[Though I really, really want them… silliness it is, I know, but I just can’t resist the temptation of a good shoe. Especially a soft strappy one.]

Hic a choo

One has to question which gods they have offended when they are caught in a bout of hiccups and sneezes that has thus far lasted an hour. Anyone got any good tricks for getting rid of hiccoughs? Hugin‘s been trying to scare me for the last half hour; sneaking up behind me and poking me, tickling me, yelling boo, rubbing my tummy and back, to no avail.

Rock meet Munin

Finding myself in a non-verbal mood these past few days. The effect of not having much to say due to the fact that I find myself caught between a rock and a hard spot at work. A hard spot that involves the trudging on of feet, the unwillingness to do so and the loss of any coherent thought on how to handle the matter, which in turn just makes me want to find a dark shadowy corner to hide in. If they can’t see me, the rock and the hard spot will go away. Right?

Blech. I really hate being in these situations.

Photo Friday: Black & White.

Late for the ball again. This is getting to be a habit, and not a very good one, the tardiness that is. Ah well, will see if we can break the habit before the next week is up... The following picture was taken last year on a warm, happy sunny day.

Black & White

Superhero extraordinaire.

There are days when I wish I were a superhero, fighting for the good of the world; amazing powers, secret identity, sexy dark form fitting outfits at my disposal and a smidgen of angst thrown in to make things interesting. There are the days when I wish I could hide behind a mask and cape, venture out into the dark and kick some villains’ butts’ vigilante style. And then there are days when I yen for the grace of some styling martial artist, those ever elusive masters who walk on walls and paralyse you with just a touch. Grace, power and discipline their garments of choice.

When it comes down to choosing what my mutant powers would be, I am never quite sure what would suite my alter ego. None of my current special abilities seem to do. Not the clumsy walking into walls, or the oafish way I swagger, or the butterfingered methods I use to grasp delicate breakable objects.

Telepathy, supernatural healing, superhuman strength, the ability to fly, to form ice from the barest hint of humidity, to crawl up walls, to control the weather or peoples minds, to disappear into thin air, to become invisible. My mind toys with each of these options, weighing, measuring, and pondering the pros and cons.

Would telepathy drive me to the brink of insanity, all the thoughts clambering at the walls of my subconscious, trying to make themselves heard. Would supernatural healing suffice or should it really be coupled with superhuman strength? Do I really want to be able to play with moisture, forming great spires/ towers of ice by thought alone or would fire be more suited to my character? Would I feel comfortable with the ability to control the thoughts of those around me, bending their will to my needs, hiding truths, blurring reality ever so slightly to protect them, or would my conscious be constantly wracked with guilt. In retrospect, perhaps it would be much easier to control the weather, less guilt involved. Do I want to soar high above the clouds, or would I much prefer to crawl up wall, a spider in the dark. And do I really have to stick to one superpower, or can I just select a multitude of them.

So, given the choice, which superpowers would you opt for

rain and laundry

Why is it that on cold, rainy days all you really feel like doing is staying in and doing laundry? Is it some sort of deep seeded response, or is it just me?

Photo Friday: Macro

I love taking macro shots. There is something about delving into the minute details of flowers and other objects that appeals to my very geeky nature. So one would think that last weeks Photo Friday Challenge would be right up my ally, and that I would have no troubles what so ever finding a shot that would fill the requirements. Alas, after countless hours of up close and personal photography, after many more hours of looking through old photographs to see which one I liked best, I finally settled on the first macro shot that I took with our new [now one year old] toy.

Choices.

Given the choice between training people who try hard, but who take a long, really long, did I say really long, time to grasp concepts, and sitting in front of a computer for two hours, twiddling thumbs waiting for a drawing to load up; I’ll take the students, any day, anytime, no matter how many times I have to explain how they can use the middle mouse button (no! not the left button, the middle one. M.I.D.D.L.E. one!!!) to spin the model.

[Sheesh. Can we say run on sentence. Must really learn to break thoughts up into snack-sized bites.]

Addlebrained

Not only did I manage to set off the alarm this morning as I entered the office, but in the process of trying to shut the bloody thing off, I managed to lock myself out of the office. All I can say is thank the gods for people who are early, who have cell phones so one may call the alarm company to tell them that truly it’s only a false alarm; “No, we really don’t need the police, honestly sir. No. This is not a robbery. Would I bother to call you if it was? Erm. Yes sir. Yes, I’m sure I belong here. Yes, that’s right, I’m the one you spoke to last week, when this happened, umm…” and who have keys to let you back into the office where all your worldly possession of note, your keys and identification are sitting, happily, on the desk where you left as you made a mad dash for the door. Mostly, thanks to those people, who after having witnessed you complete and utter stupidity, do not rub in the fact that you are quite addlebrained.

my white legs...

..or why we should move to a warmer country.

*Click for supersize. Though please be warned, sunshades may be required

We spent a good part of the afternoon outside yesterday. The sun, despite the weather man's prediction of rain, and more rain, decided to grace us with its glorious presence and who are we, being but mere mortals, to argue with the sun. So out we went to relax and enjoy the soft caresses of the warm spring rays.

And, before you ask: Yes, the picture is real, yes it's unaltered, and yes my skin is that white. One may almost say, I glow in the dark…

Why?!?

Why is it that when you finally get a nice long weekend, after months and months of waiting for those happy summery weekends, that the weather suddenly decides that after a week of glorious sunshine, rain should be in the forecast? Why?!? [petulant pout]

MT Usage

The lovely people at Six Apart have asked movable type users to expound on how they use MT. So with out further ado…

We currently run the following blogs using Movable type:

1. Our main site: Hugin and Munin and our Photoblog: We also have a Blog that is used for archival purposes, in such it does not count towards the active blog clause, and a private unpublished blog that is used that we use for our own thoughts. Each of these has Hugin and myself listed as the authors.

2.We are currently also hosting 4 other blogs, with a total of 5 authors, for friends and family. Two of these are low traffic blogs, which appear on the public domain, and are open to all. The other two are private blogs for friends who are abroad, and are used as a way to keep in touch with their family and friends. These is a password protect, and do not appear on the public domain.

3. Occasionally I will set up a test blog, which I use to test out various schemes and plugins before implementing those changes into existing blogs.

4. Finally we are hoping to add a group blog with about 6-8 users for a bunch of friends in the near future.

Adding all of the above brings us up to a grand total of 8 blogs and 7 authors (9 blogs if you count the test blogs and a hell of a lot more authors if you count the number of times I add myself to a blog for config. purposes] with a possibility of 9 blogs and 15 users in the near future. All the sites listed above are personal sites and all are non-commercial, non-profit sites that do not make any money.

Looking at the current licensing scheme, this would mean that we would have to shell out $119.00 ($164.00 Canadian) minus the donation we have made in the past right now or $149.95 with a possibility of paying $169.95 ($232.98 Canadian) in the future if we set up the group blog.

I love using movable type, and would be happy to pay for MT. But I find the current prices to be a little steep and, to put it frankly; I will not be able to afford them if we ever make the switch from 2.661 to 3.0.

[If asked what we would be willing to pay, we would be more then happy to shell out 50 to 60 USD, for unfettered use of movable type, or a licensing scheme that wasn't so restrictive or costly.[Something along the lines of 5$ for a blog and author]]

Irony...*

Life's full of little ironies... subtle and inconspicuous they pounce when least expected. Some days, they lightly nudge you as you walk down the sidewalk, a featherweight touch upon your shoulder; other days they slam into you, a Mac truck throttling full speed ahead, headlights blaring, tires screeching as they knock you onto your back.

just call me phlemy.

I have been babbling on, at top speed, for the past three days. Explaining concepts, software utility and methods of use to a group of eager students. My throat is raw, my voice is nasally, and I have the most uncomfortable stuffed sinus feeling that sits at the back of my throat and makes talking a chore. Is it just me or does everyone get the phlegmy, stuffed, nasally, frog stuck in the back of their throat feeling when they jabber consistently for days at a time?

Goddess

Da Goddess is celebrating her Birthday today. Wishing you an absolutely fabulous Birthday Sweetheart! Hoping that the day is filled with lots of love, laughter and delectable giggly moments. Wishing you many, many happy returns dear, and all the most wonderful things for the upcoming year.

Big squishes, hugs and kisses!
Lots o' love
us.

Now get over there y'all and give her lots of yummy birthday loving.

tea for two.

Some people have the strangest priorities: "I'd rather have a cup of tea than go to bed with someone - any day " - Boy George.

So how do you make the perfect cuppa?

piXar

Want to see this movie. I wanna see it. Wanna. Wanna. Wanna! Now please.

summer afternoon

Sun's finally out, the weather’s warm and smacks of summer. Fighting the urge to take the rest of the day off, to sit near a fountain, face upturned, quietly enjoying the sun soft rays as they dance of the water and caress my skin. [Contented sigh] Think I am going to succumb to the urge, too beautiful a day to be cooped up inside… In two more hours, if you need me, I’ll be the one near the fountain.

Photo Friday: Play

There is something very special about a father's relationship with their son. A connection unspoken, that mere words cannot describe and a picture can barely capture.

GiddyUp!

Perils of an unblocked bathtub.

The concierge, who is our bathtub plunging knight in shining armour; sorry love, you’re good, but he…my god, he managed to unclog our drain in forty-five minutes! A drain, I must add, that was clogged for a month. A month! Yes that would be 31 days and if you really want to be a stickler 31 days and some odd hours. A drain that stayed clogged no matter how much Draino we poured down its unwilling pipes. A drain that stayed blocked no matter how much you or I spent in attendance, on hands and knees, bent over groaning as we diligently pumped and pushed a rather frazzled plunger. But, last night, after only forty-five minutes, our bunged up duct was freed allowing the water to slosh in its carefree way down a drain that had for a month titillated it with evil impish glee.

This morning however, after having gotten used to water that rose with every drip of the showerhead, I waited for the water to rise to my ankles. My si