Much Rage... The Finger

Wow....... I have been given the finger and honked at more times in the last 4.5 months here in Vancouver than I have in my entire driving career...
I didn't think I had digressed in my driving skills THAT much!

Yesterday Marlise and I were driving to Stanley Park... this car drives by with both people leaning way out the window - giving us the finger... today I go sailing through a almost yellow light, I get the finger... I forget to change into the slow lane as I slow down to a crawling pace of 135km/hr and this guy freaks and yes, you guessed it I get the finger.... the list is endless.

In 4.5 months I have seen for sure 8 index fingers intended for ME! Let alone all the dirty looks and honking. I don't think I've even had 5 incidents of finger giving to me in my entire life in driving in Edmonton.


ANDDDDDDDDDDD on a happy note.........

I played squash for the first time in my life tonite... and even got 1 point :)

Hair Dye

It's a MIRACLE - Tonite was the first time I dyed my own hair without getting dye all over the bathroom!!!!!

I have stained many bathrooms of many houses... it all started with the black hair dye a few years ago when I went from blonde to black. Then I progressed to Black with Blue in it.
On to Black and Red. And now... just a nice dark Red Brown.

I think that I've stained at least one part of floor or cupboard of ever place I've lived every time I've dyed my hair.

OK... so tonite I did get one drop on the toilet handle as I was throwing the gloves in the garbage can that was sitting beside it... but after Jan informed of the little oops I wiped it up and it's all gone :)

Snails & Omelets

Well... I'm discovering that Vancouver has a plethora of animals I never thought I'd see...

The newest and greatest since last week's snake is SNAILs/SLUGS!

Today Jan and I were walking at the Seymour conservation park - this amazing path through the depths of the forest... and there were what looked like pieces of dog turds on the road... they were snails/slugs.

Many were casualties of rollerblades and bike tires racing down the path... the snails/slugs didn't look both ways b/f they crossed the road... or they were just too slow.

I took a twig and started trying to pry one off the cement... but it sucked harder to the ground and became a big ball of goop.

Really it was quite gross... but not as traumatizing as the snakes!!!

AND some great news... tonite was my very first most awesome omelet that I made all by myself... now Jan had huge doubts as she watched me crack the eggs into the pan and try to flip the half cooked runny yoke over the overflowing veggies... well it may have not LOOKED like an omelet, but let me tell you - it tasted so AWESOME! Or so I keep telling myself...

SNAKES!!!!!!!

So, first it's sharks... then rats... AND NOW SNAKES!!!

I saw my first WILD SNAKE yesterday!

I have only ever seen snakes at the zoo... I've never seen one in the wild!
Yesterday I was on a nice walk out at Ambleside (The Seawall in West Van)
This snake was slithering on the path... actually the sidewalk.

I couldn't breath. The friend I was with had grown up in South Africa so she didn't even flinch. I grabbed her arm SO hard and started backing up slowly pulling her along with me...

Finally the snake slithered on into the grass... my breath slowly returned into my lungs.

Wow... Vancouver is full of many first time experiences!

My new LOVE...

No, no, not a boy... something wayyyyyyyyy more yummy...

Olives and White Wine --------- oh so yummy!

It's my new love and I'm so addicted!

AARRLLEEENNNEEEEeeeeeeeee

Oh My WORD!

So tonite I was (WAS is the key word) laying in bed... getting all ready for sleep time when all I could hear was what sounded like a dying cow... but instead of Mooooing she was uttering.... "arleneeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeee" "ARLENEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" "arleneeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeee" "ARLENEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
over and over as she paced our street... for at least one hour.

I proceed out to our balcony and as she passed by our building I couldn't help myself but to yell... "SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

and the girl says, "is that you areleneeee??" oh my.

Within minutes she was back... "arleneeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeeee" "arleneeeeeeeee" "ARLENEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Soooooooooooooo FINALLY the police showed up and arrsested the dying cow!!

Now... back to bed.

Ode to my POO POO

My Poo Poo...

She is a great cook... she inspires me to cook things other than nachos.

She is a great shopper... she inspires me to look for good deals.

She is a great artist... she inspires me to let her hang the pictures in the house.

She is a great dresser... she inspires me to be dress outside my comfort zone.

She is a great fighter... she inspires me to fight for my rights.

She is a great writer... she inspires me to use a dictionary.

She is a great recycler... she inspires me to let her sort the garbage.

My Poo Poo... She is great!

Cooking

Now those of you that know me well will know that I am NOT a cook...
I can make your staple foods like eggs, toast, eggos, wraps, and KD - but really nothing fancier than that.
Well, tonite - I felt like a REAL cook!!

I started with boiling some rice... then when it was almost done I dug around the bare cupboards for something to "spice" it up... I added a can of mushroom soup, can of corn, Tabasco sauce, sweet and sour sauce, can of solid tuna... mixed it all together and voila! Supper!

Maybe I was born to be a cook?!?!?!?

Dogs - I HATE dogs!

Now you may be asking... why do you hold such strong negative feelings to what most consider, "man's best friend."

Well... let me tell you...

Today was the topping on the cake for my already grown dislike for the K9's.

I was laying on my nice clean blanket in the middle of a green grassy field with not one person in site... just me and the mountains.
The grassy - fenced off area actually has signs posted that say, "no dog allowed on the grass". GREAT - exactly what I was looking for!

As I was laying there contemplating the meaning of life... actually I was basking in the sun thinking about how much I love living in Vancouver... WHEN out of the corner of my eye I see a lady walking her 2 dogs.

well... the wet, dirty, curly haired mutt broke away from the lady and came straight for me.

The stinky animal ran circles on my clean blanket, grabbed my Adidas flip flop in his slobbery mouth and ran away with it - chewing it like a toy... then came back for my sunglasses!!!!!

The lady came strolling over half apologizing... trying to grab him - while he continued to make laps on my clean blanket.

Finally she grabbed him... and they parted... leaving me with a slobbered flip flop, wet sunglasses, a dirty blanket, and ruffled hair.

NOW - you might say, that is no reason to "hate" dogs... WELL actually I've been tormented by dogs since I was 3 yrs old... they have chase me home from school, stuck their nose in my crotch, barked (without pausing for breath) for hours while I tried to study for my finals, they smell, they slobber, they yap at you... did I mention stick their nose in my crotch.

Today was just another example.... another reason.... another confirmation!

Now Poo Poo and I are going to watch the movie, "Must Love Dogs" - for real.

500,000 people... no place to pee

WHAT A NITE!!!

500,000 people all sitting in .5 km radius of sand... waiting to see bursts of sparkling lights raining from the sky...

















I have never had to pee so badly in my life. BUT I was trapped. I had to hold it. By the end of the hour show I was so desperate I was going to go in the ocean, but there was a helicopter patroling the endge of the beach with a spot light... needed find an alterantive place. BUT where?!?!? with 500,000 people all pushing to get out... It was like a herd of cattle stampeding for freedom. Alas - the port-o-pottie... I have never been so glad to lock myself in a confinde space that reaked and was filthy... It was RELIEF! Thank God for outhouses :)


This is one adventure I'm glad I had - but not sure if I'll do again.

Fireworks

There is a firework festival happening this week here in Vancouver... They take place at English Bay - by Stanley Park.
Tonite Jan and I noticed little poofs of sparkles in the distance... could it be?!?!?
YES YES - we can see the fireworks from our apartment! It was so exciting we oooood and awwwwwd at the magnificent view - through our squinted eyes.
Perhaps on Saturday we'll go down to English Bay and see what they really look like.

Dedicated to Michelle (aka homie bear's wife)

http://www.homiebear.blogspot.com/


Michelle... I wanted to leave you a comment on your blog, but it wouldn't let me - so I am dedicating this blog entry to you!

I want you to know - "I have your back"!!!!

It seems that many are experiencing strange infestations of alien forms of bug life these days.

Bloggins has cockroaches... You have spiders... I have sharks - oh wait sharks aren't bugs... anyway - I don't know what's happening in the world - but we need to stick together on this. We can not let these "other life forms" take over us.

Time

August 1... WOW! Only 5 months until 2007!

On August 6th it will be 4 months until my 30th Birthday

On August 8th it will be 4 months since I moved to Vancouver

On August 24th it will be 4 months until Christmas Eve

On August 25th it will be 4 months until Christmas

In 10 years, 4 months, and 5 days from today I will be 40 years old - yikes!