More fun than actually exercising...

A writer friend I know from online sent some questions awhile back about strategies for the holidays, exercise habits and making resolutions. Since I resolved not turn down any chance to shamelessly promote myself, I answered them all. And yesterday she let me know that I was one of the featured people on her blog. So head on over and say "hey" to Kimberley and let her know what a great job I did :). There are some others that did better but until I figure out how to photoshop myself skydiving (let's face it - it will never happen in real life), I'll just have to work with what I have.

(Whew - Does it make you tired watching that little clip art guy do sit-ups? My abs hurt just watching him...)

Anti - oxidant update

Remember my blueberries?

Several weeks ago, they seemed to hit a lull - still flowering but the berries that were forming were just sitting there. Nothing much happening.

But then, one started to change color. And it's been changing color with reckless abandon. And with blueberries selling for $7 a pint around here, I got pretty excited.



Of course, with only one berry ripening, I may not mention it to the family when I neglect to share...


How many anti-oxidants do you suppose are in one blueberry?

When boredom strikes...

A new resolution

I'm teaching again for the next month and while it's part time, it's still an 8-hour day. Every day. Maybe a couple days off for good behaviour in the middle but they'll be spent catching up on a lot of things I've had to put off until I'm done. Had something happen today I wanted to share but now I can't remember what it was.

While I've been away from my computer, I've come up with a new resolution for the next month. It's to stay under 60 messages in my inbox.


I originally thought 40 but that got blown out of the water pretty quickly...

Canadian to American...and back

Today we are having a party to celebrate the fact that we have our green cards. Remember the "resident alien" thing? And I'm really hoping that my husband can join us since right now he's on an airplane somewhere over Oregon approaching Medford with every possibility that when they get here they will just turn around and go back to Portland. Remember the allusion to fog?

As part of the party, I'm planning to post some multiple choice/spot the difference Canadian words and phrases with their American counterparts around the room just as sort of ice breakers. I've had far too many people look at me with that "you're-not-from-around-these-parts-are-ya" look when a word slips out that they don't know. And in all honesty we've been "from-around-these-parts" long enough that even I'm not sure of the difference any more.

My kids have been trying to retain some of their Canadian heritage by throwing an "eh?" onto the end of their sentences. And I haven't been able to avoid noticing how thoroughly bad they are at it. It just lacks conviction. Perhaps summer in Oregon isn't the only proof that we're in a melting pot.

One source I would highly recommend as a Canadian primer is How To Be A Canadian by Ian and Will Ferguson. Hysterically funny as only the truth can be. (BTW, if you follow that link, note that my copy has a picture of a classy place setting with doughnut in the middle of the plate. I like mine better.) A few crudities but in my opinion it only serves to highlight the mishmash that is Canada.

In the meantime, if you're desperate for a way to communicate with those on either side of the 49th, here a translation site I found. It should probably be mandatory for anyone entering the diplomatic core...

Guess who dropped in?

I think I mentioned that DH was away this week and when I really noticed it was during my "working day" - the time when the kiddos are all in school and I have no excuses not to make that phone call or line up that interview or write that article or design that newsletter or whatever. Now, he's not a noisy guy but there's generally a hum coming from his office - music, his voice on a conference call or something.

When he's gone - nothing. Not even the cricket. (The cricket didn't make it - the price of penetrating the inner sanctum).

So I was sitting in my silent house (I don't turn on music when I'm writing. May be a fear of inadvertently plagiarizing the words to "Philadelphia Chickens") and suddenly I heard some paper rustle behind me.

Okay, not too worried.

Until it happened again.

I looked back and saw nothing. But if you could see my office right now, you'd understand that when I say I saw nothing, I mean there's still so much stuff stacked EVERYWHERE that all I could see was everything between me and the noise.

Maybe it was some paper flapping in the breeze from the heating vent.

The furnace isn't on.

Now pardon me if I jumped to a conclusion here but my next thought was "Oh great. I've got a mouse." And swiftly after that thought came the realization that if I saw one and jumped in fright (let's just say it's happened before) I had no where to jump without seriously hurting myself because of all the STUFF. And then I'd never be able to enter my studio again for fear of where the little rodent might be hiding amidst all the STUFF.

So I very carefully cleared off a chair (stereotypical, I know, but if there was a mouse on the floor I wanted some altitude) and then peaked behind the brown-paper wrapped matboard that was leaning up against the French doors. And I saw...

Nothing. But the blinds wiggled so I edge the chair a little closer, got back up and then peaked down behind the blinds.

It was a butterfly.

A butterfly?

(Do you have the picture here? Me perched on a chair preparing to fend off a butterfly?)

Now Oregon is a lot warmer than most parts of Canada in the winter but butterflies do not flit the yards around here in January. The occasional hummingbird does, but definitely not butterflies. My only guess is that it came to my house as a chrysalis attached to some wooden chairs I was given and that the warmth of the house moved it ahead of schedule. But since I gave my butterfly house away a couple years ago, outdoors did seem like a better alternative for the poor thing that having it beat itself to death against my windows.

So I trapped it in a glass and took it outdoors into the sunshine. When I turned it loose, it sat on the deck rail sunning itself a bit.

I ran inside for the camera.

After all, if it's going to hang around it's fair game, right? (Just ask my kids.) After posing for me, it did a few laps around the yard and then came back to rest on my leg (that's my fancy-schmancy fading-at-the-knees jeans above). Then a couple more laps, then a knee rest again. Then it finally flew off and I haven't seen it since.

I felt a little bad for it - no butterfly singles bars open at this time of year, I'm sure, and no flowers to sip from. But there are still hummingbird feeders and you never know, it might be tougher than it looks.

Bye, bye, butterfly.

Technodummy strikes again...

I didn't mean to leave such a bummer-sounding blog up so long. It really hit the point where it just got funny because so many mental lapses kept popping up. And the more I listed, the more I shook my head and laughed. Not sure it rattled anything back into place though.

But there it sat because DH is out of town and suddenly I lost my connection to the outside world. Considering we've been living in a complete fog here in the valley for the past four days, it seemed appropriate. Got a pretty good workout, though, walking from his office to mine to see if MAYBE something like a big button that said "Hey, dummy! Over here!" popped up on any of the screens.

I do have two buttons on my desk but that's not what they say. One says

"Press any key...
No, No, No, not that one!"

And the other one says,

Chaos!
Panic!
Disaster!
(My work here is done)

So you can see how I might not have been the best qualified to solve the problem.

I did get an unexpected visitor though but I'll have to tell you about that later. Now that I'm "live" again, it's time to catch up on some work.

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days where you realize you've mixed up your morning routine and washed your hair twice?

Or at 11 am you realize you can't remember putting on deodorant that day?

Or met a new person only to realize 5 minutes later you have not one, but two, pieces of oregano stuck in your front teeth?

Or by supper time, you realize you may not have taken a pit stop since 8 am?

Or can't figure out why your stomach is rumbling at 2 pm until you figure out you forgot lunch?

Or threaten to blow up the house because you can remember which way turns ON the propane tank on the BBQ and which way turns if OFF?

Or over- crisp the turkey brats and only give fuel to the women-at-the-grill jokers in the house?

Or can't stop them because the reason they over-crisped is because you were on the phone?

Or can't remember where you put the list of things that HAD to be done today?

And can't remember the list or anything on it?



Me neither.

Inner beauty

I was setting up an exhibit several months ago and this view caught my eye...




Wow.

The resident alien

So, many of you know that we moved last year to a different kind of visa in the US. (Yes, that's right - I'm an immigrant). The funny part to me is the language. (The not-so-funny part is the process.) But anyways - after years of being "temporary residents," we are now considered to be "resident aliens" in the US.

Resident aliens.

Roll the thought around in your head a few times.

Then roll it around in your imagination a couple more times.



Doesn't it make you want to snicker just a little? It's like being put in a family tree with Alf...or ET...or Mork.


Maybe I'll just put on a funny suit and go to the grocery store.


Or maybe at the next school I teach in this month, I'll just have to mention it.

"Hi. I'm an alien and I'll be teaching you art today."



I think I'd get some good responses...

I'm a people person, aren't I?

There are a billion ways (well, maybe only thousands) to classify someone's personality. Some of them are funny, some are classic and some are ridiculous. Horoscopes say people's personalities are determined by their birthday in relation to the stars. There's the introvert/extrovert distinction. Type A and Type B. Beavers, golden retrievers, lions and otters. Melancholics and phlegmatics (which doesn't sound nearly as cute as the otter.)

A friend of mine has to wear a fish label at her job (all the employees do, not just her. I mean, it's not like she's being punished or anything) so that people will (in theory) understand better how to communicate with her.

I haven't done many of the lists and personality tests but I know this - In theory, I'm an extroverted introvert. A Type B functioning in a Type A world (and with a type A spouse). Touch of the melancholic with hints of the golden retriever. What it boils down to is: I like people, work well with people, but they still wear me out.

Maybe that's why I find this so extremely funny...



Want to try a personality test? Here's one based on Jung's personality types. Or here's another one that's similar but with more questions and more character types. This one uses color choices to tell you about yourself. And this one tells you which superhero you most resemble. And if you have an alter ego, you can also figure out which SuperVillian you are...

"Great Big Humongus Giveaway"

Though I'm still a rookie blogger, I have discovered there are similarities between the blogging world and riding the bus. Inevitably you strike up a conversation with someone that asks where you're from and then asks "Do you know my cousin Fred? He only lives 45 miles away from you." Not sure why but Canadians (particularly those from the prairies) get this all the time.

So through my very talented cousin's blog, I became acquainted with Rick, an artist/doodler of no small talent. Turns out he lives in my neck of the West Coast (as opposed to her eastern side of the continent) and she wondered if we knew each other. In fairness, she too understood the travelers-on-the-bus connection before she asked. The answer was Nope. But after checking out his blog, I can certainly say I hope to some day. I've enjoyed his artwork and even shared some of it with you here and here.

But here's the exciting news! Rick is giving away a doodle-of-your-choice to celebrate his blogging anniversary! He's also offering a free caricature to some lucky poster! (No, not the paper on the wall, the commenter-on-the-blog type.) And you can sign up to win too!

To find out more visit the "Great Big Humongus Giveaway" and pit your name against mine in the drawing. Don't get left watching the bus pull out of the station though - tomorrow is the last day to enter.