Some Recapping of Our "Vacation," and Charming Pictures

June 30th we both fly back to Calgary on separate flights in the evening.  July 1st...Yay Canada Day...we pack up the truck with the kidlet, the dog, and an expensive cake in a cooler and embark on an 8hr drive to Grand Prairie.  

Manfriend and his siblings, who are scattered all over the place, got together and organized a surprise 65th Birthday for their Mother in Grand Prairie.  It was quite lovely and sweet.  Next time we fly there though. 

We passed many cows ( MOO!!!!) and fields freshly cut making me miserable with allergies.   Also....FAKKKKK did I ever want a smoke!  Every stop was  a smoke break for Manfriend.  

 Nipple stop.

Fortunately I usually had to pee or the dog did so it kept me occupied a bit but it was a challenge.  So used to chain smoking (if possible) on the long drives.  It's purely out of boredom and was greatly missed.  Mind you, I remember how I used to feel after a long trip filled with chain smoking.  

Word to the wise: DO NOT google, "Yuck," images.  OMFG You can not go back.

We stayed at the Best Western in GP and it was the nicest one I've seen.  The one on Hastings ST in Vancouver certainly doesn't compare.  That one is located within walking distance to the Playland/PNE grounds.  While walking there with my Dad, Step-Mom and lil' Sister when I was 20, I found a cardboard sign with " Will Give Head for Food," written in jiffy marker.  Step-Mom took a pic.  Should dig that up sometime.   Nnneeeyways..   I was well behaved and made sure to utilize the gym, especially after chowing down on all the junk food on the road. 

Overall the trip was super busy and I so super wanted a smoke when I got a few glasses of vino in me.  I just kept saying what Manfriends Mommy told me to say..I'm a non-smoker, I'm a non-smoker, I'm a badass muthafukin' non-smoker yo!   That last part is all me of course but it does give me a giggle imagining her say that throwing her fist up in the air.  Hey, whatever works. 

Once we arrived home and saw our overgrown, white-trashesque, yard we knew something had to be done. 

 Yay for Manfriend!  He's a good Man doing all the hard work.  He knows his place. 

I even went so far as to plant a flower bed in the front.  

 Gimmie a break ok? It's late in the season to be planting and this was buttloads of work.  You did not see it before and the soil is like clay.  I will post another pic after we get back home to see if it's still alive.  Hold onto your britches. 

We worked pretty hard and it is soooo rewarding!  It's great exercise, get some vitamin D and it kept me focused.  So Tuesday night we did up a big BBQ feast galore and afterwards went for a healthy stroll to the park.   

Ok..Maybe not that healthy

That's not coffee.  He's also smoking.  Bastardo.

Park time half in the bag! WEEEEEE  What do we always do??  Bring the camera and make asses of ourselves!

Who wants a schmoke?!?! Oh I do!

I am so freakin' gnarly.

Aieyayayayayaya

Ok..we make nice nice.

No, we're not camera whores at all!  The kidlet was ignoring us with her friend.

 I imagine, being 11, we are starting to become dreadfully mortifying to her.

Well I'm always perfect in Shayla's eyes at least.  That's why dogs rock.

Later on we did a fire pit in our backyard weed travesty.  (At least the front looks hella tubular). By that point we were "Full Cut," as Knickers would say and I inhaled enough wood smoke to make it feel like I smoked a carton the next day.

It wasn't a vacation but it was nice to spend time together as Manfriend, Kidlet and ma doggie.  They are kinda, sorta, well totally the most important things in my life so I appreciate every second we have together. 

Oh and it's been 33 days since I've had a smoke Bitches!!!  I rock your face.

What a Jerk - Dream

Of course I've had batloads of weird dreams but if I don't record them right away I often forget.  One that I do remember from the week that I took off was short but funny...once I fully became aware it was not real and I couldn't be pissed at Manfriend.


We were standing in our back yard, where there is no sod as of yet so it kinda looks like this: 

Take away the trees and replace with new suburban houses, which some still don't have sod in the front.  Somehow the guy right behind us has made it so absolutely nothing lives/grows in his muck that surrounds his house.  It's kinda concerning really...WTF is he spraying on there??!?  

Anyways you can also add loads of these to that picture as well:

Nasty, prickly bastards they are.  Gives quite the juicy *splat* when you get em with the weed whacker.  Satisfyingly so.

Back to the dream....So I was standing up on the deck and Kris with my dog Shayla, standing in the back yard.  When looking around I noticed all these massive holes similar to this:

They were much larger and deep.  Very deep.  

Shayla has been around many rodents ie: rats, chinchillas etc and doesn't have a problem with them.  She goes batshit crazy over the lil prairie gopher things..whatever you call them.  She all of a sudden goes mighty hunter like when one starts chirping/chattering at her.

The mighty suburban Huntress.

So off she goes exploring these holes, on the hunt.  I started yelling at Manfriend to grab her because she was going to fall in.  He proceeded to ignore me.  I jumped off the deck just as Shayla bounds down this hole.  All I see is her lil white bumhole flying down this hole and then yelping.  Well I'm freaking right out while yelling at Manfriend that we need to save her.  Then I turn and look at Manfriend and he says, "ALL RIGHT We get to use a backhoe!!"

I don't know why he seems to be such an uber-scroate in my dreams because that's really not his nature.  He's a sociable geek who is a good father and kind in nature. Just sayin' (Brownie points honey?). 

Calgary Doesn't Like to Follow the Straight and Narrow

My best friend, Snaggletooth, tends to come across funny things and shares with me.

This was a gem taken near her house in Calgary.

Thanks for the distraction giggles you snaggliest of tooths.

Gimmie a Couple Days

Been off on Holidays and by that I mean driving to Grand Prairie and back to Calgary, Manfriend's Mom's Surprise birthday party, and busting out the green thumb to make our front yard NOT look like booze infused renters.  Now we look like booze infused owners. 

Tomorrow heading back to site and back to work but I promise I will speak of our adventures and how effin' badly I had to repeat to myself, "I'm not a smoker."

Ta-Ta for now Kiddies!

 

Ta-Da......Day 21! **Update - Allergy Testing Appt**

(Scroll to Bottom for Update)

W

Certainly not out of the danger zone with the smoking thing but I'm doing pretty damn good.  *Gloat*  I've been busting my ass at the gym...still waiting to see results mind you.  Just taking step by step to make healthier choices...most days.  Sunday evening wasn't one of those healthier choices.

So there I was at Manfriend's camp Lounge.  He ordered this blender drink:

 Yeah, it's not the most masculine of alcoholic beverages but it's damn yummy.  Recently I had introduced him to a similar beverage at home but it's a different brand.  I didn't order one but had a few sips as he took off outside to have a smoke.  While chatting away I noticed it was getting harder to talk.  Thought to myself, Am I talking THAT much I'm losing my voice??  Then it dawned on me, my throat was swelling up.  I found Manfriend and we went on the hunt for some benadryl.  The camp is about an hour from a hospital and the swelling seem to slow.  

That scared both Manfriend and I quite a bit.  He wouldn't allow me to be alone for a second and gave me shit when I tried to close the bathroom door.  Not that he's a voyeur or anything, he just wanted to make sure I didn't pass out.  I remember thinking that night, Wouldn't that be just my luck...quit smoking and I die of Anaphylactic shock..gawdammit. 

HAH A Banana with testicle chin.  Rad.

Anyways, I lived.  Crisis adverted but I have made a Doctor appt for allergy testing and getting an epi pen.  Living is kinda cool.




**Update July 16, 2010 - My Doctor's office called me back already for my allergy testing appointment!!!   March 23rd, 2011 with Dr. Doctor (Woah, double the ego there!).  Only about 9 months away.  Good thing I have a couple of EPI pens to keep me at bay.

Easter Seals Drop Zone Calgary

Now this is just too bloody cool:

Thursday, September 9, 2010

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I told Manfriend we should do it.  He could be my Batman and I, his Robin.

Day 18 No Smokie Smokie...and Battle of the Belly

They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit.  So come June 29th I've broken the habit of smoking right?  Hah, well that will never really go away but it's getting easier every day.  I am trying quite hard to start the good habit of exercise and weightloss but son of a......  

At least one thing that's easy for me is eating healthy.  I know it's sick but I actually enjoy it.  Mostly because foods that are bad for you make me feel bad so I try not to eat them.  When Manfriend and I started dating he would be shocked when I wanted to eat things like fries, hot dogs, bacon..etc

I told him I still want junk food. I like junk food especially the salty stuff and well if cheese is involved I am so muthafukin down yo.  Then my guts absolutely hate me and I feel their wrath.  The best solution is to stick to the healthier stuff.  I enjoy the taste of natural foods which is a taste that a high percentage of North Americans have lost.  There are so many people I have met or know that will not consume anything that isn't packaged, canned or processed.  Too bad for them and their colon. 

Generally I pack the hell out of my suitcase full of food when I head up to site. I don't mind taking the extra time to make my lunch and it tastes a hundred times better than a camp sandwich.   My coworker was kind enough to bring some fresh berries and veggies in from town for me this morning so I had this oh so nummy breaky:

 OMNOMNOMNOMNOM Yes I make that noise at times.

Ok...I'm painting a way healthier picture...actually I'm just not showing you the whole picture.  Here it is:

My vitamins are a meal in itself.

 Yes, yes.....I know how terrible energy drinks are for you so piss off and let me keep some vices.  Actually the need for this vice this morning was due to this vice: 

 What I had planned for the evening was going to the gym with Manfriend, dinner, and retire early.  I was absolutely roped into by these bad influences I know.  I'm gonna call her "Knickers," ( I like riffling round her knicker drawer) and her manfriend, "Frenchfry."  Actually Knickers is a gym freakazoid and goes all time but it was her influence on my Manfriend that directed to us to the Lounge.  Such atrocious behaviour!! Really it's appalling.....*sniff*sniff*  What's that you smell?  Oh right...Bullshit.

French fry was telling me that I should only do 15 mins of cardio then go to the weights to keep my interest at the gym.  I said I only wanted to concentrate on the cardio right now while in the gym.  Well I had the gym to myself today.  I did 15 mins on this bike thingy that's at a lower angle. I know know wtf you call it but it just about killed me after that amount of time.  I moved onto rowing and started dying there too.  Bored and loudly mouth breathing (more like a gasping for air like a floundering fish), I decide to try it Frenchfry's way.  

As I stood there panting staring at the weights I was attempting to remember my old routine from about a DECADE ago.  Shit, I can't even remember if I took my birth control pill last night or not.  WHOOPSIE.  Things slowly came back to me and I gapped out doing reps, used the exercise ball and did some token yoga.  Before I knew it an hour had passed.  Frenchfry was right so a thank you out to him and positive influence...unlike Knickers. 

Just teasing, you know I heart you right in your special place, Knickers!

PS. No dreams to report.  It's more that I can't remember what I was dreaming.  I can thank Vodka Vice for that.