My Flog for February 13 - Who's Listening? Obviously Not Him, Thanks For Walking With Me, and What I'm Giving Up For Lent (Wish me luck!)

Last night, after dozing off in front of the TV (watching Cracked, which really shouldn't be dozable), I crawled into bed, and Howard rolled over and asked softly - wait for it -

'So what kind of muffins did you make?'

'I didn't make muffins. You didn't ask me to make muffins.'

'You said if I made dinner, you'd make muffins.'

'No. I said since you were making dinner (if one wants to call that crap dinner) I'd take out the garbage and the recycling bins.'

End of conversation. I don't know how I could have said 'garbage' and he heard 'muffins.' It's just another example of him 'hearing what he wants to hear and disregarding the rest.'

I love Paul Simon's music and words - The Boxer is one of my favourite songs -

I am just a poor boy 
Though my story's seldom told 
I have squandered my resistance 
For a pocket full of mumbles such are promises 
All lies and jests 
Still a man hears what he wants to hear 
And disregards the rest ....
(For the rest of the lyrics, just click here.)

Now to my favourite TV channel - The Food Network, and one of my favourite shows, Chopped! It's amazing to see how these chefs take the most incredible ingredients, some of which one wonders are really edible, and make plates that not only look amazing, but according to the judges, taste amazing too. In the past few years, I have so tried to extend my food adventures, even to the point of accepting free 'bites' from a Chinese food vendor at Vancouver's Chinatown Festival last August, which, by the way, I will never do again. But last night's Chopped! made me realize I'll never be a truly adventurous Foodie.

One of the ingredients was pigs' ears. Just to see these big floppy auricles lying in a bowl on the table was enough to make my stomach roll, and all I could think was 'Poor piggies.' But when the chefs lay them on the chopping block and started cutting them into thin slices, and I could see the different layers of skin, cartilage and meat in these skinny stick-like pieces? Well, that did me in altogether. Give me a pork chop, force-feed me bacon (please), but tell me that's pigs' ears in the salad, and I'm off to the nearest throw-up station at high speed.

And now - I'll take you for a stroll. First we'll go to First Choice Hair Cutters, which is very near Walmart. We'll take the path, because that way we'll see and maybe hear some sounds of Spring.

See, I knew the birds would be chirping like mad, but they were interrupted when 3 fellows came lumbering up the path.

So we we are at the hair place, where I'm going to take a few minutes to get a Shampoo and Cut etc. You could go to the Dollar Store while you're waiting. They have Valentine candy for $1.

This is Lisa, and she is terrific. When she asked me how I wanted my hair, I said, 'Just like yours.' But that wasn't happening, so I settled for the usual, and I was very pleased with her efforts. It's great knowing that you're not being rushed out of the chair. So if you live nearby, and need a cut - go see her. Tell her I sent you.

So we'll continue our walk home on 88 Avenue, and see if there are any cows on the way. We would often see cows grazing and otherwise hanging out on a big lot containing old buildings, old bathtubs, old farm tractors, and old trucks. However, today there's not a sign of a cow - I hope part of them aren't lying in my freezer waiting to be reincarnated as stew.

This sign has us stumped - but only for a second. We are now near Dasmesh Marg, which is a gurdwara, meaning "the doorway to the Guru", a Sikh place of worship which may be referred to as a Sikh temple. This is where last year's Vaisakhi Parade took place.

We pass a little  babbling brook. This is near the Hook and Ladder, which is a pub and also operates a Cold Beer and Wine Store. I have been here before.

The stream flows underneath this romantic covered bridge. The cover would also provide shelter to people who drink too much and maybe vomit over the railing. In other words, it's not really a romantic spot.

And after years of searching, I finally find a Popcorn Bush. 

This must be the narrowest house in Surrey. 

But it has the coolest Christmas display of all. This is actually the only stuff they left, as during the holidays, the whole front was filled with those atrocious 4- 5 foot tall blow-ups. 

Oh, this is nice, isn't it? A tree full of lamb tails. At least that's what we called them back home (as in Scotland, where I spent my wee little lassie years.)

And finally, the first dandelion I saw this year. Spring is definitely just around the corner. Sweet.

The Dandelion 

I'm glad they never told me

When I was just a seed

That I'd be growing up to be a weed

For if I'd known my future

I might have hid my face

And now I wouldn't be here in this place

A little bit of summer

And it's not even Spring

I'm glad of all the smiles and hopes I bring

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Spinach Salad (spinach, egg, green onion, tiny tomatoes, would have been cheese if I had remembered to put it in), Yogurt
• Dinner - Dried-up, Overcooked Pork Chop (yes, I demolished dinner again), Dressed Up Dainty Rice, and Macaroni Salad
• Snacks - Banana

After stepping on the scale this morning, I have decided what to give up for Lent. 

• Muffins
• Stepping on the scale

Hopefully one will make the other a bit easier. It's actually going to be just as hard to give up the latter as well as the former, but we'll give it the good old fashioned try! 40 days from now (including today) is March 23.