Let it Be

I'm feeling a little schizophrenic these days. You see, I'm in the midst of a heavey rehearsal schedule. I'm singing in Edmonton Opera's HMS Pinafore which opens on Sat Feb 2nd AND I'm singing at Edmonton Sings the Beatles with a Rock band the night before!
I go from Beatles to Gilbert and Sullivan rather easily and I'm a little worried I'll snap on the night of the concert and during Hey Jude I'll start going all opera!
Actually, my biggest worry is WHAT TO WEAR to the Beatles gig.
For opera, we have costumes and wigs and make up and we all look a little goofy.....for the Beatles gig I've gotta look cool. Oh help.
I've got great boots......and that's about it right now. They're pointy toed, slim to the knee, high heeled ROCK ON! boots.
It's the rest of the outfit I'm stuck on.
There are other female artists performing that night that do this for a living.....they have OUTFITS....I don't. Do I wear jeans? Do I wear leather and lace? Do I go all Stevie Nicks and get layers and scarves? I don't know what my Rock and Roll style is!!
Don't get me wrong.....I've lots of ideas and have actually spent $$ on those ideas. So far I've shopped and bought the boots and this cute plaid long jacket. In the store I thought I looked trendy....at home I look like Paddy O'Sullivan goin' to the corner pub for a wee pint!
The other outfit I tried is....the boots.....jeans and a leather vest. In the store I thought I looked really Rockin'.....at home I looked really scarey fat biker chick.
I haven't given up quite yet. I have a week. I need a cross between Paddy, biker chick and Stevie Nicks....maybe a little Cher in there too?
Any ideas?

Can Hardly Stand it!!!

I am intolerant of intolerance!
I discovered this the other day while driving the kids to school.
It had snowed a bit and per usual the traffic was s-l-o-w.
We're driving along minding our own business and we come to an intersection. There was a car ahead of us, in the left lane ( our lane ) waiting to safely turn left ( we were going to continue straight) and the jerk off behind starts honking incessantly. Sure the poor thing in front of us could have gone a couple of times but was obviously a little nervous about crossing so was making sure she or he had plenty of time. I LOST IT!!!
" Hey you f#$ing ( I actually said frigging- kids in the car!) jerk off take a Valium!! Oh I forgot you OWN this road! Did you forget you could get into the other lane that you probably think you own? Huh? HUH?" (Kids quietly registering this for use in future when they too loose their tempers and swear and I start scolding)
No, I wasn't losing it at the car in front holding up the line....it was the impatient, intolerant, jerk off behind us that I was mad at.

I did it the other day while walking across the street too. I was walking across the intersection and there was a car waiting for me to cross. The car behind him or her was honking and gesturing. ( what? He's in a hurry so hit the damn pedestrian already!) I actually did one of those fist in the air then waving it off like why bother gestures and said quite loudly ( loud for someone who's walking by herself and not one to talk out loud to herself....usually)" I'm crossing here!! Geeze!!!"

I really can't stand impatient intolerant road ragers!
So, LAY OFF BUSTER!!!

To resolute or not to resolute?....that is the question.

I've decided NOT to resolute this eve of the New Year.
Call me lazy, call me chicken, call me afraid of failure....call me what you will but this New Year I'm just not going to make any promises. That must be some kind of resolution.....shit....I already blew it!
I mean really, what's all this promise making for anyway? So we can let ourselves down? Oh, and we announce it to the world too! So everybody can check up on us to see if we made it a day, a week, a month.
Nope. I'm not going to change anything this year.

My extra pounds like me, they are like a faithful puppy. They follow me around where ever I go, so happy to see me, never letting me out of their sight. They have unconditional love so I'm going to keep them this year.

I'm not going to be better at anything this year. I'm already really good at being so so. So.... I'm not going to try to be better.

I'm not going to care anymore than I already do. If you care too much you worry. I don't want to worry.

I'm not going to improve my fitness level. I don't really have a fitness level so what's to improve?

I'm not going to save, make or give away more money. I'm going to continue with what I'm doing...earning and spending. It's what everybody does anyway. Saving is a bonus and a nice surprise when it happens. I like surprises!

So, here's to a New Year. A year of being ok with who and what I already am!!

Aye Carumba!!!!

I don't have a drinking problem and have never really needed a stiff drink until today.
Today I handed my children over to a 15 yr old with bad acne and a nose ring and gave her the responsibility of keeping them safe while they careened down a steep hill on a small surf board........while I watched.
Aye Carumba!!!! Talk about stress!!!
First of all I think I made a mistake in raising polite, well mannered kids. I should have raised squeeky wheels. They're always last ( the pushy ones always butt ahead), they're not demanding ( pick me, pick me), and don't demand the attention and help they need and deserve....so......they're last to go and they're always on their own while the instructor is helping someone else.
I'm watching the instructor slowly guide kids down the hill while Nathan's careening down doing 360's ( supposedly fun according to him....not fun to watch, helplessly from the chalet) and Claire's still at the top of the hill " waiting" her turn. When it's Claire's turn, the instructor's too far down the hill to help her so she signals her to " just come down"! Bless her heart she just starts a goin' and spends most of it on her butt.
They started off on the "bunny" hill and by lunchtime I was feeling better as it seemed they got the hang of things.
After lunch I was scanning and scanning the bunny hill for my kids when alas there they were lining up for the chair lift to go to the top of the BIG hill.
Nathan came down doing spins the whole way.....spins on his board.....like a figure skater. He thought it was fun.
Claire, ever so conscientious of keeping everyone waiting, skidded down the hill on her butt, finally just taking the damn straps off and pushing herself down like she was on a skateboard. I wanted to yell " They can just damn well wait for you Claire! Take your proper turn! Don't worry about those kids who butt in front of you!!!"
All in all, they said they had a blast. Want to go to their lessons again tomorrow.
Kevin will have to take them.
I'll be too hung over.

Warning!!! Warning!!!

I just receieved another *warning* about the movie The Golden Compass. Arhg!!! I hear there are some Christian schools actually banning the book!! I remember when the Davinci Code was hot off the press and there were churches banning their parisioners from reading that one too.
Why???
What are these people so afraid of? Are they afraid that their faithful flocks will " flock" off and join some other religion or non- religion? Let me tell you something, if the leaders that are telling these people not to read the book are that afraid they haven't led very well!!!
It's like telling straight people not to read gay stories for fear of them " turning" gay!!
If you're strong in your faith no book is going to change that. You may question a few things and I believe that's good! I don't believe in blind faith. I think it's healthy to read and experience and ask questions. What a great teaching tool for your kids. Seeing differing view points is a great opportunity to answer questions and discuss religion and you're point of view. Of course with respect for those views of the movie or book in question.
I myself can't wait to see The Golden Compass with my kids and I'm interested to hear and answer the questions that follow. I'm all for a good debate and discussion.
Let's stay open minded people!!!

Confuscious say.......

Hubby's got a bad, bad back. It was bugging him a bit a couple of weeks ago.
Our boy child had " parent" day at his rock climbing lessons about 2 Sundays ago and Kevin decided to try tackling a mountain or two......I very politely said "Honey, do you think it wise to climb a backward slanted wall with your sore back?". I was met with stoney silence....he ignored me and continued grunting, climbing, falling and climbing again.
The next day.....
Hubby is home from work early....he's walking kinda bent sideways and looks somewhat grey. Wrenched his back good.
Well, he's been to two Dr's, chiropractor and physio almost daily and no relief. We're on our 8th day of the sideways walk, grey toned skin, not to mention me having to do EVERYTHING around here like, shovel walks on our corner lot, christmas shopping, kid driving so today I decided to make him an appointment with an acupuncturist.
Guess what?
It's the first thing that worked!! He's been doing physio, taking drugs, stretching, icing, heating, groaning, moaning and grunting for 8 days and he spends an hour with a few needles and he says it's working wonders.
Now he's still a little crooked and the pain's not gone but he's getting relief! He's going again for sure.
Man, I trained as a nurse in the conventional western ways of medicine but have started believing more and more in natural remedies. I'll take acupuncture and herbs over surgery any day!!! There's a Dr here in Edmonton that is world reknown. He's a medical Dr as well as herbalist and acupuncturist. He teaches medicine at the U of A. In my nursing practice I've run in to a few people who have been lucky enough to have been a patient of his. One such patient had MS and was in a wheelchair. As a "last resort" went to Dr Aung and left walking.
A collegue of mine's daughter has had a cancerous tumor on her heart. At the age of 16 she has had more surgeries, and chemo and radiation than anyone I know. My collegue took her daughter to Dr Aung for some pain management and she told me he was like a spiritual guru! She said that he exuded this wisdom, calmness and warmth. Talk about good vibrations! She is painfree now.
So, I'm leaning more and more " to the left" in the world we call medicine. I will not hesitate to recommend Chinese herbs, acupuncture or whatever else they've been doing for the past few thousand years! I think they've mastered it enough by now, don't you?

A liar, but a happy one!

Lie#1-
I called in sick this morning. I had to. It was my only chance to get the Wii. Future Shop was getting a shipment in the dark of night. They may be the only store in North America to get a shipment before Christmas.

Lie#2
My kids asked me why I wasn't driving them to school this morning and I told them I had to work early.

Lie#3
I lined up at 7 am at the store that doesn't open until 9 and I got a number!!!!! Happy Dance, happy dance, happy dance. So with your number your guaranteed a Wii. You also get the chance at one of 30 Guitar Hero III for the Wii. I didn't really want the guitar hero but there was this lady who came late who didn't get a number but wanted to go in with me and get the guitar hero I didn't want so I told her I DID want it......I thought it was kind of an honest lie because other people who stood in line and got a number may not get the guitar Hero because someone who didnt stand in line goes in with me? Get it?

Lie#4
I kinda told Kevin the Wii was cheaper than it was.

Then.......we bought a big screen tv!!!! What's come over me????? I got this huge adrenalin rush from the whole conquering the Wii thing and now I'm super woman? Super rich woman???
I'm soooo excited though!!!

Lie#5
Our tv is busted. The tv we watch movies on downstairs. We have another tv upstairs in our bedroom that's small. I gave the kids the ol' " when I was a kid we only had a 12" black and white with 3 channels and one of them was French" lecture so they think that little tv in our bedroom is it. Mom's having one of her "I'm raising active healthy children that are readers" phases. Hee Hee

Crazy Shopper!

My kids aren't likely to read this ( actually they would never read this....mom's boring!) so I can feel free to post this.
I'm one of the maaaany people out their hunting for a Wii for Christmas. It's crazy! I don't know, and can't seem to control what's come over me!
It started with just the idea " Let's get the kids a Wii for Christmas" and now it's come to plotting a sick call to work tomorrow so I can stand in line 2 hrs before the store opens probably with 100 other people for 80 Wii's that MIGHT come in tonight.
This is CRAZY!!!
I have to get one though. I started this so I have to finish it. It's my personality. I don't take failure very well. It kinda wrecks my self worth or something. Plus, I already got all the accessories like controllers and games....that would suck the big one if they opened those on Christmas Day but could only "pretend" to play on the Wii!!!!
So, if anyone out there can score me some Wii I'll pay big!!!

Oh Christmas Tree

Well, I did it. I caught myself being my mother. We were decking the halls on Sunday night. We put some nice Christmas carols on the stereo and started putting up the tree. I found myself getting tenser ( can't think of a better word!) and tenser.

"No! That can't go there" I heard the distant voice of my mother say.

"You have to put those balls on the front!" again, my mother's voice. When did she come over? Where the hell is she?

Then my mother's hand reached out and moved an ornament my daughter just put ( too low) on the tree, WAIT!!! That's my hand!!!!!!

yup, I'm a little picky I guess when it comes to the tree. My mother used to sit in " her chair" and almost guide us telepathically. We'd hold up an ornament and look at her as we placed it on the tree. We could tell by the look on her face if we were placing it in the right spot. Kind of like that hot-cold game. Warmer.....warmer.....yes! That's the spot.
Fortunately we don't have tinsel. when I was young we had to "hang" the tinsel ONE BY ONE on the branches. No random tossing....no clumps!
But you know what? We had a gorgeous tree and by the time I was 9 or 10 Mom could relax. We had it down to a science.
This year I heard my daughter tell my son ' pfft, you can't put that there, it's blocking the red light."
Ah...like mother like daughter!