Valentine's Day....part 1

  This weekend is Valentine's day. A day dedicated to romance and love. A day spent in the company of the one you adore, the person who makes your heart beat faster. 

  I'm betting there will be more proposals, weddings and declarations of love than on other days. More men spending money they don't have on things they are led to believe are romantic. Expensive restaurants will do a brisk trade. The flower shops are over run. Chocolate stores are busy from open til close.

  Being with the same person for 29 years (!!) has it's benefits. We've done the flowers and heart shaped boxes of candy years ago. Now we do the "real" romantic stuff. The things that show how much we really love each other.

  John will take the boys downstairs on Sunday and let me sleep in. He will keep them quiet and entertained so they don't come back upstairs to ask me crazy questions. While doing this he will empty the dishwasher and reload it if necessary. Probably get the clothes out of the dryer too. That, my friends, is true love and the ultimate romantic gesture.

  When I get up I will go out into the cold and buy macaroni and can tomatoes. Without any complaints I will make his all time favorite meal. The above mentioned foods mixed together. To me it is revolting. The idea of it makes my stomach curdle. Yet I will do it because it makes him happy and let's him know how much I care.

  There will be no over-priced flowers. No chocolates. No dinner out...remember we are vacation people and would rather travel than eat at a restaurant. There will probably be a card. Surely one from the boys. Lots of hugs and kisses too I'm sure.

  As the day comes to an end, we realize that every day for us IS Valentine's Day. We have each other. We are happy and still in love after all these years. No amount of jewelry, flowers or candy can show me that any clearer.

  A heated floor in the en-suite might though.

  Ang

Super Bowl News

  It's Super Bowl Sunday! The one day a year my husband eats unhealthy food in great quantities. To start the day he had oatmeal and then went to the gym. By the time he arrived home the pregame pregame show was starting. So began the junk food.

  He's had, in no particular order, peanuts, nachos and cheese, chicken wings, ribs, chips, pop and wine. All of which he wanted for "game day". I'd bet money he hasn't touched a chicken wing since last February and nachos probably longer.

  But while he watches the game, with the kids close by because they want some food too, I've had a chance to surf a little. And boy have I seen some crazy stuff! For example...

  Brazil is by far the most dangerous country in the world. Lots of murders. The statistics are staggering. They have 21 of the top 50 most dangerous cities in the world. I guess we aren't moving there.

  This entire Ghomeshi trial makes you understand why women rarely make sexual assault charges. They are on trial. Release bikini photos?? What does that have to do with anything? These women are the victims not the criminals.

  A three year old took a loaded gun off his great grandparents nightstand and shot and killed his nine year old sister. The great grandfather did not know the children would be visiting. Another tragedy involving guns in the U.S. When does it end?

  And on a lighter note....a lady in Italy is going to trial for not doing enough housework! WTH?? I would never get out of jail! Apparently she rarely cooked too. Well I guess we aren't moving there either.

  These are just a few of the crazy things in the news today. It's half time. I guess I'll go watch Queen B. And feed John some more nachos ;)

  Ang

  

What A Day...Part 2

   When we left off Riley and I were hurrying into the arena. You know how I love the cold, note the sarcasm. This kid leaves home for every practice fully dressed except this week where he needs elbow pads and a jersey which he can't put on while I tie the skates. He keeps telling me I can't possibly tie them as tight as John. As soon as I'm finished he complains they are too tight. I can't win.

  Off he goes. I now have time to reply to some emails and messages. Riley had an issue with a friend at school and I needed to chat with his Mom. Back and forth we go with text messages. I make a quick phone call to Alex. He needs to be packing for skiing. Yes Mom I'm doing it he says. Knowing he isn't, I wait five minutes and call back. Ok Mom I'll do it now he says. Again I wait five minutes and call. I can't find......fill in the blank because he can't seem to find anything.

  Hockey is over and we head out. It's almost nine. Way past Riley's regular bedtime. As I walk in the door, still no John, Alex comes down the stairs, ipod in hand, asking me where everything is. He has found nothing and packed nothing. Oh and his ski helmet and winter boots have disappeared.

  After searching the entire house, John finally returns. Alex scrambles to the van looking for the missing items. Of course they aren't there. That would be too easy. It's 9:30. I get Riley to bed. He complains it's too loud to sleep. It really was. The search continues.

  Around ten o'clock Alex says that maybe he forgot the helmet at the ski hill....two weeks ago! We have scoured the whole house. It's not here. Gone. The only been used twice, expensive ski helmet, is gone. Left behind.

  What can we do? Nothing. It's too late. We've paid for another three weeks of skiing and three more private lessons. We have invested a lot of time and money into the idea of teaching him to ski. Too late to back out now. 

  I'm frustrated. And angry. But mostly frustrated. This is one more thing in a long history of our unfocused child. He loses, misplaces, forgets and leaves behind. That's who he is. Knowing and accepting that are two totally different things. 

  Finally I get to bed. I crawl under the covers and hope that tomorrow is better. I turn off the light and with one final check of the ipad alarm, off to dream land I go. A few seconds later I hear a cow mooing. Yes a cow.

  I give up.

  Ang

  
  

  

What A Day....Part 1

  You know how some days everything you touch turns to gold? Yesterday, for me, everything turned into coal. Or stone. Or something. Sadly it seems it's continuing on today. I feel a little like Charlie Brown....good grief.

  It started yesterday with a snow day from school. After living on the prairies for years I can, 99.9% of the time, drive anywhere on any road conditions. But there had been a lot of freezing rain and I have chosen vacation over winter tires for two years now so both kids stayed home.

  The day was fill with arguing, screaming and name calling. Of course Alex thought a "free" day meant lying in bed on the computer. He was mistaken. That was fun said no parent ever. But we made it to dinner time with no blood so it's somewhat of a success. 

  Dinner, of course, didn't turn out so great either. The chicken didn't seem to want to cook. Forty five minutes later it still wasn't done. That meant a trip to the microwave and I don't need to tell you that doesn't end well. Barely edible to say the least.

  John has an eye appointment so he cannot take Riley to hockey practice. As soon as he leaves we realized the skates, helmet, gloves and stick needed are in his van. Off we, Riley and I, race to the Dr.'s office. No John. Thinking he must already be inside I ask the receptionist who informs me he does not have an appointment....since I confirmed it on Monday when I had mine I knew this was untrue.

  Ten minutes later John is sauntering down the hall. He was looking at the boats on display, taking his time and dreaming. We now have only thirty minutes til hockey and Riley is anxious. But first John wants to speak to the receptionist about the non-appointment. As he walks in an old colleague shows up and they proceed to chat. Time keeps ticking by. Riley gets more anxious.

  Finally we can all head to the van for the hockey equipment and load it into my small, hard-to-fit-in-a-hockey-stick, car. At last we are on our way with ten whole minutes to spare. We might just make it. 

  To Be Continued.....

  Ang

Jason Kenney Strikes Again

  If you are a follower of Canadian politics you'll know the name Jason Kenney. He is the Conservative MP for Calgary Southeast. Under PM Steven Harper he was Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism. He seems to be one of the most misunderstood MP's in history. At least what he says seems to be taken the wrong way. Note the sarcasm.

  Let's go back a few months to October. He met with some new refugee's and tweeted this about one of them...."11 yr- old Xavier is an Iraqi refugee who arrived in CDA via Syria last yr. Already speaks perfect, unaccented English"

  The tweet was deleted very quickly. If there was nothing inappropriate about it why delete it? By itself it seems rather odd but we all could word things better and a tweet is unforgiving. I'll give him that.

  Now lets peek at the comments he made on the issue of the niqab and the response of Calgary's Mayor, Naheed Nenshi, who believed the Conservatives take on the issue to be dangerous. Mr. Kenney said "it seems to me that the Mayor and people like him who are politicizing it"

  Again another explanation needed. It sounds bad. Especially since Mayor Nenshi is Muslim. He obviously took it as an insult or racist remark because his  response was "people like me". Jason Kenney went on to explain what he actually meant by it. Damage was done. But we move on.

   On Monday, yet again, he has made another comment that, yet again, he has to explain. This time involving the new Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan. This time saying he needs an "English to English translation" to understand the Minister's comments. In case you aren't aware Minister Sajjan, a 26 year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, came to Canada at age 5 from India. Now it becomes clearer.

  If you look at each one individually you might be able to say well he needs to think before he speaks or tweets. But when you start showing them together it seems a pattern emerges. This is only three examples from the past year or so. 

  Do I think Jason Kenney is a racist? No probably not. Do I think he comes across as one in the press? I would have to say yes. What he really needs is someone within his own party to say shut the hell up! Surely he has people for that.

  I think Mr. Kenney needs some sensitivity training. A few lessons on civility in the workplace. Perhaps he needs to check out Lew Bayer and The Civility Experts at  www.civilityexperts.com/ for some tips!

  Ang

  

Groundhog Day

  The most important weather forecast of the year is happening this morning all across the country. It's so important that it is broadcast on every newscast for the entire day. It's Groundhog Day. The day little towns and villages drag a ground hog out of it's hibernation, watch it stick it's head out and look for a shadow.

  If the groundhog sees it's shadow that's bad. Colder more "wintery" weather is heading our way and this poor little rodent goes back to sleep. No shadow means woohoo spring is coming early. But we live in Canada and no one really believes the worst has passed. Do they?

  Today is February 2. We all know this month will be long and cold. Longer this year with it being a leap year. March will still be cold. We will have snow storms. Don't put away your snow shovel just yet.

  What that rodent does is gives us hope. A light at the end of the tunnel. We've made it this far just hang on a bit longer it says. And hope is never a bad thing. For anyone. In any situation.

  Especially a Canadian winter.

  Ang

  

The Donald

  I feel so bad for the people in the United States right now. Actually I feel bad for everyone in the world who has a tv, computer or smart phone. Donald Trump is everywhere. All the time. 

  His appeal is mind boggling to me. His fake tan and bad hair aside...and boy is it difficult to get past those....he's a classic bully. Say something he doesn't like. He will call you fat, ugly or stupid. Or he will make fun of your disability, religion or country. On the school yard we would all be rallying against him.
  
  It's obvious he has some anger issues. Not to mention the fact that he seems to dislike women. And I find it very interesting that his wife never goes out campaigning with him. Why's that I wonder? Embarrassed perhaps?

  A few of his "memorable" statements include building a fence to keep Mexicans out of the country. And getting them to pay for it. That's funny. Good luck with that Donald. Also the idea of keeping all Muslims out of the country. Even the ones who are US citizens, born and raised.

  This is not a man you want to be leading a free and democratic country. Can you imagine him negotiating with Putin? What about Angela Merkel? Would he say similar things to her like he did to Megyn Kelly? I don't think the Chancellor would be so diplomatic in her response.

  We are months away from the US election. What started out as a joke is becoming less and less funny by the day.

  Except for the hair. That is always funny.

  Ang