The latest Installation piece by Caity…I think it shows the teeming rage and violence faced by a preschooler today…or her just saying ‘Don’t Fuck with me.’

She really can look like an angel, can she not?

This morning…..she was up and ready to face the day… I was busy hauling Adam’s dozy butt out of bed….Caity remarks: ” CHRISSAAKES, is HE making a fuss again???”

Hem…

Random order here….

1) Based on the freaky dream last night of sitting watching trailers of fictitious and strange Hugh Jackman movies - I must have a thing for him and remind myself to not eat Liquorice Allsorts and drink Scotch at the same time.

2) Housework escapes me.

3) Feeding my kids sometimes also escapes me.

4) I am not really a people person. In real life…I tend to get a bit edgy and snarky. Sorry. I noticed this in my handling of confusion regarding the soccer game event thingie on Saturday and my lack of owning a schedule or getting a clear time or overview from any of the other mom’s and the coach. I was snarky. Sports things escape me (sense the pattern here!?). I am not a group person or a joiner. The cushion of the internet makes life a lot easier for me. Real life is harder. Talking to other mom’s is hard for me. Doing the whole mom organize your kids life is hard for me.

I should live in the woods and home school my kids. No offense to home home schoolers…I an in awe of them.

5) I may be smarter than I think I am. Or I am really good at not only fooling others, but myself. Example. My husband is a clever man. Strangely he values my opinion and advice on topics that tend to be a bit ‘big’ for me. He has me participate in design and development meetings. People LISTEN to me!

I swear, there was a moment on Friday during a meeting where I had a total disconnect between what was coming out of my mouth and what was in my head. In my head I had been doing that multitasking mom thing…half listening and half thinking of what I had to do next in the day, and I think, my grocery list too. But apparently..I was listening enough and understanding enough to actually speak words that made sense and didn’t make all the clever techie design people either roll their eyes or fall about in hysterics.

Go figure.

The evisceration of Dana over on BlogHer this weekend reminded me of the whole ‘comfort’ level thing.

While Crunchy Husband and I will cover almost any topic under the sun…politics, religion, science and all the offshoots of said areas with glee and gusto…and will discuss and debate these issues with close friends too with as much glee and gusto…I tend to suddenly clam up online. Even in the ’safety’ of my blog, I tend to veer from speaking about my views on politics or world issues.

I am not sure why. I love a good debate. I love the passion that arises from a good debate. I have been on forums where we all let loose and loved every minute of it and tend to not take it personally either.

I also will take a trouncing….if someone can out debate me on an issue…YOU win! I will stew and sulk..but I am ok with it.

So why…why can I not do this on my websites? What stops me. What holds me back?

One thing is that the blogosphere is dominated by US politics. The areas I am hanging in anyway. I feel a bit intrusive to chuck my Canadian two cents in. I sadly do not pay enough attention to my OWN politics..apart from the civic stuff…that gets my goat big time.

I also feel that I am not really up on how it all works. But. How else do we learn? How else do we expand our horizons? We have to push ourselves into new territory….as frightening as it is….

And really, my own blog should be the perfect platform…should it not?

I gotta work on that.

Anyway, I gotta get back to kitty litter cleaning and laundry doing…

Go Moms Go!

Really…is all the medias focus on ‘ecoliving’ REALLY going to save the planet?

In Vancouver ‘EcoDensity’ is a catch phrase being used by our City.  They want us to live in smaller places.  Is more people in less space really the answer?

The term Eco is being bandied about by everyone.  The media filled with ‘ban the plastic bags’ or ‘build a community garden.’

I do wonder.  I wonder if it isn’t like the moral machines during WW2.  In the UK they had people donate their ’scrap’ metals…pots, pans etc., to ‘help’ manufacture more weapons and so on for the war effort.

The majority of this stuff just went into the junk heap.  But it galvanized people and made them feel useful during a time of helplessness and fear.

I wonder if all our little efforts are really the same thing.

Especially when the bigger picture is so much more complicated.

Like this for instant.

Biofuel.  The new way to save our cars.   Except now it is starving people.  And they say this is not just affecting those in the third world.  This hits us too.  And not just in the pocket book as costs of food rise..but in real shortages of basics as the producers of these grains turn to the more lucrative biofuel market.

Is this something in North America we have EVER imagined?

We have hybrid cars..but are they REALLY the answer…seems more like a faint nod in the right direction, especially after the demise of the far more sensible Electric Car.

Then we have the US Governments push for the Hydrogen Fuel.  Why?  Because the fossil fuel companies/gas companies could easily take this over as their own baby…leaving them to run the filling station and the processing and keep the money in THEIR pockets.

It has already been shown to be a totally impractical solution for keeping all our SUV’s on the road.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love my big car.   I love driving.

I hate transit.  Especially in the lower mainland.

I am lazy and not doing my part….I will freely admit that.

I do recycle.

I do only wash with cold water.

I hang stuff to dry.

But I keep thinking that no matter what we all do on the small scale won’t trickle UP to the big boys…the governments, the business..the corporations that really run the world.

Where are the power companies answers to the problems.  Why are we NOT using solar and wind power and water turbines…the technology is out there.  But the big boys don’t use it.

Why?

I know I sound like a bit of a conspiracy theorist….but you gotta wonder.

I was watching a documentary where they were interviewing some of the THOUSANDS of American Troops coming home with missing arms, legs, eyes, etc.

Thousands.

For what.  These young people went into a military for mostly good and honest reasons.   They were sent into a totally constructed conflict.  A war based on business.

They are coming home in bits.

For what? What are they fighting?

The word ‘Insurgent’ is used primarily to give us the impression that this is a conventional war with one ‘foe.’

But who are they fighting?

And while this goes on and on.

Billions spent.  Lives destroyed.  I am thinking of  the civilians of Iraq.  The people trying to feed their kids.  And the troops coming back in bits and in body bags.

And while this goes on the airwaves, twitter, facebook, blogs etc, etc is FILLED with discussion about American Idol, The Bachelor, Big Brother…..etc.

The Democratic Race comes popularity and zeal AFTER the reality shows.

Admit it.

And in the meantime it all rolls on.

Canada said no to Iraq.  We took on Afghanistan.

That place is a hell hole and a mess.

But I do believe that we need to be there.  For the people.

We need to help them.

And then I suppose we will have to move on to the next mess.  Darfur perhaps?

All these people.  All these places.  All the horror.

And we roll on here.

And I wonder what will be.

What world are our children going to be dealing with.  How much worse can it really get?

Really!  Go see Wet Coast Women….another NEW look!

This time by Judith Shakes Designs……

A fantastic team to work with.  Courtney has been VERY patient with me!

Anyway…I have lots of ideas and things to do with Wet Coast and hopefully this design will help me and help the site become bigger and better.

Today is the husband’s birthday!!!

Today he is the same age as me for a short few months.   I hate being older than him.

I DO have AWESOME gifts for him.  However they are not ready and not here as I was waaaaay too slow of the mark in geting my act together.

So today he gets the kids stuff and cake.

Yes, there WILL be cake.

So it is his birthday.

Another year.

Last year sucked.  His mom was seriously ill at this time.   Birthdays were forgotten.

Hoping that this year can be better.  Bittersweet but more fun and a heck of a lot more hopeful for him.

He has lots in the works….juggling a lot of things.

The pressure is high and yes, being a grown up does suck.

My goal is to help this year be a fun one for him….despite all the crappy stuff.

I love my husband.  He is my best friend.

We have been through a lot together but we still manage to have fun.  He makes me feel special.

He makes me feel important.

We have our fights and disagreements..but how many couples who are together 24/7 would NOT have SOME bumps.

I get pissed.  He gets pissed..but we do pretty frikken well.

We are in it together…..best friends.

The kids are sooo excited it is his ’special’ day.

Because I have NOT been thinking…I need to hit the mall with them as Adam wants to buy him a special gift too!

And then pick up cake.

And then let them jump all over him.

And then I should probably jump all over him too….if you know what I mean!!!!

Oh and I suppose he will want to get on with his day too.

Heh.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Well, no…I was stupid and didn’t look closely enough.

But I trusted them. It was at my own little corner store. They talk to my kids for goodness sake!

THIS is what I thought I was buying…..

THIS is what I bought. Notice the differences???

One of these things is NOT like the other….one of these things DOES NOT WORK!!!

I will be returning the offending item today.

Sheesh

Me.

Yeah.  I signed up Adam for a soccer thing that does practices AND games.  Yipes.

And pathetically he misses his first match due to being booked at The Wiggles.

Adam is not a sporty guy.  I mean, how can he be?  He is a product of nerds.  We don’t do or watch sports.

However, he is enthusiastic and loves being around his peers.

So there we were in frigid winds watching the kindergartens run all over the field while we shivered from the sidelines.

The pro mom’s had folding chairs with them.

I plan on bringing a flask of something the next.

So there go the next few Friday afternoons and Saturdays mornings.

ALL FOR MY KIDS!!!

My other ‘issue’ lately has been ‘Twitter,‘  It is like crack and the mom bloggers and non mom bloggers have found it and made it their own.   Apart from the fun of real time ‘chatting’ and insta posts, it has been an amazing tool for finding new blogs, new websites and information on anything you are really looking for.   I have learned a lot.  My bookmark list has exploded and my house is messy.

And being that is Family Fun Friday…what have we done.  Had pizza, ate candy and watched cartoon.  I did send them to exile so I could watch BSG in peace.  MY fun.

It is a dark and stormy night.  CH is hanging with a buddy.

I SHOULD be working on our tax stuff.

It REALLY has to be done for next week to get to our poor accountant.

The business stuff is already late.  Ick.

I really wanna lay on the couch and drink scotch and watch tv.

Hmmmm

First day back at reality.

Adam happy to go to school..ride showed up….that was good.

Caity only grumbled a wee bit.

I had morning to myself.

Did nothing.

Then MOM made me walk a long way with dog and this pulled out my tailbone thingie into pain and throbbing.

Sulked the rest of the afternoon with a dash of SNARKING LOUDLY at poor preschool about their CASH only policy for school pictures.

Gah.

Have no real food in the house except breakfast food, popsicles and microwave dinners. Don’t let husband grocery shop again. Unless he brings me chocolate.

Spent afternoon wondering how to pay off credit card AND save for BlogHer.

CH spent afternoon once again realizing that there are NO good writing gigs in Metro Vancouver.

Was happy that Kodak site gave me 100 free prints for transferring my account from Future Shop to them. Yay.

So vacation is now a fond memory and mess of stuff.

Things we observed/thought about during our trip.

YVR is really pretty but food options SUCK!

I wish we had Wolfgang Puck To Go. YUM.

ALWAYS confirm your rooms BEFORE you fly. They LOST our mom’s reservation.

The food in Disney was pretty good. You pay for selection though. It was annoying to have to buy JUST hot dogs or JUST pizza.

And the SERVICE….holy slow. HOLY SLOW and we are the happiest place on earth so FUCK YOU we don’t care about THE MASSIVE LINE UP FOR STROLLERS….WE WILL KEEP ONLY ONE CASHIER ON!

Oh..sorry for shouting.

Being cheery doesn’t help THE LONG LINE UP when I just want a farking cup of coffee.

And really? You will let us use the strollers in the INSANE NO FASTPASS line up for the Nemo Submarine? That is nice of you.

The Disney clothes are nice though. Good selection for people like me who don’t like wearing brands but can’t resist spending money.

The Character Lunch was pretty good. The food was tasty. The lady who extorted sold us our ‘official’ Ariel photo should have either buggered off after getting our money or explained that she was just bored or thought we looked cool or something. She stood there and made food and drink suggestions and made our conversation awkward because she would not leave.

Everyone down there seemed pretty happy and relaxed even when faced with cranky kids.

Staff of the restaurants, park, hotel, bus drivers….all nice.    Just slow.

IHOP was the only place we got good coffee.

There is a distinct lack of seating in Disney…unless you are sitting where THEY want you to sit.

Disney wind is different from our wind since a teeny breeze made them cancel the fireworks twice.

Thank goodness for happy Disney people because the lack of signage left us a bit confused a few times.  Oh COME ON!  I am not the only tourist who is stunned and tired and can’t figure out their happy little maps!

Universal is no place for little girls who only want to see princesses.  And if that place isn’t some sort of tax scheme for Universal, I will eat my hat.

It was dead there.

And really, are there any people left in the world that think movie making is all magic and ooh’s and aaah’s.  Or am I just a horrid jaded cynic?

Don’t answer that.