thursday thirteen

things I appreciate now that I didn't have 20 years ago,  in no particular order.

1. A coffee maker that has a drip interruption.  My old Melita, I would have to quickly slip another mug under to catch the drip if I wanted to sneak out a cup beforehand.  Didn't matter how fast or dexterous I was it just didn't work without some of the brew spilling on the burner.

 

2.The internet....wow that goes without saying.  I can't imagine life without it now.  The best part is the people I have met online and being able to book my own vacations.

 

3.Not having to work for someone else.  I am totally not a person that likes to take orders from someone of a lesser intelligence which it seems all of my previous bosses were.  They couldn't even take a helpful suggestion with out getting their hackles up.

 

4.My kids, I can't imagine life without them.  It would be so empty.  Having been married for over 7 years with no luck,  I was truly blessed to not just have one but three.

 

5.Patience and tolerance.  In my younger years I wasn't so tolerant of other peoples ideas and faults.  I know I was pretty judgemental.  Now I accept people for how and what they are and look past the disagreeable things and concentrate on what I like about the person.

6.Satellite TV .  I have always been the early to bed early to rise sort of person and missed out on alot of late night TV.  In fact I never watched any of the SNL shows of the 80's,  way past my bedtime.  Now I can watch the eastern feeds 3 hour earlier,  3 and a half hours earlier in Newfoundland.

7.Travel travel travel.  Being able to travel basically when I want and where I want.  Not having to book time off.  One time I had an incredible travel deal 2 weeks airfare and hotel $299 to Mazatlan back in 1988.  Vacations were pretty expensive back then.  I had to literally beg my boss to give me the unpaid time off.  There was plenty of staff to cover me but he acted like such a jerk.  We were able to go but it still pisses me off how I had to beg him for it.

8.A super comfortable bed.  We have the most comfy king size bed.  It is a high density foam core mattress and I would never go back to springs again.

9.Rechargeable batteries.  The money I would spend on new batteries for my camera,and Sony walkman.  Now I have all rechargables in everything that requires a battery.  Not having all that crap going into the landfills is an added bonus.

10.Not sure how to word this one but not being embarrassed about things I haven't done.  I used to be embarrassed if someone I was with did something.  Now I don't care what people think.  I only worry about my own behaviour.

11.My ability to change and adapt.  If you don't have bailey's for my coffee I will drink it black.  If you only have budweiser in the fridge I will drink it even though it gives me rotgut.  I am much more pleasable now.

12.Forgiveness,  I can forgive people for just about anything.  I am not the one that you will have to hold yourself accountable to.

13.Twenty extra pounds.   Not really on that one just seeing if you were reading to the end.  But I am 20 lbs heavier then I was 20 years ago.  Actually closer to 30 pounds heavier but its been fun putting them on  :)

 

So what has changed for the better in your life?

Crazy day here in the wild kingdom

I have had the most strange encounters today with creatures of the wild. This morning after I dropped Harrison off at school a huge coyote ran across the road in front of me.  There were 7 lanes of quite busy traffic and it managed to avoid it all.  Then I was on my way home from grocery shopping and seen the hugest dead raccoon laying on the road.  I guess he wasn't as quick as the coyote.  Later after lunch Harry and I went out to look at some hedging ceders and on the way home we saw a cat attack a chihuahua.  A lady was pushing her baby in a stroller and walking her dog when out of no where a cat leaped on the dog and the lady had to pick the dog up. I am wondering if there is some hidden meaning behind these weird encounters.  Maybe the hot weather caused it all.

thursday thirteen

With the rather depressing weather we are having here I thought I would try to spread some sunshine with warm and happy thoughts.  So here I go with 13 things that make me happy and I still love from my childhood.

1. Ritz crackers.  They have been my favourite since as long as I remember.  I even bought them as a kid with my allowance.   I am in fact eating some right now with my green tea.  I don't like any of the new-fangled ones just the original ones.  I like to nibble off all the ridges then try to peel the tops off flake by flake savouring each little bite.

2.Home made Mac'n'cheese with elbow macaroni and cheese whiz.  I don't make it as often as I used to but it's my comfort food.

3.Playing softball.  I have played league play ball since I was but a wee bit and truly enjoy the sport to this day.  I even enjoy watching it from the stands and on tv.  When I was young and quick I played short-stop, then down graded to first base then out into the field.  Now I mostly just drink beer and cheer on who ever is playing.

4.Teasing my brother.  He is three years younger then me and we have always had a great relationship.  We kind of lost touch with each other over the last years what with me moving all the time and just not keeping in touch.  Now thanks to Facebook we can play games and talk and tease each other daily.

5.Sleeping on freshly washed sheets.  Especially if they are dried on the clothesline.  I have to be the first one in the bed or the experience is ruined.

6.Waking up bright and early and having the whole house to myself.  Total silence, no TVs radio's nothing.

7.Cat's I love the critters and have never met two with the same personalities.  Sadly now with three people in the house with allergies I only get to visit and pet other peoples.

8.A favourite pair of jeans.  They are my favourite article of clothing.  No dresses or skirts for me ewwww.  There is nothing like a good comfortable pair of blue jeans.  Sometimes its hard to find the perfect fit but there is a feeling you get when you wear the perfect pair.

9.Friends,  I love my friends old and new and once I have you in my clutches I tend to not let go.  A life without friends is unimaginable.

10.Sunshiny days have always been my top weather request.  Take me away from cold and snow forever.  Who would know I was born in the frozen north of Yukon Canada.

11.Reading a good book and immersing oneself in a fantasy world or learning about the past.  There isn't a movie or show that can do what a good book can.  If I could teach reading to everyone in the world I would be happy.

12.Outdoors just about anywhere.  Top of a mountain, on a beach, walking down the road, just about anywhere.  I would rather be outside then stuck in a house.

13.Bugs Bunny show. Those cartoons are a classic.  We get them on the cartoon retro channel and I still laugh out loud.  The old ones were great in themselves without being a 30 minute commercial.


Well that was a smile down memory lane.  And guess what the rain has stopped and the sky's are starting to lighten up..