JULY 24 - Ode to a Flea

oh flea oh flea
i see a flea
oh crap there is
a flea on me

at least there was
a flea just there
it jumped away
i know not where

i know it isn't
on a cat
cos they have medicine
for that

and if it went
upon a cat
it's dead it would be
just like that

but yet there was
a flea on me
what must I do
to be flea free?

a bath in Raid?
Advantage drip?
or to the pound
for a big flea dip?

i hope that flea
hops on a cat
and that will be
the end of that.

JULY 23 - Multiplying Twoonies, Sober Friends, Mini Donuts and Weirdos

MORNING:
Do you know how, when you start throwing all your twoonies in a jar, after a while you end up with over $3000.00 in twoonies and  have enough money to take you and your significant other on a wonderful holiday? (I don't, but one of our customers knows - all I can do is think, bitterly, that all my twoonies have to go the bus fare to get to work - however, I digress ... )

Anyway. Twoonies aren't the only things that do that. After throwing muffins, scones, cookies, and yes, the occasional donut, in my lunch bag, I finally ended up with an extra 5 pounds.This was an overnight happening, and one that I really regret. I would much rather have $3000 in twoonies, let me tell you.

Pauline tells me she was pulled over in a Drinking and Driving Counter Attack on the way home from a party on Saturday night. No, she wasn't drinking because she had to drive home - she's a smart cookie. Usually. When the policeman came to her car, she rolled down the window, and smiled at him.

He looked at her and said, "I guess you weren't drinking tonight, were you?"

And she replied, "No, Sir, I'm sorry, I didn't drink anything."

And of course he laughed and said, "Ma'am, you don't have to apologize."

He is probably still laughing. I am. And now you know why I said she was usually a smart cookie.

AFTERNOON:
Talking about cookies - I went to the The Outpost Mini Donut Company today to check out their wares. They don't really sell cookies, though - just the yummiest little donuts in Richmond!

I bought a dozen mixed, which were presented to me in a lovely paper cone. I did take a picture of them, but inadvertently deleted it before I put it on my computer. It hasn't been the greatest day.

Yummy wares. Need I say more?

EVENING:
When I was locking the door at the craft store, this tall guy came up to me and put what looked like a Bic lighter against the lock, muttering something about a magnet. I said, "Sorry, we're closed," and proceeded to lock up. He kept mumbling away.

"There's a laser and a (mumble mumble) on this too, but don't worry, I would never use it on you."

"Thank you, I appreciate that." I started walking away. A bit faster.

"I don't smoke cigarettes and I don't watch Captain Kangaroo ... "

Faster still. Realized he was following me across an empty parking lot behind a strip of stores. Got a bit more nervous. Sped up. He finally gave up and went looking for someone else to laser, I suppose.

I'm really glad I didn't get lasered or mumbled, or Captain Kangarooed. It's the first time I've felt unsafe while walking to the bus.

Oh well, I did get home safe and sound. And that's a good thing!

NIGHT:
That's it for me! Good night, everyone. And I mean Everyone!

A Photo Tribute to our Dad - December 26, 1920 - July 22, 1984

Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross

The love of his life - together again, after 28 years.

How happy he was to spend time with his grandchildren - the ones who remember him are blessed.

This is probably the only photo we have of the three generations that include Grandfather and Grandmother Pike.

I remember one of my dad's sayings - Everything worth doing, is worth doing well. He was a craftsman, an outdoorsman, a fisherman, a boatbuilder - a carpenter, a maker of nets - his hands were always busy. In the winter, when it was too cold to work outdoors, he would even knit. I know how much he loved his children, and I know how much joy his grandchildren brought to his life.

Ever gentle, ever kind, with a sense of humour and a wonderful relationship with his God - forever missed by us all.

After I finished this, and before I posted it, I went for a little walk. Even though we had no rain today -

Thank you! (I always knew you would have a little influence up there, XOXOXO)

July 21 - Surrey Fusion Festival

So, finally, the day we've all been waiting for. We headed up 134th Street, sneaking peeks into people's yards on the way ... thinking maybe this is a baby cherry tree ...

... to Holland Park, which  I'm sure must be one of the prettiest parks in Surrey ... 

                                                                                                                                                                                                       











... and a WipeOut test, which was completed successfully ...                          

 ... until we reached out goal: Surrey Fusion Festival

What a festival! You could get food from just about every culture, and it was very hard to decide what to try. After all, one doesn't want to eat too much - plus one doesn't want to spend too much. Food tickets were $1 each, and you needed 1 or 2 for drinks, plus 4 -8 for 'entrees.' I walked around four or five times, wondering what to get - Perogies (Ukraine), Patties (South Africa ), Falafels (Saudi Arabia), Chebure K (meat pies from Russia), Tandoori Chicken (Pakistan), Tostados (Mexico), Empanadas (Chile), Jerk Chicken (Jamaica, mon), Poutine (Canadian, eh? Yeah - I mean, No, not for $8), Pineapple Buns (Chinese), Butter Chicken (Indian), Pineapple drinks in the Shell, Colombia  -
- which I really wanted, but not enough to spend $6. Maybe next year.

I was going to get a BBQ Chicken Sandwich at the French Pavilion, but figured a BBQ Sandwich wasn't adventurous enough for a wannabe food blogger - so I decided on a Vietnamese Sub, from - you guessed it - the Vietnam Pavilion. I have heard Richmond's food blogger rave about these, so I was game to give it a try. Here is Lindsay's Vietnamese Sub.

Here is mine.

Do you see the difference? I see the difference. Hers must have been a lot better tasting than mine, or she wouldn't be so gung-ho about them. The fact that the first bite I took was a mouthful of cilantro - and I HATE cilantro - didn't bode well. I opened it up, and added all the cilantro to the grass below my feet, but wasn't impressed with the rest of it either. So for me, Vietnamese Subs will NOT be on my list of Favourite Things To Eat. I knew I should have settled for the Pineapple Drink in the pineapple shell. Definitely next year.

However, the Fusion Festival isn't all about food. There were also several stages set around the park -

I'm not sure what country they were representing -

- but I know what their roots were! I love the pipes and drums, but because they were in a bandstand instead of the open air, the music was a bit muffled.

And amid all the people, there were some strange and unusual sights indeed -

The tallest gal in town

The chubbiest dancers

The weirdest dressed feller

And by far the cutest - a 3 day old calf.

So that was my day at the Fusion Festival - I would go back tomorrow, but I have to Work - one of my least favourite four-letter words. 

JULY 19 - Mission Accompished, Rug Rats, and I Heart Archie Bunker

I don't think I should skip two nights in a row, or I may just not bother any more, so here goes. I may, however, have lost my touch.

Another hot day today. This morning I caught a bus to King George Sky Train Station, and caught a very uncrowded train .. for those of you who haven't had the (mis)fortune to ride a sky train, this is what one looks like from the inside. That blue ad on the top reminds people that:

WE HAVE THE EXPO LINE, WE HAVE THE CANADA LINE, AND WE HAVE THE MILLENIUM LINE. WE DO NOT HAVE THE FREEBIE LINE.


I thought that was very cute, but wondered how many people who sneak on without paying fare are able to read. Or of those that can read, how many would really give a darn.

I headed to Scott Road, where I boarded a bus to Ladner. My mission? To kidnap two grandsons for a sleepover in Surrey. Now this bus was very empty indeed - but it was a great example of one person being one too many.

He came behind me while I was waiting to board, but somehow managed to push in front so he was the first on the bus. Gray hair tied in a ponytail, humungous earphones, and a belly that would make a pregnant mother-to-be of triplets proud, he sat in the first seat near the door and started a loud almost one-sided conversation with the bus driver.

Loud because he was listening to music on his earphones, so when the driver responded with more than 'Yeah,' or 'Hmm,' he picked them off his ears and said, "Pardon me?" That's when I noticed he was wearing hearing aids. Anyone talking to him didn't have a chance. That also explained why he was shouting while talking so he could be heard all over the bus. Even the guy across from me started whistling, probably to try and drown him out, but that also started to be a bit irritating.

The conversation started with the three sticks of Pepperoni he had bought at the snack stop, and the fact that someone in his life didn't like pepperoni as it gave her heartburn. Then he went on to say how two of them were mild, but the one he was chomping on at the present time was hot because he picked it from the back of the display. After the 4th or 5th "Pardon me?" the bus driver finally gave up and quit responding, but that didn't stop the chatter.

From there it went to how things were changing, and then , bless his heart and kill me now - for once I wholly agreed with Archie Bunker - and then, he starting on politics and taxes.

However, all nasty things, like all good things, must come to an end, and I welcomed the quiet and fresh whisper of a breeze when I got off the bus at Ladner Exchange and walked to Neil and Shannon's place.

A quick turnaround, and I had Mission Impossible accomplished - two boys riding in the back of the bus, quietly saving their energy for bedtime.

We packed in quite a lot of stuff for a few hours - watching TV, playing games on the floor, the main object of them all being to make sure four faces were not looking at the camera at the same time ...

..

... playing in the park, bouncing balls at Chris and Lizzie's, playing games on Uncle Steve's XBox, watering gardens, plus the general boring stuff like meals and picking up Legos. It's almost ten o'clock now, and time to start spreading the sleeping dust.

JULY 17 - Sweatin' the Small Stuff, Cold Showers, and Grub

HOT! I'm finally home after a long day's work in a hot store, and a long bus ride in a super-hot tin can. Thank goodness there was some A/C happening in the sky train and the big blue truck that was waiting for me at King George station. Now it's dusk - a favourite time of day - and it's cooled down a bit, but I know the bedroom that awaits me at the top of the stairs is going to feel like an oven. It's really strange not taking icy cold feet to bed.

When I got home I watered the flowers. There are my little gardens, which aren't doing that great - we'll call this pic Ungreat Garden at Dusk in the Shadow of the Old Wood Fence ...

And then there is Howard's wonderful garden, which is doing wonderfully well ... I think it's because he got first dibs on the Topsoil, and I had to use leftovers and recycled leaves from the corner of the property ... however ... here is Pretty Flowers with Peppers Standing Guard ..

There is the planter I picked out at a Flower Sale - I chose red because I thought it would attract Hummingbirds. Bloody Hummingbirds. Haven't seen one, and I do have a proper Hummingbird feeder hanging in front of the kitchen window (or behind it, depending on where you are standing at the moment), plus the expensive Hummingbird feed that I bought at Walmart because my home-made stuff wasn't attracting them either ...however ...

And this is the prettier planter that Howard picked out, and which plays part in today's version of the Crap on Tamar game .. well, not exactly crap, I guess ...you can figure it out.

To water these planters, I have to stand on Howard's wooden box so I can reach. Even then I have to stretch my left arm with the watering can on the end of it and use my right hand to tip it over so the water drains out. For some reason tonight, the water left the spout of the can, travelled down the inside of my left arm, inside the sleeve of my short sleeved T-shirt, which acted as a funnel which brought the icy cold water  inside my shirt. Luckily the waistband of my skirt kept it from going any farther. It was cold. But Howard said all the neighbours thought it was funny. I didn't.

We decided to eat out after work, as it was:

1. too hot to cook
2. no one wanted to cook
3. we would have had to go tot the grocery store to get something to cook

We stopped in at Knight and Day Restaurant on King George Boulevard on the way home. I had only eaten there once before, a mid morning breakfast, and wasn't impressed with the food at all, but this time was much better. Howard had The Longhorn Grilled Burger, which came with Onion Rings - he was much happier with this than A&W's or Dairy Queen's versions of the burger.

 I ordered the Beef Dip, and it was very good. I didn't dip much, and I only ate half the sandwich. The other half is in the fridge for Somebody Special's lunch tomorrow. Beefeater fries, frozen instead of fresh cut, but they were okay. A nice meal. That plus a beer and a tip came to $35.

I'm still stuffed, and am ready for a nice long sleep - but first there's coffee to prepare. A woman's work really is never done.

JULY 16 - Chris Turns Six and Some Days Are Better Over

Happy Birthday to my boy Chris, who turned a big whopping six today. Looks like he's going to be a softball player in the near future - that mitt will come in handy when he's playing Bat. 

Even though it wasn't Lizzie's birthday, her daddy bought her a mitt too. She was so excited - at first she thought she had a new hat, but her mommy explained to her what it really was.

Very ladylike, isn't she?

And here's Chris hiding behind his six candles. He blew them out with one big puff - I know that will ensure that all his wishes come true.

It hasn't been one of our better days, here in the world of Vokey. Sometimes life throws a few punches and it's hard to bounce back. There are still many things to be thankful for, and hopefully things will get easier for everyone as time moves on.

One thing I am really thankful for is that Neil has found a medication that lets him control his pain. He is now getting good sleeps, and is able to be a lot more active. He sounds like my old Neil again - happy and  mischievous.

So, with that bright news, I'm going to end my day. The sun will rise early in the morning, and so will we. One more day at work and YES! 4 Day Offs!

JULY 15 - A Welcome Home and a Pretty Sunset

Sunday - not a day of rest for some, unfortunately. Bus, train and bus to Steveston on a misty rainy cool morning, which wasn't terrible, but the way. Steveston was buzzing with people, and time at work went fast. It was really great that Steve picked my up after work in the big blue truck, then we headed to the airport to pick up the wanderer.

Howard's plane was almost an hour late, and we were there pretty early, so we walked and sat and ate and walked some more, trying to get the most enjoyment possible out of a $30 parking fee. Isn't that crazy? Almost $10 an hour for to rent a tiny little spot of pavement  under a roof. However, it was nice to see hubby walk through the doors and back into our lives. He had a great trip, and now has taken his incredibly swollen feet and ankles to bed. Hopefully they will feel normal in the morning. I doubt I'll feel normal in the morning, as I am really tired now.

The Alex Fraser bridge offered us a terrific view of a beautiful sunset, but by the time I got my phone out, and the  camera ready, it was just about too late. Just as I was clicking the button, a bloody big truck sped by between me and the view, and although some people (Steve) thought that was hilarious, I thought not. I took another shot, but it didn't do too well either.

So I stole a picture from Yahoo images. It's a much prettier sunset than the one we had, to be honest. But it isn't from the Alex Fraser bridge - it's of the bridge with the sunset in the background.

My new used cat just sat by my feet and farted. At least I assume she did, it wasn't me, and the smell is horrid. Think I'll shut everything down for the night and go to bed.

JULY 14 - Lazy Hazy Days of Summer and Being a Boat Person

Really a Day Off. A day off from work, from walking, from biking, from houseworking - you name it. A day of reading, catching up on Monarch of the Glen episodes, napping and otherwise wasting space.

Nice.

I did check on what I did on this day last year, and it seems I bought two pairs of shorts. Sure wish I knew where I put them, as they would be sorely needed now. The only shorts I have is ... are ... whatever ... a skort, which is really a skirt with shorts inside. So when I get on and off my bike, anyone who may be in the vicinity is probably thinking they are catching a glimpse of my underpants - but, sorry, close that mouth, that's my shorts. And besides that, I did feel a draft at my lower back yesterday while riding bike, and when I felt back there to make sure my shirt wasn't pulled up, I realized the waistband of the skort is bigger than my waist and I had the potential of revealing that not so nice physical attribute - the plumber's crack. Needless to say, I made certain that wasn't going to happen.

Now, where the hell did I put my shorts. We've moved twice since last July, and I will probably find them in the same place as my missing sandals. I guess if I ever find either, it will be in the last place I look.

Back to normal hours at work starting tomorrow, and Howard arrives home tomorrow night, so these ungodly hours are over for another year, and I have to start packing lunches again. And just to get back to the old me, at 6:30 this evening I started a batch of White Raisin Bread, so no way is it going to be an early night tonight.

After I got the bread on the go, it was Bath Time for a long-haired cat who has been scratching way too much, and a dose of Advantage for the both of them. One is asleep on my bed (Blackie, the bathless one) and the other is sitting by the door with a look of disgust on her face. But I bet she smells pretty. I know she'll forgive me.

My Face Book is loaded with pics of the Leah Caroline, and I love it. It's one way of keeping me in touch with family, friends, and love of the ocean. I've always been a lover of the sea, and some of my happiest memories are those that take me back to simpler times.

See, my dad was a lover of the sea, too. He built this boat for his own use, and we used to fish and explore Bonavista Bay. As you can tell, I had no fear whatsoever.

JULY 13 - 6 Wheels, Green Timbers Park, and Cool Drinks

Breehy's and my morning route - 14.5 km (approx) - and if that didn't do me in, the walk to Walmart with my faithful buggy tagging at my heels did. But first the bike ride.

My plan was to ride to Tynehead Park , but as a(nother) clever Scottish poet said, 'The best laid plans of mice and men go aft astray.' You'll see why I changed my mind (and Breehy was grateful) later on in the blog.

So off we went, up 134 Street to 96 Avenue, wheee-ing downhill past Tim Hortons and all their freshly baked donuts (that's a bit of sarcastic humour, by the way) and taking bike paths, sidewalks, and (shiver) roads, we continued our travels. Until I saw this:

Well, we can't resist a park, especially a green one that was obviously full of timber. Vokey men would see only the lines of a schooner in this park, but this Vokey gal just enjoys the beauty of the trees.

What a peaceful path. From here you can see no high-rises, no cranes reaching the sky - not even any power towers or telephone wires. You don't hear traffic, you hear birds chirping and tweeting (the old fashioned kind.)

I found a pond in the distance and decided to check it out. On the way, there was a really nice meadow -

A nice pile of climbing rocks -

- beside a picnic area -

- and then the pond, which was home to several ducks and a few fishermen.

The only downside of the park was the new layer of crushed stone on the path, which made it really difficult for Breehy to travel smoothly. We found our way back to the comfort of the paved bike path and 96 Avenue and headed on our way.

Mmmm. There was a lot of uphill driving here, but that meant the way home would be a breeze. We passed a little strip mall on a corner and had to visit here -

And a few minutes later - oh oh. We stopped and decided it was best not to go down that hill, as we would have to come up it later. And the one in the distance? Well, I must say, we just wimped out and headed back for home.

A little corner store supplied us with a really nice Iced Lemonade, which was perfect for a hot morning snack.

Unfortunately, there wasn't as much downhill as I thought there would be on the way home, but the last few metres were bliss. Indoors, cooled down, showered, then it was a walk with my buggy to Walmart for some essentials - which included what seemed like 100 pounds of Kitty Litter. When I got back home, I realized that somewhere along the way, I had lost the shower.

A quick whirr of the blender frothed up a nice cool smoothie for a late lunch - a few frozen strawberries, a banana, a tablespoon of sugar, and some milk to make it all pourable. How easy is that? Yum.

Now, the evening is closing in, and I have two kidlets eating snacks and watching Tree House cartoons. Soon I'll pop them in bed for their sleepover, and I won't be long following them. I don't know why, but mornings always come real early, even with no benefit of alarms.