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.

Only a dork...

We haven't had a lot of video game systems at our house. We had the computers where Tetris and Solitaire take up way too much of our time (although I will say I RULE our Tetris scoreboard), and we had an old Atari knock-off with games like Centipede and Breakout and that sort of thing. Fun enough that there's even a geek version available with some of the original games all packed into one joystick. ( Jakks Atari Classics 10 In 1 TV Games if you really want to check it out. But be warned the controls are less responsive that the original system. Don't ask me how I know.)

But I digress.

So someone in the family (won't say who but he's over 5' 10") got the bright idea to get a Wii. "There's sports games and exercise programs and don't forget Wii Fit. It'll be great to keep us active when it's raining all winter and we can't ride."

What do I know about Wii?

There's a website for people that have hurt themselves playing Wii. There are categories of injuries you can inflict with a Wii. There are doctors around the globe worried about Wii-related injuries. And they have a cute commercial. No one sporting bruises at all.

So being the informed consumer that I am, what do I say?

"Okay."

After all, what kind of maroon do you have to be to hurt yourself playing a video game?

Apparently my kind. (Is it spelled "dorque" in Canada?)

Turns out I'm not a very good cow racer (just about leaned off the chair) and my golf game's not good either (bent a fingernail. Don't laugh - that hurts!) And as if the Wii-tennis-strained elbow and the obscure-but-somehow-related-to-Wii-bowling muscle at the back of my right arm weren't enough, for Christmas we added Dance Dance Revolution to the mix.

So now I'm limping (but only slightly) after that last jump on "I Want Candy" proved to be my undoing.

But, hey, I burned 100 calories.

Great idea, hon.

All the blessings of this wonderful season to you and your family, today and in the coming new year.
Merry Christmas!


"Christmas Blessings" by VJCoulman
Digital painting

Garden-fresh carrots for Christmas

One of the challenges when I moved from a Zone 2 to a Zone 7 was figuring out the gardening rules. All sorts of wonderful things grow in my area but I've had to learn HOW they grow. Roses, which were pretty much an annual back in Saskatchewan, verge on being a weed around here. Marigolds, a staple of previous gardens, are lucky to last overnight after the earwigs find them. Heather likes moist roots but peonies need drainage. The dirt is a random mix of rock, clay and silt so soil amending is a gardening lifestyle skill. But the climate means you can plant green peas in April and again in September but NOT in June because of the HEAT. Crop rotation is another gardening skill. And bug identification another that I won't dwell on right now.

When we did our addition last year, I had to rip out the only things that were growing at all for me - my raspberry patch and strawberry bed. They were planted in raised beds so that we could pick the dirt they grew in. And they were doing alright - just starting to produce consistently. But out they came.

This year my wonderful father reset the raised beds when he came to visit and we tried again. Nothing ambitious - just some snow peas, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. And a few potatoes that were sprouting in the cupboard.

The green peas produced - not enough for a meal - but enough for a healthy snack pretty much anytime we wandered by the garden. The potatoes gave us one meal of new red potatoes (yummy but skimpy). The cucumbers were much happier - we actually had to foist a few off on friends and neighbors. The lettuce yielded enough to add to a sandwich daily. And the tomatoes went insane - not necessarily in production but in size. Whew! And the carrots I forgot about.

Until today.

Now, we've had snow and rain and a couple nights of freezing temps so I wasn't expecting much. But I noticed the sad carrot tops laying along the ground and thought "Well, I guess I shouldn't leave them out much longer." (Okay, it wasn't a plan on my part - just my usual gardening neglect that typically sets in around August.) And you never know, parsnips benefit from a good frost before eating - maybe it works for carrots...

So after 6 months of watering and weeding and tending (and neglecting), here's our crop:















Wait, it looks much more significant after I get it cleaned up...














Don't laugh too hard. They were fresh and crisp and tasted very good both raw and cooked with just a hint of butter. We'll even add a couple to our Christmas day apple-carrot salad. How many of you can do that in December?

Spoiled again

I'm getting spoiled - first I get a night with the house to myself, then my DH gets sneaky and takes me out to dinner last night. Sneaky because he gave me 15 minutes warning.

I made him wait 25 while I spruced up a bit.

Have to say though, enjoyed it immensely. It's been such a crazy couple months that it was nice to meet the man I've been sleeping beside for so long again.

So we sat in one of those casual restaurant/bars with informal decor but actual staff and the snow fell through the street lights outside and it felt right to be out with my honey and watching his eyes light up as he talked about a challenge he'd been having at work. Of course, reality always steps in and we did a little last minute Christmas shopping at the Toys R Us next door before we headed home. Time was we used to go out and then hit a book store for a few hours as our indulgence. It just occurred to me that a bookstore was on the other side of the restaurant and didn't even appear on my radar.

Do you suppose I'm approaching middle age?

Never mind, don't answer that. It was a good night.