Fantasy Follies Getting Closer!!

Good morning!

Today I want to wax poetic about my magazine. Okay, maybe not poetic, but I wanted to share these snapshots I took of our Fantasy Follies office, now that it's done. The one to the left is me toiling away by candlelight, I know you can't really see me, but trust me, that mass of black hair is me. Well, my avatar anyway.

Here's a better one of me. I think I was working on the Editor's note. It's a nice desk. A "partner's desk"

design, made of warm woods, with working drawers and everything. Not sure if you can make out the plate of gingerbread cookies and steaming mug of coffee there in front of me. On Chate's side of the desk is a goblet of eggnog. I think she'll like that when she gets back in-world.

Swinging around, I took a shot of our seating area. Also well stocked with cookies. Can you tell I like cookies? This furniture was made by my in-world partner, Fiona, with the exception of the large round table. That was made by Dalimar. You can't see the five or six ferns, or the cool printing press our friend and business partner Aly made. The sim of Elf Harbour is massive. There is a nautical theme, complete with a swamp, docks, a harbour masters house, a variety of monkeys scattered about and a sharp-toothed alligator.

Anyway, back to the magazine. At first, I wanted to release it Jan 1st. But that's not going to be possible. Most of my "help" has had to pull back, because of the holidays and health issues; so I'm on my own for a little while. This is going to affect how much gets done and likewise, when it gets done. In the next couple of days, I need to finish up two articles and prep two fiction pieces; one by Chate and one by Meadow. I also need to get the script to give the mag and prep the distribution box, drop a note to the owner of the magazine shop that will be carrying it, as well as the other folks I'd like to see house the boxes, finalize the contest, come up with a release announcement, finalize the ad rates, and last but not least figure out the damn printing press.... damn... maybe a Feb 1 release is more likely. Betty warned me that I might have to publish bi-monthly while I'm my only staff.

Sigh. Enough from me for now. Back to work!

Holiday Cheer!

Hello there!

How was your holidays?

It seems we had a whole lot of build up here as well as lots of happiness.

I was worried this Christmas would be disappointing to the boys; with money being so tight around here since I stepped down at work. Their lists were shorter than previous years, but still.

I had far too little sleep, only getting about 4 or 5 hours a night, but in the end... it turned out all right. Jimmy ended up walking across town to be home in time for Christmas morning, which was so touching I got all choked up. He actually woke me up, not the two youngest!

Despite the fact that the gift pile was smaller and not so spread out this year, they did alright. They each got at least one thing off their list, so it wasn't a complete failure. But I did learn the value of sticking to my plan of getting one gift per month, instead of all at once. No, that's not what we did this year, but that was my plan.

We had lots of food, we were all together and the boys, all three of them, seemed happy with what they got.

Yep, it could have been worse.

Second Life has been busy, what with holiday dances and whatnot. The picture up top was a small corner of the Bubbling Cauldron from last night's Victorian Ball. Betty and I decorated, according to the "vision" I had. I hosted and she was the Guide, joining two more folks to the Charn family. There has been my birthday party, the Yule ball, dances on top of dances...you get the idea.

And soon, on Jan 2 as a matter of fact, will be the Grand Re-Opening of Elf Harbour. Our friend and business partner, Aly, bought the sim and has done a lot of hard work to make it a memorable RP sim, over which our shop floats at something like 3000 meteres above "ground" level. Our store is huge. Absofragginhuge! On the ground, she has a swamp like area, a lighthouse, docks and other elements that make it seem more like the harbour it was always supposed to be. There are swampy trees, an alligator and a variety of monkeys hidden all over the sim. She even has a Harbour Masters house, a Main Hall and a couple of smaller buildings that I think she might rent out. All of the buildings look like something straight out of Rivendell in LOTR! They truly are stunning. In the main hall, on the main floor, there is a pub, complete with guard beagle, Talitha, where one can sit and have a drink. (Yes, we really hold the drink and have the action). There is a dance ball and a wickedly brilliant anchor chandelier. Upstairs, Aly has taken one wing for her office, and I have taken the other wing for my Fantasy Follies office.

This photo does not do it justice. It doesn't convey the calm classiness the room has, the movement of the potted ferns, it doesn't communicate how much I love this room. But it is where I like to go to work on the magazine. Aly has some great music in the stream, very calming. Which is good, because sometimes it drives me crazy! Especially trying to get content from iPages into Gimp, so I can save ads and stories as a texture, otherwise SL won't upload it. Stupid, I know. But we work with what we have. I wanted to get the magazine done for Jan 1, but I don't think that's going to happen now. The holidays have been too busy and I'm doing a lot of it myself. I need to find someone that can take the text and pages and put them into the format I need, then send it back to me; because that's where all my time is being taken up. Betty is right, unless I find some reliable help, I'm only going to be able to put the mag out bi-monthly.

Ah well, whining to you isn't getting it done any faster.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Six Days To Go!

Hello again, my friends! I assume someone is out there reading this.

Geez, I hope you are, or I'm doing all this for nothing!

On the assumption you ARE out there, how was your week?

It was an interesting one here at Casa de Taleweaver. Not work, it's bloody boring. But the moments in between were interesting. Our youngest son had his Christmas Concert, and he even put on a tie this year. He still has a problem with stage fright, but at least he was doing the actions and trying to sing along with his classmates. It went okay, all things considered.

We have a real Christmas tree this year; a fir. We aren't sure if I'm allergic to it, or if I'm allergic to all the cleaning we've been doing lately. (My vote is on the cleaning) Anyway, it's a very nice tree; balanced and full... and still not decorated except for the garland and lights.

The boys have my old computer in their room now, so the tree is the last thing on their minds.

I guess we'll be decorating tonight.

Things in SL are never boring either. Last night we attended the Charn Yule Ball. It was delightful, held outside and surrounded by silvery white trees and snow. Our good friend Azlyn DJ'd the dance, and she played some pretty great tunes. Quite a lot of our friends were there, all dressed in their formal finery. I know there were a lot of pictures taken. I'll share them when I get them. Oh! Speaking of pictures! We had ours taken with Santa last night as

well. Again, I'll share 'em when I get them. Our dear sister/friend Chate got family photos done for Christmas this year. Let me see if I can find one...

There!

Nice, isn't it? From left to right, Jita (Chate's daughter), me, Chate, Dalimar and Fiona (aka Betty in real life). Azavi Studios always does a great job! High fives to Kavi and Azlyn!

Our little family is going to be doing our gift exchange tomorrow evening, and I'm looking forward to it. Not for the gifts, but because we cannot always seem to get together when we'd like. It will be nice to just sit and catch up and relax.

On the knitting scene this week, It has become glaringly apparent that I need to get knitting socks and mitts. The boys are outgrowing socks faster than I can make them. I have a few socks scattered around the house in various states of completion, for various people that I have decided I am going to finish. So many things I want to do, so little time!

Hmm, maybe if I ask for a cloning machine, like Homer got in the Simpsons that one episode...

Then again, all my clones would want the computer to get on Second Life too...hmm...maybe clones isn't that great an idea.

Pass The Hot Chocolate!

Pass the Hot Chocolate!

It's winter! (No. Not in the picture over there <---)

Most of our province has some snow at least, some have 80 cm or more. We all have cold, Northern winds that freeze to the bone! Some parts of the country are under a cold snap so intense, the authorities are advising not to let pets out unsupervised.

What do Canadians do when it's too cold to play outside? We go inside!

Betty and I escape to Second Life. We've moved to Kymmer and no longer own land in Charn. Originally, it was mostly a financial decision. But as we've distanced ourselves from Charn, we've learned of some political issues there that we aren't thrilled with. Well, we're all entitled to our differences in opinion, so we sat back and re-thought our priorities. What did we want to do with our time in SL? What was fun, what pissed us off? Our friend and business partner once said "SL is supposed to be fun", and I have hung on to that, adding, "If it's not fun, it's time to change things" So we did. We moved, again, but this time to Kymmer, a sim owned and created by our friend and brother, Dal. (He's the dark, demonic looking fella in the picture) Betty now has her beach, which I have fallen in love with. We have the EXACT same house that was in the show Charmed. We now have horses. We have so much room to play in, and a workshop to build in that is simply IMMENSE! I cannot gush about Kymmer enough.

Dal has come a long way since we first met him, and he and I have had many conversations that are always enlightening in one way or another. I can't believe I'm saying this, because I swore I'd not move again, but I'm glad we moved.

So now I've taken on another project. I was bemoaning the lack of a good fantasy oriented magazine within SL one day when Betty said, "Then just make one yourself"

So I did.

There are many in-world magazines in Second Life, but as in real life, that doesn't mean they're all good. I have discovered a bit about myself in the process of creating the first issue. Apparently I have high standards, and apparently I really enjoy

becoming a magazine editor and publisher. So, the magazine is called

Fantasy Follies. Yep, that's the logo over there.

It's my hope that we will shine the spotlight on some of the best fantasy related items, performers, builders, places to live, shop and play. There's a wide range of things waiting to be written about, because everyone's idea of fantasy can be so different. Obviously, anything looking like anything LOTR is fair game, as well as high fantasy, low fantasy and, wait, what's low fantasy you ask?

According to Wikipedia, "Low Fantasy is a sub-genre of Fantasy fiction in which the setting is the real world with the addition of fantastic elements. The word "low" is used to indicate the quantity of fantasy in a work and not the quality. The subgenre was created when overall fantasy genre split into high and low fantasy in the early twentieth century. Within the fantasy genre, low fantasy is the opposite of high fantasy, which takes place, partly or entirely, in a completely fictional setting.

But even that definition has boundaries that are always being pushed. Nothing is static, especially not in Second Life. There are Dwarves, Elves, and Hobbits of course. But there are also Furries (avatars that are animal like in appearance), Tinies (avatars that are half the size of most), and Dragons. Werewolves, Fairies (or Fae as they prefer to be called), Vampires and so many more. Most folks would say that none of those are real, unless you work for the National Enquirer. That makes them "fantasy" creatures. And therefore, fair game for Fantasy Follies.

So I've got a lot to write about! I already have a staff, and some are proving to be more reliable than others, so I'm learning here too as we go along.

Knitting ? Heh, none lately. Terrible I know. It's winter, the season of my guilt-knitting when I drag out the projects that have languished for months, forgotten until the thermometer says IT'S COLD LADY!

I was going to pick up one of those projects last night, but was surprised by the traditional Christmas concert instead. So with three hours notice, I bundled up Shandon and myself, and off we went to his Christmas concert. This year, he played the trumpet in Jazz Band, and did a wonderful job! I got all of three pictures, all of which I am frustrated to say turned out too dark and grainy to share with anyone. Even my parents! For some reason, the school turned their lights down. And my flash only bounced off the big heads of the tall people in front of me.

Sigh

Well, maybe he can bring the trumpet home and I'll get a video to share...that would work.

Till next time!

When Did I Grow Up?

I hardly know where to begin tonight, so much has flitted through my mind lately. This is flu season, and I've done my share, thank you. I've already had it. At first, we thought it was a chest cold, but in mere hours, I felt worse. I started feeling bad at supper one night, but by bedtime I felt horrible. Shandon had already had this, so I knew what was coming, I thought. I got it worse. Yay, me. Anyway, I ended up taking two days off work, sleeping and feverish. It took two weeks to get over the bug and get my energy back. This was only one reminder that I am no longer young.
Lately, I've also noticed quite a few more grey hairs upstairs. No more the scattered few over my ears, now I have a prolific bunch on top as well. And as much as I know I could dye them, I really don't want to. I feel as though they are a badge almost. Not of honor, but a sign that I'm an adult now, you know? I don't suppose you'll understand unless you're over the age of 40 yourself.
This has been a cool, wet fall that fairly raced into winter-like weather, complete with hail yesterday and snow for my parents! My knees object to it, they don't like winter, they don't like cold. I have very opinionated knees.
Yet another sign I am no longer young.
The most alarming sign yet though was a very long conversation with my mother the other night.
We got to exchanging news. She told me the favorite house I lived in up there (on my own) burned to the ground. She told me most of the town is working again, and she brought me up to date on the new store and her knitting projects. And then she off-handedly mentioned she was two years aways from retirement.
"Wait, back that up?" I said, hardly believing what my brain had told me it heard.
"Kid, I'm 63 now, remember? I have white hair. You're 40. You didn't expect me to stay 36 forever, did you?"
I was speechless.
For years, when people asked how old my mother was, I told them she was 36. Not out of stupidity or a desire to keep her young, just for me, she stopped aging at 36. One day, I assumed she must be close to 45, so that became her magic number. Then 50.
And now I am forced to admit that my mother is 63.

This opened a whole new can of kickass.
Now I am forced to admit that time is screaming ahead, never mind crawling. I am forced to admit that my parents are aging, and I am more ill-prepared to help them financially then ever before. I always thought I was going to send them a little something every pay, but now I can barely make ends meet here in my own little world.Thoughts of my parents mortality flit through my mind before I can chase them away, and I can't help but wonder how they are really doing when they aren't on the phone for an hour with me.
And I wonder when this all happened.
When did I grow up and get old?

Knit two, purl four, carry the one, divide by pi, square root…

So much to do, too damn much work.

Work truly gets in the way of enjoying myself. I stayed up and on Second Life till after 2 am last night talking with my sister/friend Chate, about the book we're collaborating on. We're both very excited about it. It's a fantasy/futuristic tale that holds a lot of promise, we think, to be an epic. So, we were hashing out details while floating in a pond in Second Life. Very soothing...waterfalls, the loon, the company of a friend....ahhhhhhhhh. That's George the therapy bunny and I hanging out, enjoying the fall colours at a friend's place.

So I started another pair of socks yesterday on the bus ride into work. You should have seen the looks I was getting as people realized I had more than two needles! This is the easy part, the leg. When I get down to the heel, I will have to leave this sock at home until I get past the complicated stuff, and into the foot. Once I get to the foot, I can take it back on the bus again and do the mindless knitting. This sock is in Bernat Cashmere, in a cancelled colourway, "Ocean". I'm thinking these will go to Braydon. I'm noticing more and more demand for warm socks. Debra wants some, the boys need some, Betty and I always need more, and now a co-worker who runs a shop wants some for her store! If I could just make at least $9.00 an hour off of them, I could quit my job!

So the yellow baby blanket is nearly done. I am working on the last seed stitched edge, then I have to wash it and block it in the hopes it will lay somewhat flat. I'll be glad when I can finally pass it on. I have been working on it so long, I'm nearly sick of that shade of yellow. And then I think I'll be knitting nothing but scarves for the homeless and socks! I may need some more size 3 and 4 four-set-needles.

Wonder if I could talk Betty into picking me up a set of 3's the next time she's in Walmart?

Second Life

My real life has never been boring. Ever.

Why then, did I get hooked on an online universe called Second Life? I'm not sure how it happened, other than, it was fun.

It is not a game, in the traditional sense. it is similar to Sims, but with more interaction and better graphics. it is user created, with more options than I'm sure you want to hear about.

Anyway, my point is that I've made some interesting associations in Second Life (also known as SL)

I have made acquaintances, and friends, and we even have a home in SL now. We have had a couple, actually. Right now we are living in a region owned by a friend. We have a large skybox that resembles a castle. It has more room than we know how to use at the moment! Below that, about 600 meters below, we have a park-like area, with a library. Next to that piece of land, we went in on another piece of land with some friends. That's a picture of it off to the left there. Well, a part of it. Off to the right of the waterfalls is a tipi and stone ring we use for seating around a fire. It has become quite the social gathering area. In the pond you see, there is a loon that swims, floats and dives, as well as sing his loon song. Below the water is a Mermaid gazebo and garden, and a few fish. It is all very peaceful and pretty.

Very relaxing.

Later on, I'll tell you a bit more about our Second Life.

Peace, Love and Yellow-ness

Remember last entry I went on about my new Mac computer? That wasn't enough geekiness for this family. We had to go out and buy an iPod.

I got to pick the colour, a small thing, but I was impressed. (It's deep purple, just so you know) So now I'm an avid listener of podcasts.

I have a few faves so far. On the knitting front, I have developed a strong affinity for Cast On, and the voice of Brenda Dayne. She has a soothing, melodic quality to her voice; instantly soothing and welcoming. (Actually, I think I mentioned this before) She has inspired me to pick up knitting that sometimes sits ignored. The yellow baby blanket, actually. It's difficult to ignore a project, even though it is destined to be a huge mass of yellow-ness totaling hundreds of stitches, when listening to a woman who has knit many, many sweaters!

The baby blanket I've gone on about, from time to time has changed intended recipients, because in part I knit so slowly and because the universe just kind of slants me one way or the other, and I believe that the universe has "tilted" me away from the blanket's first intended recipient.

Sound obscure?

Bear with me for a moment.

The other night, as I was putting my boys to bed, one of my sons asked me about fate. The context of his question seemed ridiculous in the moment, but it got me wondering about what goes on in his head. Why would a 13 year old be asking about fate? 

I answered his question, and he realized that I believe in a combination of fate and free will. 

I was raised on traditional Ojibway teachings, and a lot of that is still with me, but I also believe in a few other teachings that are very organic. I do believe that our souls go to another place when our bodies pass. In this place, I think each of our souls determines what it wants to learn next, through experiences and significant associations our bodies are going to make with other people. I also believe that we choose the families we will be born into, as a way of learning through experience. While each of us learns something different from our friendships, arguments and conflicts with significant people in our lives, we contribute something to them as well.

And so I believe that certain people come into our lives for a reason.

By extension, I think the yellow baby blanket was intended for someone other than who I thought.

A convoluted way of getting to my point, I know, but I hope it was a little clearer than mud.

This blanket has always been intended to bring warmth, and caring, and good wishes for the baby, no matter which baby that is. Kind of like a prayer shawl. Are you familiar with these? While knitting or crocheting a shawl, a prayer is said or good wishes whispered. There is no hard and fast rule about how one puts these prayers (or wishes if one is not "religious"), the point is to create with love and harmony in your heart. Some folks put on soft music, or inspirational tunes, light incense... whatever brings them to a place that allows them to create in the right frame of mind. A lot of knitting groups are creating these shawls for folks that are suffering from disease or suffering through the loss of a loved one. They are beautiful in their intent.

It was this kind of project that I had in mind when I started the baby blanket. Something peaceful and beautiful that would love some of me behind.

Like I Needed Another Obsession?

I'm going to take a break from knitting  a cute little hat in green and white, for a friend of a friend, to  blather on about the newest thing in my life. Tax season is easy  at our house, and for almost a whole year we plan how best to spend it. This year, Betty talked me into spending part of the return on a new computer for this desk. My desk, but since everyone uses the 'pooter it doesn't really feel like mine alone.

Anyway, I've been lusting after a Mac for a few years now. A friend of ours has a couple out west, and I've always heard such good things about them that I am naturally drawn to play with one whenever we go to Best Buy. This year, at last, I had the opportunity to buy one.

So I did. An iMac that just barely fit within the overhang of my desk. I won't bore you  with technical, geeky details, but allow me just a moment or two to effuse about how sleek and modern it looks. 

It is beauty within a square. It has some killer curves and it's.... slim!

And the things it does....omg. I have never seen my photos this clear! 

I have a new obsession.

Podcasts.

I thought the Yarn Harlot had a podcast, so I went looking last night. No luck, but I did find Cast On, and instantly fell  for Brenda Dayne's voice. Listening to her is like sitting down with an old friend and visiting while you knit. I listened to four of her podcast installments, and the only reason I stopped was the fact that I was tired!

You should really check it out. Seriously.

I haven't gotten a whole lot of knitting done lately. It's all been about work. 10-12 hours a day. There's a lot of pressure to get the store and my books up to snuff, and this is the only way I know how to do it... for now. Oh, I want to knit. I have the baby blanket I'm still working on, and the little hat I mentioned before is for a friend of Tammy's. I'd be tickled if I could knit at work, but I can't see that happening. someone would piss me off and I'd run them through with a knitting needle.

I wonder if that would constitute  a charge of assault with a deadly weapon?

Reflective Socks

It seems I'm smitten with socks these days.
The one you see to the left is Shandon's sock, knitted with Bernat Satin, in the "surf" colorway. It's super soft, and I figured since Mom had gifted me with so many balls, I'd do something useful with them.
So the question is, will I finish the pair before he outgrows them?
It was quite a shock to realize he fit my socks, so I made it easier on myself and knit to fit me.

His 13th birthday is in just five days, and I was sitting here this morning wondering where those 13 years went. I remember well the storm that hit Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. the night he was born. I remember craving pizza, and my friend who braved the storm to get me one; only to prove the nurses right and throw it all up a short while later.
What a waste! I remember not being able to breastfeed and yet, wanting to very badly. I remember how he never quite took to a soother and the pine green bunting bag that my mother made him.
I also remember how small he seemed in it.
And here we are, 13 years later, trying to find a way for a 13 year old to make his way in an ever-changing world; with me wanting to keep him close, and him wanting to hurry up and be a teenager.

Where did the time go?

Throw Another Log On The Fire!!

Baby, it's cold out there!
I worry about the homeless and wild animals at this time of year. (Can't you just see deer eating with wheat coloured scarves wrapped around their necks?)
Sorry, what was I saying? Oh yes, the cold.
I just saw a report on a polar bear summit where someone had decided 2008 was one of the warmest in ten years. Well, 2009 seems to be trying to make up for it's predecessor's failings!
I was so cold yesterday while walking to the bank that I had to take my glasses off because the cold beating off them was making my eyeballs hurt! (My eyes were the only exposed part of my body)
So I only go outside to catch the bus to work, or home, and to go to the bank for work. Normally, it doesn't feel too bad. I've been wearing microfiber long underwear every day this season, I have a long, very warm coat that many laugh at, until it gets cold and I am warmer than they are, and I have great mitts. I look dorky, but I won't get frostbite!
Except for my eyeballs.

So I've been doing a lot of knitting this winter.
I've picked up the yellow baby's blanket again.










I've been knitting two different socks at once, a pair for Shandon and another for Betty, with Bernat's new sock yarn in "Hot Tamale", which doesn't fit the yarn at all.
(Pictures to follow)
And I finished Braydon's mitts. Just in time to realize he needs a new cap because his head is outgrowing the red one I made for him.

I need to quit my job. It's interferring with my knitting.

It's mitten weather here in Ontario!
Damn, it's cold out there!
Kids being kids, mine are growing like weeds, so of course, they both need new mitts/gloves. S has decided it's not cool at middle school to wear mitts, so he's going to stick with store-bought gloves, but B was wanting a new pair of mitts. So like a good Mom, I whipped out my knitting needles. The mitt you see at left is the the first of the pair. All that's left is to close the thumb off, weave in ends and B has a new pair of mitts. At the rate he's going though, I think I should start casting on a bigger pair now!

Our friend Debra is getting another pair of socks this year. Dark blue leg, rainbow coloured cuffs and toes. So far so good, I've just gotten to the heel flap for the first one. This pair is taking me longer than I'd like.
Every year I say I'm going to knit all the important people in my life socks, and then the year gets away from me, and it's November and there's no way all those people are going to get handmade socks!
I see a new year's resolution in the making.

Work has changed yet again.
I have been promoted to manager of a 24 hr. store.
Those of you who read here on a semi-regular basis will remember when I stepped down as assistant manager of that first store.
Now I'm managing my second store! Yikes!
(I'll post pictures next time)

There have been issues, and there will continue to be, I'm sure. I think I see how to fix what needs fixing on the floor. I know I need to become more paperwork oriented, even though that's not my thing. I would rather spend the day on the floor straightening, cleaning and rebuilding.
But it's mind blowing at times how many different elements there are to managing a store.
I think someone is trying to sabotage my new position. There are rumors, wrong and incorrect ones at that, someone has already called head office trying to paint me as incompetent and lazy; and I am grateful that there are cameras all over the place!
But I'm stubborn and pig-headed and whoever it is will not drive me away.
I am a Sagittarius. We are honorable, honest to a fault, trustworthy, reliable, generous and sincere.
But above all else, I am stubborn!
I have already taken a store in need of focus and TLC and made it more successful.

I will do it again.

No Buddy Left Behind

One of the blogs I follow alerted me this morning to a situation that had me in tears.
The picture to the left is Ratchet and Sgt. Gwen Beberg. She and another soldier rescued Ratchet when he was just a puppy, flea-bitten, starving and huddled under a blanket. Sgt. Beberg wants to return home with Ratchet, but apparently regulations strictly forbid soldiers befriending dogs while on duty. Operation Baghdad Pups is doing what it can to try and get Ratchet home, following a number of other pups back to the States, but as recently as October 15 - Ratchet did not make today's SPCA International (www.spca.com) flight out of Iraq. Just 30 minutes before SPCA International's rescue expert, Terri Crisp, was to lift off from the Baghdad tarmac, the military finally gave Ratchet clearance to be released from his location at COP Meade. The military's slow response has put him at risk because they did not release him in time for today's flight out of Iraq. 6 other U.S. soldiers' dogs are on their way to safety escorted by Terri Crisp, Operation Baghdad Pups program manager.
October 17 - SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups program manager, Terri Crisp, boarded a plane bound for the Middle East today for the third time this month. This time Crisp leaves with assurance from the military that Ratchet has the clearance needed to meet her at Baghdad Airport.

So while I'm writing this on October 18th, I'm wondering....where is Ratchet? Who is caring for him?

Now, I don't own a cat, but I kept thinking, cats live in war zones too, what about them? Baghdad Pups is trying to help them too. Here's some of the criteria for an animal to be accepted into the program:

• Animals must be living in either Iraq or Afganistan under the care of a United States military person or a military contract worker.
• Cats or dogs must have been under the age of three months when found, with exceptions being made for older animals.
• Animals must have never bitten a person
• Animals must already have a permenant home to go to in the United States, they cannot go to a shelter in the hopes that they will be adopted.
• Feral animals will not be considered for the program
• Animals cannot show any signs of agression
• Animals that have been regularly tormented, especially by children, require special consideration before being accepted into the program.

This is just a partial list, for more info, please visit the Baghdad Pups website.

If you, like me, think it's time to change the regulations holding Ratchet in Iraq, please, say so. Leave me your thoughts, visit the Baghdad Pups website, write to every Senator, even if you aren't American.
You need only be human to understand why these regulations need to be changed. Visit the Clemency for Ratchet website.
Write.
Object.
Demand change.

Here, Watch My Blog Wouldya?

Halloween is right around the corner. 20 days in fact. I still have to get costumes for the boys. Shandon wants to be the character for Scream. Braydon wants to be Sonic the Hedgehog, but I'm not sure how do-able that's going to be. Ever try and convince an eight year old he needs a second choice?

Even though Thanksgiving is only two days away, we're already starting to decorate the store for Halloween. We have blood bowls, goblets, ghosts, "blood" filled squishy handprints, scary halloween music...the whole thing. Now all we have to do is move the stereo and actually DO the decorating! We're thinking about creating a murder scene in a corner of the store, hence the "bloody" handprints and footprints. We have the required spiderwebs, skeletons and so forth. I found a talking headstone at Zellers that I had to get; that's going to be a lot of fun. Last year, Tammy and I, with the help of a couple others, created a crime scene at the store. We had gathered rocks and leaves and sticks for the "ground", had one of our staff lie like a victim so we could outline their body, dripped blood on a rock and surrounded the whole thing with police tape! We loved it! Unfortunately, we had to take it all down because someone in a position of power felt it was inappropriate for our neighbourhood. I don't even have the photos anymore....damn. So this year, I thought I would drink from a bloodfilled goblet with floating eyeballs. Which then gave me the idea to knit eyeballs. Here, watch my drink for me, wouldya? Yeah, I love halloween... Now I have to decide how I'm going to dress up this year!

Pardon Me, I Didn't Knit That For You.

Ravelry has been a cool thing since it's inception. I'm more convinced of this now than ever before. Ravellers have huge hearts. Last week I put out a call for donations of hand-made mitts, scarves, hats or socks for Cambridge's homeless shelter. Not surprisingly,a few people responded, and yesterday I got a parcel at work containing some hats! Many, many thanks go out to AnnieBee; a lovely young lady with a big heart.

While scooting around Ravelry, I came across the video below; a tongue-in-cheek poke at the "girl singers" in the fifties. It won't have you spitting your coffee in hilarity, but I'll bet you my stitch holder you won't be able to get the song outta your head!

More tomorrow, watch the video!

Trees and Stones Will Teach You What You Cannot Learn From Masters.

There's a lot to discuss today, but I'll start by sharing a glimpse of my afternoon.
<---- That is part of my trip to work. Up until winter, I rather enjoy it. Today I was joined by a toad (whose photo is alas, only on my cell) and an angry black squirrel. It was a very nice stroll, despite the 20 pounds of library books on my back. Except for the fact that I had to turn around and go back through the ravine because I'd forgotten my money at home! Ah well, entirely my own fault...

I did some knitting before going into work to do the bank deposit. I worked for a couple of hours on Tammy's Dad's socks. I'm nearly done one, except I'm not especially happy with it. But his birthday is November, so the push is on. Then I've got a pair of kid's mitts on order from a former co-worker. My supervisor wants a pair of socks for another supervisor, and I'd really like to make Tammy a pair of socks.
Wait! There's more!
Debra has moved up to Gravenhurst, land of the mosquitoes and pine trees, and she'd like as many knitted socks as possible. Betty wants a couple of pairs made from the new sockyarn from Bernat, the boys need socks this winter, and ours are getting holes faster than I can knit!
You know, work really gets in the way of knitting....
When my fingers need a break, I've been checking out Knitting Up A Storm. The path from knitted blob to felted clog has been an interesting one to follow. Then I went over to The Velvet Cerebellum to follow the adventures of Chester and Maddie. Then I picked up the needles again.

Did anyone else besides Betty and I catch the Saturday Night Live sketch of Katie Couric and Sarah Palin? It's was funny, but frightening at the same time. Tina Fey is channeling Palin so well, it's eerie. We watched both the original interview, and the sketch, and the only difference is that Tina Fey's voice is just a bit higher and she was a bit perkier. The fact that she had on the same outfit and spoke Palin's own words was bordering on creepy! What's even more disturbing though is that if McCain gets elected, Palin is one skipped heartbeat away from leading the biggest free country on the planet. One airbubble to the brain away from dragging the entire United States further into hell. I read a lot of Betty's favourite blogs over her elbow (her desk and mine are only a foot away from each other), and I was reading a theory this morning that's really taken hold.
What if Palin is not supposed to finish out the campaign? What if she is only window dressing with a shelf-life, who will bow out of the campaign when she becomes too embarassing? Who then will get the tap for V.P? Rudy G ? Hmm.

Even though I am Canadian, I fear the reprocussions will be felt all the way up here. After all, U.S hurricanes make their mark at our gas pumps. The state of the U.S Stock market affects our dollar too.

I fear for not only the U.S if McCain and Palin get elected.

I fear for us all.

Crapdom...It's a Word.

I'm listening to "Gypsy" from Lord of the Dance....what do you listen to when you're feeling reflective?

I'm feeling reflective this week, partly because it's been a hectic week and partly because it may very well be the week that changes my life to a degree.
Remember my once-upon-a-time-boss-now-friend, Tammy? Well, it seems she may leave the company. This sucks because the company won't be the same without her. My job as a manager won't be the same without her and that store won't be the same without her. She made me the manager I am today. She taught me how to be strong, how to be flexible, how to bring a store back from the brink of crapdom. Yes, crapdom. It's a word now. Speaking of crap....I had the opportunity to go and see another store this week. Oh My God. The coolers looked like crap; they were mostly empty and bug-ridden. There was only two kinds in the damn thing, instead of all the flavours there should have been. The cans down the grocery aisle were dust-covered. There was a huge butcher knife in the fridge behind the limes....wait...I had to move my shovel last winter in case someone grabbed it and brained me with it, and this manager gets to keep a big-assed knife in their cooler????

Damn.

To be fair though, I would like to say that I came away from that store more focused and with a zest for bleach.

Dear________

Thank you.
Because of the crappy, filthy, shudder-worthiness of your store, I went back to mine and cleaned.
Yet again.
I washed the back door; front and back. I washed the walls. I washed the windows. Again.
I washed the coolers and the floor. Then I took all the product off the breakfast food aisle, washed every item, and the shelves, and then put it all back together.
And we aren't done. When I left, a staffmember was washing the magazine rack with hot soapy water. And when I get back to work tomorrow, I'm sure I'll find something else to clean.
Thanks for proving to me that I am doing a good job at my own store.
I just wish I could challenge your number two position.

I was saddened to learn this morning of Paul Newman's passing. He was a good 'un.

HUH???

Sarah Palin needs a tele-prompter to tell her when to pause in a speech?
Wha????
She needs someone/thing to phonetically sound out nuclear????

This is a woman who was Mayor of a town of more than 15 people, who then went on to become Governor of a STATE, who has been tapped for next-in-line-to-the-Oval Office and second most important person of the second largest free country on the ENTIRE PLANET, and she needs someone to tell her how to sound out the word "nuclear"??????????


Are you kidding me????

Wait, I think I can become a politician after all.

My platforms are easy to understand. I stand for what is right, freedom to choose for all, decency, commonsense and opportunity. Mess with my country, or it's people, or my family and I'm gonna come down like a ton of bricks on your ass.
And here's the best part...

I don't need someone to tell me how to sound out a word my eight year old knows!

Convenience or A Big Hassle?

We all take convenience, or variety, stores for granted. We all do. Just get stuck needing something, and not have one around.
I would never have thought I would ever work at one, let alone manage one! But I do. After four-ish years behind the counter, I've learned a few things I'd like to share with you to make your experience a little more pleasant.

• Do not, and I cannot repeat this enough, do not come into a convenience store if you are in a hurry. We cannot promise you will be served quickly. We cannot promise there will be no lineup ahead of you and we cannot allow you to jump line because you did not leave home early enough to get where you have to be.
• Please, do not snarl at the person behind the counter and expect them to be sweetness and light when they answer you. You get out of this brief encounter what you put into it. You want polite service? Be a polite customer.
• Please think about your question before you ask it. Just because you no longer see cigarettes for sale behind the counter does not mean we no longer sell them. In Ontario, we have been "blacked out" since May. This means the government tells us how we can sell cigarettes and to whom.
• Speaking of cigarettes, we must now ask you for identification if you look younger than 30 years old. Please, find a different response other than "Are you kidding me?" Also on the list of responses we're tired of, "Seriously?" and "But I'm 32!" If I had a quarter for every time I've heard any of those responses, I could retire tomorrow. I remind you, the government and our head office decide who we ask for I.D; not us. We can lose our job if we are caught selling to an undercover enforcement agent, and your bad habit is not worth losing my job over. Do you want to explain to my children why they can't have new shoes?
• Please don't assume that because you don't see the item you're looking for we don't have it. Ask us. It may be in a spot you don't expect. That person behind the register is there to provide a service to you, the customer. If they look bored, perhaps they're hoping for something to do.
• If you like the look of our store, tell us. If you think it's really clean, or you really like the way something is displayed, tell us! We like getting kudos even more than complaints.
• Put yourself in the shoes of the person behind the register. Yes, your total probably is the amount on the screen. No, they cannot haggle with you. You can try and negotiate the cost all you want, but they are not authorized to change the price of the items you want. If that person says your order is $7.69, then that's what it is. This is not a flea market, it's a store.

So now that I've gone over some basics for you, I hope this will help make your next visit to a convenience store more enjoyable; no matter where it is.

A Rainbow Filled Summer

Summer is a busy time for a lot of folks. Same thing here.
We had a couple of big things planned...like a handfasting.
I hear a few of you out there, "A what?"
A handfasting is a very old form of marriage. The first marriage, I suppose. Traditionally, a handfasting joined a couple for a year and a day, to see if they were compatible and could live happily together. These days, it has become an interesting option for same sex and Pagan couples to wed when a church wedding is out of the question, for one reason or another. For us, a church wedding was not an option. So we made arrangements with the local parks people to have our wedding there. A friend of ours performed officiant duties and two of our closest friends were persons of honor. Their jobs were to help us pull everything together and keep us sane.












This is Tammy (behind us). She had to bring me back to earth a few times.

Lorraine was Betty's person of honor, but for some reason I can't find her picture today. I'll share it with you another day. (Sorry, Lorraine)

We were surrounded by friends and family, greenery and kids. The rain held off after torturing me with just enough rain that we had to break out the umbrellas. (Thanks go out to Laura for bringing those). Afterwards we went back to a local watering hole, celebrated with beer (juice and pop for the kids), a bloody good picnic potluck and music. I didn't want it to end, and even though we were there for a couple hours, it didn't seem long enough to hang out with my friends.

For our honeymoon, we stayed in Toronto for Pride Weekend, watched both the Dyke Parade and the BIG Pride Parade. I took tons of shots, but this is one of the best. We stayed at a B&B on the edge of Cabbagetown, which I will gush about later. We had a great time, realized that three days is not long enough to do and see everything we wanted, and we're goin' back...eventually.




What else ... I worked my behind off at the store, and I think I'll be inventing 10 Rules For Shopping At A Convenience Store. More on that later. Complete with pictures of the store. (I have to close the store tonight, so I may have more to blog about when I get home) Oh, our store was the brief resting place for a pair of twin baby bats! They never came inside, so we left them alone and didn't tell too many people. They were good tenants, so we welcomed them back. We haven't seen them in a week, so we think their Mom may have grounded them.

I'm still knitting, and tearing things back, and re-knitting. We were lucky enough to go to a tent sale, at one of the original yarn mills here in Ontario. Spent lots of money we shouldn't have, made my Mom happy and generally had a good time.


What did you do this summer?