My Flog for October 31 + Hark! What is That Sound?

My morning started with the usual 'must be Monday' routine.  I went in the Sky Train station, paid for my 2 zone ticket at a ticket machine, and then headed up the stairs to the train platform. Halfway up, I realized I shouldn't have to walk, as there is usually an escalator to take me up to the next level. Strange. Then I realized I was going up the down staircase, and had to go back down, across the lobby, and up the escalator to the waiting train. Whew. A truly Tamar moment.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Bean and Bacon Soup. (I wouldn't just call it Bean Soup, because if I asked anyone what they were eating, and they said, "Bean Soup," I would automatically ask, " Yes, but what is it now?"), and yogurt
• Dinner - A slice of pizza
• Snacks - Granola Bar, Iced Mocha, Diet Pepsi

Note: No Hallowe'en treats! Yet!

Tons of fireworks again tonight. It's a good job the cops aren't arresting everyone who's setting them off, as it is illegal to set off fireworks in the city.  The neighbours must have ordered the noisiest ones available, and it's another whizz bang explosive kind of night. What with Diwali celebrations and Hallowe'en celebrations and houses ablaze with Christmas lights, I am feeling very confused. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up tomorrow to an Easter Egg hunt. .

My Flog for October 30

• Breakfast - Coffee and Home-Made Bread Toasted 'on the ring.' The bread sure looked funny, but it tasted yummy - just ask Lizzie, she stole some of mine
• Lunch - Bean and Bacon Soup - I must say, it tasted a lot better today than last night. I bet if I keep it in the fridge for a few weeks, it will be absolutely wonderful.
• Dinner - Goulash made by a very grumbly complaining husband, and a slice of funny-looking fresh bread
• Snacks - Yogurt, Diet Pepsi, Hot Chocolate, and  3 cake pops - yes, three, but they were very tiny and put an end to my craving for a cupcake

Well, if truth be told, they weren't that tiny, and a cupcake probably would have been less frosting, but probably the same amount of cake. Oh well. I don't know why I feel the need to sabotage my so-called diet a couple of days before the end of every month, but that seems to be the normal thing now.

The Diwali-celebrating neighbours are still popping fireworks, although not to the extent of a few nights ago. I don't think they'll keep me awake tonight though - I am utterly pooped, and plan on popping a couple of painkillers for my enormous headache before I hit the sack. Two more days of work and I get four days off - I really enjoy my day offs, as compared to the way I feel about my day ons. Tomorrow I get the joy of training a new staff member - what an honour for a part-time employee who has been with the company for 15 years and makes 50 cents an hour above minimum wage. Enough said about that. Enough said about everything, I think.

My Flog for October 29 + Box, Bean & Bacon Soup , and Bread Blues, All Bummers.

Okay. You may think I have it easy, but you'd be wrong. 97% of my Stuff is in boxes, which in itself isn't a really bad thing. However, last week, when I wanted to find some kitchen stuff, I had to climb up the stepladder, squish myself between a desk and the wall, and move three layers of boxes high and three layers wide to find what I needed - the box was the last one in, and the last one under. Every box I packed had a list of inside stuff written on the outside, but somehow the words were on the back of each box. Nothing is easy.

I thought I could live with that, until today, when I went looking for some more needed stuff. This Stuff I knew I had packed earlier on, weeks before our actual move, so I thought the box I needed would be under the stairs. These boxes, stowed away by moi, were only two layers wide, and I made sure the words were visible. After moving all the outer ones, I realized what I was looking for was not there, so it was back to Howard's stowaway corner - and the box I needed, which was three layers in and three layers under, on the opposite side from the previous needed box. I am tired of moving, lugging and lifting boxes. In fact, I am beginning to hate boxes in general.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Brunch - Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Toast and Coffee at A&W in the Richmond Centre
• Dinner - Bacon and Bean Soup, fresh Dinner Roll filled with home-made goodness - the Bacon and Bean Soup recipe came from our last copy of the DownHome Magazine, and if I think it is worthy, I'll post the recipe below....if it's not there, it's pretty bad. 
• Snacks - 1/4 Cranberry Orange Muffin, Yogurt, Diet Pepsi

BEAN AND BACON SOUP
Don't bother. Get KFC instead.

By the Way: When my two loaves (but no fishes) were in the oven, my husband decided there was heat escaping from the oven door, so used the lever near the top of the oven door to tightly secure the oven door. After 20 minutes of baking, the top of the bread looks like giant mushrooms, and there is no heat in the oven. That's when my clever shipwright of a husband realized the lever on the oven door is to use when the oven self-cleans, and said oven doesn't heat up. Damn.

My prognosis on the outcome of the two loaves is not good. We'll see. We may forgive, but we absolutely will not forget.

My Flog for October 28 + The Dolly Mixture Expose

Previous Flogs have raised people's curiosity over Dolly Mixtures, so here is a link for you curious souls -

http://www.handycandy.co.uk/dolly-mixture-p-34.html 

- however, don't blame me if it makes you wonder about what is listed in the ingredients of YOUR favourite treat. From now on, all ingredient listings are banned, on the premise that what you don't know can't hurt you - or stop you enjoying an occasional sweet.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee - I have to stop getting up at 5 o'clock and having coffee with my husband, as he usually just takes his coffee downstairs anyway and leaves me sitting at the table by myself (I do comb my hair and wash my face first...) Since I can't have morning coffee without toast, I get so hungry by ten o'clock I could eat a cow. Just not cow gelatin. 
• Lunch - Cheerios w/Milk and 3/4 of Lizzie's grilled cheese sandwich. I hope I don't get in the habit of finishing off the kids' meals, as they hardly ever finish meals themselves. This could get dangerous.
• Dinner - Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes and Corn Bread - remember the recipe from ages ago? I'll repost the link....hang on -  http://tamarlosesit.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-flog-for-august-10-delicious-corn.html
• Snacks - Ginger Ale, Dolly Mixtures (Yes, I caved in to disgusting ingredients, where is my sense of self, I wonder?), two extra pieces of Corn Bread (I really shouldn't have made it, right?) and a Vanilla Oreo. So those of you who say "Oh I couldn't just eat what you eat!" take heed. I'm sure you could. 

My Flog for October 27 + Peanut Butter Cookie Monsters

Well, another evening closing in, and I seem to want to go to bed, although it's only 7:30 and there's no way I'm hitting the sack yet. Yawn. 

After dinner, the kids made Peanut Butter Cookies (with my help,) and even though Chris kept eating the cookie dough, they ended up with a nice supply. They just had a bedtime snack of three cookies and milk, and I came downstairs to The Cellar so their parents could enjoy their sugar high. It's not that quiet here either, though. The thunderous roar of Diwali fireworks from last night is way behind us, thank heavens, and the memory of that actually makes Howard's snoring easier to bear. To make things worse, now, even my Kitty snores. 

Tomorrow is another Day Off, and as the second of them draws to a close, I realize how much I enjoy Day Offs, and would gladly quit my job if Day Offs were Paid Day Offs. Oh well. 

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Cheerios w/Milk
• Dinner - Pepper Steak, Rice and Mashed Potatoes
• Snacks - Coke, a few Dolly Mixtures, Water, and one little Peanut Butter Cookie (taste test, someone had to do it)

My Flog for October 26

Today I accomplished many many things - I watched 5 episodes of Coronation Street, dozed and nodded off and slept and zoned out, and went to Walmart for onions and mushrooms. Howard drove, the traffic was mad - mad - mad. I don't think we'll be making a 5 o'clock trip there any more. (I'm not complaining- just stating a fact.)

When it came to a choice between eating or lying down, I chose the latter, as you can see. But now I'm soooo hungry - and the smell of onions and mushrooms frying is trailing downstairs...see ya later!

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - a slice of Chris's left over morning toast w/peterbutter, of course, and a slice of cheese
• Dinner - a Crab Cake, good but spicy, now my mouth is burning, a few bites of too-rare-for-me steak, and a few oven baked seasoned spirals, also spicy, 2 Oreo cookies to try to take the hotness out of my mouth and a diet Pepsi. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? 
• Snacks - a few Dolly Mixtures. (When is someone going to ask me what Dolly Mixtures are, anyway? Huh?)

This is going to be one of these evenings, if I don't go to bed soon I'll probably be snacking all night. All of me feels empty - my head, my tummy, my heart. Three days working plus transitting are taking their toll - we are talking about 14 hours from leave the house to get back again - and although some of you may not realize it, I am not a Spring Chicken any more. I am more like a Winter Troll. Oh well. Day One Off seems to be just a slug-a-bed kinda day, Day Two Off will be better - a bit of housework, laundry, and I plan on making home-made bread for a special treat, and heaven only knows what will happens on Day Three! 

My Flog for October 25

Since I've promised I wouldn't complain any more, this Flog is really short and sweet. Well, not sweet. Sugar is sweet, as are chocolate bars, apple pie, chocolate cake..... I'm going to weep now. 

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Veggie Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread, Diet Coke
• Dinner - Fried Potatoes, Beans and Baloney - and that's not a load of baloney. Just had a little plate though, and I am still half starved to death, guess those fat grams haven't settled down yet
• Snacks - Granola Bar, Apple, Water

My Flog for October 24 + Less Clog in My Flog

• Breakfast - Cheerios w/Milk, and Coffee
• Lunch -  Cream of Broccoli Soup and a Roll - mmm - I hope they don't really put cream in Cream of Broccoli Soup - they don't, do they? Nah. Who would ever think of putting cream and broccoli together....yuck...sort of like peanut butter and mayo....right?
• Dinner - Goulash - assuming I can stay awake long enough to eat it - it's still in the raw meat stage....and a slice of bread...
• Snacks - Orange, Granola Bar, Hot Chocolate

I have to apologize for turning my Flog (Food Log) into a Clog (Complaint Log.) I promise I'll try to do better, as I don't want to lose my Loyal Readership. Just because I'm sniffling my way through pre-sunrise transit and shivering in 6 degree mornings doesn't mean I should expect everyone to pity me. I can do that myself. Poor me.

I guess Christmas is nearing, as there are about a thousand boxes in the back area of the store from a supplier called Christmas Forever. I think it will take about Forever to price it all, and as usual, we will all wonder (including our boss) where it will all go - this, naturally, is par for the course, although she always finds the perfect place for everything. Wrestling with the big Christmas Tree Box - untying it from its Cirque du Soleil storage and easing its progress down stairs - is the hardest part. Actually, having a drunken six-foot scarecrow to put outdoors and bring indoors on a daily basis - she is very tipsy and has a broken stand, causing the feet to fall off when she is picked up - causes swears, curses and other unsavoury thoughts, and makes the thought of dealing with that Christmas Tree Box much easier. Only 7 more days and it's Bye Bye Scarecrow - Hello Rudolph!

My Flog for October 23 + Complaints, Moans, and Groans....

• Breakfast - mmmm, let's see if I can remember - oh yes - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - leftover Stir Fry and Mashed Potatoes from last night's dinner - only a little bit, but it was still very very good
• Dinner - Chicken Leg, Macaroni Salad, Lettuce/Tomato/Cucumber Tossed Salad
• Snacks - Caramel Wafer Bar, Hot Chocolate, and Mandarin Orange Sections - from a can

The Sky Train was very ungood on my way home from work this evening, and after a crappy day working, I was in a very ungood mood too. Thanks, Transit, for waiting until I moved to Surrey to upgrade the tracks, thus causing major delays, due to coming and going trains having to share the one track. Sharing is fine in most cases, but not when important people are shivering in wait.

I think the so-called allergies I've been waking up with the past few mornings were actually the forerunners of a major cold - hopefully not a flu - as today I felt sore throaty and sniffly all day long. Even now, after scarfing down a can of mandarin oranges in the hopes of ingesting tons of vitamin C, I feel like crap. Beddy time soon, and hopefully,  the next two days will fly by at super mach speed, because I can't call in sick when there's no one to cover.

My Flog for October 22 + Minor Ramblings

I won't be very surprised if my number on November 1 is very close to my last number - I have a craving for carbs lately, and while I'm trying to ignore it, I'm not ignoring it completely. Oh well. I still don't need all the fat clothes I got rid off, thank heavens, as I would have to go to work in my oversized granny gowns, and they probably wouldn't even let me on the sky train to get there. 

Three days off:

1. Slept, Dozed, Yawned, Watched TV with my eyes closed, Zoned Out
2. Minor housework - laundry, a tidy up, litter box, whatever
3. Helping Howard - Moving Stuff, Lugging Stuff, etc etc. Being a Shipwright's Helper can be a very physical and tiring job, for which there is no monetary reward.

Back to work tomorrow, and the two following days too. Thank heavens our sickie gal is back on her feet, and now we can work her like mad to make up for the time she spent lollygagging around in her jammies. Still short-staffed, though, as (Should I say this? Will I get sued for slander? Or libel? Or Honesty?) another gal got the boot for 'borrowing' money from the till. Oops. Not a good thing to do. 

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Dinner - Pork and Veggie Stir Fry with Rice and left-over Mashed Potatoes (my favourite!)
• Snacks - Granola Bar, ONE Girl Guide Mint Chocolate Cookie, a few Dolly Mixtures, and two little tiny Bisquick Biscuits, Diet Pepsi

My Flog for October 21 - Flog only, nuttin' else, only flog....no snippets of wisdom...

• Breakie - Honey Nut Cheerios with Milk, and Coffee
• Lunch - Scrambled Egg/Cheese Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread
• Dinner - Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
• Snacks - Diet Pepsi, Chocolate Covered Blueberries and Acai Berries, 2 1/2 Lemon Cookies

My Flog for October 20 - Running Low on Fumes...and Motivation....and Humour.... etc.

My first day off fizzled and went out like a wet firecracker. I did a bit of sweeping and tidying this morning, then I worked on the Christmas Stockings for a bit, after a hiatus of about a month, actually, while streaming missed episodes of Coronation Street. Now it's quarter to eight, Steve is playing guitar in the bathroom while the two kidlets are having a vigorous bath (by the sounds of it), Nikkie's gone to Bingo, and I daresay my husband, who tonight is sporting two spectacularly smelly feet, will soon be using them to transport his tired bones to bed.

And me? Well, I'm going to check out the TV schedule, and probably find something to watch until I fall asleep beside him - it will maybe take five minutes to go from an uninteresting show to full out dreamland.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Pea Soup from my favourite bakery, bought on Monday, frozen until today, but still yummy, Yogurt
• Dinner - 1 Slice of Hawaiian Pizza - well, Super Hawaiian Pizza actually, thanks Super Steve
• Snacks - a few Dolly Mixtures, a Granola Bar, a Diet Pepsi, a Banana Nut Muffin that had more calories than taste, but I needed a carb boost, and a few Chocolate Covered Blueberries and Acai Berries (which the kiddies and I used for a picnic on my bed this afternoon while watching Toopy and Binou and other strange looking actors on TreeHouse.)

My Flog for October 19

I remember saying many times, I wish I had a life, and now it seems that I have one, I don't have any time to do the stuff I used to love doing when I didn't have one. Sigh. I hope none of you suffered withdrawal symptoms last night, when you went searching for some little pearls of wisdom and found none. My apologies.

I spent last night at Neil and Shannon's, and bussed to work from Ladner this morning, which wasn't the greatest trip of all times. I had to wait half an hour for a bus connection - the first bus dropped me off at my second bus's stop two minutes after my second bus left for Steveston. So, cold and sleepy, I spent half an hour shivering on the bench, only to arrive at Steveston fifteen minutes before I was supposed to open the store, certainly not enough time to go to McDonalds and buy a McMuffin and Coffee for breakfast. But since I hadn't eaten yet, I went to McDonalds and bought them anyway. 

• Breakfast - McDonalds' Sausage and Egg McMuffin and Coffee
• Lunch - Golden Lentil Soup - really yummy - and Half a Veggie Sandwich (that I didn't eat) from the coffee shop next door 
• Dinner - Goulash that Poppy and Nikkie made and if I didn't eat it, Poppy and Nikkie would probably never cook dinner again
• Snacks - Diet Pepsi, Coffee

The Veggie Sandwich I didn't eat for lunch magically became a ham and veggie sandwich for Howard's lunch tomorrow, so I guess I'll just go to bed hungry again......

My Flog for October 18 - A Day Late and Pretty Lame, Just Sayin'

I'm usually still asleep while riding the bus to Steveston. I do have to stay awake on the Sky Train, as I don't want to end up in downtown Vancouver when my job is way way far away from there, but as the bus I take ends its trip in Steveston, and I am on it til the last stop, I'm pretty secure in the knowledge that the bus driver would kick me out when we got there. However, Tuesday morning I did stay awake, and that's why I noticed two strange signs near a community centre on the way.

One was advertising a drop-in  for - MOMS & TOTS (and dads too) - which I thought would make some dads feel a little bit hurt. I myself don't like being part of an after thought. Maybe I'm just a bit too sensitive. The other sign advertised WOMEN'S AND PRETEEN'S FLOOR HOCKEY and that made me imagine a whack of middle aged ladies (or even older ones like me) whipping around a gymnasium tripping over little tykes as they fought over that ball.

On the other hand, maybe I was really asleep and just dreamt all that. Who knows.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - The rest of Yesterday's Soup
• Dinner - Hamburger - Neil makes grrrreat hamburgers - and 2 .. or was it 3?... French Fries
• Snacks - Cranberry Juice, Yogurt

My (yawn) Flog (Yawn) for (Yawn) October (Yawn) 17 (Snore)

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee...but just wait....
• Brunch - Pancake, Scrambled Egg, Bacon and Coffee at Steveston Hotel - got into Richmond just after 7:30 am feeling cold and sleepy, thought some comfort food would hit the spot..and it did...for  a little while
• Lunch - Four or Five Spoonfuls of great Potato, Leek and Ham Soup for the bakery - so yummy, but for some strange reason, I didn't have much of an appetite. Think I'm coming down with a cold.
• Dinner - At Neil and Shannon's - was lucky to get some of Shannon's Amazing Meat Loaf, Yummy Delicious Mashed Potatoes, and Tasty Green Salad. Yum Yum Yum
• Snacks - Yogurt, Grapes, Orange Pop

Guess today made up for yesterday, foodwise. I do believe I'm getting a cold, or even worse, the dreaded flu. That would be a terrible thing, as we are really short staffed now, one gal getting the boot and another gal really sick with her own flu. Bummer bummer bummer. Now I'm gonna hit the sack and curl up by my snoring hubby, and my purring Kitty. I sure wish Mother Nature had reversed that, by the way - a snoring Kittty could be booted outdoors, and a purring husband would be very comforting...however, one more thing to grin and bear, I suppose.

My Over-Tired Flog for October 16

It was so very very busy at work, and after bussing/skytraining home, Steve and I went grocery shopping, then it was packing lunches and preparing the coffee pot for tomorrow morning's brew. I could probably write more if I had toothpicks to prop my eyelids up, but I don't. 

One thing, though, we are having the most wonderful Indian Summer days, cool and crisp and gorgeous with lots of colours everywhere. Howard was nice enough to drive me to work this morning, and the view from the Alex Fraser bridge was so beautiful I begged him to stop in the middle of the span so I could take a pic to show you all, but he wouldn't.  There was a mountain skyline, then  a banner of water-colour clouds, then finally the sun shining on the city. When we reached Richmond, we passed a cranberry farm, and the fields were a sea of red - another awesome sight. How much we miss when we speed along at 90 km an hour! 

• Breakie - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - 1/4 of a 1/2 Veggie Sandwich from Steveston Coffee Shop
• Dinner - the other 1/4 of the 1/2 Veggie Sandwich from Steveston Coffee Shop
• Snacks - Hot Chocolate from same Coffee Shop, Yogurt, some left over Diet Pepsi, and part of a Chocolate Cookie my boss gave me

My Flog for October 15 + Yet Another Exhausting Day - Can't Wait To Go Back To Work To Get Some Rest

Howard and I started this morning off with a bus/sky train ride to Metrotown in Burnaby so he could renew his driver's licence, which expired on his birthday. A few quick questions, the departure of $75, and a new picture and that was all done. Then back home to Walmart for his new sneakers, as his old ones were literally falling apart. Then back home to doing laundry and applying online for his Canada Pension to start hopefully in January. Then off bussing again, with Miss Nikkie, first one way to Chapters, then the opposite way to Michaels. Thank heaven Neil, Shannon and the kiddies came to visit, and Neil picked us up in his new van and gave us a ride home so we could spend some time together.

• Breakie - Toast, Cheese, Coffee - Just a little cheddar, shared it with the rug rats
• Lunch - My hubby bought me a 600 Calorie Mozza Burger - thanks a lot, hubby - and Milk
• Dinner - 2 slices of Hawaiian Pizza
• Snacks - A caramel wafer bar, a few Dolly Mixtures, a Diet Pepsi, and a Kahlua with Milk - yes, this life has drove me to drink....lucky me

All I can say is, it's a good thing I spent most of two days walking and climbing SkyTrain station stairs. Not only did I eat all this crap, but I didn't even enjoy it all that much. Except for the Caramel Wafer Bar. And the Kahlua. I am so nervous to buy another of my all-time favourites, Ripples Cheese Chips, in case I have lost the taste for those too. Things that used to be so yummy aren't any more. Even the Mozza Burger has lost its edge.

My Flog for October 14 + My Exhausting Day Off

Long long ago, at nine-thirty this morning, actually, I left to walk, skytrain, and bus to Steveston to pick up my reward for working my butt off three days a week. It took me over half an hour to walk to the skytrain station, and I don't think it's because it is terrifically far, I think it's because I'm pathetically slow. An old guy came out of a driveway on the way, walking with a cane also.
"Hey, we should have a race."
"Yeah," I replied. "That would  be funny."
And it would have been, really.

So instead of having a relaxing day off tidying and unpacking and drifting, I spent it walking around Steveston, lunching in a corner dive on unexciting food, and checking out the thrift stores. I bought my basket with me, and swore I wouldn't buy anything that wouldn't fit in it, and I held true to that promise. When I got off the skytrain back in Surrey, I walked around Surrey Central Mall for a while, then waited at the bus loop for Howard to meet me after he got off work. I texted Nikkie, worried that someone would mistake me for a hooker, just hanging around the skytrain track, but she assured me I had no worries. I wasn't  sure how to take that until I walked by a mirrored wall.  Howard finally came, we found the Royal Bank, and then we bussed home.

Everyone went out to Mr Pickwicks for Fish and Chips, but I stayed home and absolutely crashed. Now I have to go to bed, or I will start eating everything in sight.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Coffee, Omelet and Toast - the omelet was nothing to write home about, not even to write in my flog about, bland and tasteless even with the addition of salt and pepper. The toast was just buttered in the middle, the outside crisp and dry. The coffee got cold before I finished eating what I ate.   I can't remember the name of the little hole in the wall, but I won't be going back there again. Although listening to the gal that was cooking/cashiering talk about her husband's troubles after his van was rear-ending was slightly more interesting than looking out the window at a deserted boardwalk.
• Dinner - Turkey Soup
• Snacks - a few Dolly Mixtures - I bought half a pound of them from Mary's British Home for the kids, and I only ate a few after Nikkie told me I wouldn't be mistaken for a hooker. Bit of a downer. Needed comfort food. Also a Walkers Caramel Wafer Bar, well, to tell the truth, two and a can of Ginger Ale.  Like I said, I have to go to bed right now or nothing will be safe.

My Flog for October 13 + Kitty May Have To Cash In One Of His Nine Lives

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee - White Bread Toast as I ran out of Whole Grain Bread, which I now prefer immensely to my ex-all-time favourite. They say if you eat something for two weeks, you will develop a likeness..likeability...like?? for it. Guess they speak true.
• Lunch - Did I have lunch? Walking home from the market and bakery this morning, I started feeling really nauseous, and I don't think I had lunch. A few pieces of fruit from a Fruit Plate. That's all. Followed by a lie down/doze, interrupted only for each of the next steps of making Turkey Soup.
• Dinner - Turkey Soup - two bowls, Roll - one.That's almost the end of the Turkey. Thank Heavens.
• Snacks - Diet Coke, half a slice of left-over morning toast with 'Peter Butter,' and I may have to get really mad at Steve for bringing home tempting things, like the bottom half of his Vanilla Milkshake from Burger King. Grrrrrrrr. 

I'm really hoping Kitty has a better night tonight, as last night he was up and down all night, either mewing on one side of the door or the other, until Howard finally reached over and left the door open a bit. Then it was purr in my face, then scratch at the carpet (Kitty, not Howard), and what not. I would hate to have to take my poor Kitty and throw him out the window in the middle of the night, especially since our window is stuck shut, but if he keeps this up, I may have no other choice.

Dangers of Waiting Up Until Steve Gets Home From Night School

I wasn't doing too badly yesterday, except for the fudge, of course, until Steve came home after his night-school class, where he is learning all about landscaping and the Latin names of every plant in the universe, with a bag full of McDonalds' products, which included a small order of Frixit Solanum Tuberosum for his mommy.


I might not have mentioned it here, but the Lovely Nikkie said she would post a picture of me eating them and rat me out. 

My Flog for October 12 + Settling In

First day off, three more to go. Spent most of it unpacking and storing away treasures. I made a little 'office' in the corner of our bedroom, which I will henceforth refer to as The Cellar. Just because it's in the basement. It's amazing what one can do with a small amount of space when one is determined. We have a clothes area, a sleeping area, an entertainment area (and no, I don't mean the bed), and a knitting book area, I even have a spot for my printer, the cat's dishes, and a garbage can. Amazing. Cozy. 

I'm growing more and more attached to my cell phone, and have mastered texting. You can text me all you want, no matter where you live - it's free coming and going all over the world. Of course you have to be important enough to have my phone number....if you don't have it yet, and want it, just let me know and I'll decide if you should have it or not.

• Breakfast - Cheerios and Coffee - bet that surprised the socks off ya...
• Lunch - Toast and Cheese - got to have the toast, even if it was the backs of a stale Whole Grain bakery loaf, it was still yummy. Unfortunately, when my mouth saw it was bakery bread toasted, it was expecting raisin bread toast, so it was a tad disappointed, just for a minute. The cheese made it all good.
• Dinner - The beginning of the turkey's end - Turkey Pot Pie with my special 'crust' and mashed potatoes, It sure reminded me why I ought not eat that kind of food anymore (ie, mashed potatoes and gravy) as now I am experiencing heartburn for the first time in months and have this overfull feeling that a burp would never alleviate.
• Snacks - Grapes. Bunches of Grapes. Coffee. ONE piece of fudge (Steve left a fudge trap and I fell into it head first.) 

My Flog for October 11

Up at five - no thanks to the Kitty, who walked on our clock radio and turned it on at 2:30am, therefore keeping me half awake so I'd be sure not to sleep in. Didn't have the energy or inclination to crawl over Howard to shut the damn thing off, and he seemed to be sleeping quite soundly through it. Love listening to JRFM, but would rather just have my dreams to get me through the night. Woke up with memories of a red-haired stray dog I wanted to keep - now I realize I want another dog. Maybe I should go Yarn Store Hopping again.

Up at five, Skytrain at six, Steveston at eight - and home again at eight pm, when we attacked the turkey and a chunk of cheddar cheese with a sharp knife and called it dinner. Now the only reason I'm still awake is so I don't disappoint my world-wide fan base.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Chicken Gumbo Soup, Yogurt
• Dinner - Turkey, Cheese
• Snacks - Here we go: Grapes, half a Banana, and the most delicious ever Coconut Cupcake from my favourite Cupcake Store in Steveston. Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum.

My flog for October 10 + National Holiday for Howard's 60th Birthday...oh wait, it was Thanksgiving Day too...

I spent most of the day being sick, which sort of ruined holiday Monday. However, I did manage to do a bit of stuff before I gave up on everything and headed downstairs to my cave.

Good things/Bad things regarding Thanksgiving 2011:
Good: A bloody big huge turkey, sale priced at 79 cents per pound, weighing in at 10.75 kg - 23 lb 11 oz for the American fan base
Bad: It won't fit in the bloody roaster! Two roasters and neither one is big enough, didn't even bother with the two small ones in the cupboard, these were two hugely gigantic roasters and the only way this Big Bird would fit would be to cut it in half and put one half in each roaster. Crap. Steve to the rescue - he went to Walmart and bought one of these big one-use roasters. Just fit.

Good: A bloody big huge turkey, sale priced at 79 cents per pound, weighing in at 10.75 kg etc etc - what a bargain. Two legs, two wings....Parson's Nose....no bullet holes...
Bad: No bloody neck or organs in a little paper bag inside it's gut or neck. What the heck do I boil down for gravy stock?

Good: A utility turkey may only have one leg, or wing - so what the hell. We'll use a wing to boil down instead of a neck, and as far as the organ meats are concerned? Too bad, so sad, we'll have to do without.
Bad: Has anyone else tried to cut/twist/pull/chop a wing from a dead uncooked turkey? Even Steve's big strong muscles needed me wielding the kitchen scissors, and eventually we managed to mangle it off and cram it in the pan with all my secret ingredients for my yummy gravy.

In the end, everything worked out fine. The turkey could have used a little while longer in the oven (makes me wonder if I had the temperature set right.....hmmmm) but it was still fine, and Howard's home-grown turnip was really really good. Dessert was a Cocoa Cake (made from scratch by me before my tummy went berserk) and despite the fact that it came out of the pan in three pieces, it wasn't dry and crumbly at all. Frosted by Nikkie, and decorated by Steve, it was a family effort and I do believe the Birthday Boy appreciated it.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Scrambled Eggs and Pancakes
• Dinner - Turkey, Turnip, Carrot, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy, plus Birthday Cake
• Snacks - Nil, Nada, Nothing....don't need snacks when one is stuffed like the turkey

My Flog for October 9

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Cream of Broccoli Soup - mmmmm - with a Whole Wheat Roll. I asked for a White Roll (for a change - but I guess the gal thought a Whole Wheat One would be better for me....)
• Dinner - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce - thanks, Steve, for making dinner. Good job, guess you're doing the pasta from now on. Although telling me dinner was ready when all you wanted was someone to test the spaghetti for done-ness wasn't really fair. You let dad sleep. However.....
• Snack - Coffee and Muffin from Subway after my transit ride from Surrey, yogurt, Diet Pepsi

So - really, a second breakfast from Subway. Their muffins are half the size of The All-Time Favourites at Walmart, and today they had a choice of Chocolate or Blueberry. Here we go again.

"I'd like a blueberry muffin, please, and a small coffee."
"What kind of muffin would you like?"

...and so on. My loyal readers know the rest.

The ride to work was good. Steve drove me to the SkyTrain station, and unlike my first early morning ride last Monday, it went well. I'll tell you all about THAT specific trip sometime when I feel ready to talk about it. When I reached 22nd Street Station in New Westminster, I was just in time to get the 410 bus to Steveston, and I thought Mr Driver saw me hobbling along and waited for me, but I guess I just got there in time, as he un-knelt the bus just as I reached it. However, I don't  need a kneeling bus to get aboard, and I managed to do that just before he closed the door. However, as soon as I stuck my ticket in the ticket machine, Mr Driver decided to take off  before I had the chance to grab onto anything. To my surprise, I found out I knew some intricate dance steps, and they helped me keep my balance until I reached a seat.

Whereupon, my knee looked up at me, and asked, "Why did you do that? Now I have to punish you....Naughty girl."

Anyway, anyhow, anyhoo...day is done, gone the sun....and I'm heading to bed for a long Pre-Thanksgiving Sleep. Tomorrow is the turkey and trimmings day - hope everyone has a great holiday!

Things I'm Thankful For - updated for Thanksgiving 2011

THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR 

i thank the guy who lives above

who sent me family to love
my mom and dad, so wise and kind
who live forever in my mind
the things they taught me i pass on
and that way they are never gone

i thank the guy who lives above

for sending me three sons to love

and they in turn for bringing me

grown up daughters, one two three

already over puberty

and eight grandkids, to see them grow
is such a blessing, this i know

I thank the guy who lives above

for sending me a man to love

though there are times i think that he

would rather i would let him be

(he's not quite over puberty.)

i thank the guy who lives above

for sending family to love

although they live from here to there

they're scattered bloody every where

some of my blood and some of his

i honestly can tell you this:

as i grow older i have found

that family makes the world go round

sons and daughters, fathers, mothers

nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers -

those i love, and who love me -

Thank God for my family.

i thank the guy who lives above

for all the friends i came to love

some are family, some are not

i'm thankful for the whole damn lot

across the country they abide

(the country is too freakin' wide)

up north, down south, across the street

they've given me great memories

like bunny ears and lemon gin

(i don't think i'll do that again)

from picking berries in the fall

to Vancouver and a yarn store crawl

old memories are mixed with new

and i am thankful for them all

with some i worked, with some i played -

no matter how my friends were made

i'm very thankful for their love

and so i thank the guy above.

My Flog for October 8 + My State of Mind

Yawn. Nod. Jerk. Yawn. Blink. Snore. Yawn. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Tomato and Some-Kind-Of-Pasta Soup from Subway
• Dinner - Fish 'n' Chips - lots and lots of fish and chips....
• Snacks  - Hot Chocolate, Yogurt

My Flog for October 7 + Kitty Done a Runner...

I'm pretty sure my kitty got out today, as I can't find him hiding anywhere in the house tonight. I hope he's safe and not too scared in this strange city. I don't feel comfortable walking the streets calling "Here, Pussy, here Pussy." Well, I know he'll be scared, because he's very timid, you'd swear he was born into a house full of rocking chairs. I just hope I hear his mew before I go to sleep.

I spent all day looking for two bloody remote controls, and found everything else. So when Howard came home  and decided to cook dinner, he asked me if I knew where the stainless steel frying pan was - and I did. A quick flick downstairs, and presto - he didn't seem too impressed though. Even though he knows there's about 50 boxes in the basement. Oh well.

Back to work tomorrow, I sure hope there's nothing to do, as I need a rest. A long, quiet, restful rest. Which I probably won't get tonight as I'll be worried about my kitty. And if I do indeed sleep deep and long, it doesn't mean I'm not worried about my kitty. It will just mean I'm utterly tired. And I'm going to bed now.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Walmart Butter Tart Muffin, Milk - I think - or was that yesterday?  I think that was yesterday. 
• Dinner - A Spoonful of Howard's Stir Fry Veggies w/Wieners and Teriyaki Sauce, one slice bread'n'butter
• Snacks - Yogurt, Half a Banana, Coke

So Sheila said she wouldn't be able to eat just what I eat - but I know if I ate more now, I would pop on the pounds like crazy. I do not eat much and am not losing weight. My portions are small, it's not like I eat a loaf of toast for breakfast or a pack of wieners for dinner. I know I should cut out the muffins - and have lunch instead. One day. Tomorrow.

My Flog for October 6 - I'm Back, but Barely (don't worry, fully dressed...)

Some day soon, I'll be all settled in and back into the rhythm of my flog. However, I'm still plodding along, running on fumes. I crashed this  afternoon and slept for over three hours - guess I really needed it. It's a very tiring job, moving a house and trying to squeeze my 'neccessities' into a bedroom, but between me and my lovin' hubby, we are seeing progress. It's amazing what a bit of planning can do with a small amount of space, but I will have my 'writing corner.'

Heading to bed very soon - one more day off, and I have to find the remotes for the TV and VCR we want to use...wish me luck, I'm going to need it. We have decided to use the smallest TV in the world, and as long as Howard is happy with that, that is great, and that is the reason I'll have a 'writing corner!'

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Peach Muffin from Walmart, Yogurt
• Dinner - Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, and Milk
• Snacks - Banana, Half a Peach, Grapes, and a nap. Yummy nap.

My Flog for October 2

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Leftover Chinese Food - noodles and some kind of garlic chicken. Delish.
• Dinner - Macaroni and Cheese, and a Roll
• Snacks - Diet Pepsi, Hot Chocolate, 2 Girl Guide Mint Cookies, and a little bite of Date Square. I bought it for Howard's lunch, stole a corner, then left it at work.

If I thought I was tired before, I was soooo wrong. Now I am tired. Really. Can't stay awake to write anything of interest tonight, but hopefully tomorrow something may pop up in this brainless head.

My New Not So Great Number

166.5
Oh well, I'm sure I'll come up with some excuse before this evening.

My Flog for October 1 + Running a Day Late

I didn't find my scales til way after breakfast and didn't even climb on them. Tomorrow will be the new October 1 and I will post whatever scary numbers appear.

Today was another busy day. We brought the last load of 'stuff' home at nine-thirty, most of it garden 'stuff' and junk. Tomorrow at least one guy is hoping to do a garbage run all by himself - hope he doesn't get lost in this big sprawling city. I have to go to work, so at least if he gets lost, I won't be with him. Steve has to work too, so he also won't be of any help. I'm sure everyone will be fine.

I bought two pairs of shoes today, and also got a cell phone. I feel pretty again. 

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Chinese food at a Food Court somewhere - Surrey Centre Mall, I think. Just ate half, will take the other half for my lunch tomorrow, just in case I missed out on calories and cholesterol today. But I doubt if that happened.
• Dinner - a Hamburger (no, not a Mozza Burger, sigh) and half a dozen oven fries
• Snacks - Diet Pepsi

Another extremely tiring day, I'm pooped and it's only nine-thirty. Also going through major The Soprano withdrawal.