In a funny bit of coincidence, just as I posted about our car trouble, we got a call from the mechanic letting us know the problem has been diagnosed. Turns out it's the distributor (just as we suspected), and it needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, we had had the original, 11 year old distributor replaced in April 2006, and it's an aftermarket one. It's less than half the cost of the manufacturer recommended one, but it looks like it doesn't last that long. The thing came with a 1 year warranty, and lasted just long enough to be out of the warranty period. Silly thing. Our mechanic did call his supplier who offered a 10% discount on the replacement part. Sigh.
We talked it over, and decided to give this funky distributor another chance. It's a lot cheaper than the "official" part, and really, we're not sure the car will last us another year. I mean, it's been good to us so far, but it's starting to show some electric glitches, and that's never a good sign.
So I'm guessing we'll be on the market for a new vehicle soon. We'll probably be looking at something used (2-5 years old?), something fun yet reliable, and hopefully easy on gas. That's a lot of requirements, I know. We've been talking about this for the last few years ("What would we ever replace the Probe with?"), and haven't found any convincing answers yet. Some of our requirements are a little contradictory (fun to drive and easy on gas? good commuting car, yet not too small? exotic yet affordable?), and I think we're both looking for slightly different things. Of course this would be mostly DH's car, as he does the bulk of the commuting in this family, so it definitely has to fit his criteria more than mine. I'll be posting more as the decision making process unfolds :)
I think the hardest part is that we don't want to have to say goodbye to the old car. It's served us so well, and it's still so much fun to drive. We'd love to keep it going forever, but we're not necessarily interested in having to leave it in the shop every week. Hopefully, it's not time to say goodbye yet, but we definitely have to start preparing for that eventuality.
Next post, no car talk, I promise :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Friday, June 08, 2007
Car trouble
So I've been meaning to write this car trouble story for over a week now... Sigh. The reason I haven't written it yet is probably two parts busy, one part procrastination. Make that four parts busy and one part procrastination... Two Fridays ago, DH was driving to work in the old car (as he usually does). For some reason I decided to take it easy that morning and leave a little later, so I was still at home, slowly getting ready when he got on the road. A few minutes after he left, the phone rings. It's DH: "The car died, and I am stranded in the middle of the intersection". In those moments, I am glad we finally broke down and got a cellphone, even though we barely ever use it :)
Anyway, DH called the tow-truck, but he asked me to come pick him up, so that he can get himself to work in the other car. I rushed into the shower, and a few minutes later I was out the door. I got to the intersection, with no car and no hubby in sight... I drove around in circles for a few minutes, hoping to find him in the immediate vicinity, but to no avail. So I kept going, and a few kms later, there he was, pulled over with the car acually running. Turns out the car eventually decided to start again, and DH left me a message at my work number (though I never checked it). But all's well that ends well, we swapped cars (at that point I was only maybe 3 kms from my work, so I could have walked the rest of the way), and he managed to get to work on time.
I had a few errands to run that day, but I wasn't all that concerned, since the car was running fine. I got all my errands done, and then after work went to a friend's place, for our almost-monthly "stitch and bitch" get together. A great time was had by all, and time flew past way too fast as usual. So here I am, heading home at around midnight, when all of a sudden, the car dies again. If I had any thoughts that DH had done something wrong in the morning and somehow stalled the car, I knew now that there's definitely something going on with the car itself. I was going 90km/h when all of a sudden the tach went to 0, and I had no more power steering (ouch!), and was slowly coasting to a stop. Definitely, this wasn't related to anything that I might have done.
Anyway, I come to a stop on a small residential street, right in the middle of a bus stop (I really didn't have much ch0ice in where the car decided to stop). That's when I remember that DH did not leave the cellphone with me... Luckily, there was a gas station right across the street, open 24h. So I get out in the rain, after attempting in vain to start the car again, and go to the gas station, where I meekly asked the attendant if I could borrow the phone. He was nice enough and gave me the phone, which I used to wake up DH, to get him to come down and rescue me from the cold and rain. You see, only DH has CAA membership, so he has to be there with the car to call the tow truck (if we want it done for free that is).
Anyway, to make a long story short, the tow truck showed up around 1am, at which point the car graciously agreed to start again, and since we were only a few minutes from home, we managed to get it all the way down the driveway on its own (with the tow truck following right behind). DH even thought he could get the car in the garage, so he stopped in front of the door, got out of the car to open the garage door, when bam! the car died again. At least at this point it was in the driveway, and we could just leave it there...
So it looks like the car just dies for a few hours at a time. We managed to get it down to our mechanic down the street, but he hasn't had a chance to take a look at it yet. Since the car is now 12 years old, we're trying to get used to the idea that we may have to say goodbye to it for good... Though we are still hoping it will not come to that. Mostly because it's such a fun car! We've been trying to think what we would replace it with if we had to, and can't come up with anything as fun (and within our budget). I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it :)
So that's my sob story of being stuck with a dead car in the rain...
Hope you're all safe from car trouble (and any other kind of trouble for that matter).
Anyway, DH called the tow-truck, but he asked me to come pick him up, so that he can get himself to work in the other car. I rushed into the shower, and a few minutes later I was out the door. I got to the intersection, with no car and no hubby in sight... I drove around in circles for a few minutes, hoping to find him in the immediate vicinity, but to no avail. So I kept going, and a few kms later, there he was, pulled over with the car acually running. Turns out the car eventually decided to start again, and DH left me a message at my work number (though I never checked it). But all's well that ends well, we swapped cars (at that point I was only maybe 3 kms from my work, so I could have walked the rest of the way), and he managed to get to work on time.
I had a few errands to run that day, but I wasn't all that concerned, since the car was running fine. I got all my errands done, and then after work went to a friend's place, for our almost-monthly "stitch and bitch" get together. A great time was had by all, and time flew past way too fast as usual. So here I am, heading home at around midnight, when all of a sudden, the car dies again. If I had any thoughts that DH had done something wrong in the morning and somehow stalled the car, I knew now that there's definitely something going on with the car itself. I was going 90km/h when all of a sudden the tach went to 0, and I had no more power steering (ouch!), and was slowly coasting to a stop. Definitely, this wasn't related to anything that I might have done.
Anyway, I come to a stop on a small residential street, right in the middle of a bus stop (I really didn't have much ch0ice in where the car decided to stop). That's when I remember that DH did not leave the cellphone with me... Luckily, there was a gas station right across the street, open 24h. So I get out in the rain, after attempting in vain to start the car again, and go to the gas station, where I meekly asked the attendant if I could borrow the phone. He was nice enough and gave me the phone, which I used to wake up DH, to get him to come down and rescue me from the cold and rain. You see, only DH has CAA membership, so he has to be there with the car to call the tow truck (if we want it done for free that is).
Anyway, to make a long story short, the tow truck showed up around 1am, at which point the car graciously agreed to start again, and since we were only a few minutes from home, we managed to get it all the way down the driveway on its own (with the tow truck following right behind). DH even thought he could get the car in the garage, so he stopped in front of the door, got out of the car to open the garage door, when bam! the car died again. At least at this point it was in the driveway, and we could just leave it there...
So it looks like the car just dies for a few hours at a time. We managed to get it down to our mechanic down the street, but he hasn't had a chance to take a look at it yet. Since the car is now 12 years old, we're trying to get used to the idea that we may have to say goodbye to it for good... Though we are still hoping it will not come to that. Mostly because it's such a fun car! We've been trying to think what we would replace it with if we had to, and can't come up with anything as fun (and within our budget). I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it :)
So that's my sob story of being stuck with a dead car in the rain...
Hope you're all safe from car trouble (and any other kind of trouble for that matter).
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Weekend cuteness
Ok, so there's been countless cuteness moments this weekend. I think I'm going into cuteness overload :)
First it was our friend's twin girls on Friday. They will soon be 2 years old, and they're so cute. They can say all sorts of words, and they look so cute in their ponytails!!
Then yesterday I was cutting the grass, and all of a sudden I hear lots of commotion. Turns out the mother horse is teaching the new foal how to gallop. She's chasing her all over the place, and making her practice turns and stuff. So cute!
Then there was the turtle I saw on the side of the street when heading to work, and after that, little goslings on the work campus cooling off in little puddles of water... I should bring the camera with me more often!
And last night at our friend's birthday party, we got to play with his 5 week old son. Such a cutie! I even got to feed him, which was so much fun! Except every time I tried to burp him, he would just fall asleep. I guess he was getting very comfortable :)
Then this morning we noticed that in the robin's nest that's in the window of one of our guest bedrooms, two baby birds have hatched (and there's still two blue eggs left). They are so cute, whenever anyone approaches they open up their little beaks asking for food. We're trying to leave them undisturbed, so the parents don't abandon them. But they are so cute!
So how's that for a weekend's worth of cuteness?
First it was our friend's twin girls on Friday. They will soon be 2 years old, and they're so cute. They can say all sorts of words, and they look so cute in their ponytails!!
Then yesterday I was cutting the grass, and all of a sudden I hear lots of commotion. Turns out the mother horse is teaching the new foal how to gallop. She's chasing her all over the place, and making her practice turns and stuff. So cute!
Then there was the turtle I saw on the side of the street when heading to work, and after that, little goslings on the work campus cooling off in little puddles of water... I should bring the camera with me more often!
And last night at our friend's birthday party, we got to play with his 5 week old son. Such a cutie! I even got to feed him, which was so much fun! Except every time I tried to burp him, he would just fall asleep. I guess he was getting very comfortable :)
Then this morning we noticed that in the robin's nest that's in the window of one of our guest bedrooms, two baby birds have hatched (and there's still two blue eggs left). They are so cute, whenever anyone approaches they open up their little beaks asking for food. We're trying to leave them undisturbed, so the parents don't abandon them. But they are so cute!
So how's that for a weekend's worth of cuteness?
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Happy anniversary to us
Yes, today is our anniversary. 6 years of marriage. Who would have thought it would go by so fast! We've now officially been married longer than we'd been together before that. It's a pretty cool thing, marriage, I tell you. Sure, there's ups and downs (and some years it seems like there's more ups, and others it's more downs...), but overall, it's a great journey. But it's not for the faint of heart ;)
We actually have no plans for celebrating this occasion. All day DH is at a conference downtown, and tonight we're going to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday party. Tomorrow it's conference all day again, and hopefully some rest in the evening... And last night I had a night out with some friends (a monthly type of event that I had missed for the last 3 months, so I really didn't want to miss this one), and DH had a few friends over to watch a movie on the big screen. So not much official celebrating this weekend.
But I did buy a gift for DH (this is the first year I've done so). In previous years we've often agreed on a no gift policy, but DH would always pick something up "at the last minute", and then my Mom would have a gift for us too, and I always end up feeling guilty. So this year I decided to buy a book that DH has been meaning to get for the last few weeks. Hope he likes it :)
I have more stories to tell you, but I have to go now (I got paged with a work issue), so it's bye for now!
Ta ta!
We actually have no plans for celebrating this occasion. All day DH is at a conference downtown, and tonight we're going to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday party. Tomorrow it's conference all day again, and hopefully some rest in the evening... And last night I had a night out with some friends (a monthly type of event that I had missed for the last 3 months, so I really didn't want to miss this one), and DH had a few friends over to watch a movie on the big screen. So not much official celebrating this weekend.
But I did buy a gift for DH (this is the first year I've done so). In previous years we've often agreed on a no gift policy, but DH would always pick something up "at the last minute", and then my Mom would have a gift for us too, and I always end up feeling guilty. So this year I decided to buy a book that DH has been meaning to get for the last few weeks. Hope he likes it :)
I have more stories to tell you, but I have to go now (I got paged with a work issue), so it's bye for now!
Ta ta!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Made it (yawn!)
So after 7 hours of driving last night (well, driving for DH, I mostly just dozed off in the passenger seat), we made it to London at around 1am. Didn't get lost, but we did run into a bit of stop-and-go traffic through Toronto, at around 11pm. Crazy traffic city!
So now we're here. And I'm taking advantage of the wireless connection to the satellite internet that SIL has here - sweet. Don't even need to plug in the laptop anywhere! This morning we tried to sleep in, despite all the attempts of the two dogs and one cat to get us to get up ;) We then headed into the small town (SIL lives in the rural area surrounding London) for breakfast, and to get some groceries. We came back and walked around the property, exploring with FIL and Wally, one of the dogs. The weather is gorgeous, the freshly cut grass smells delicious, and the river at the bottom of the hill provided beautiful sights. What more could we ask for? This is a really nice place to spend a weekend and relax...
I have taken a whole bunch of pictures of Wally (dog #1), Sage (dog #2) and Marty (cat who thinks he's dog #3), but unfortunately I don't have the stuff to transfer the pictures from the camera to the laptop. Sigh! They should really have bluetooth on all the cameras to make the file transfer easier!
OK, better get back to the rest of the gang. I'll try to post again later, maybe with some musings about small town living...
Take care!
So now we're here. And I'm taking advantage of the wireless connection to the satellite internet that SIL has here - sweet. Don't even need to plug in the laptop anywhere! This morning we tried to sleep in, despite all the attempts of the two dogs and one cat to get us to get up ;) We then headed into the small town (SIL lives in the rural area surrounding London) for breakfast, and to get some groceries. We came back and walked around the property, exploring with FIL and Wally, one of the dogs. The weather is gorgeous, the freshly cut grass smells delicious, and the river at the bottom of the hill provided beautiful sights. What more could we ask for? This is a really nice place to spend a weekend and relax...
I have taken a whole bunch of pictures of Wally (dog #1), Sage (dog #2) and Marty (cat who thinks he's dog #3), but unfortunately I don't have the stuff to transfer the pictures from the camera to the laptop. Sigh! They should really have bluetooth on all the cameras to make the file transfer easier!
OK, better get back to the rest of the gang. I'll try to post again later, maybe with some musings about small town living...
Take care!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Horses, movies and travel plans
How cute is this?
Here's one of the weekend shots of the neighbour's four day old foal. Isn't she just the cutest?? Times like these it's really nice to be living out in the boonies ;) Just go into the back yard and shoot pictures at will (we took several dozen pictures on Sunday).
We also managed to install the screen for the projector. It turned out not to be too much work, really, just two screws and two lengths of chain, et voila! Of course we installed the screen a little too far out, so we still have to reinstall it a few feet closer to the wall, but no biggie. The image looks just awesome. We definitely have to stock up on snacks and drinks now, because friends will be coming over for the movie experience (we moved all of our speakers down there too, so we have the whole deal). I just wish we had a little more time to enjoy the whole theatre setup. If I don't have to work overtime, and we're not working on the house or the yard, we're definitely driving somewhere (I know, I know, it's not a bad life!).
Tomorrow night we're driving out to London, ON, to spend the long weekend with FIL. I'm looking forward to having some time to spend with FIL, and to visit London, where we've never been. I hear that the grounds of Western U are worthwhile to visit...
Here's one of the weekend shots of the neighbour's four day old foal. Isn't she just the cutest?? Times like these it's really nice to be living out in the boonies ;) Just go into the back yard and shoot pictures at will (we took several dozen pictures on Sunday).
We also managed to install the screen for the projector. It turned out not to be too much work, really, just two screws and two lengths of chain, et voila! Of course we installed the screen a little too far out, so we still have to reinstall it a few feet closer to the wall, but no biggie. The image looks just awesome. We definitely have to stock up on snacks and drinks now, because friends will be coming over for the movie experience (we moved all of our speakers down there too, so we have the whole deal). I just wish we had a little more time to enjoy the whole theatre setup. If I don't have to work overtime, and we're not working on the house or the yard, we're definitely driving somewhere (I know, I know, it's not a bad life!).
Tomorrow night we're driving out to London, ON, to spend the long weekend with FIL. I'm looking forward to having some time to spend with FIL, and to visit London, where we've never been. I hear that the grounds of Western U are worthwhile to visit...
Friday, May 11, 2007
Projector screen just arrived
I want to ask for your forgiveness, as I am about to get into full-on geek-mode. You can skip the following post if you are not technically inclined and are not interested in the nitty-gritty of our TV-room setup in the basement. I will have another post with pictures once everything is setup.
We ordered the screen last week, and were told it would be in town on Wednesday, and we could pick it up on Thursday. Of course on Thursday we were told it hadn't arrived and we'd have to wait until next week. But then today we got the call that it is in. We went to pick it up at the store, and DH is probably unpacking it as we speak (I had to come back to work to finish up some coding). This thing is massive, though surprisingly not very heavy. It's a ceiling mount, manual, 120 inch diameter screen, in the colour white (our research showed that the gray ones are already outdated, as they were better suited for the older, low brightness projectors). We have also bought a 3RCA to VGA cable, because apparently that is the best combination to get the ultimate picture out of our DVD to the projector. All we need now is to bring our speakers downstairs for full-on 5.1 sound (and wire them up), and we're all set. Well, we do still have to install the screen itself. We've been using an old sheet that I rigged up with some sown in weights at the bottom to get rid of the sag lines, and it's been not too shabby. Can't wait to see the results with a real screen!
Ok, that's it for the update. Hope the weather on the weekend allows for at least a little bit of yardwork. Take care!
We ordered the screen last week, and were told it would be in town on Wednesday, and we could pick it up on Thursday. Of course on Thursday we were told it hadn't arrived and we'd have to wait until next week. But then today we got the call that it is in. We went to pick it up at the store, and DH is probably unpacking it as we speak (I had to come back to work to finish up some coding). This thing is massive, though surprisingly not very heavy. It's a ceiling mount, manual, 120 inch diameter screen, in the colour white (our research showed that the gray ones are already outdated, as they were better suited for the older, low brightness projectors). We have also bought a 3RCA to VGA cable, because apparently that is the best combination to get the ultimate picture out of our DVD to the projector. All we need now is to bring our speakers downstairs for full-on 5.1 sound (and wire them up), and we're all set. Well, we do still have to install the screen itself. We've been using an old sheet that I rigged up with some sown in weights at the bottom to get rid of the sag lines, and it's been not too shabby. Can't wait to see the results with a real screen!
Ok, that's it for the update. Hope the weather on the weekend allows for at least a little bit of yardwork. Take care!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Animal farm
Just came back from the next door neighbour's barn. He's got a brand new foal, born just 24 hours ago. Man, I am glad I am not a horse. 11 month gestation, and the size of the newborn is just absolutely scary! No wonder the mother horse was whiney the last time we saw her (on Sunday, where she was sticking out to both sides like she had swallowed a gigantic globe or something). So we visited the baby horse, and said hi to the two cats, and the dog. And while we were at it, we also spent some time with the year old horse, who I think is a little jealous of the new addition, not being the youngest anymore. She kept blowing at my hair, and then showing us her teeth in a very comical manner, just to get some attention. She didn't make a sound, though, just the big toothy smile :)
Good thing I had such a nice wind down when I got home, because the work day was absolutely crazy. I am on pager duty this week, and I got paged 12 times today! The amazing thing is that I actually managed to handle all of the issues, but I certainly felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and of course I didn't get any of my work done. Oh well, tomorrow is another day :)
Signing off,
Good thing I had such a nice wind down when I got home, because the work day was absolutely crazy. I am on pager duty this week, and I got paged 12 times today! The amazing thing is that I actually managed to handle all of the issues, but I certainly felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and of course I didn't get any of my work done. Oh well, tomorrow is another day :)
Signing off,
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Good news and updates
Big thanks to everyone crossing their fingers and sending positive vibes: our friends' little baby boy has come back home, and all his tests came back fine. He still needs a lot of tending to (has to be woken up every 2 hours to be fed), but it sounds like the worst of it is behind them. We have breathed a huge sigh of relief! And in more good news on that front, we may be able to go and visit them next weekend. Yay!
Today is Saturday, and the weather is gorgeous. Too bad I had to come to work :( But I still managed to get plenty of time enjoying the outdoors before lunch today. You know summer is almost here, because today was the first lawn mowing of the year (complete with lawn aeration). I also transplanted a few small cuttings, a lilac and a few forsythias. I pulled out some thistles and dandylions, and a whole bunch of new raspberry shoots. And because it's so beautiful and sunny and dry, on top of the usual laundries I washed some of our blankets, so that they can dry outside. Not bad for a morning's work ;) And much more pleasant than sitting in the air-conditioned work cubicle...
All this yardwork at the beginning of the season sure seems daunting. But we keep reminding ourselves that a little extra work at the beginning of the season will pay dividends throughout the summer. When we first bought the house, I was a very naive yard-idealist, insisting on keeping everything natural. I wanted to let the plants grow wild, hoping to bask in their natural beauty. Well, what happened after that was that our lawn became overrun with thistles (pretty flowers for a week or so in the summer, major pain the rest of the time), raspberry bushes took over the back side of the house (literally killing everything else that had grown there, including the wonderful iris that I had enjoyed so much). So I somehow had to get over my dislike of killing plants, and selectively eliminate some of the more rude natural invaders. Especially in the spring, it's important to keep those enthusiastic buggers at bay :)
Now, that's not to say I've completely given up on the "natural" yard. We still only use a reel mower - it's a lot of work, but it's good exercise, and it works well. We aerate the lawn using these funky sandals. We still refuse to use pesticides and chemical fertilizers. I try to encourage native plants to grow wild as they please. The yard still needs a lot of work to get where I would ultimately like it to be, but we are making progress. I am certainly really impressed at how well certain plants respond to the minimal maintenance I've started last year. The lilac bushes are just thriving, the tulips are coming up beautifully (they haven't bloomed yet, but you know there will be pictures as soon as they do!). And seeing those results really makes all the yard work a lot more enjoyable. I used to hate the thought of having to go take care of the "outside", as it seemed like such a never ending job. But I'm starting to come around. Of course, yard work is a lot more enjoyable at this time of year, when the sun is just nice and warm, and the gentle breeze brings over the smell of fresh grass, and all the birds are chirping. Ask me again in the middle of the summer in the sweltering heat with mosquitoes buzzing over my head!
Gotta get back to work, so I can get back home at a decent hour. Hope you're all enjoying your weekend!
Today is Saturday, and the weather is gorgeous. Too bad I had to come to work :( But I still managed to get plenty of time enjoying the outdoors before lunch today. You know summer is almost here, because today was the first lawn mowing of the year (complete with lawn aeration). I also transplanted a few small cuttings, a lilac and a few forsythias. I pulled out some thistles and dandylions, and a whole bunch of new raspberry shoots. And because it's so beautiful and sunny and dry, on top of the usual laundries I washed some of our blankets, so that they can dry outside. Not bad for a morning's work ;) And much more pleasant than sitting in the air-conditioned work cubicle...
All this yardwork at the beginning of the season sure seems daunting. But we keep reminding ourselves that a little extra work at the beginning of the season will pay dividends throughout the summer. When we first bought the house, I was a very naive yard-idealist, insisting on keeping everything natural. I wanted to let the plants grow wild, hoping to bask in their natural beauty. Well, what happened after that was that our lawn became overrun with thistles (pretty flowers for a week or so in the summer, major pain the rest of the time), raspberry bushes took over the back side of the house (literally killing everything else that had grown there, including the wonderful iris that I had enjoyed so much). So I somehow had to get over my dislike of killing plants, and selectively eliminate some of the more rude natural invaders. Especially in the spring, it's important to keep those enthusiastic buggers at bay :)
Now, that's not to say I've completely given up on the "natural" yard. We still only use a reel mower - it's a lot of work, but it's good exercise, and it works well. We aerate the lawn using these funky sandals. We still refuse to use pesticides and chemical fertilizers. I try to encourage native plants to grow wild as they please. The yard still needs a lot of work to get where I would ultimately like it to be, but we are making progress. I am certainly really impressed at how well certain plants respond to the minimal maintenance I've started last year. The lilac bushes are just thriving, the tulips are coming up beautifully (they haven't bloomed yet, but you know there will be pictures as soon as they do!). And seeing those results really makes all the yard work a lot more enjoyable. I used to hate the thought of having to go take care of the "outside", as it seemed like such a never ending job. But I'm starting to come around. Of course, yard work is a lot more enjoyable at this time of year, when the sun is just nice and warm, and the gentle breeze brings over the smell of fresh grass, and all the birds are chirping. Ask me again in the middle of the summer in the sweltering heat with mosquitoes buzzing over my head!
Gotta get back to work, so I can get back home at a decent hour. Hope you're all enjoying your weekend!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Finger crossing request
So you heard about our friends who had an premature arrival bless their family this weekend... Well, unfortunately, the little boy has not expressing much interest in eating, so much so that he started losing weight (and when you're born at 5lb14, you don't have much to lose!), and they had to bring him back to the hospital. The doctors are doing lots of tests to determine what's upsetting the little guy.
So if you have a few positive vibes to spare, I am sure they would appreciate it. I've been crossing my fingers for the last few days, hoping they would be able to bring the little boy back home. Instead, they had to go home alone last night, leaving the baby back in the hospital. It must be so hard to have to leave your baby behind like that! Even when you know that you he's not that far, that he's in good hands, and that it's in everyone's best interest for you to actually get some sleep...
:(
So if you have a few positive vibes to spare, I am sure they would appreciate it. I've been crossing my fingers for the last few days, hoping they would be able to bring the little boy back home. Instead, they had to go home alone last night, leaving the baby back in the hospital. It must be so hard to have to leave your baby behind like that! Even when you know that you he's not that far, that he's in good hands, and that it's in everyone's best interest for you to actually get some sleep...
:(
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Pictures
Don't have that much to say today, but I got a pretty good connection going, so I thought I'd share a few pictures with you.
First off is the adorable little marzipan tiger that DH got me for my birthday. The picture is a little fuzzy, but isn't he just adorable?
Then I have two pictures of tulips. In a strange coincidence, this spring I received two sets of potted tulips, a week or so apart. I've been setting them up in different places in the kitchen trying to get the best picture I can before they wilt. They're not the most hardy of flowers, but at least in the fall I will be able to plant them in the garden, and then they will come back every spring :)
As for the summary of the weekend, it was busy but fun and pretty social. First of all, we were supposed to have a baby shower for friends of ours of Sunday, but apparently little Matthew couldn't wait and decided to be born on Saturday (over a month early!). Everyone is doing great, but imagine their surprise :) Just goes to show you never know when the big day will happen! Needless to say, no shower happened, and we will have to get the gifts to them some other time.
Friday night we watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", a film we both heartily recommend. DH had seen it previously, so it was nice to see it together. I would definitely watch it again. Saturday we started out with some errands. Then we went to the movie theatre, to see some opera. Yes, you read that right. It's this new thing that the people at the Metropolitan Opera from New York have come up with, where opera performances from the Met are broadcast live in HD to theaters all over the world. It's certainly an interesting experience, and you really can't go wrong seeing an opera for around $20! Unless you hate opera that is ;) Though DH, who's not a big fan of the opera, enjoyed the show nonetheless. We saw Puccini's "Il Trittico", of which the first act was by far the best! If you're interested, take a look at the website, there may be upcoming performances being broadcast where you live. In Canada, the shows are presented by Cineplex.
After that, we went to a friend's house for a birthday celebration of pizza and poker. I won a little money, but DH lost a little, so in the end we came out with 3$ less. A cheap night's entertainment, that's for sure ;)
Today we mostly puttered around the yard, finishing the pathway at the back of the house. I can't believe the day is almost over! The "Amazing Race" has just started, and that always means the end of the weekend. Back to work on Monday, slaving hard trying to meet the deadlines :)
Hope y'all had a good weekend!
First off is the adorable little marzipan tiger that DH got me for my birthday. The picture is a little fuzzy, but isn't he just adorable?
Then I have two pictures of tulips. In a strange coincidence, this spring I received two sets of potted tulips, a week or so apart. I've been setting them up in different places in the kitchen trying to get the best picture I can before they wilt. They're not the most hardy of flowers, but at least in the fall I will be able to plant them in the garden, and then they will come back every spring :)
As for the summary of the weekend, it was busy but fun and pretty social. First of all, we were supposed to have a baby shower for friends of ours of Sunday, but apparently little Matthew couldn't wait and decided to be born on Saturday (over a month early!). Everyone is doing great, but imagine their surprise :) Just goes to show you never know when the big day will happen! Needless to say, no shower happened, and we will have to get the gifts to them some other time.
Friday night we watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", a film we both heartily recommend. DH had seen it previously, so it was nice to see it together. I would definitely watch it again. Saturday we started out with some errands. Then we went to the movie theatre, to see some opera. Yes, you read that right. It's this new thing that the people at the Metropolitan Opera from New York have come up with, where opera performances from the Met are broadcast live in HD to theaters all over the world. It's certainly an interesting experience, and you really can't go wrong seeing an opera for around $20! Unless you hate opera that is ;) Though DH, who's not a big fan of the opera, enjoyed the show nonetheless. We saw Puccini's "Il Trittico", of which the first act was by far the best! If you're interested, take a look at the website, there may be upcoming performances being broadcast where you live. In Canada, the shows are presented by Cineplex.
After that, we went to a friend's house for a birthday celebration of pizza and poker. I won a little money, but DH lost a little, so in the end we came out with 3$ less. A cheap night's entertainment, that's for sure ;)
Today we mostly puttered around the yard, finishing the pathway at the back of the house. I can't believe the day is almost over! The "Amazing Race" has just started, and that always means the end of the weekend. Back to work on Monday, slaving hard trying to meet the deadlines :)
Hope y'all had a good weekend!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Weekend update a few days late...
Another weekend gone, and still no blog update... I am really starting to slack in the blog department. Though I have a few good excuses, like a flaky internet access from home (and I was even going to post some pictures!), and overall busy schedule.
Just to prove that I'm not lying, here's a summary of our weekend:
So that made for a pretty full weekend. It seems like all of our weekends this year have been pretty packed. This coming weekend is going to be no exception: we're going to a friend's birthday party on Saturday, and then we'll be hosting a baby shower on Sunday.
Aside from that, work is getting pretty crazy busy. But I am getting lots of things accomplished, so I am feeling pretty ok with the whole thing. My project may be a little late, but I'm not expecting too many unsurmountable obstacles between now and the end. Ask me again in a few weeks, though :)
So here you go... Halfway through the week, and I'm only posting the weekend summary. Sad, sad indeed...
Hope everyone is doing well and taking advantage of the warm weather (yay for sandals!).
Just to prove that I'm not lying, here's a summary of our weekend:
- Friday night, we installed an outdoor thermometer on our bedroom window so that DH can tell the temp outside without having to turn on the TV in the morning (I kid you not, that has been his m.o. so far!); then we played around in the basement with the setup of the new projector that we're planning to use to watch movies; the consensus right now is that we need a screen (the old white sheet will do in a pinch, but it is suboptimal), but we can probably rig up a stand for it from some spare parts :) another weekend project I guess...
- Saturday we cleaned up the flower beds, pruned all the shrubs around the house, raked the remaining leaves off the lawn, then we replaced the clothesline (it was cracked and rusty, and was starting to poke my fingers and leave rusty prints on the clothes!), then in the afternoon we put together the barbeque that we had bought in the fall of 2005 (eek!), then we got a call from friends for a last minute supper invite, so we went out for supper with the adorable twins (A&E) and their parents - lots of fun! In the evening we went to see the concert given by a local amateur orchestra that our friend belongs to. That was very fun too (her 5 year old daughter was there, and we had some play time, which is always nice), and the music was very good - Peer Gynt amongst others.
- Sunday we first went shopping for supplies, and then we worked outside again (since the weather was fabulous!), creating a walking path behind the house with some old patio stones (it's not finished yet, but pretty close, I will post pictures soon!), right where we eliminated raspberry bushes last year; meanwhile DH cleaned the winter tires and wheels for both cars, washed the winter mats, vaccuumed the cars and put in the summer mats.
So that made for a pretty full weekend. It seems like all of our weekends this year have been pretty packed. This coming weekend is going to be no exception: we're going to a friend's birthday party on Saturday, and then we'll be hosting a baby shower on Sunday.
Aside from that, work is getting pretty crazy busy. But I am getting lots of things accomplished, so I am feeling pretty ok with the whole thing. My project may be a little late, but I'm not expecting too many unsurmountable obstacles between now and the end. Ask me again in a few weeks, though :)
So here you go... Halfway through the week, and I'm only posting the weekend summary. Sad, sad indeed...
Hope everyone is doing well and taking advantage of the warm weather (yay for sandals!).
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Gotta get high speed...
I haven't been writing here nearly as much as I would like to. I keep thinking of great subjects to blog about, things to ponder, and it seems like I never have enough time. But then tonight I realized, that if we actually had decent internet access at home, I wouldn't mind spending a few minutes online every evening or so. You see, only having dial-up makes the internet experience so frustrating, by the time I am connected, and I've checked my email, it's been half an hour, and I am tired of sitting and waiting for pages to load (which, BTW is a lot worse with Yahoo! than Gmail), I am in no mood to blog.
Tonight I happen to be staying at my parent's place, who have a high-speed connection, and I decided to do a quick email check (despite the late hour), and realized I could take a few minutes and write a quick note here. Something I can't really do on dial-up without a big time investment.
Lucky for me, the city of Ottawa is rolling out a project that will make high-speed internet accessible for anyone living within the city limits. So I have high hopes that some time this year we will get access to high-speed internet (without the crazy restrictions, and even crazier prices of satellite internet). And then, watch out! I'll be blogging every day :)
But now it's time to head for bed. It's been a long day, and I want to get up early tomorrow morning to head home.
Goodnight!
Tonight I happen to be staying at my parent's place, who have a high-speed connection, and I decided to do a quick email check (despite the late hour), and realized I could take a few minutes and write a quick note here. Something I can't really do on dial-up without a big time investment.
Lucky for me, the city of Ottawa is rolling out a project that will make high-speed internet accessible for anyone living within the city limits. So I have high hopes that some time this year we will get access to high-speed internet (without the crazy restrictions, and even crazier prices of satellite internet). And then, watch out! I'll be blogging every day :)
But now it's time to head for bed. It's been a long day, and I want to get up early tomorrow morning to head home.
Goodnight!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Bloggers unite!
Ok, I have to admit, I am a bit of a blog addict. I have 9 blogs on my daily blogroll (checked every morning when I get to work), and I have been known to troll the web for more blogs to read whenever time permits (which is pretty rare these days).
Today, on one of the blogs that I read regularly, which I had found through the blog of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend ;), I learned about this blog. My heart goes out to this amazing, courageous woman.
A candle for Snickollet.
Today, on one of the blogs that I read regularly, which I had found through the blog of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend ;), I learned about this blog. My heart goes out to this amazing, courageous woman.
A candle for Snickollet.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Where does the time go?
I know, I know, I've been very quiet... And I had promised to write some stuff about happy times in my life... You can probably add last weekend to that list. It was great! We had a blast! The kids were so amazingly sweet and adorable, and I think everyone had a good time. DH's grandmother's 95th birthday was a great success, with tons of people attending. SIL's husband took lots of pictures, and as soon as I get them I will post a few. I was too busy coordinating food and everything else, I didn't even take one picture! There are a few pictures of DH holding his niece at the party that are just priceless.
Aside from that, work has become really crazy. I will probably have to work most of the weekend to do some catching up... DH has 4 days off for this long weekend, I'll be lucky if I get one... But I can't complain, I took Monday off, so I already had a long weekend :)
Even though we have had some snow today, you can see some signs of spring. Our yard looks a little sad, I can't wait to see flowers and plants sprout up all over the place. This year, we can hopefully do some home improvements on the outside. We need to re-gravel the driveway, and redo the garage roof, and I would really like to get some landscaping done as well. But that's all a lot of work, we'll see if I am a little too ambitious here (ask me again in November :)).
So that's it for an update. Short and sweet, maybe some time this weekend I'll find a little more time to write...
Enjoy the spring sunshine!
Aside from that, work has become really crazy. I will probably have to work most of the weekend to do some catching up... DH has 4 days off for this long weekend, I'll be lucky if I get one... But I can't complain, I took Monday off, so I already had a long weekend :)
Even though we have had some snow today, you can see some signs of spring. Our yard looks a little sad, I can't wait to see flowers and plants sprout up all over the place. This year, we can hopefully do some home improvements on the outside. We need to re-gravel the driveway, and redo the garage roof, and I would really like to get some landscaping done as well. But that's all a lot of work, we'll see if I am a little too ambitious here (ask me again in November :)).
So that's it for an update. Short and sweet, maybe some time this weekend I'll find a little more time to write...
Enjoy the spring sunshine!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Depression
My new theory (and I haven't done any research on this, so it could be someone else's theory, or it may have been debunked at some point) is that depression is simply a state of extreme connectedness. It's like you feel everything, only magnified. Or maybe that's actually more bipolar ;) I've just been finding that I respond emotionally to everything, just a lot stronger than usual. Sort of a super-enhanced PMS, withouth the aggressivity ;)
I find myself moved by most human contact. It sounds kinda silly, but I am amazed at the good will that people have towards me. People smile and say hi, or stop for a quick chat in the hallway. It makes me feel connected to the fabric of the universe, as those tiny little threads of human connections are an intergral part of the big tapestry.
I'd keep on philosophizing, but I got lots of work waiting for me...
I find myself moved by most human contact. It sounds kinda silly, but I am amazed at the good will that people have towards me. People smile and say hi, or stop for a quick chat in the hallway. It makes me feel connected to the fabric of the universe, as those tiny little threads of human connections are an intergral part of the big tapestry.
I'd keep on philosophizing, but I got lots of work waiting for me...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
P.S.
Forgot to mention in my last post: the one thing yesterday (and today) that really touched my heart was all the birthday wishes I got from people. I am not the best at remembering dates, so I am always so amazed that anyone would remember my birthday! It sounds kind of silly now that I've written it down, but it was really nice to be remembered I guess :) I am so vain!
Yay?
So yesterday was my birthday. The big 3-2. Not a milestone birthday by any stretch, and yet it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is most likely because I've been in quite a bit of a slump for the last month. Nothing serious, just a bit of depression coming back to haunt me. Never let it be said that you can get over depression... No matter where you get in your life it's always lurking around the corner waiting to pounce the moment it realizes that you are vulnerable. Sigh!
Now, don't you go and get worried about me. The fact that I am actually writing about it tells me that I am much better able to handle this than I've ever been. I am not looking for sympathy, and this is not some cry for help, I just thought I'd document a bit of what's going on inside my head (a dicey proposition at the best of times!)...
In all fairness, my birthday itself was very nice. Everyone involved did their best to celebrate the occasion with enthusiasm and flair. My family in Montreal threw a dinner party Sunday night, which was quite delicious and very enjoyable. I got beautiful gifts and cards, and even cake (though it was chocolate, so I didn't actually have any). We didn't leave Montreal until late, so we got home past our bedtime, but it was worth it :)
Then last night DH took me out for dinner, and then we had another cake at home. This one was a raspberry mousse, so I had a decent sized piece :) He also got me a very very cute little marzipan tiger. I'll try to remember to take a picture of him one of these days so I can post it here.
So you're going to say this doesn't really sound like such a terrible birtday, and you're probably right. Except maybe for all the people asking me about my procreation plans... And most of those people were not even aware that it was my birthday! What, do I have a tattoo on my forehead that says "Please ask me about babies!!!"? I mean, I expect that from my Mom, but casual acquaintances at work??? Just plain weird. It doesn't really help that the writer of one of the blogs I've come to follow religiously get some terribly upsetting news yesterday (and I find that she communicates it so well, you feel like you're there with her...).
So why the long face you ask? They say depression doesn't need a reason, and that's probably true, and sometimes small things (and at times big things) can give you that little nudge... And now every time I think about writing a blog, the only things that come to mind are dark and gloomy thoughts. Instead of giving into that impulse, I've decided that I want to sit down and write an entry about all the happy moments in my life, and I hope to be able to do that at some point this week. But I have to admit that it's turning out to be a lot harder than expected. I could certainly go for hours talking about the low points, but really, I am dubious about the benefit of that. I am long past the point where it would feel cathartic, it seems more self-indulging and whiney... Yes, the bad times deserve to be documented at some point, but I'd rather see them documented with a good dose of humour (even if it's black), rather than self-pity... So they will have to wait until my sense of humour is back ;)
Other than that, 32 feels fine. My Mom was recalling how old she felt when she was 32 (and on her second pregnancy), but I don't find myself feeling much older than last week. Or wiser for that matter ;)
That's it for my birthday ramblings... I promise to be more upbeat in an upcoming entry (though that may have to wait, as spare time is pretty hard to find these days - tomorrow nigh our choir has another performance at a retirement residence, so I am sure tonight's practice is going to go late...).
Oh, and just so that this post is not all gloom and doom, I am really quite excited about the end of this month, as most of DH's family is planning to descend on our house. It will be DH's grandmother's 95th birthday, so BIL and his pregnant wife and their twins, SIL and her husband, and FIL are all going to come over to stay at our place for the weekend. I'm sure it's going to be fun (though hectic). And it will definitely help pull me out of this slump ;) Babies have a way of doing that!!! I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures.
Now, don't you go and get worried about me. The fact that I am actually writing about it tells me that I am much better able to handle this than I've ever been. I am not looking for sympathy, and this is not some cry for help, I just thought I'd document a bit of what's going on inside my head (a dicey proposition at the best of times!)...
In all fairness, my birthday itself was very nice. Everyone involved did their best to celebrate the occasion with enthusiasm and flair. My family in Montreal threw a dinner party Sunday night, which was quite delicious and very enjoyable. I got beautiful gifts and cards, and even cake (though it was chocolate, so I didn't actually have any). We didn't leave Montreal until late, so we got home past our bedtime, but it was worth it :)
Then last night DH took me out for dinner, and then we had another cake at home. This one was a raspberry mousse, so I had a decent sized piece :) He also got me a very very cute little marzipan tiger. I'll try to remember to take a picture of him one of these days so I can post it here.
So you're going to say this doesn't really sound like such a terrible birtday, and you're probably right. Except maybe for all the people asking me about my procreation plans... And most of those people were not even aware that it was my birthday! What, do I have a tattoo on my forehead that says "Please ask me about babies!!!"? I mean, I expect that from my Mom, but casual acquaintances at work??? Just plain weird. It doesn't really help that the writer of one of the blogs I've come to follow religiously get some terribly upsetting news yesterday (and I find that she communicates it so well, you feel like you're there with her...).
So why the long face you ask? They say depression doesn't need a reason, and that's probably true, and sometimes small things (and at times big things) can give you that little nudge... And now every time I think about writing a blog, the only things that come to mind are dark and gloomy thoughts. Instead of giving into that impulse, I've decided that I want to sit down and write an entry about all the happy moments in my life, and I hope to be able to do that at some point this week. But I have to admit that it's turning out to be a lot harder than expected. I could certainly go for hours talking about the low points, but really, I am dubious about the benefit of that. I am long past the point where it would feel cathartic, it seems more self-indulging and whiney... Yes, the bad times deserve to be documented at some point, but I'd rather see them documented with a good dose of humour (even if it's black), rather than self-pity... So they will have to wait until my sense of humour is back ;)
Other than that, 32 feels fine. My Mom was recalling how old she felt when she was 32 (and on her second pregnancy), but I don't find myself feeling much older than last week. Or wiser for that matter ;)
That's it for my birthday ramblings... I promise to be more upbeat in an upcoming entry (though that may have to wait, as spare time is pretty hard to find these days - tomorrow nigh our choir has another performance at a retirement residence, so I am sure tonight's practice is going to go late...).
Oh, and just so that this post is not all gloom and doom, I am really quite excited about the end of this month, as most of DH's family is planning to descend on our house. It will be DH's grandmother's 95th birthday, so BIL and his pregnant wife and their twins, SIL and her husband, and FIL are all going to come over to stay at our place for the weekend. I'm sure it's going to be fun (though hectic). And it will definitely help pull me out of this slump ;) Babies have a way of doing that!!! I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Another weekend bites the dust
Another busy weekend went by. Unfortunately, I had to come into work on Sunday, but it was such a beautiful day DH decided to go for one last skate on the canal. As of this morning, the canal is now closed, so it was his last chance. We toyed with the idea of going for a ski in the late afternoon, but the snow levels are pretty low. The sun has been melting the snow quite a bit over the last week...
In other news, from the wild animals at the homestead, yesterday afternoon I found a dead mole at the back entrance to the house (sorry, no pictures). Placed perfectly just at the door. Because I suspect no mole in its right mind would climb 7 steps of stairs just to die at our doorstep, I am assuming this is a present from our feline friend. She hasn't forgotten us! Even though she spent most of the winter in the neighbour's barn, she must still have fond memories of us, leaving us such a sweet (and gross) present! I ended up using the snow shovel to get it out in the yard...
Aside from that, we did some more tidying up around the house. We finally completely cleaned out the computer room. I wish I had taken a before picture, because the room is unrecognizeable now. We took out a bookshelf, and moved the old computer downstairs, so the room is a lot more spacious, and DH keeps complaining about the echo :) We need to hang up stuff on the walls, now that we've opened up so much space... I am not the biggest cleaning/tidying fan out there, but I have to admit that it's a nice feeling to get the place cleaned up like this from time to time. We now have at least 3 more useful rooms compared to what we had at the end of last year (1 unfinished room, and 2 rooms full of junk). Which works out well, since at the end of the month we will have a house full of guests, as DH's family is coming to town to celebrate his grandmother's 95th birthday. That means my FIL will be here, plus two couples (SIL+husband and BIL+wife), plus the twins. We better have lots of space so everyone can fit and not feel crowded...
Work is getting busier and busier all the time. I think it's only going to get worse, at least until the summer. I am in charge of a project that is going to require lots of coding, and there's only two of us working on it (the other guy being a new grad), and we only have around 10 weeks to get it all done. All of it. And I am still just working on the documentation for it... But I'm getting a fairly good idea of what we need to do, and if I need to work nights and weekends, then so be it. At least it's a very interesting project, working on something that's new to me, so it's kind of exciting. Ask me again if this was a good idea in 2 months :)
That's my update for today!
In other news, from the wild animals at the homestead, yesterday afternoon I found a dead mole at the back entrance to the house (sorry, no pictures). Placed perfectly just at the door. Because I suspect no mole in its right mind would climb 7 steps of stairs just to die at our doorstep, I am assuming this is a present from our feline friend. She hasn't forgotten us! Even though she spent most of the winter in the neighbour's barn, she must still have fond memories of us, leaving us such a sweet (and gross) present! I ended up using the snow shovel to get it out in the yard...
Aside from that, we did some more tidying up around the house. We finally completely cleaned out the computer room. I wish I had taken a before picture, because the room is unrecognizeable now. We took out a bookshelf, and moved the old computer downstairs, so the room is a lot more spacious, and DH keeps complaining about the echo :) We need to hang up stuff on the walls, now that we've opened up so much space... I am not the biggest cleaning/tidying fan out there, but I have to admit that it's a nice feeling to get the place cleaned up like this from time to time. We now have at least 3 more useful rooms compared to what we had at the end of last year (1 unfinished room, and 2 rooms full of junk). Which works out well, since at the end of the month we will have a house full of guests, as DH's family is coming to town to celebrate his grandmother's 95th birthday. That means my FIL will be here, plus two couples (SIL+husband and BIL+wife), plus the twins. We better have lots of space so everyone can fit and not feel crowded...
Work is getting busier and busier all the time. I think it's only going to get worse, at least until the summer. I am in charge of a project that is going to require lots of coding, and there's only two of us working on it (the other guy being a new grad), and we only have around 10 weeks to get it all done. All of it. And I am still just working on the documentation for it... But I'm getting a fairly good idea of what we need to do, and if I need to work nights and weekends, then so be it. At least it's a very interesting project, working on something that's new to me, so it's kind of exciting. Ask me again if this was a good idea in 2 months :)
That's my update for today!
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