Gorgeous Close-Up Photos of the F-117 "Nighthawk" Stealth Fighter

The best set of F-117 Photos I've found. These are Truly some of the best photos showing the F-117 from Display, Take-off, In-Flight, and Landing. High enough resolution to make into screen savers or Desktop pics...

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50 Best Firefox Extensions for Power Surfing

Probably contains all the popular extensions you will ever need. Wow! I really liked the image zoomer one.

Bobby! I think there might be some here that you'll like too! :=)

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Open-Source Visual Studio 2005 alternative

SharpDevelop 2.0, Beta 1 is available. It is an open-source alternative to Visual Studio 2005, with the added benefit that it can create executables targeting the 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 .NET Framework, as well as Mono 1.1. C# and Visual Basic.NET are both supported.

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Home Network Firewall Guide

A good overall guide to home network security and PC firewalls. Links to excellent comparative articles on spyware and antivirus programs.

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Christmas Eve 2005 zzzzzzzzz

Now is the time to look back over the past year and count my blessings.

Well: I graduated (MAEd) and that was certainly the highlight of my year.

The light of my life, zedder, announced his upcoming marriage and that was another true blessing. He has met The One and they are destined for a long and peaceful life together.

Another "interesting" moment came when my BABY, da keeks, moved to her own apartment which we all knew she couldn't really afford yet we didn't stand in her way. We knew we would be going to rescue her as always. And by "we" I am implying the EX.

As for Hawgie, he finally got the Porsche running well enough to be considered a Daily Driver. So why does he return from work each night cussing and swearing at all drivers on the road? So sad: the road rage isn't really working for him. For sure it's not working for me because it's so boring to hear the same thing night after night after night. Get a brain.

And on the other side of the coin...B.I.L.'s cancer diagnosis and treatment. As far as we know, it was successful but as always, it's a waiting game.

Speaking of ill-health issues, Hawgie is seeing a lung specialist and having tests for things such as Farmers Lung (who knew?) and Aspergillium and other weird diagnoses. Honestly! The lab technicians had to look it up--they've never done that test before. (Well, it isn't every day that somebody gets a pocket of fungus living in the nether regions of pulmonary caves.) LOL.

I wonder what attainable goal I could set for myself as we get nearer and nearer to the New Year. The weight-loss thing is going nowhere fast. I guess I should re-dedicate all my efforts toward that end if I want to appear differently for the Big Wedding next August????

~~*Myst*~~
[Think I'll just leave myself blue tonight. Feel kinda down for some reason.]

Trying Out Performancing

This is my first attempt with a new blogging tool called Performancing. Use it with Firefox to automatically blog right from your home page or from any web page.

Automatically adds Technorati tags, too!

Cool.


Technorati Tags: performancing

Technorati Tags: performancing

Sorting your email with GMail

I came across a great way of using Google's GMail to create disposable/sortable email addresses that let you duck spam and find out who is sharing your address and with whom....

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Moon Over Miami

Well, okay, it's NOT Miami! It's "Moon over 184th" LOL.

Spectacular moonlight both driving to and coming home from school last week. Makes the commute just that much easier.

Christmas shopping nearly all done. It was fun! Now the wrapping is midstream. I wonder if other people query themselves as they wrap?

"Will Ty like this color paper? Will he even notice or will he just rip it off?"

"Awww, cute gift boxes. Should I put Phil's present in the one with the poinsettia cuz he likes to garden, or in the Santa one cuz he likes to set up the villages and has (sometimes) a complete Santa tree?"

Bev, no questions asked. No quarter brooked: the elegant paper and the elegant gift tag. That was easy.

Kira...no gift yet but when I get it and when I wrap it: the cute stuff. Cute overload.

Carrie's present is large and whatever paper will fit will be the prime choice.

I'm sure Bob won't care, but I care, so I wrap his elegantly in the way I wish mine were wrapped, too. I sometimes dream of getting a car for Christmas with a big red bow on top like the ads on tv. Even though I don't need a car! That would just be so great. I got a white with red interior car one year for Valentines Day. That was romantic and special. But there's just some kind of appeal about the BIG BOW, don't you think?

~~*Pacific Myst*~~

World of Warcraft Surpasses 5 Million

Blizzard Entertainment today announced that World of Warcraft, its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has surpassed 5 million customers worldwide.

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Lots of PHP tutorials, beginner to advanced

A nice collection of various PHP tutorials, covering the basics, and some advanced stuff

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Zone of Proximal Development

Zone of Proximal Development

Ha! That is a great description for all the roadwork right outside my window right now. They are making a "turning lane" at my corner and it cuts off about twenty feet. That's okay. A turning lane is needed on this corner and on each of the other 3 corners as well. Each day the 4 lane highway gets closer and closer as the street gets wider and wider. That's acceptable. The cattle across the street won't be able to graze there much longer. See the spring calves? They were frolicking when I took this pic a couple of weeks ago.

The REAL zone of proximal development, derivative of Lev Vygotsky's brilliance, describes the ultimate learning 'zone' whereby students are pushed just a little bit more than what they can understand by themselves. That's the zone. Perhaps another student can pull them further in their learning or perhaps the situation inspires them to push themselves a bit further than they would without some external stimuli.

The zone of proximal development is like that pidgeon-Italian dessert Tiramisu (yank me up)...onwards and upwards the knowledge is S-W-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! lol.

Feliz Navidad!

~~*Myst*~~ 

The Formation of a New Ocean?

A fissure in a desert in the remote northeast could be the birth of a new ocean basin according to scientists.

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Firefox - Switch

A grea site that needs a hell of a lot more exposure. Believe it or not, there are STILL people who are stuck in the dark ages using IE!

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Audacity 1.3.0 Beta!!!

Beta release of Audacity 1.3.0, new features and better compatibility.

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Firefox or Internet Explorer? Rocketboom Interviews New Yorkers

Which do you use... Firefox or Internet Explorer? Amanda Congdon of Rocketboom interviews New Yorkers. You might find their answers interesting.

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Free Music Download List December 2005

The author compiled a list of the best free music download sites on the internet. The list contains about 40 sites that offer legal music downloads to their visitors.

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The Story Behind McDonald's Fries

An interesting read on the evolution of the McDonald's fry.

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7 Ways to Speed up and Optimize Windows XP

A few simple but useful things you can do to speed up Windows XP. The font one helped me out a lot.

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10 Things that make Ubuntu a Neophyte's Distribution

Ubuntu has been gaining in popularity day by day. This article lists 10 points which makes it so likable among the new converts to Linux.

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Hundreds of Free Textbooks on one website

This is a collection of free textbooks from around the web. The site is non-commercial, easy to browse or search, and has links to hundreds of free books and educational sites in a variety of subjects. Users can leave reviews of the books in the registration-free comment fields.

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Baby Boomer Health Issues + Ruby Roo

Gail and Catherine with Ruby, October 2005 @ Zed's

Baby Boomer Health Issue Woes in Canada

We are well and truly into the Christmas hype of things around here. Bob has bronchitis, on his way to pneumonia, and needs to check back to the clinic on Thursday to get a requisition for a chest Xray. The doctor thinks that might be a good indicator of pneumonia, but I am pretty worried about it. The last chest Xray he took showed some kind of spot in the lower right lung. Not having a family doctor is just so bad. And yet politicians are constantly bulling up our failing health care system.

For the Baby Boom generation (ours) the peri-retirement years should be the last, relaxed hurrah before the calm. Yet how many of us can truly "relax", knowing that our steadily-waning health issues are not being addressed at any level of provincial or civic medicine? There are NO family doctors. There are lots of medical clinics where family doctors occasionally practice on a rotational schedule to boost up their annual salaries. So if you go to a clinic 3 times a week, you could be seeing three different doctors. How much of a continuum is that? You find yourself repeating the exact information three times and getting three different diagnoses. So, in effect, BC MED has been billed thrice for the same problem. If there were more doctors practicing family medicine OR if the "system" would allow family doctors to bill as many hours as medical clinic doctors, the problem would resolve itself.

You see? The core of the beast is the fibrillating, monetary heart of provincial politics. Each municipality has different hours for the cap number of hours any family doctor can bill: the hours that can be billed for medical clinics, with their extended hours, are much higher. Is it any wonder that doctors prefer to work in a clinic? They went through gruelling university experiences because they love their profession. Come on, GOVERNMENT, let them DO their jobs! Extend billing hours for family physicians so that those of us nearing retirement or already seniors, can derive some benefits from a medical system largely funded BY US, over our working lives since the 1960s.

Dying is inevitable. Dying of a cold, that is really bronchitis, that turns out to be double pneumonia, is a crime in our society at our level of medical awareness. If we who are well-educated and savvy, cannot get adequate medical intervention...

Who the hell can?

~~*Pacific Myst*~~

How To Make an Origami CD Holder

Have you ever burned a mix CD only to have it scratched after a single trip in the car? You could buy a plastic CD holder....
...For a penny or two, you can make a cd case that will do the job. When the case gets old, just recycle it.

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Anti-cancer Compound In Beer

A micronutrient called xanthohumol is present in beer and according to scientists "is one of the more significant compounds for cancer chemoprevention that we have studied"!

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Ubuntu: Best Linux Desktop for Business?

ZDNet has been testing Linux for business, trying to work out what the best distro is for small businesses. After testing Mandriva, Novell Linux, Red Hat Desktop, SUSE Linux and Ubuntu Linux. After installing them all-- Ubuntu came out as the winner.

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Never remove CPU cooler- VIDEO

This is a video on what happens when you remove your CPU cooler. It shows the temperature, as well as the type of processor and if it has been nuked or lived to fight another day.

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500+ Colours

This page lists over 500 colours by colour name, Hex value, RGB value and Microsoft Access code number. Best webdesign tool ever. For me at least. I use this page the most.

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In The End, Do We Even Need Our Brains?

Fascinating and baffling cases in consciousness research: what the world looks like to a man whose vision is restored after 50 years of blindness; how a roomful of people missed seeing a man in a gorilla suit walk through their midst...

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The Face of Tomorrow: Composite Faces

Ever wonder what an average face looks like in Hong Kong? This site travels to different countries and takes many pictures of the natives there. Then they average all the faces together to form a composite, providing you with an idea about what an "average" person of that nationality looks like. Pretty cool, the composites look pretty good!

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Cool free software

Here's a list of very interesting free software. Includes applications for backing up your data to a hosted serverfarm, self-publishing (and printing) a book, downloading free music (and books), encrypting your hard drive, displaying lyrics to music playing in iTunes, and more. Cool stuff.

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Da vinci's intellect tested

Was the great Leonard Da Vinci really as intellectually superior as we think he was? A recent scientific study tries to find out just that. Read on

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New Little Tree

Here's our new little fibre optic tree before any decorations are added. It was so easy to upload this picture onto my blog via Picasa! If you don't have Picasa yet, why...why...why??? It's fabulous and is now my program of choice for editing, saving, and displaying photos. Sooo easy. So free.  

Scientists prove seeing without the eyes

Scientist at Rice have shown that people when temporarily blinded using a big magnet (TMS) can still process visual information thru other means. This is a phenomenon known as blindsight. sweet.

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My Secret Weapon Against THE COLD

Okay, the color of this font has to be cool because, uh, we're gonna talk about colds.

You know? Sniffles. That hot, crunchy feeling at the back of your throat.

That sweater that sticks in your esophagus each morning and no matter how many times you grate out your best "ahem", you still have phlegm.

Yes loyal readers, I DO have a secret weapon. In fact, I have two of them.

First of all, and well documented, is Cold Fx. It's a pill, you can buy it at many stores including drug stores, and it has as two of its ingredients different extracts of ginseng. Actually does work to lessen the amount of time that you are suffering from a cold.

Next is the real kicker. I discovered it a few years ago and accidentally. The product is not advertised as preventing colds, or even lessening their duration. But for me, it works to prevent any symptoms of a cold from manifesting. In other words, I don't know if I have a cold or not.

The product is a nose spray that I use to alleviate symptoms of allergies (that is what everyone uses it for). It's called fLonAse. Here in Canada, you need a prescription but I have seen it advertised on American TV as if it were an OTC (over the counter) product. During the winter cold season, if I use fLonAse just once a week or even once every two weeks, I do not get colds.

I am not advertising these products. I am not suggesting that YOU use them. I am only saying that for me, they really do work, especially the spray.

Not only are these products my secret weapons, with the spray in my nostril, I am a sniper taking aim at germs. Common colds BEWARE. Be afraid. Be vewwy, vewwy afwaid!!!

Langley Daze: Festival of Lights

No, I'm not talking about Diwali.

I'm talking about my corner. Looking out the computer room window right now.

Like sequential blinkers on a truck or Christmas tree, the traffic's endless dance.

Kinda like Invasion, where all the lights go into a lake, these headlights appear up the hill and stop in obeyance to the red god of all going and stopping. The red god, the green goddess, and their child Little Amber, whose very prescience inspires the indecision of stop...or not?

A childhood counting game hovers halfway through the doors of ambient memory [Bob says we don't ever forget anything, that we remember everything we see, and that hypnosis simply uncovers memories we didn't even know we had]. Count how many headlights between each traffic light. Hmmmmm.

I also remember trying to fly when I was a kid. I remember dreaming it. I remember thinking that I could really take off IF ONLY I could get a faster start.

A Letter to My Wonderful Sister

Hi ho Most Wonderful Sister in the Whole Wide World,

I just realized that I haven't told you lately how much I love you and how happy I am to be your sister!!! Your'e the bestest, most wonderous Sisterly One forevARRRRRRRRRRRR.

So: yeah!!! That's all. Just wanted you to know. It's great being YOUR sis.

Luv u to bits,

~~*me*~~

xxxx0000xxxxx

How do Zoo do?

Zoo At Home

Sometimes, well no, actually, all the time, I wonder who really lives here?

Is it me and Bobby?

Or is it those four footed wonders Jake the wonder-puppy, Holly the Halloween cat, and Tigger the miscreant?

Take tonight for example. I am taking a short break prior to din din. On the couch, trying to watch the news. First chance I have had to sit down since 5:45AM.

Tigger--on the stairs--is whining his fool head off VERY loudly.

Jake is sitting on me.

Holly is sitting on my chest doing the puddy-paw kneading trick.

I yell at Tigger to "Shut UP". He comes by to investigate. Jake moves up in life: he is now perched on the back of the couch overhanging my neck. Holly takes up Jake's position on my lap.

Then Jake runs to the door and waits expectantly. Whereas other NORMAL dogs bark to go out, Jake just waits by the door. He barks to get back in. Apparently barking is not reciprocal.

It seems that I navigate the house trying to avoid animals. I can't open the door because SOMEBODY might escape. I can't leave my door open because the three of the them would probably fight in the middle of the night, waking me up. I can't have Holly in the room anyway because I am too allergic.

Usually I am stepping over one of them on the stairs. They like to hide and play ankle-biter. (They don't bite me but they lie in wait for each other.)

Every move I make is coordinated in some way to the ebb and flow of pets.

God's gift to mankind, eh? I wonder.

Weekend? What freakin weekend?

Back in the Day

Back in the day, a weekend really lasted for 2 days and 3 nights. Now, a weekend goes so fast that if you blink you miss it. How DID that happen?

It seems totally--and I mean TOTALLY!--impossible that twoooooooo days have passed since school closed last Friday. Where have the nights gone? I have been up each morning shortly after 5AM. What madness is this?

White Rock was just as breathtaking as ever. And Marine Drive by the ocean, was just as crowded as ever. People dining al fresco. All the beautiful people. Lots of bling bling mc's as well. On the winding drive homeward we discussed methods of broadsiding the mortgage within the next decade.

How can I pay a mortgage when I am retired? I want to sleep in past 5AM, go for leisurely walks, get some fresh air, go to the Library, hang out online, write write write, and meet new friends. I doubt that I can do all that on a fixed income unless the mortgage is paid off.

Ten years. Doesn't give me much time. Is it enough and can Bobby pull a rabbit out of a hat FOR ME?
Quando, quando tu verrai...dimmi quando, quando, quando?????

~~*Myst*~~

Langley Cruise In + Panavision BBQ

Langley Cruise In

Annual event of much reknown, the Langely Cruise In is held on my street, Fraser Highway, between 200th and about 208th. I was there, early this morning, to attend my regular Saturday morning weigh in @ Weight Watchers. The cars were already lining up, parking, and crowds were gathering.

It's HUGE: I mean HUGE!!! But for us locals, we see it every Friday night here. LOL. (See previous entry "Java Hut Friday Nights").

If there is any make or model of Olde Time car that you have always loved just believe it. It's here. Or if there is any make or model of motorcycle that you just adore, come and check those out, too.

Panavision BBQ

Too bad for Bobby-boy that the annual Panavision staff BBQ/baseball game was being held today, too. He worked all day on his Famous Chili rather than attending the Cruise In. When we lived in Richmond, then Surrey (Strawberry Hill), we always used to love to go to the Cruise In and battle the parking crowds. Now, when it would be so easy just to hop on the chopper for 5 blocks...guess who is today in Richmond all day and all night? LOL.

Bob just loves the staff BBQ and he eagerly anticipates it each year. He's so keen. If there is one thing that he really, truly looks forward to, it's that BBQ. I know he wishes I would go with him, but NOT. Too much shop talk for me, even though his workmates are a very nice group. I really like talking to Kim and Bentley. Sarah is always pretty funny, too. Especially after a couple of beer. Viktor is super nice, but he's away to his homeland for a vacation. Ian wasn't there either of the two times that I went and they're the ones that I am familiar with. Josef I haven't ever really talked to and I'm not sure if he's a BBQ-guy or not.

But, ya know. I don't think Bob would in any way enjoy any of my staff "do's" and it's kind of a reciprocal agreement.

~~*Myst*~~

We's Jesss Soooo Tie-red

Oh, yeah. Those of us on the top of the hill sure are tired these days.

I come home from work, just feel like "being me" and relaxing.

In fact, I just feel like--for once--being spoiled, being waited on, being loved.

Really, I just NEED some attention. I just need to feel special to someone.

You know? I still remember the good old days with N***. Even though it was a very long time ago, and MUCH water under the bridge, you don't forget what it feels like when your man knows how to please you, how to make you happy with just his mind. What it feels like when you KNOW, you absolutely KNOW, that you really make somebody truly happy and they make you truly happy. Your whole day is spent in eager anticipation of the moment when you will both, finally, be able to fall into each other's arms and just "be".

When the doors to the outside world close gently around you because the only world you need is in his eyes.

Get the Can Opener! Porsche is Stuck Closed

Get the Can Opener!

Tonight Bob was planning on doing some rewiring cuz his brake lights don't show for some reason. Only the running lights do. So when he tried to open the hood (which is the trunk) it wouldn't.

Stuck.

Apparently it has a pen*s-like mechanical lock inside there. And NO you can't get to it from under the car without removing the front bumper. They made 'em solid in 1969.

Maintaining a classic car is a love/hate relationship. When he gets the problem uh, "licked", he'll feel so superior. But in the meantime we are in for the slamming of doors and such.

The Seniors' Conspiracy

1964.
Oakridge Mall, Vancouver.
Woodwards Furniture.

I thought I was going to die...of embarrassment. My parents were purchasing a new couch, for the den, that would convert to a bed for guests. And the MOST EMBARRASSING thing in the world happened right in front of my eyes. My dad lay down on the bed, in public, to try it out! I ran from the store, out to the mall, to escape such hideous and unfounded punishment as witnessing such a debasing event.

The point is, of course, that what seems like emotional-overhaul to a teenager seems normal, reasonable, and sane to an adult.

If I was buying a new mattress or new couch now as an adult you bet I'd try it out. Who wouldn't?

The Seniors' Conspiracy
2005
Cloverdale, Casa Mia

Passing successfully through middle age to the peaceful la-la land of seniority brings more than a wealth of trying out new mattresses.

There is very little of life that hasn't been experienced. Savored. Life's cycles have been re-cycled more than once. What was good bears repeating again. What was bad bears repeating too, with an acerbic wit and derision.

Seniors don't waste words. They don't waste time. Why suffer fools gladly when the cycles in life seem to be repeating a bit more quickly these days?

The Seniors' Conspiracy is the legacy of sharing adventures from the past; however, not to recreate them but to filter the lifeblood, the joie de vivre, the esprit of our lives through the layers of time.

Dude! It's kind of like a shape-shifter. Seniors morph through words, that's all.

Java Hut Friday Nite

Alternate Title: Best Kept Secret in Langley!

Well, tonight we joined "the locals" at the Java Hut on the by-pass for what, apparently, is a longstanding tradition. Muscle cars (looked like about 500 but Bob said 200) parking, revving, all dolled up. Every weekend! I saw three that were my favorites! First of all, a turquoise and white, convertible '56 Chevy BelAir. Then, as we were leaving, a '57 Chevy with fins, also turquoise and white. And then...the MOST GORGEOUS white convertible Mustang with white wheels. Everything in the car was white. I think it was like an 88 but everything on the car was brand new. OMG the white leather! Drool. Orgasmic.

Also saw a fair number of show bikes (motorcycles with gleaming chrome, flashing blue lights, and expensive flame paint jobs). The bikes were better than ones you see on tv. Bike bling is huge.

Of course we had to arrive in the Porsche and like nobody even cared. The people there at Java Hut are only interested in muscle cars. As we drove in, some kid commented, "Look at this thing."

I made the observation that some might say Bob has it all. A Harley chopper. A red Porsche 911S.

~*~Myst~*~

West Coast and Loving It

Tim Hortons or Starbucks ?

Blueberries at School

So last night Anna V called and said the blueberries were in, and she'd deliver them to school today. So the two boxes cost me ten dollars and the gas there and back probably cost almost that much as well. But they ARE sweet: oh, so sweet. Still...they have to be frozen. Even with a little blue jag on I'd have to be crazy to be able to eat that many fresh ones! LOL.

Tim Hortons or Starbucks?

Ever suffer from caffeine withdrawal? Geez, it's a beach! I get headaches that crawl down the back of my neck past my shoulders, then wrap around in front of my ears. Sometimes the pain makes me nauseous and nothing seems to help. Except good, strong coffee. The jolt that makes me so happy! So for the past two days I have been frequenting the TH drive thru at the bottom of the hill behind the gas station. My particular poison? A medium black coffee which I bring back here and do the Coffeemate-Lite thing. Works like a golden charm. The coffee's smooth, the price is right [$1.20] and I love the taste.

So I am looking across the corner at the new construction which will be--promised by Halloween--a new shopping mall. Supposed to have a liquor store, a neighbourhood pub, a big drugstore, and a Starbucks. Very good. But what about Timmy H? If I have to go running out for a coffee for the nth headache next year, will I have to pay $4.00 at Starbucks instead of TH's low price?

I met a lady in line at Safeway the other morning. She was carrying a tall TH coffee. [You KNOW they have in-store Starbucks in Safeway, right?]. Apparently she said she boycotts Starbucks in favor of Tims. I believe her cause was price-related. At school, Jodi supports the TH cause for flavor.

So now Starbucks are in-store in Safeway. Please, Mr. Thrifty or Mr. Fairway, or Mr. Save-on-Foods aka Jimmy Pattison, can't we have an in-store Tim Hortons in other grocery chains? That would bring in MY business!!! Not that I'm complainiing about SB in Safeway. In fact, OF COURSE, I have used it on several occasions. I mean. Come on! This IS the WestCoast after all. LOLOL.

Ikira: The Great Goddess Ikira

Today I am going to Willowbrook where Kira--oops, The Great Goddess Ikira--is working. I have some shoppies to do @ Zellers and some visiting and plan on doing my daily exercise at the mall because it is cool and cloudy. Rained overnight.

In the cart today will be some matte ceramic plates for everyday dinner stuff here at home; some matte ceramic minitray thingies for the coffee table; possibly getting over to Bowring for the little statue I have been wanting for such a long time (and if they don't have any left on the shelves I will be pissed).

So, it's great not to have any money. Mr. Mastercard I do thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. I see that the color is leaving my hair and the under-red is showing through more and more. I guess that's the nature of the beast.

Pacific Myst on a good day 

New Transportation ???

Kinda kicking around the idea of either buying a Scooter or a new car.

re: Scooter. Honda Jazz. They are so cute! And I really love them. Cost: 2599 new. 3/4 price used.

re: new car. Pontiac Wave. 5 door. aqua. upgrade option. has door locks and CD or mp3 player. small. great on gas. Cost: 14,000

Having a scooter would be so fun in the summer. You'd think someone would be selling one for about half price but apparently...NOT!!!

I still really love my red car, though. It's a great car. Think I'll go compare mileage and so forth.

The Dark Abyss

My life: the dark abyss. I see life swirling past in multivariate colors. I see my life black and stagnant.

Bob! I want to tell you something amazing and wonderful and it concerns YOU, my dear.

Life as we know it did not stop happening in the 60s and 70s. Amazingly...and I know this is difficult for you to ascertain, life has continued for more than two decades since 1979 closed the door. Two mostly (for you) invisible decades.

This weekend we could have been @Kits, in Vancouver, watching the fireworks. Pre-Bob, I NEVER missed going at least once per year. Everyone does. But I don't. We don't.

I really need to maintain total focus on WW for the next year or so until I reach my goal-weight. But after that, and it could certainly be longer than just one year, I need to re-establish my cultural identity. I'm talking opera, live plays, movies bug me so they're out, fireworks, parades, local events. I am going to join a club out here in Cloverdale or Langley. Really need to get out of the house to experience the pleasures of living. I really really need more live music in my life, that's certain. And dancing....

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, dancing. How I miss dancing SO MUCH!!!!! Dancing and music used to make me so happy, so alive.

I can't wait for the next year to be over and I can minimize the diet thing and maximize the art of living. I miss LIFE so much.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Supercilious? Who, me? Well, maybe, but we have waited for summer for such a long, long time. And I'm just ITCHING to get me a scooter. Wanna be a scooter-bug, fer sure. LOL.

I never used to understand the pull of the mobile-home grannies association. I'd see these freakin old dudes driving (slow) down the highway and think to myself that I would NEVER be like that, and if I ever even said I wanted one, I admonished myself to SHOOT ME BEFORE I MULTIPLY!!!

I get it, now, finally. Those old fogies were the first instance I saw of age-appropriate networking. They'd travel arround the country, looking for group acceptance among their own kind, which is to say people their age and somewhat-status: retired, carefree, have a few bucks, don't have to make a deadline, and child-free. FREE!

Now that I am fast approaching the age where my peers ARE retiring, it seems like a wonderful life, full of promise and hope. Friendship. New vistas. *sighs*

Monday Rainy Morning

Well, Bob's holidays are finally over. AND...I managed to survive the week, intact.
Boy! He needs to get his meds checked.
Tomorrow is our "MOM's" shopping day in Richmond to plan and get stuff for the shower. I am taking the guest list, the plates and napkins, Gail's copy of the Engagement picture, and some streamers. I should print out the mock up of their engagement notice for the Richmond Review, as well.

It's another stupidly raining day...week...month here in BC. Last year was the perfect summer with sun every day in July, and every day but two in August. This year we haven't had even ONE day of sun in July yet. That sux.

I found out from Carrie that the wedding dresses are going to be pale pink, black and white. Mostly pink. I am not sure if I can reasonably coordinate with those colors and my planned-on teal blue. Well, we'll see. I'll ask Gail Storm what color she was thinking of for herself. I doubt very much if it would be teal blue.

Ciao bellissimi!

Sisterly One

The Inscrutable One

Hi Bev and Phil

Hi Bev and Phil !

Sunday....

Thanks for the great weather today. I'm sure it's your benevolent influence. This looks like a Calgary-day to me.

It was great seeing both of you yesterday and showing you NEW HOUSIE. One of the things I love best about it is the small size of the yard. And the fact that we don't have to do any gardening. LOL. The only thing I don't really appreciate is being on such a busy corner. I have never lived on a busy street before and there is constant traffic day and night. Within 5 years it will be developed into two lanes (which it really does need) so the traffic will effetively double. As Bob says...SOUND BAFFLES.

Zayvin had his Haqq-family reunion last night. It wasn't the best weather but at least it wasn't raining and he could easily have his BBQs going. We're going over there for leftover roti, pelau, and curry something later today. I love roti with channa inside. (Dried, powdered and spiced chick peas. Yum.) It's kinda funny to me that Zayvin had to scatch around to find somebody to make them and pay.

Going to C-Lovers blew the diet for yesterday. We had sushi for dinner and Bob added tinned beans, his all-time fav. Yesterday was a good day for him but he hasn't had too many of those, lately. I am positive that his diabetic meds are "off" and need to be tweaked. Another blood test next weekend for sure. When those shopping centers are developed across the street and down the street from us (supposed to be by October this year) I hope there are some doctors or at least a walk-in clinic. We're getting to the age that we really NEED a family doctor but family medicine is going the other way. The closest family practitioner to us, according to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, is about 10 miles out into the valley. So, yeah.

So it's back to the WW diet for me and hopefully I will be able to recoup yesterday's losses before Thursday night and weigh in time.

I'll try to get a flight for a quick few days. Believe it or not, I have never booked a flight online before and I will have to go through the discovery process on that one. LOL. Hopefully cya around the end of July.

Luv you,

Me.

Pegasus 

Picasa, Hello, and Blogspot

Today has been a pretty strange day. Last night when I was downloading free picasa, I decided to try out the ordering thing from wally world. WOW. I'm impressed. It look like a couple of hours and that...was all! And the pics, of Carrie and Zayv's engagement, look fabulous.

So, another blog is started. More later with links to other blogs of note.

Myst