Musings on a Small Life

Who knew 300 was the maximum number of blogs Google will allow you to follow? Now how do I get around that one, without un-following kitties and people? If someone knows, do please leave a comment! I'm pleased to say that I got the gifts being mailed out all wrapped up on Sunday, no whiskey needed. (All but one, actually.) Mailed them this morning, plus the three items from Derry's auction, to the tune of $71 and change. Don't fall over. The mailing cost of the individual items was reasonable, not more than $15 each, but it was the fuel surcharges or whathaveyou, the HST (harmonized sales tax) and so on. Good thing I do this only once a year. I'm also pleased to say that another big work project has (I hope) come to a close. I've done what I need to (I hope) and it should be fine (I hope). There's a lot of "hope" -- and crossed fingers  -- here! So things are winding down; hurrah! Our work luncheon will be on the 10th. One of my co-workers unexpe...

If you want to be amazed and awed, Google Mark Vincent, 2009 winner of "Australia's Got Talent." My mom sent me a link yesterday to a site with all the videos from the program, his initial performance, follow up performance, other appearances. Unfortunately, I didn't keep it, but you can find his final song for the show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBSATKqZZb4 I'm sure he's old news to many, but I'd never heard of him before. What an amazing tenor voice. And by the way, he was 15 when he competed and won last year. He's now releasing his third album and you can see/hear a video of him performing Funiculi Funicula at his web site: http://www.markvincent.com.au/ For inspiration of the Handel's Hallelujah Chorus kind, I'm passing along a link that Cat of Cat's Cats posted on her blog today: A flash Mob at Seaway Mall in Welland, Ontario by the Niagara Chorus at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE The  Hallelujah Ch...

I was going to write today about the journey toward compassion, but I got totally derailed by a small incident at work. Very small. My boss went into two of my co-workers' offices, in turn, and closed the door. I heard him say, before he closed the first door, that he had to ask everyone this. So, because of the difficult economic times and on-going work uncertainty, my mind leaped ahead to the thought that he was telling us we have to cut-back and asking if we would work part-time. Or that he was saying something about his leaving/retiring/whathaveyou. But he didn't come to me. Not then, not later. And my heart rate accelerated, my adrenaline kicked in, and I was imagining the worst scenarios: My job was being cut back and he was bracing himself to tell me, I would be escorted from the building immediately and somehow have to gather all my personal stuff, I'd have to move to the east or west coast and live with a parent....Typical Kim paranoia and panic. Finally ...

...to piss me off faster than you can blink. Seriously. Last night I wrapped up the three items I had offered in Derry's auction, to mail out either this weekend or after I get paid on the 30th. The items weren't the only things going in the packages (just a small something else), and each package entailed two large bubble-envelopes to ensure sufficient padding ('cause it's not like I have boxes), copious amounts of packing tape and much running up and down the stairs to get things I had forgotten. During this process, Nicki was constantly "helping," to the point that I had to put the scissors down for fear of going berserk (kidding...sort of), Annie was hissing at the boys, and Derry was scratching at my couch, the little shit. As if I don't have enough kitty scratchers and condos around the house. I ended up yelling at all of them in turn, and trust me, I do not have dulcet tones when riled up. The packages are ready to go, but I qualify for the ...

Because except for a few work-related emails and some photocopying, I've been completely unproductive today, work-wise. Very productive, blog-wise, at least in terms of getting up-to-date on blogs that I follow and leaving comments. Even scheduling a Tuesday Fuzzy Tales post. Not quite as lucky trying to find a Christmassy-looking photo that I've taken, for a holiday header on this blog. Wasn't happy with what I tried yesterday, would like something with seasonal greenery. Do I have anything like that, a pic that can be sufficiently cropped and still look half-decent? Nope. Should I learn to PhotoShop? Maybe! Will I?  Not likely! So I have forty more unproductive minutes at the office before I'm done for the day. Twenty-three more working days till our Christmas break. Not that I'm counting. I'll try to make most of those more productive than today, which shouldn't be too hard. Here's hoping everyone is doing better than I am, work-wise, on this...

My all-time favourite Christmas movie is Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation . I love the movie, still laugh like a fool every year when I haul out the DVD and watch it, no matter that I've seen it countless times. But my own outdoor holiday decor is a far cry from that of Clark Griswald. Four paltry strands of lights around my shrub, a wreath on the door and some garland and bows on the little railing. No worries that I'll blow the power to the entire neighbourhood.

Okay, the full moon is tomorrow night but it looks full now. This pic was snapped off my back step a bit earlier, no tripod, and not bad for a (high end) point-and-shoot camera! The camera (have I said thank you to my dad recently?) has a "nighttime with no tripod" setting that seems to work quite well, at least in this instance. Enlarge--I almost wrote "biggify"--for full effect. It seems like it was a crazy week. Busy, and lots of heart-breaking news this week on the Cat Blogosphere, and in the lives of some of those around me. My mom, by the way, wanted me to let you all know how appreciative she was for the good thoughts/prayers/Light for Harry this past summer and earlier this fall, and for her friend Sheilah as well (who is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer). Mom truly was surprised that strangers, especially via cyber-space, would even spare a thought. It's not so surprising, though, when you hang around the CB for a while.  :-) I picked up Annie...

Today I'm very thankful I wear a lot of cardigans, because my vending machine half-coffee/half-hazelnut (I'm desperate, okay?) was so full that when I put the lid on it, it squirted all over my turtleneck top (over my boob of course), even down onto my shoe.  A bit got onto my cardigan too (and a pretty one it is), but it's not that noticeable, at least not when sitting down at my computer. Visions of stain remover and laundry are dancing in my head. I hope everyone has a cleaner day than I'm having! Nicki says it's better to be self-cleaning!

I'm trying some gluten and corn-free baking products, because wheat, even processed as white flour is, seems to be causing me difficulties these days (years). So while at the Evil Empire this morning (Wal-Mart), I found this: When I got home, I made them up (you can add what you want to the cookie dough, so of course I added dark chocolate chips). The consistency isn't the same as my yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe, and the batter does spread far more than my traditional recipe. They're okay. Not great and far too sugary (!) for my taste. I probably wouldn't buy the mix again, will keep looking for something that I like or print off gluten-free recipes that I find on the web. I did try to make a gluten-free biscuit yesterday, cobbled together from the biscuit recipe I typically use, but wasn't that impressed. Again, okay, but not great. I do have a couple of gluten-free (specifically) biscuit recipes that I can try, though. And while at Wal-Mart some wool...

When I got home this afternoon there was a message from my mom to call her, that she had news about...and I couldn't get the remainder of what she had said. Figured it was something fairly serious. Yes, Mom's oldest friend in Halifax was diagnosed yesterday with pancreatic cancer, too far along for any treatment, has been given six months at most. I'm at loss as to what to say. I haven't seen Sheilah in 5.5 years, the last time I was in Halifax, but she and Mom worked downtown together (not the same provincial government department) and I saw a fair bit of her when I was younger. She has a daughter about my age, a son-in-law, two grandchildren. Always has had short-haired white cats, male, one at a time--all named Snowball, after the original Snowball. She'd been feeling unwell this summer, Mom told me recently. Was diagnosed with a bladder and bowel infection not long ago. Had a body scan yesterday, doctor called her last night with the news. Not a bladder ...

"Happys" for my day/week: Finally, the end of a seemingly long and busy week. And finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with regard to this fall's work projects. Glorious sunshine and highs of about 12C all week. The afternoon walks home have been a balm for my soul. Quiet, soft and gentle late fall days, before the harshness of winter. The generosity of Cat Bloggers for Derry's auction and the auction for another CBer, someone in great need -- surely the CB is the brightest and best corner of the internet. The fur companions to keep me company and make me laugh. Okay, so I did some yelling and squirting with the Bad Cat Water Bottle. That's par for the course. LOL. $3.50 (on sale) for this entire block of dark chocolate. It's not like eating hand-made chocolate, which I've had only a couple of times in my life, but it's much better than the average chocolate bar! My bed...Yes, the mattress is too soft and needs to be replaced as s...

The Ode of Remembrance They went with songs to the battle, they were young. Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. Lest we forget.  http://www.remembrancedaycanada.com/    Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com And from my walk in the cemetery on Sunday, in silent honour....

Today a former co-worker (the other cat lover who has fostered for an area shelter and who has four of her own cats) came upstairs (she works in the same building, different department) to update me on one of her cats who had dental yesterday (two broken teeth, nerves exposed--poor cat, no wonder she wouldn't eat). She also came to tell me that one of their staff members passed away suddenly last night. In fact, he had been looking ill at the office--she said the upper part of his face was utterly paper white--and that she told him to call his wife to let her know she was taking him to the hospital. We don't know what happened--they don't know either, just that it wasn't a heart attack. The man's wife--now widow--called the head of the department this morning to tell her he had died during the night. Everyone was in shock, of course. He wasn't old, perhaps late 50s. My former co-worker told me to make sure I ate my chocolate, because you just don'...

At least Mom's basic one-egg cake recipe, with crumbly topping this time. Ignore the clumps of cinnamon; I didn't have a shaker for it. At least it came out light and fluffy, unlike the last effort. The trick? Don't try to be calorie and Diabetes-conscious and use Splenda, no matter that the box says it measures cup for cup like sugar. Forget it. Either don't eat any sweets at all or eat the real stuff, forget the sugar-derivatives. Just a sliver of something made with real ingredients is better than the entire pan or package of "low-cal, low-fat" chemicals. Lesson learned!

I suppose the title of this post sounds rather odd, but I spent Friday after work and a good chunk of Saturday in a frenzy of decluttering. Mostly the kitchen, or what passes for a kitchen in this townhouse. I donated an entire dish set I never use (an old Ikea one, not china), miscellaneous small appliances like coffee makers I also don't use, other dishware, storage containers and so on. Clothes, other items. Some of it is in the garage awaiting pickup (when I get around to calling), but all the breakables were dropped off at Value Village yesterday afternoon (thanks, Mike!). It was "coffee" at Starbucks after that (with Mike), which meant a chai latté for me and -- splurge -- a cranberry bliss bar. Which wasn't as good as they used to be and was smaller too. So I won't be tempted into another, on the next rare occasion I'm in a Starbucks. (Used to go about once a week, but stopped a year or two ago because they are far too pricey.) I had such incredib...