it's official

I am now a proud member of the cloud appreciation society. Denise and I received our certificates of membership and membership badges in the mail yesterday. Now I have a duty to keep my head in the clouds. The certificate says so.

From now on expect random cloud pics and society news from Denise and myself. We have a responsibility, nay a moral obligation, as the North American chapter of the CAS to spread the joy of clouds. I would like to point out that my membership number is 1055 (as you can see) and having seen Denise's certificate in a scanned pic she emailed me, she is 1061. So if the CAS is like the Stonecutters, and I think they are, this means I am her master. At least when it comes to appreciating clouds.

amen

"I'm not into working out. My philosophy: No pain, no pain."

- Carol Leifer

charmy

Ok so I did get a gift on Admin professionals day. Connie got me a Muramatsu puzzle of adorable kittens. Thank you Connie! It’s called ‘charmy day’. That’s my new motto, to make everyday a charmy one. Not like the show, which is probably evil. Just charmy. When I’ve done it (with Jer’s help) I’ll get that puzzle glue stuff and make it permanent so I can hang it on my wall. I only do puzzles once. That’s right I said it. Once.

poo bum bottom

I just found out that it’s administrative professionals/assistant whatever's day. I had no idea, I found out from a blog ( a small victory). You’d think I’d have a desk full of flowers and toys and pez dispensers – but no, nothing. I give you the best hours of my day! Shame on all of you. Pout.

And I mean POUT.

denise's pics

Denise got a new digital camera (all professional-like) and last Sunday dinner took some snaps. Here are two lovely flattering shots of and me and Jeremy respectively, and an unflattering one that he seems to think is funny. He had mushed my face next to his and I was pouting and trying to pull away so we wouldn’t take a nasty picture. Meh.

pope or nope

Your Papal Name is Pope Adrian VII

You think Pope Benedict IX was a Saint who should have indulged himself a bit more. You're already halfway though "How to Excommunicate for Fun and Profit" and, if you were made Pope, you would have the treasures of the Vatican on eBay before the end of week one.

Get your own name at What's My Papal Name?

no seriously

Ok I promise not to post about my TV – after this. I cleaned my living room last night and I took a picture because I know no one would believe me if I just told them. I basically switched the room but now the TV is in a little alcove so it doesn’t stick out into the room as much and it’s off to the side so it’s not the centre of attention. As much as is possible anyway with a beast like that. Actually that'll be her name. BEAST. Or maybe Behemoth. I can’t decide. Either way I can call her Bea for short. Anyway I digress. While cleaning I found numerous mouse poos and shredded Kleenex. Lovely. I also found stuff people have lost when they visited, my phonebook, my gameboy and all sorts of other wonderful things. It’s still messy, I have to tackle my bookshelf and pile of crap in front of it, but after that I’ll be set. Except for the dishes. But technically that’s the kitchen so it doesn’t count even if they are in the same room.

In case you’re wondering what’s on TV in the pic, that is Olivia comforting a rape victim on Law and Order SVU. I love you detective Benson.

overboard

I bought my first TV this weekend. It’s not the first TV I’ve had but it’s the first I bought all by myself all for myself. And it’s a BEAST. You can see it compared to the TV I had been watching. Wowza. Not that I didn’t love that little TV (thank you Dave and Connie), we’ll put it in the bedroom for movies or something. I’m not a big fan of having a TV in the bedroom but it’d be nice on a rainy weekend to lay in bed and watch movies all day.

As for my new TV it’s great, but I fear that I should’ve gotten a smaller one. They’re so cheap these days and I was pumped I could afford it but in my little apartment it’s a bit much. It’s like being in the theatre. It’s great for movies but the news was a little overwhelming this morning. The volume is so nice tho. With my old TV we had to crank it to hear anything. The traffic noises on Yonge St are severe as you can imagine, and the hotter it gets the more windows I’ll have open and it'll just get louder. Now we can actually hear things. I just need an antenna.

*update - Ok I just called Jeremy at my apartment (he doesn’t have to work till 11ish), and asked him what he’s watching. Alien vs Predator. Nice. I told him I’d already done my post and said that I’d gone a little overboard with the TV. He assured me it’s perfect.

just a thursday night

Here is the pizza Jeremy and I always end up getting. Chicken, sausage, provolone and asiago. I think. I’m not sure about the cheeses. Not like we need to know. Jeremy just walks in and asks for ‘the usual’. Delish.
I gave Jeremy his souvenir. He loved it. Who knew they made pink baseballs. I shied away from the inflatable bat as it’s Jeremy we’re talking about, but it turns out with a baseball I’m the menace. I’m surprised I didn’t put a hole in my wall. What can I say I’m used to having a yard to play in.

Jeremy got a haircut. I was home for half an hour before I knew. When I got to my apartment he was there taking a nap with the sheet wrapped around his head. Nothing out of the ordinary there. I gave him his baseball, we talked about our respective days at work and the sheet stayed on. Still, nothing unusual. Then I went in the other room to read for a bit and when Jeremy came in he said he should be a rock star and he had my black wig on. Sadly, still nothing unusual. It was on for like 10 minutes before I realized it was backward and yanked it off to fix it. THAT’S when I saw the new army ‘do. I love it.
And also here’s a picture of me just to balance things out. Plus I look cute.

pseudo sister in-law game night

Last night Hayley and I went to see the Blue Jays play the Yankees. What fun. We had very nice seats (as you can see) and had the good fortune to be seated next to hardcore Yankees fans and a large group of pre-teens cheering on the Jays. Now this may seem like I was being sarcastic but it really was fortunate. At first we were like ‘oh god, school trip’. But as the game wore on their antics were increasingly amusing. I didn’t get a pic of Superfan (Yankee lover) yelling at 13 year olds but you can see him here, and also the kid he was yelling at for the first part of the game (leave the kid alone, he’s wearing a Jimi Hendrix shirt, he’s probably cool).

Superfan was cursing up a storm and eventually this older fatherly man stood up and said, ‘watch your language please’ and then another guy stood up and said ‘yeah there are kids here’. Speechless, Superfan took his seat. Welcome to Canada. Sigh, I love it. Okay so the school group tried a billion times to get the wave started but alas, were unsuccessful. One tot even came over and sat down beside Hayley asking us if we wanted to do the wave. So cute. We said no.

Lucky for me I discovered that Hayley, like her brother, is willing to be a runner/gopher. This translates into ‘Clara doesn’t have to get up’. Marvelous.I bought Jeremy the cutest souvenir but you’ll have to wait till tomorrow to see it, I want him to be surprised. It’s perfect but I can’t take all the credit, it was his sister’s idea.


After the game we went to the Flatiron for a drink, and I actually mean A drink. I get about halfway through my pint and spill it all over the table. I was telling a story and gesturing with my arms to portray the moment when I swept Jeremy off his feet. Before you ask, no I wasn’t drunk. I had two beer at the ballgame, and those are $6.50 dixie cups of beer. I guess I just really am that klutzy. Maybe I need more iron.

In conclusion, it was great, and I know have players that I like more than others. But for un-sports related reasons. Like Hinskie has facial hair like Jeremy and Rios did something good ( I can’t remember what but people started cheering – not Superfan) while we were talking about him. Plus he’s cute.

pick a pic - results

So Connie you’re first up in the pickapic….

Here’s my makeup ‘bag’ in all its glory. Glorious disarray anyway.

Maria, wanted to see my teeth so here ya go. Check out those canines. Grrowr.

Ice Queen - Jeremy says we have to wait a bit for the swan boats to come but don’t worry I’ll get that pic.
Jamie, the hunt is on for the most decrepit vehicle on the streets of Toronto.
Denise, I could post a pic of Jeremy and I together right now, but I’m going to get something new for you.

thanks for your participation and patience regarding some of the pics (and the fact that I always say/write pic instead of picture). I’ll always be open to any curiosity/challenge if you lot get anymore bright ideas.

memevidaentoronto

tagged by Maria.

Q: You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
The lady was no lady by Duchess Morehead

Hee hee.

Q: Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Um hello!! Vincent Valentine is my perfect man. He’s from a Video game tho. From a book it would have to be Alexander Solarin from The Eight by Katherine Neville. He can kick ass and play chess. C’mon.

Q: The last book you bought is:
A whole stack of used romance novels and sci-fi from ABC books.

Q: The last book you read:
the proper wife by julia justiss

Q: What are you currently reading?
a marriage by chance by carolyn davidson (ok I’m on a romance binge)

Q: Five books you would take to a desert island.
the eight by katherine neville
Elephant song by wilbur smith
Fionavar tapestry by guy gavriel kay
Angel by johanna lindsay
The diamond age by neal stephenson


Q: Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?

Rebecca – loves books and will think of something clever to say
Elo – loves books and needs an excuse to get wrtiting more posts
Mary – I’m sure she likes to read. Don’t you?

new pope

so there's a new pope...

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany is now Pope Benedict XVI.

feel free to check out vatican.va. It takes forever for the pages to load tho. I guess patience is a virtue.

pick a pic

I need participation for this post. Yes I said it, participation!! I’m asking you to tell me what you want me to take a picture of. It’s like Maria’s post awhile back. It can be things you’re curious about regarding myself and my life or a challenge. Like, the nastiest looking pigeon in Toronto ( I saw it on Sunday – it was rancid. I wished I had my camera with me).

And Jeremy you can't request pictures of yourself.

filthy friday

So on Friday night Jer and I met up with George, Cathie and Laura and went to Filthy McNasty’s where we met Kevin. As you can see we had a good time. Featured below are Cathie, Laura and my boobs, Jeremy looking devilishly handsome, George dipping Cathie and Kevin not quite being able to keep his eyes open. I managed to do so in these pics but it wasn’t easy let me tell you.



Don’t you think Betty and Veronica need a tan?

i suffer for my art...others should too

I’ve gone through a pseudo-creative phase between last night and now. Back in high school I painted gold glitter nail polish on a white bic lighter so it would match my prom ensemble. Well feast your eyes upon the new fruits of my labours – four stunning and entirely original lighters. Aren’t they grand? Simple, yet elegant. Ahhh, bic lighters.

We’re having a baby shower at work for one of the managers and I was in charge of balloon blowing. I did this once before and now apparently I am the official blower. Well I am good at it. You’d be amazed at how many people are completely baffled by a balloon in a balloon. “how on earth…”, “did they come like that?” and “it’s a balloon – in another balloon!?! Wow!” Now I’m thrilled at the compliments, they are nice balloons (with baby themed confetti inside the clear balloons), but it’s not rocket science people. Maybe I’m just so gifted with balloons that I take it for granted. Sigh, the curse of true greatness.

dearly beheaded, uh, i mean beloved...

I found my dead celebrity soulmate via webjunkie today. My top match was Henry the VIII. Whaaa? I don’t get that, especially since I specifically requested ‘tall and lanky’. I do adore those lean lotharios. Anyway my second match was Billy the Kid. What does this say about me? I think it’s because I checked ‘smoking & drinking’ in the interests section. Oh Henry…..

update* - i took the test again to see who my female match is. y'know just in case. and i got Mata Hari. i knew nothing about her but the article i linked is fascinating. i think i love her.

betty & veronica

Well you all know my ass is named Sparky Abner. Well thanks to Maria’s link to Blogthings I’ve discovered what my boobs are named...

Your Boobies' Names Are: Betty and Veronica

Get your own Boobie Names

I tried just ‘clara’ and got Tweedledee & Tweedledum, then I tried ‘clara lynn’ and got Thelma and Louise but it just didn’t feel right. After doing my full name Betty and Veronica popped up and I knew it was perfect. I’m sure Jeremy will be thrilled but I can’t tell you why, he’d kill me. Anyway what do you think? More than just a passing resemblance I’m sure.

sat and sun

Saw Sin City this weekend. So good. If you don’t like comic books don’t watch it. My favourite parts were anything featuring the ladies of old town. Busty badass scantily clad gun-toting prostitutes? Awesome. My dream girl would fit right in there.

Jeremy and myself also went to refried beats…again. I love the little treasures we find there. I picked up Knightriders on one of our last trips – and it looks FABULOUS! Jeremy thinks it looks awful but what does he know. He won’t even watch In The Woods.

I was a little disappointed that the TTC strike didn’t happen. Hopefully I won’t get lynched for saying that but it would have been cool to have seen the pandemonium. At least for one day. I wasn’t living here for the blackout so I missed that excitement. Also the Yonge & Dundas shooting occurred on the weekend so I missed that as well. Actually I’m okay with missing that. I could’ve been shot in my ass. Like Forrest Gump.

ttc strike

canada.com-

National Post
"STRIKE! Toronto will be facing a transit strike Monday morning. Toronto's transit workers have rejected the latest contract offer from their employer today, calling it "inadequate." The union says buses, subways and streetcars will stop running Monday morning as workers withdraw their services. That means 1.3 million daily commuters will be forced to find other means of transportation in Canada's most populous city."

Update* Ok you can get the full story now here.

the kelso effect

Whenever Jeremy and I go to refried beats we get a crapload of movies. When we realized we’d both already seen the law and order svu last night, we decided to pop one in until the apprentice started. Oh. My. It was one of those movies that you have no expectations for (it’s starring Ashton Kutcher for goodness sake!) but it just blows you away. I can’t get over how much I loved it. The only reason I bought it was because Denise said she loved it and well, it was like $10 (we love you refried beats). Anyway the movie I’m talking about is……The Butterfly Effect. Seriously go watch it. Now.

snooze

Wow. So I was sooooooo tired last night and decided to have a nap at 8:00. I woke up at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep until 6:30. I read a book, watched some TV, listened to music, whatever ( i had to get up to take out my contacts and the garbage - it was critical). Anyway I eventually went back to bed and long story short – I woke up at 8:32! Somehow I managed to be at work for 8:50, thank you TTC – please don’t go on strike. So for those of you who maintain that I take forever to get ready, let this serve as proof that i can be dressed, haired, make-uped and out the door in less than 15 minutes.

Not a shabby skill to have.

Happy birthday Kaity!! 19 years wahoo let's go drinkin!!

Two Overheard’s that apply to me:

Player: Listen man, all I've figured out so far is that you have to stay away from the ones with tattoos on their back.

***

Woman on cell: ...hon, she had a gut!
Little boy: Mom, chubby is the new black.

damn city mice

Well Fievel has proven to be a worthy adversary. First I put out poison, which he moved to various locations in my apartment. This weekend I bought the neck-breaking mouse-traps and a tub of peanut butter and let Jeremy carry out his fool-proof plan. We spent the next few days waiting anxiously for that horrible SNAP as a trap was sprung. When I got home last night I checked the traps and the peanut butter had been licked clean off every one and none had been triggered. I told Jer when he came over and he didn’t believe me. After getting down on hands and knees and seeing it for himself he sprang up and heatedly said ‘cunning bastard’.

All right mousy, you win this round. But you've gotten cocky - darting out to stare at me as I watch tv.....tunneling into my garbage.....foraging among my DVD's!! Next I’m getting the glue paper and if I catch you I’m flinging you into the alley behind my apartment where the junkies hang out. It’s on.

Overheard:

Woman: But I thought you said it was okay if we slept with other people?
Man: No, I didn't! Why the fuck would I say that?!
Woman: Wasn't that you? I guess not.

Overheard:

A mother and daughter catching snowflakes on their tongues.

Mother: I caught one, did you catch one?
Daughter: Yes!
Mother: Mine was too small, it tasted tiny.
Daughter: I got one!
Mother: What does it taste like?
Daughter: Power!

cabin fever

Well I’ve now done something new I had never done before. Spent the weekend nursing someone through a fever. It was mainly a matter of forcing Advil down his throat, taking his temperature every 10 minutes and slapping a wet cloth on his forehead even tho he threatened me with bodily harm for doing so.

It also involved getting a raspberry slush puppy at 7 in the morning, because it would make him feel better, calling his mother every half hour with progress reports and questions and being up and dressed, ready to go to the hospital just in case since 6 in the morning.

I feel like I’ve been through some sort of rite of passage. If I was still a girl guide I’m sure I would get the ‘nursing an invalid’ badge. Technically tho it would be ‘nursing a cranky, grumpy invalid who has reverted to age 6’ badge.
I wonder what that would look like?

minijer

*altered at grinchala