if your child gets trapped in a bathroom while you are checking out hotel prices, and the woman behind the counter reaches for a pair of scissors and ambles over to the door, and uses the scissors to spring the door from the outside, would you check in there?
(we didn't)
And yes, they let me take my knitting on the plane but I was sure to take something that it wouldn't kill me to have to rip off the needles (wooden, double pointed - they may have been pickier about long metal as opposed to short wood) and I read Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen (of Water for Elephants fame) and Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove. The second was a rapid read because I wanted to know how it ended. A fantastic book - kudos to you, Bonnie!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Hey wait a minute!
Facebook and Blogger are in French? Interesting.
Okay so business class with the kids was a hoot. They were certainly the two least jaded passengers there, exclaiming in delight over a multitude of things before they finally settled in. (The look on A's face when she was handed her first steaming face cloth was priceless - safe to say she had no clue what it was for. I'm not actually sure *I* know what they're for, but I use them anyway.) TechnoBoy and A slept a lot of the 8 hour flight - B and I, not so much. I couldn't seem to fall asleep, and when I could, or often even before I could, a small dark head would pop up from behind me. "Mom?" About 6 hours in, he finally succumbed to sleep in spite of himself ("the thing is, I have never slept on a plane before, and it is WEIRD.") and then I napped a bit too.
Got the rental car no problem, and then spent a few hours (several hours) driving around Zurich and environs wishing we'd bothered to buy a map before we left home. The "oh let's just wait and see" approach works only so far. We finally decided that Basel looked like it was sort of on the way to Paris and headed there, after an expensive lunch in a tiny town. We ate on the patio though and saw the weirdest looking insect coming to the petunias, which I finally realized was maybe possibly a hummingbird moth (us voracious readers hear about all kinds of stuff.) (apparently only two moths in the SPHINGIDAE moth family have the word "hummingbird" in their name, so it may not have actually been a hummingbird moth, but it was most definitely a moth of the Sphingidae family - that's what I learned from the internet just now, so that I could inform you all. Seriously, google it - they are the oddest looking things. Like a tiny tiny hummingbird with antennae and a long long central ..umm...thingy. Antenna like proboscis? Proboscis-lie antennae?)
Food here is expensive. We are hoping to find a grocery store this morning (err afternoon if SOME PEOPLE don't get out of bed. I'm looking at you, B, A and TB!!!) that is actually OPEN, and make our own lunch, and eat supper out. We had such a good supper last night, though - we saw a little van with the word SNACK on top in huge letters, and had hot dogs and a hamburger and something called Les Americains, which cracked me up, because I have lived in Les Americas my whole life and never had a sandwich consisting of half a baguette (ie twice as long as most regular hot dog buns) lined with mustard, mayo and ketchup, and then two hamburger patties and a fried egg, then stuffed with a large order of crisp french fries. (I missed the words "pommes frites" in the rapid fire French that explained to me what "Les Americains" were.) The kids hotdogs? Half a baguette, 4 wieners. FOUR. Nobody could finish their whole sandwich, although B tried very very hard, and I just couldn't wrap my head around a French fry sandwich, so I plucked those out and shared them.
We now have a map, Paris is a few hours away, and if I don't give Sleeping Beauty this computer, "*I"* have to book the hotel for tonight, so BYE.
Okay so business class with the kids was a hoot. They were certainly the two least jaded passengers there, exclaiming in delight over a multitude of things before they finally settled in. (The look on A's face when she was handed her first steaming face cloth was priceless - safe to say she had no clue what it was for. I'm not actually sure *I* know what they're for, but I use them anyway.) TechnoBoy and A slept a lot of the 8 hour flight - B and I, not so much. I couldn't seem to fall asleep, and when I could, or often even before I could, a small dark head would pop up from behind me. "Mom?" About 6 hours in, he finally succumbed to sleep in spite of himself ("the thing is, I have never slept on a plane before, and it is WEIRD.") and then I napped a bit too.
Got the rental car no problem, and then spent a few hours (several hours) driving around Zurich and environs wishing we'd bothered to buy a map before we left home. The "oh let's just wait and see" approach works only so far. We finally decided that Basel looked like it was sort of on the way to Paris and headed there, after an expensive lunch in a tiny town. We ate on the patio though and saw the weirdest looking insect coming to the petunias, which I finally realized was maybe possibly a hummingbird moth (us voracious readers hear about all kinds of stuff.) (apparently only two moths in the SPHINGIDAE moth family have the word "hummingbird" in their name, so it may not have actually been a hummingbird moth, but it was most definitely a moth of the Sphingidae family - that's what I learned from the internet just now, so that I could inform you all. Seriously, google it - they are the oddest looking things. Like a tiny tiny hummingbird with antennae and a long long central ..umm...thingy. Antenna like proboscis? Proboscis-lie antennae?)
Food here is expensive. We are hoping to find a grocery store this morning (err afternoon if SOME PEOPLE don't get out of bed. I'm looking at you, B, A and TB!!!) that is actually OPEN, and make our own lunch, and eat supper out. We had such a good supper last night, though - we saw a little van with the word SNACK on top in huge letters, and had hot dogs and a hamburger and something called Les Americains, which cracked me up, because I have lived in Les Americas my whole life and never had a sandwich consisting of half a baguette (ie twice as long as most regular hot dog buns) lined with mustard, mayo and ketchup, and then two hamburger patties and a fried egg, then stuffed with a large order of crisp french fries. (I missed the words "pommes frites" in the rapid fire French that explained to me what "Les Americains" were.) The kids hotdogs? Half a baguette, 4 wieners. FOUR. Nobody could finish their whole sandwich, although B tried very very hard, and I just couldn't wrap my head around a French fry sandwich, so I plucked those out and shared them.
We now have a map, Paris is a few hours away, and if I don't give Sleeping Beauty this computer, "*I"* have to book the hotel for tonight, so BYE.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Things I've Learned
1. A reallllly long stopover is a lot more fun when you've spent the extra airmiles and gotten a business class ticket, and therefore, access to a business class lounge. Not only is there a seemingly endless supply of free beverages, fruit, cookies and sandwiches show up on a regular basis, and it is very quiet.
AND I can still kick my daughter's hiney in Uno, this time on a table.
2. Knitting is much better carry-on entertainment than reading. I am not a particularly fast knitter, but I am a rather fast reader. I brought two novels along - by the end of the Calgary-Chicago leg of this journey, I had 50 pages left to read.
The Noro mittens I am working on are much much much much much lighter, and I can read five novels in the time it takes to knit one mitten.
Also mittens are prettier than books.
AND I can still kick my daughter's hiney in Uno, this time on a table.
2. Knitting is much better carry-on entertainment than reading. I am not a particularly fast knitter, but I am a rather fast reader. I brought two novels along - by the end of the Calgary-Chicago leg of this journey, I had 50 pages left to read.
The Noro mittens I am working on are much much much much much lighter, and I can read five novels in the time it takes to knit one mitten.
Also mittens are prettier than books.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
ARGH and *snicker* and SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeee
1. ARGH.
a. The mouth appliance that B and his parents (that'd be TG and me) have been fighting about for lo these many months managed to BREAK an hour before B left for Bible Camp. On a Sunday. He's coming back from camp today, 15 hours before we leave for Europe for 18 days, so I took the appliance in to be fixed on Monday and on Thursday we drove out to camp to bring him back to the city to have it re-fitted, and then we took him back. He was pleased that we let him go to "Tuck" in the city at a gas station, and a bit miffed that he wasn't missing the mandatory "date night" banquet.
b. Going for some routine medical test Thursday, I opened the van door and the requisition form flew out the door and under my van, so I started the appointment by kneeling on the pavement muttering and fishing around under my van with a back scratcher.
2. *snicker*
"Mom, I need to go to the dentist," A told me. "My tooth fell out and now my whole mouth hurts."
So off to the dentist we go. The hygienist pokes around in her mouth for 12 seconds then sits back, grinning. The diagnosis?
A is teething. (four molars at once)
3. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeee
In less than 24 hours, all four of us will be on a plane. B had a Jones soda the other day, and there's always wee fortunes under the cap. B's said "You will soon be crossing big water" or some such thing, so we had no choice - over the Pond we go. I am ridiculously a) excited and b) unprepared.
And now to today's important question. It's a poll. Vote even if I'm already on the plane - I don't mind.
WHAT SHOULD I TAKE TO KNIT?
1. The Denver socks. That whole international sock thing is getting fun.
2. something straight and boring on a circular needle. You'll get a jumpstart on Christmas knitting (or finish DarienTheCommenter's scarf) and you'll never lose a needle.
3. Your mother's socks. Or those brown ones you promised to D. Think how good it will feel to get those off your conscience.
4. The Noro mittens. It's never the wrong time of year for some Noro love.
5. All of the above.
6. Back away from the knitting, you freak. What's wrong with reading a book?
a. The mouth appliance that B and his parents (that'd be TG and me) have been fighting about for lo these many months managed to BREAK an hour before B left for Bible Camp. On a Sunday. He's coming back from camp today, 15 hours before we leave for Europe for 18 days, so I took the appliance in to be fixed on Monday and on Thursday we drove out to camp to bring him back to the city to have it re-fitted, and then we took him back. He was pleased that we let him go to "Tuck" in the city at a gas station, and a bit miffed that he wasn't missing the mandatory "date night" banquet.
b. Going for some routine medical test Thursday, I opened the van door and the requisition form flew out the door and under my van, so I started the appointment by kneeling on the pavement muttering and fishing around under my van with a back scratcher.
2. *snicker*
"Mom, I need to go to the dentist," A told me. "My tooth fell out and now my whole mouth hurts."
So off to the dentist we go. The hygienist pokes around in her mouth for 12 seconds then sits back, grinning. The diagnosis?
A is teething. (four molars at once)
3. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeee
In less than 24 hours, all four of us will be on a plane. B had a Jones soda the other day, and there's always wee fortunes under the cap. B's said "You will soon be crossing big water" or some such thing, so we had no choice - over the Pond we go. I am ridiculously a) excited and b) unprepared.
And now to today's important question. It's a poll. Vote even if I'm already on the plane - I don't mind.
WHAT SHOULD I TAKE TO KNIT?
1. The Denver socks. That whole international sock thing is getting fun.
2. something straight and boring on a circular needle. You'll get a jumpstart on Christmas knitting (or finish DarienTheCommenter's scarf) and you'll never lose a needle.
3. Your mother's socks. Or those brown ones you promised to D. Think how good it will feel to get those off your conscience.
4. The Noro mittens. It's never the wrong time of year for some Noro love.
5. All of the above.
6. Back away from the knitting, you freak. What's wrong with reading a book?
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Promises, promises
Real post coming soon, I say, and I have a few ideas what I'll say and here it is time to create a real post and I got nothin'. If I start rambling, however, things may occur to me.
***
Some things are too big to talk about. Glen Eyrie. What can I say? this year when I went I was a little unsure as to whether or not I should go - how many years can go you learn about writing novels without actually writing one? but that's SO not what this year was about for me. We had a lovely too-short almost-week, our little group of novel writers (there were four different groups), getting to know each other and each other's work and really in so many cases being cheerleaders for each other. "and let us consider how to spur one another on ..." I left with a bone-deep sense of peace and belonging. J and I drove around Garden of the Gods afterwards and one of us spontaneously started to sing "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation" and then we just kept singing. Until we got to the bit that goes:
Hast thou not seen? How thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
and neither one of us seemed able to sing past the sudden lump in our throats.
I'm going back, again and again and again, as long as Angie and Nancy and Kathy and Al make it possible, because it is a place that replenishes me.
***
On the knitting front, I've finished the rather pink shawl for my mother, save the weaving in the of the ends and the washing and blocking. I love it so much I want one in a different colour for myself, but I want mine to be wider and longer, and I don't spend that kind of money on myself. How I ever got to where I was no longer buying acrylic yarn is beyond me, but I can barely stand to TOUCH acrylic now, let alone knit with it. Makes for expenisve projects.
I've also finished a pair of socks from the yarn TechnoBoy brought from Oregon. I finished them in Colorado. I am now knitting a pair of socks out of sock yarn I bought in Denver, that I expect to finish in Europe. (I have already googled "yarn shops in Amsterdam" in anticipation of knitting Netherlands socks in Canada, once I've finished the Colorado socks in Switzerland.)
***
On the connecting with people you knew thirty years ago who then dropped off your radar - B and I spent an absolutely delightful day in Manitoba with a high school friend who now lives in Florida. (She's at her mom's for a month.) She has a gaggle of perfectly lovely children (seven under ten, mostly boys, all adopted) and uses the word "remonstrate" in casual conversation. She also has a completely flat stomach, but no-one is perfect.
***
On the Catching Baby Skunks front, A caught one at her uncle's farm last week. It sprayed, but not terribly badly, so we were able to take A home to Alberta with us without strapping her to the roof of the van. There is a 13 second video of it waddling into the bushes that makes you think baby skunks are very very cute.
***
On the Life is Quirky and Quirky Is More Fun When It's Happening to Someone Else front, the turn signals in my van have decided they have finished the course, fought the good fight, etc. TG went out to change the fuse, but the fuse was not burnt out, and now I am driving around town using hand signals until after our holiday. That never gets old, that rolling down the window and sticking your arm out, especially if your arm is rather short to begin with, so you have to shift WAY over in your seat before sticking your arm out ...it's been raining in Calgary all week. Hand signals in the rain cause you to go around muttering things about there being no crops in the city for the rain to be good for.
***
On the free grass front - that is, grass that cost nothing, not grass that has been liberated from its' thankless existence - our neighbours overestimated the amount of sod they would need to do their back yard and now our front yard looks like someone who has an inkling about yard care lives here. They even installed it for us.
Oh wait, also grass as in green stuff growing in a lawn like arrangement, not that other stuff.
***
On the Things My Mother Would Never Have Countenanced front - My daughter is making popcorn at midnight. She is thirteen years old. Why do I not make my children sleep?
***
Annnnnnnnnnnnd on the When Was Your Last Liver Ultrasound front - it's tomorrow, thanks for asking. I don't think there's anything wrong it (and indeed, neither does my doctor) but I cannot have breakfast tomorrow. And no coffee.
***
which reminds me!!! on the How Is Your Mother front - apparently there is no way to flip the Feisty Switch to "Off". She's taking her pills by mouth now, and eating three (very small) meals a day. She's often far too full afterwards but is insisting that her stomach is now working and the feeding tube can come out, thankkewverymuch. Gotta love her fighting spirit.
***
And on the What Are You Doing This Summer front, apparently this was the year TB decided to spend our accumulated air miles, so we are flying to Europe to spend a few weeks with his mom and her husband, who have rented a place near Amsterdam for a month. We'll be gone two and a half weeks, and are leaving our house guarded by a motley collection of vans, and a large dragon, just as soon as I can find one that will also take out the trash we forgot to take out today.
***
And on the Large Oozing Undetermined Injury on The Dog's Jaw front - why yes it's healed very nicely, thanks for asking.
***
And on the How Was Walking Around Winnipeg on July 1st? front ...it was lovely but caused me to rant about a few things.
A) if you know you are going to a place where there will be many people and it will be hot and you will be walking on pavement a goodly portion of the time - why oh why oh why do you bring your dog? Do you not like your dog?
B) summer clothes. Just because they sell it in your size doesn't mean it should be purchased in your size and worn.
***
And on the Long Post Much? front - I'm done. Did I cover everything?
***
Some things are too big to talk about. Glen Eyrie. What can I say? this year when I went I was a little unsure as to whether or not I should go - how many years can go you learn about writing novels without actually writing one? but that's SO not what this year was about for me. We had a lovely too-short almost-week, our little group of novel writers (there were four different groups), getting to know each other and each other's work and really in so many cases being cheerleaders for each other. "and let us consider how to spur one another on ..." I left with a bone-deep sense of peace and belonging. J and I drove around Garden of the Gods afterwards and one of us spontaneously started to sing "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation" and then we just kept singing. Until we got to the bit that goes:
Hast thou not seen? How thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
and neither one of us seemed able to sing past the sudden lump in our throats.
I'm going back, again and again and again, as long as Angie and Nancy and Kathy and Al make it possible, because it is a place that replenishes me.
***
On the knitting front, I've finished the rather pink shawl for my mother, save the weaving in the of the ends and the washing and blocking. I love it so much I want one in a different colour for myself, but I want mine to be wider and longer, and I don't spend that kind of money on myself. How I ever got to where I was no longer buying acrylic yarn is beyond me, but I can barely stand to TOUCH acrylic now, let alone knit with it. Makes for expenisve projects.
I've also finished a pair of socks from the yarn TechnoBoy brought from Oregon. I finished them in Colorado. I am now knitting a pair of socks out of sock yarn I bought in Denver, that I expect to finish in Europe. (I have already googled "yarn shops in Amsterdam" in anticipation of knitting Netherlands socks in Canada, once I've finished the Colorado socks in Switzerland.)
***
On the connecting with people you knew thirty years ago who then dropped off your radar - B and I spent an absolutely delightful day in Manitoba with a high school friend who now lives in Florida. (She's at her mom's for a month.) She has a gaggle of perfectly lovely children (seven under ten, mostly boys, all adopted) and uses the word "remonstrate" in casual conversation. She also has a completely flat stomach, but no-one is perfect.
***
On the Catching Baby Skunks front, A caught one at her uncle's farm last week. It sprayed, but not terribly badly, so we were able to take A home to Alberta with us without strapping her to the roof of the van. There is a 13 second video of it waddling into the bushes that makes you think baby skunks are very very cute.
***
On the Life is Quirky and Quirky Is More Fun When It's Happening to Someone Else front, the turn signals in my van have decided they have finished the course, fought the good fight, etc. TG went out to change the fuse, but the fuse was not burnt out, and now I am driving around town using hand signals until after our holiday. That never gets old, that rolling down the window and sticking your arm out, especially if your arm is rather short to begin with, so you have to shift WAY over in your seat before sticking your arm out ...it's been raining in Calgary all week. Hand signals in the rain cause you to go around muttering things about there being no crops in the city for the rain to be good for.
***
On the free grass front - that is, grass that cost nothing, not grass that has been liberated from its' thankless existence - our neighbours overestimated the amount of sod they would need to do their back yard and now our front yard looks like someone who has an inkling about yard care lives here. They even installed it for us.
Oh wait, also grass as in green stuff growing in a lawn like arrangement, not that other stuff.
***
On the Things My Mother Would Never Have Countenanced front - My daughter is making popcorn at midnight. She is thirteen years old. Why do I not make my children sleep?
***
Annnnnnnnnnnnd on the When Was Your Last Liver Ultrasound front - it's tomorrow, thanks for asking. I don't think there's anything wrong it (and indeed, neither does my doctor) but I cannot have breakfast tomorrow. And no coffee.
***
which reminds me!!! on the How Is Your Mother front - apparently there is no way to flip the Feisty Switch to "Off". She's taking her pills by mouth now, and eating three (very small) meals a day. She's often far too full afterwards but is insisting that her stomach is now working and the feeding tube can come out, thankkewverymuch. Gotta love her fighting spirit.
***
And on the What Are You Doing This Summer front, apparently this was the year TB decided to spend our accumulated air miles, so we are flying to Europe to spend a few weeks with his mom and her husband, who have rented a place near Amsterdam for a month. We'll be gone two and a half weeks, and are leaving our house guarded by a motley collection of vans, and a large dragon, just as soon as I can find one that will also take out the trash we forgot to take out today.
***
And on the Large Oozing Undetermined Injury on The Dog's Jaw front - why yes it's healed very nicely, thanks for asking.
***
And on the How Was Walking Around Winnipeg on July 1st? front ...it was lovely but caused me to rant about a few things.
A) if you know you are going to a place where there will be many people and it will be hot and you will be walking on pavement a goodly portion of the time - why oh why oh why do you bring your dog? Do you not like your dog?
B) summer clothes. Just because they sell it in your size doesn't mean it should be purchased in your size and worn.
***
And on the Long Post Much? front - I'm done. Did I cover everything?
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Real post coming later today ...
seriously, that's my To Do List for the day:
1. Finish rating poetry for the magazine I'd rather not name in case it's not appropriate to be blogging about the whole thang
2. Test the gadget my brilliant spouse has written to operate under Windows Vista gadgets.
3. Do a blog post.
This wee post here? Just to get a few more editting things off my mind, because there's nothing better than sounding like a stuck up judgemental jerk.
1. Don't copyright your work, people. Nothing like saying "Hey strangers! I don't trust you not to steal my oh-so-special work. Probably you can't write nearly as good as me so please publish my poem but don't steal it."
2. Never mistake profanity for craft. The first swear word in a poem? I keep reading, just in case there's a need for it. The second one? I keep reading but I've lost hope. The third one? I think "Dude needs therapy" and move on to the next poem.
1. Finish rating poetry for the magazine I'd rather not name in case it's not appropriate to be blogging about the whole thang
2. Test the gadget my brilliant spouse has written to operate under Windows Vista gadgets.
3. Do a blog post.
This wee post here? Just to get a few more editting things off my mind, because there's nothing better than sounding like a stuck up judgemental jerk.
1. Don't copyright your work, people. Nothing like saying "Hey strangers! I don't trust you not to steal my oh-so-special work. Probably you can't write nearly as good as me so please publish my poem but don't steal it."
2. Never mistake profanity for craft. The first swear word in a poem? I keep reading, just in case there's a need for it. The second one? I keep reading but I've lost hope. The third one? I think "Dude needs therapy" and move on to the next poem.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
As a member of an editorial collective, I'd just like to say ...
sometimes your poem doesn't have to be stellar. Sometimes it just has to be the first one in a long long list of poems that actually makes some rudimentary sense, the first one that doesn't make the Editor, (who is also a mother who has to clean up the kitchen and walk the dog and visit her sick mother) roll her eyes heavenward and want to e-mail the rest of the collective asking if it is just that her dog is barking and the phone is ringing or is this collection sent in by Ernest Hope a long collection of pretty, poorly chosen words full of sound and fury signifying nothing? and weren't the last sixty like that? and will someone who has a passing acquaintance with a narrative arc please condescend to send us a story because we all have other lives to go and there are plenty of other things in our daily humdrum existence that make us feel like sticking forks in our eyes so we are likely NOT going to read past paragraph two of the story you have blessed us with if we are not yet interested 100 words in
Hang on, I may be ranting.
How are you all?
Hang on, I may be ranting.
How are you all?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Headed to the Castle
It's the annual pilgrimage to Glen Eyrie, so I am away from home and family. Trying to be my mother in law I made a huge vat of chili before I left so the family would have something to eat. The only thing it would fit in was an ice cream pail.
MSN this morning between A and I:
Me: how are things at home?
A: We're eating chili out of an ice cream bucket - that about sums it up.
:)
MSN this morning between A and I:
Me: how are things at home?
A: We're eating chili out of an ice cream bucket - that about sums it up.
:)
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