Geez, where has the time gone?

Doesn't feel like it's been over three weeks since my last blog note... please forgive me for neglecting you stalkers, uhh fans, uhh followers, uhhhhhh readers who love me very much. (this is my Tyson-speak)

Anyhoo... I've been having some fun reading up on Starshine's daily ramblings on his time in Toronto. O'Malley. New jobs and stolen/cranky vehicles. Tub happenings. Feeling sorry for my pathetic garden after looking at super-buffed gardens elsewhere. Big nasty operations.

I just got back from a fun ride on a balance-testing chair where I was fitted with vision goggles, covered up half of the time, and being twisted every which way on the chair while having hot and cold air force-fed alternatively into my ears while having to count in 3's. I was nearly puking by the fourth repetition, with all kinds of operatic sounds ringing in my left ear in particular. I've been battling tinnitus for the past two years with sounds alternating between monkey screeches, opera musicals, static and echoes. Half of the time, I'm trying to decide if there's a dozen monkeys screeching inside of my head or if there's a revival of the Gong Show.

Oy.

It just feels like yesterday that I started the new job and it's already the 20th.

It's been a good start so far, a million of little things to do and stay on top of but at least they're getting done while I'm also pulling off most of my normal teaching load. I did get off to a lousy start this morning as I was supposed to get in at 8:30 for a meeting with the boss, but discovered that Poppy had an accident and wet his pants on the way over to the daycare, so I ended up rushing back home, pulling off his coat/shoes/gloves then running upstairs to get him re-dressed in new clothes then rushing back to the daycare in a driving rainstorm. Ended up being late for the meeting, which is never a good thing when you're starting out in a new position.

Life is fun, eh.

*tap tap* ... Is this thing on?

I've kind of fallen out of blogging for a bit, but I'd like to get back into it again. Real life got crazy for a bit with family stuff and work issues eating up my time at home but I got a couple of gentle nudges that there's a blog out there calling my name. So, here I am!

My sister-in-law is here for a visit, spending the night. She's starting to get back into the routine of daily life now after a few months of upheaval with her husband's illness and eventual death. She'll probably be visiting with us here and there, so will have to get off my duff and put in some drywall and a door for the 5th bedroom in the basement so she can at least have some privacy. The room will also be good for whenever my father in Halifax comes for a visit. I wonder if it's too late to call Ty Pennington or Mike Holmes to come and fix up the basement? (We have an unfinished basement)

As for myself, well, I'm thinking right now that they got it ass-backwards with the time shift change -- we need an extra hour of sleep at this time of the year! In the fall, feh, what am I gonna do with the extra hour? They should allow us to bank the extra hour and put it into a savings account, maybe the interest would build it up to something like 28 or 29 hours, which I could then use at this time of the year...

Looking greatly forward to the March Break coming up next week. I still enjoy teaching and all, but it's been a stressful school year with certain learners stirring the pot. There also may be big changes happening in my department and I could be looking at a bigger role starting April 1st. We'll see what happens.

So, talk to me folks, what's happening out there?

The problem with Robaxacet?

I've come to a conclusion why Robaxacet isn't doing much for me.

It's because I'm not made out of wood like the characters on these TV commercials are. That's why my back isn't getting much better even while I'm freeloading on Robaxacet pills...

So if you wake up one morning and discover that I'm now made out of wood (note, I didn't say 'morning wood'), you'll know of the power of dreams to make things happen.

Move that &@%# car! And other rantings...

If you look at me right now, you might be thinking, "Boy, he sure looks like he's ready to get 2008 over with."

Well, folks, it's time to revisit one of Off-Topic's most endearing and controversial topics -- yes, parking lot issues. And I might even get Geg on my side here, too (to protect all identities, I'm only using initials here :-) ). What, you thought I was going to be discussing tapioca pudding skins?

Anyhoo, this morning I'm over at the Sobeys food store and I'm looking for a parking space. It's howling out there with flurries coming down horizontally. So naturally I'm looking for a decent parking spot that isn't at the very back of the parking lot - it's crowded with it being New Year's Eve and all - and I spy an open spot right in the middle, about the third spot over from the front. Except, there's this big-ass pick up truck parked at a 30-degree angle, occupying about 1/3 of the second parking spot in addition to its own.

It's one thing when it's a nice day out there, I wouldn't quibble so much about parking way in the back, but it's colder than a witch's tit outside (yep, it's that cold) and the lines are still clear on the pavement where to park.

Fast forward to leaving the store, and A-HA! There's a lady putting groceries into the back of the truck. I sprint on over to give her a piece of my mind and said, "you know, you're taking up two spots." She ignored me, and I passed along my special New Year's greeting developed just for this very moment: "Move your fvcking truck next time."

Just last week, I got to air out my lungs at some lady who left her shopping cart at the front of the checkout line. It's amazing how oblivious some people can be - just leave your cart right there and block other people from being able to move up and put their groceries on the conveyor belt. I asked her if she planned to take her cart with her or just leave it there. She looked at me like I was some kind of an alien, and I said "well, it's your cart, isn't it?" She silently took the cart out with her to the corral while the cashier gave a smug look (not sure why since she didn't speak up in the first place to ask the customer to take the cart out!).

Ah well. At least we're all done with the shopping and the food preparation for the New Year's Eve party at our place tonight, with the one exception of course being the turkey to throw into the oven. We were going to have the turkey last week on Christmas Eve with my wife's family coming over, but it got postponed due to her brother in law's battle with cancer (he can't be around anyone who's got the slightest hint of a cold) and other family issues that popped up.

Oh, you want more rants, you say? I've got more!

Yesterday, I woke up with my lower back screaming bloody murder. This morning, it was worse as I got up and could barely trudge along from the bed to the ensuite bathroom. The extra-strength Robaxacet isn't doing a thing so far. I think I'm going to need plenty of liquor to get through tonight's party without having to lie down on the hard floor to relieve the pressure on the back.

Now I've just got to tell Pippy and Poppy that they can't run up to me at full speed and hurtle their bodies at me, expecting me to catch them in mid air like usual. Poppy isn't too bad, but Pippy is quite big for his age as he's wearing size 7 or 8 clothing at the age of 5.

Off I go to get the house ready for tonight. Happy New Year to everyone!