--BLANK--

This is the PonyG's first snail encounter.  She was gobsmacked (I love that word).  Could barely get out the door.   Once outside she could not make eye contact with it for fear of provoking an attack.  

Thankfully, no fatalities occurred during this photo shoot.

 

Yes this is just a feeble attempt at a blog post due to a muddled mind as of late.  I suspect I will be reprimanded hotly by my total lack of regard for 

blogging in general.

But, sometimes you just have to put it out there to get things rolling again.

 

! pick colour !

What would a trip to the 'big city'  (that would be Vancouver) be, without a visit  to the mani-pedi hovel/spa?  Well, it just wouldn't be complete without that sweet experience of getting yelled at as soon as you pass the threshold of ....'Total Nail' or 'Tips Top Nail' or 'Lovely Pretty Nail'   or....you know what I'm talking about.   It is always the same shout out of   "pick colour!" and then again a little louder if you are too slow,   "PICK COLOUR!".   Okay, okay, so under duress you grab 2 bottles because you just can't decide so fast.   Apparently, our  'nail technicians'  are in quite a rush to service the other patrons-in-waiting (none that we can see)  in the shop.  Anyway, as soon as you have your 2 bottles clutched in your unmanicured claws  you are ordered to "sit here" and then again because you aren't quite clued in to the accent (come on now,  you know its true)...you are shouted at again  "SIT HEEERE".    Okay, okay you sit and then immediately the massage chair is turned on full throttle and you are ordered to put your feet into the too-hot water and then your technician and her pal (your girlfriend's tech) begin their private conversation  that effectively excludes any english-only speakers.   Of course, you can only assume because of their chuckles that they are totally talking about their current so very annoying customers.  In the meantime,  you are desperately trying to control the banging, rolling and shaking of the massage chair.  Once you get the chair under some control you can kind of settle in for a moment or two of enjoyment, but, only for a moment because so very soon the surgery begins.    Meanwhile their conversing/gossiping  never ends except for every once in awhile an order is barked (in english) to you to do...something?...and of course it must be repeated because we are a pathetic people. 
      There is cutting and jabbing and rinsing and massaging and so it goes.  Then comes the time for the 'colour!' and you have to decide between the two that you were rushed into picking and of course, you are not in love with either,  but getting up and choosing another one in NOT an option so you just resign yourself to one.   With any luck at all,  once its applied you actually like it (!)  because if not,  there will be much rumination and regret to follow.     This is  always followed by  a comparison about who got the better job--you or your friend.   It's always  your friend. 
        
       
         
      

Fun & Games

Part of any DIY home remuddling involves physical injuries and lately I have been the recipient of a couple of doozies.   Both self-inflicted and due to my tendency to get really (really) excited when I can see the end of a project.  So  yesterday I dropped a crowbar on my foot.  Ow.  Those things are heavy in a way that was a bit unexpected.  The top of my foot swelled up very fast and looked like a blue golf ball was lodged under my skin.  Of course I imagined it to be a blood clot that would quickly make its way up to my heart and blah,blah, blah.  No, no pictures, just use your imagination.

Then this morning I decided to hang this framed item that had been leaning against a wall for far too long.   Upon discovering that the screw would not screw so easily into the stud (yes, I have a trusty stud finder but can also find  studs without said stud finder) decided to help it in by banging a nail in part way first.    Yes,  things slipped and I nailed my finger instead of stud.  Briefly, there was lots of dripping blood which was annoyingly getting on everything and I had to stop to wrap the finger in a paper towel secured with blue painter's tape.  All I wanted to do was get that thing on the wall and no way was my bloody stump going to slow me down.   Side note:  LOVE the painter's tape when used for medical purposes as actually sticks to itself better than to anything else.

This obviously has nothing to do with the pics posted here of my newly installed glass blocks.  I just adore them.   Now, as I sit here at my laptop and gaze lovingly up at them,  they make me so happy that I forget the foot and the finger and all the other bruises, bumps, aches & pains of reality renovating.   Sound familiar to anyone?

Love in Captivity

Just thinking about 'love' and 'big love' and  'lost love'  and 'misunderstood love' and just 'love'  in general,  and how it never really goes away or falls by the by and by.  It has a life of its own and screw the rules (what rules?) .    I suspect this to be a very good thing in the grande scheme of our very short lives or quite possibly  the only thing of substance left when all else is said & done.   I keep my love  safe and close and captive

and most little cowgirls like it that way.

 

 

  

MAD MAX

                                                 the tree....before

                   MAD MAX himself (I like his equipment)

        

I know to most real Canadians this is not such an amazing sight but to me it caught my attention in a big way.  I have never, I repeat never seen someone climb up a tree (this tall) and cut off all the branches on the way up and then start to chop it down in sections.  These guys were fearless and I know, its something they do everyday and they assured me it was 'a piece of cake' and  'so easy' but still....really?  When I looked up and saw Mad Max at the tippy top of the tree,  I stopped breathing....it scared me big time.    But, within an hour the larch tree was down and the guys were gone but not forgotten.  

I love how things get done in  Canadia, oh, Canadia .

Oh Happy Day

signing off for earth hour

call me crazy

...you can call me a lot of things but don't call me pessimistic. I found this audio book at the library the other day and did my eyes ever light up and my heart skip a beat.  Finally, someone had the insight and the courage to put it out there that it really is possible to change someone else!  Yes!  OMG...I couldn't wait to pop it in the player and get listening.  I was even prepared to take notes.     Well I soon realized that after listening for a miniscule amount of time that this guy doesn't know anything about trying to change someone else. He doesn't mention 'nagging', 'haranguing', 'repeating' or even 'speaking loudly' as any of the preferred methods of 'change'.  This guy must be from Mars.

Shiney Stuff & More View

Just an update on some projects that are getting completed -- it is of course the million details that take so much time.   The pictures do not reflect the hours of work already put in and the hours yet to come but hey...we are getting there. 

So enjoy the photos.

MUMBO JUMBO

   As we open up the walls of this MO-bile we are greeted by these words which now has become one of those 'jokes'.   Something that makes you ask yourself  'what were they thinking'  as you smile turns wry and a little smirky.  This is followed by a shake of  the head and a lift of the eyebrows and again the question... 'what were they thinking?'.     Maybe this means something other than what I think it means?  Maybe it is some kind of  lumber mill code...could that be it?  Not bloody likely as our Brit friends would say.

The good news is that the insides of the walls are mostly bone dry and not, I tell you, not filled with 'mousey' habitation evidence.  We have become happy with the small gifts that MO-bile ownership has bestowed upon us (wry smile inserted here).    So we pull out the R-7 (non) insulation and replace it with more R's insulation  and remove & replace the drafty windows with pretty, new ones that actually slide easily and allow the taking in of the lovely view.   It has meant living in a lot of dust & dirt & noise and these are just wee projects in the grand scheme of home re-muddling.  But, and this is a BIG butt (think Sir MIXALOT),  the user-friendly, modern, finished product always makes the mess worth it. 

So as you peruse the 'in process' pics (to come)  please be kind and keep in mind that there is a whole lot of behind the scenes horror that just gets swept up after every work day and then dinner is made and clean sheets are put on the bed and another day is done.  The possibilities, as they say, and they are annoying,    are endless,  as is the fun of playing house.

Cheers from an obsessed re-muddler.

B & W & So Soft

Playing around with paint.net and realizing how much better the world looks through 'soft focus' .  

This may have to be my default...yowza.