We're leaving tomorrow for our road trip to Ohio and Kentucky! We're really looking forward to the trip, not only for the sights, but for the people we're meeting along the way.
We're planning on getting up around 6:30ish and getting on the road around 8:00 and we'll hopefully be in Cleveland around 1:30pm...then we're hitting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! We'll spend one night in Cleveland and then we're off for Kentucky...mmmm Kentucky 'grape juice'.
We'll probably spend a few days exploring Lexington and Bowling Green. Josh wants to go to the Corvette plant and we're going to explore Cave City and well, look at some caves. He says we'll have a good time, so ok...we're going there.
Then next Friday we'll be meeting up with Connie, Krista, Sam, Drew, Kieren and Cullen, and Robin and Marty for dinner. I've been looking forward to meeting everyone for a while, and now after seeing all the pictures from the most recent bloggy bash, I'm looking forward to it even more!
We'll 'see' you on the flipside...miss me lots, people!
I'm hoping that while I'm away I'll get a call from Nic and I'll hear all about her travel plans! We wish them the best of luck and safe travel when they get little Z (who is simply breathtaking).
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
June is out of review!
Woo! While it doesn't mean much for us...at least everyone who was logged in in June 2006 can take a huge sigh of relief as they are now out of review. Congrats! I'm still hoping for us to be out of review by the end of the year...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Ohhh the excitement! ***UPDATE - AGAIN***
I'm a Top Momma!
What does that mean?
Well, after two months ofwhining, cajoling, and sulking patiently waiting my turn, I'm now on the front page of the Top Momma site!
What I need for you to do is to click here and vote for me...or you can just click here and guess which picture I posted...I'll bet you can't guess...*smirk*
So...what are you doing still reading? Go vote! Now...please?
Oh, and if you can get others to vote for me, that would be great too.
***Yes, Donna, just click on the above link(s) to your heart's content...
I also think I've *finally* solved the problem with people's computers freezing up when viewing my blog. I took off the Snap code and now the page seems to be running faster. If any of you are still having problems please leave me a comment.
Well, it seems that I'm off that site. Apparently I only lasted a day on it...which seems a bit wonky, but whatever. Thanks for voting for me...***
What does that mean?
Well, after two months of
What I need for you to do is to click here and vote for me...or you can just click here and guess which picture I posted...I'll bet you can't guess...*smirk*
So...what are you doing still reading? Go vote! Now...please?
Oh, and if you can get others to vote for me, that would be great too.
***Yes, Donna, just click on the above link(s) to your heart's content...
I also think I've *finally* solved the problem with people's computers freezing up when viewing my blog. I took off the Snap code and now the page seems to be running faster. If any of you are still having problems please leave me a comment.
Well, it seems that I'm off that site. Apparently I only lasted a day on it...which seems a bit wonky, but whatever. Thanks for voting for me...***
Monday, July 23, 2007
Bitchfest-on-the-Lake
A while back I decided to put together a picnic for the A-Team (Josh's nickname for our adoption friends) at Niagara-on-the-Lake. I'm not sure if I was the one that nicknamed it Bitchfest-on-the-Lake or not. Either way, it was held yesterday and we couldn't have had better weather!
Michelle and Mark, Nic and Tim, and Dolores and Shawn came to the picnic-y goodness with enough food to choke a horse...or at least the idiot who was running up and down the hill crashing into everyone as he ran.
We all arrived for noon and found a picnic table to sit at, but most of us ended up either sitting on the ground or on our chairs and left the food in the shade on the table. We talked for a good couple of hours about everything under the sun.
As we were finishing up lunch and dessert, Nic surprised all of us with a stunning watercolour that she made for each of us that was representative of us and our blogs. You'll have to check out Michelle and Dolores' blogs for the other pictures. Honestly though, this picture of it doesn't do it justice. Josh was literally speechless when he saw it...and for those of you that know him, that's a TOUGH thing to do. ;)
I know that a lot of you are DYING to know what I bought from New Zealand, so without further ado, here it is...
A while back I was perusing this blog and I saw the hat and I thought it was one of the cutest things I had seen in a long time. My first thought was 'oh my G-d, a pumpkin hat! I have to get that for Michelle and Mark's little pumpkin!' and then I weakened and got one for our "Little Maple". This is the one and only item I've purchased for our daughter so far.
The woman who makes these is quite talented and her price is reasonable (especially considering that it's coming all the way from New Zealand and she uses New Zealand wool). Right now she's taking a hiatus from making anymore for a while, but if you're interested in ordering one, leave a comment with your email, or send me an email...
By the way, for those of you that remember this post should be amused to know that the site still says that my package is on it's way to New Zealand...and I never heard back from Canada Post about my complaint email. I think I might send it again...
By the way, for those of you who were commenting on the last post, it was written by Spitgirl, not me. Sorry for any confusion. :)
Michelle and Mark, Nic and Tim, and Dolores and Shawn came to the picnic-y goodness with enough food to choke a horse...or at least the idiot who was running up and down the hill crashing into everyone as he ran.
We all arrived for noon and found a picnic table to sit at, but most of us ended up either sitting on the ground or on our chairs and left the food in the shade on the table. We talked for a good couple of hours about everything under the sun.
As we were finishing up lunch and dessert, Nic surprised all of us with a stunning watercolour that she made for each of us that was representative of us and our blogs. You'll have to check out Michelle and Dolores' blogs for the other pictures. Honestly though, this picture of it doesn't do it justice. Josh was literally speechless when he saw it...and for those of you that know him, that's a TOUGH thing to do. ;)
I know that a lot of you are DYING to know what I bought from New Zealand, so without further ado, here it is...
A while back I was perusing this blog and I saw the hat and I thought it was one of the cutest things I had seen in a long time. My first thought was 'oh my G-d, a pumpkin hat! I have to get that for Michelle and Mark's little pumpkin!' and then I weakened and got one for our "Little Maple". This is the one and only item I've purchased for our daughter so far.The woman who makes these is quite talented and her price is reasonable (especially considering that it's coming all the way from New Zealand and she uses New Zealand wool). Right now she's taking a hiatus from making anymore for a while, but if you're interested in ordering one, leave a comment with your email, or send me an email...
By the way, for those of you that remember this post should be amused to know that the site still says that my package is on it's way to New Zealand...and I never heard back from Canada Post about my complaint email. I think I might send it again...
By the way, for those of you who were commenting on the last post, it was written by Spitgirl, not me. Sorry for any confusion. :)
The land of desserts and tropical fruit
Spitgirl here. For those of you who haven't seen my posts in the past, I am a 2nd generation Chinese immigrant to the United States. Rhonda asked me to make the occasional cultural post, posting a little about my own memories of growing up in a Chinese family, as well as recording little phrases in Mandarin. We called this the "Little Maple Project," and although I've been really lax in the past couple of months due to grad school, preparing for a wedding, and training for my next belt test in my martial arts, I decided I'd make a brief post, mostly because I've become nostalgic in my old age.
I was checking out at the register in the lunch room at work today when I noticed a small box and a sign, "FREE TRIAL - Fresh Lychee. 1 cup, $2.95" Holy cows, I thought to myself. NO WAY. I've been back to Taiwan about a dozen times in my lifetime, and one of the greatest delights I had was the wonder of fresh lychees. I could sit for a half an hour and eat a bunch by myself - first, by shelling the thin peel off, then popping the entire fruit in my mouth, carefully eating the sweet, tender flesh and spitting out the large seed afterwards. The taste is perfectly sweet which comes in a burst of flavor.
For the longest time, we couldn't get lychee in California. Then came the canned variety - sticky sweet and oh so delightful - but not quite as good as the real fruit. And then, finally, about ten years ago, we were able to get the lychee fruit imported. Sheer bliss...
As a rather odd anecdote, since lychees are spherical and white, my dad explained carefully to my brother and me that the eyeballs in Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom were actually floating lychees in soup. We had gone to see the movie together, and he couldn't cover our eyes fast enough. For some reason, I clung to that explanation and wasn't really terrified by that scene at all. (He did manage to cover our eyes for the scene where the priest rips out the heart of the slave, though. I am eternally thankful he did.)
Thinking about this particular fruit also leads me to post about my favorite childhood dessert - xing4ren2do4fu (almond jello). I can't make it the way my mom used to make it - buying agar at the store, adding milk and almond paste... now there are boxes for these things. So here is my recent memory of how to make almond jello:
- Buy a box of almond jello mix from an Asian grocery food store. Prepare in a large glass lasagna pan and let it set overnight
- Cut into cubes and place in bowl
- Add canned fruit (the kind with maraschino cherries - that's important), including the juice from the can. You might want to add some water to bring down the sugar content, particularly for kids
- Serve chilled in small bowls, preferably with Chinese soup spoons.
I know, step 1 doesn't sound too glamorous, but the end dessert is sweet, chilled, and perfect for a warm summer night. As for the cherries... my siblings and I used to fight over how many cherries we would get in a bowl of this dessert. I guess you can use any kind of canned fruit, but mom would just buy the kind that had multiple types of fruit.
I was checking out at the register in the lunch room at work today when I noticed a small box and a sign, "FREE TRIAL - Fresh Lychee. 1 cup, $2.95" Holy cows, I thought to myself. NO WAY. I've been back to Taiwan about a dozen times in my lifetime, and one of the greatest delights I had was the wonder of fresh lychees. I could sit for a half an hour and eat a bunch by myself - first, by shelling the thin peel off, then popping the entire fruit in my mouth, carefully eating the sweet, tender flesh and spitting out the large seed afterwards. The taste is perfectly sweet which comes in a burst of flavor.
For the longest time, we couldn't get lychee in California. Then came the canned variety - sticky sweet and oh so delightful - but not quite as good as the real fruit. And then, finally, about ten years ago, we were able to get the lychee fruit imported. Sheer bliss...
As a rather odd anecdote, since lychees are spherical and white, my dad explained carefully to my brother and me that the eyeballs in Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom were actually floating lychees in soup. We had gone to see the movie together, and he couldn't cover our eyes fast enough. For some reason, I clung to that explanation and wasn't really terrified by that scene at all. (He did manage to cover our eyes for the scene where the priest rips out the heart of the slave, though. I am eternally thankful he did.)
Thinking about this particular fruit also leads me to post about my favorite childhood dessert - xing4ren2do4fu (almond jello). I can't make it the way my mom used to make it - buying agar at the store, adding milk and almond paste... now there are boxes for these things. So here is my recent memory of how to make almond jello:
- Buy a box of almond jello mix from an Asian grocery food store. Prepare in a large glass lasagna pan and let it set overnight
- Cut into cubes and place in bowl
- Add canned fruit (the kind with maraschino cherries - that's important), including the juice from the can. You might want to add some water to bring down the sugar content, particularly for kids
- Serve chilled in small bowls, preferably with Chinese soup spoons.
I know, step 1 doesn't sound too glamorous, but the end dessert is sweet, chilled, and perfect for a warm summer night. As for the cherries... my siblings and I used to fight over how many cherries we would get in a bowl of this dessert. I guess you can use any kind of canned fruit, but mom would just buy the kind that had multiple types of fruit.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The little blog that could...***UPDATE***
Today the blog is a whole year old...wow! It all started with this post. I still find this whole community amazing...the people, the connections, everything.
Prior to blogging (and the process in general) we didn't exactly have a full social calendar, now it seems that we're constantly busy with other A-parents on a steady basis. We have truly met some of the most interesting and fascinating people through the process...and just think, Josh didn't want me to get involved in blogging. :P
I just want to thank everyone (17500+ to date) who clicks on here regularly (and even not-so-regularly) for the support, laughs, and let's be honest, shared frustrations over the past year.
So, to celebrate this auspicious occasion, I'm going to shake that lurker tree for all it's worth and see who else falls out. If you don't see your blog listed in my sidebar, leave me a comment and I'll add you on (though chances are, I read you in Bloglines anyways). Hey, just leave me a comment anyways...
***I think I added everyone to my blogroll who left me a comment...if you find that yours is still missing and you want it listed, post a comment.***
Prior to blogging (and the process in general) we didn't exactly have a full social calendar, now it seems that we're constantly busy with other A-parents on a steady basis. We have truly met some of the most interesting and fascinating people through the process...and just think, Josh didn't want me to get involved in blogging. :P
I just want to thank everyone (17500+ to date) who clicks on here regularly (and even not-so-regularly) for the support, laughs, and let's be honest, shared frustrations over the past year.
So, to celebrate this auspicious occasion, I'm going to shake that lurker tree for all it's worth and see who else falls out. If you don't see your blog listed in my sidebar, leave me a comment and I'll add you on (though chances are, I read you in Bloglines anyways). Hey, just leave me a comment anyways...
***I think I added everyone to my blogroll who left me a comment...if you find that yours is still missing and you want it listed, post a comment.***
Be careful...
...and read this. It's really pathetic that I have to keep posting stories like this and it makes me scared shitless for when we have "Little Maple" home.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
HOLY CRAP! ***UPDATE***
We...
***bought a house.
Yup, you were right Donna and Wendy. :)
As I alluded to earlier in the week, Michelle, this is the other reason why we won't be moving west. ;)
Sneaky, aren't I?***
***bought a house.
Yup, you were right Donna and Wendy. :)
As I alluded to earlier in the week, Michelle, this is the other reason why we won't be moving west. ;)
Sneaky, aren't I?***
More answers to your burning questions...
1. You have to sing to an audience of 50,000 people and can only choose one of the following songs to sing. You will be supplied with the lyrics, background vocalists, and a full orchestra. You will be dressed in costume as well, in whatever matches the song you have chosen. Your song choices are as follows:
1. It's Raining Men
2. I Like Big Butts
3. Santa Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Which do you choose, and why?
Heather, could I sing Santa Got Run Over by Genetically Enhanced Reindeer During a Manstorm? If so, then there's no explanation needed...but believe me, that chorus is a bitch to sing.
As far as a costume, I think I'd have to go with an umbrella, a slicker and some pink Snoopy plastic boots (does anyone remember those, or am I the only freak here?) for the impending 'manstorm', some reindeer with padded butts (think of a furry version of J. Lo), and stick Josh in the corner in a sleigh with a long Santa beard.
Now for those that have met us...picture it, I dare you.
2. If you were stranded on a deserted island (ok, suspend your belief and pretend there is electricity and/or batteries) and could only bring:
3 books
3 cd's
and 3 DVD's
Which would you bring? You don't have to answer the why...
Heather, hmmm. Good question. As far as books, I think I'd go with:
Any book by Stephen King...yup, I'm weird like that.
All the Harry Potter books...hey, if I'm on a deserted island, at least I'll finally get around to READING them. Sadly, I haven't read any yet...oops.
Any good trashy novel (hopefully not one about being stuck on a deserted island)
As far as CD's, I'd go with (off the top of my head):
Born on a Pirate Ship (Barenaked Ladies...gotta take the Ladies with me)
Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)
Bat out of Hell (Meatloaf)
As far as DVD's, I'd have to go with:
Any season of Scrubs (oh how I *LOVE* that show--I have all of them)
Season one of Little Britain (if you know the show, the Scottish innkeeper makes me crack up for some fairly obvious reasons)
The Ten Commandments (not for any religious reason...it's just a fantastic movie)
3. Have you ever eaten anything ALIVE?
Janet, not to my knowledge, but I've probably ingested a stray bug or two in my youth. Does anyone remember going to camp and drinking 'bug juice'? I can't be the only one...
4. Love the picture of WitchyPoo! Do your hairpins fly in the wind when you jump on your broomstick? God I miss that cartoon!
Wendy, it's not really a question, but I'll answer it. Nope, I never use hairpins when I'm on my broomstick. ;)
5. I know you haven't bought anything (except the New Zealand stuff) for Maple. When do you intend to start? Is there a specific reason for not buying things?
Beth, we're not planning on buying things for "Little Maple" until we get her referral. It's considered 'bad luck' (in Judaism) to buy anything for a child when no child exists. So basically the day we get her referral we're going to decorate her room and start buying clothes, furniture, etc.
Now, having said that, it's technically 'bad luck' that I bought the item from New Zealand, but I'm planning on putting it at the back of a closet until her referral comes and I won't look at it, acknowledge that we have it (other than on here), or think about it (though that might be hard). When I told my mom about it, she got upset with me a little...but I think it's passed, though she still doesn't want to know what we bought, nor does she want to see it.
This is also the reason why we only refer to our daughter as "Little Maple" as opposed to talking about her by name (though I think we've decided to change it...again, but we don't know to what).
If you all have more questions, feel free to post them in here and I'll answer them...really I will...
1. It's Raining Men
2. I Like Big Butts
3. Santa Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Which do you choose, and why?
Heather, could I sing Santa Got Run Over by Genetically Enhanced Reindeer During a Manstorm? If so, then there's no explanation needed...but believe me, that chorus is a bitch to sing.
As far as a costume, I think I'd have to go with an umbrella, a slicker and some pink Snoopy plastic boots (does anyone remember those, or am I the only freak here?) for the impending 'manstorm', some reindeer with padded butts (think of a furry version of J. Lo), and stick Josh in the corner in a sleigh with a long Santa beard.
Now for those that have met us...picture it, I dare you.
2. If you were stranded on a deserted island (ok, suspend your belief and pretend there is electricity and/or batteries) and could only bring:
3 books
3 cd's
and 3 DVD's
Which would you bring? You don't have to answer the why...
Heather, hmmm. Good question. As far as books, I think I'd go with:
Any book by Stephen King...yup, I'm weird like that.
All the Harry Potter books...hey, if I'm on a deserted island, at least I'll finally get around to READING them. Sadly, I haven't read any yet...oops.
Any good trashy novel (hopefully not one about being stuck on a deserted island)
As far as CD's, I'd go with (off the top of my head):
Born on a Pirate Ship (Barenaked Ladies...gotta take the Ladies with me)
Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)
Bat out of Hell (Meatloaf)
As far as DVD's, I'd have to go with:
Any season of Scrubs (oh how I *LOVE* that show--I have all of them)
Season one of Little Britain (if you know the show, the Scottish innkeeper makes me crack up for some fairly obvious reasons)
The Ten Commandments (not for any religious reason...it's just a fantastic movie)
3. Have you ever eaten anything ALIVE?
Janet, not to my knowledge, but I've probably ingested a stray bug or two in my youth. Does anyone remember going to camp and drinking 'bug juice'? I can't be the only one...
4. Love the picture of WitchyPoo! Do your hairpins fly in the wind when you jump on your broomstick? God I miss that cartoon!
Wendy, it's not really a question, but I'll answer it. Nope, I never use hairpins when I'm on my broomstick. ;)
5. I know you haven't bought anything (except the New Zealand stuff) for Maple. When do you intend to start? Is there a specific reason for not buying things?
Beth, we're not planning on buying things for "Little Maple" until we get her referral. It's considered 'bad luck' (in Judaism) to buy anything for a child when no child exists. So basically the day we get her referral we're going to decorate her room and start buying clothes, furniture, etc.
Now, having said that, it's technically 'bad luck' that I bought the item from New Zealand, but I'm planning on putting it at the back of a closet until her referral comes and I won't look at it, acknowledge that we have it (other than on here), or think about it (though that might be hard). When I told my mom about it, she got upset with me a little...but I think it's passed, though she still doesn't want to know what we bought, nor does she want to see it.
This is also the reason why we only refer to our daughter as "Little Maple" as opposed to talking about her by name (though I think we've decided to change it...again, but we don't know to what).
If you all have more questions, feel free to post them in here and I'll answer them...really I will...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Iiiiiinteresting.
Well I got some interesting questions, not exactly what I thought I'd get, but here comes some answers for you all...
1. Do you have anyone weird in your family? Like extra toes? Talks to spirits? Thinks they are superman?
Nic, weirdness in the family...doesn't everyone? I don't have anyone that has extra toes, talks to spirits, or superman...but I have had patients in the office that think that. Does that count?
2. Ummmm.....what did you get from New Zealand??!!!
Donna, all will be revealed in a few days...ohhh the anticipation, can you feel it?! :)
3. How come I don't know what you look like....at all!?!
Christie, I don't like to scare small children, so no pictures will appear here. If you want a rough idea of what I look like, here you go...This should help Connie, Krista, and Sam recognize me when we meet up in a couple of weeks...
4. Did you ever have a cavity? How many? Got any right now?
Aimee, I've had TONS of cavities...too many to count. Umm, I don't think I have a cavity now...are you trying to drum up business for any dentist relatives?
5. Why won't you consider moving to the west end of the city?
Michelle, we want to stay close to the 'hood and where our parents are...especially with "Little Maple" on her way...someday. I'll give you more details on that in a later post this week.
6. Okay.....do you knit? Ever tried? Sew? Crochet? Any of that stuff?
Janet, I don't knit, sew (unless you consider putting buttons on when they fall off), or crochet. The most I do is latch hooking which I *love* doing...but I don't do it often enough...yup, I'm a hoooker. One of these days I should post pictures of the items I've made for my mom and in-laws. I've done a ton of kits and such, but I've never framed any of them for myself.
7. How come you never come to my blog anymore?
Kim, I do! Really I do! I've currently got 93 blogs on my Bloglines and with that many I just read them in there...but believe me I do read your blog everyday, I just don't always have time to comment. :)
8. Who put the "bomp" in the bompty-bompty-bomp? Just kidding! Do you want a kitten to take home with you?
Sam, me obviously, though I'm pretty sure that Heather runs a close second.
I'd love to take a kitten home, but I can't...Deuce is FAR too territorial for us to even contemplate the idea. I'm not sure who he'd attack first...us or the kitten. Knowing our luck, he'd tag team with the kitten and they would both kill us in our sleep...
Keep the questions coming, people. If you have more questions, leave them on this post and I'll answer them in the next one...oh the excitement!
1. Do you have anyone weird in your family? Like extra toes? Talks to spirits? Thinks they are superman?
Nic, weirdness in the family...doesn't everyone? I don't have anyone that has extra toes, talks to spirits, or superman...but I have had patients in the office that think that. Does that count?
2. Ummmm.....what did you get from New Zealand??!!!
Donna, all will be revealed in a few days...ohhh the anticipation, can you feel it?! :)
3. How come I don't know what you look like....at all!?!
Christie, I don't like to scare small children, so no pictures will appear here. If you want a rough idea of what I look like, here you go...This should help Connie, Krista, and Sam recognize me when we meet up in a couple of weeks...4. Did you ever have a cavity? How many? Got any right now?
Aimee, I've had TONS of cavities...too many to count. Umm, I don't think I have a cavity now...are you trying to drum up business for any dentist relatives?
5. Why won't you consider moving to the west end of the city?
Michelle, we want to stay close to the 'hood and where our parents are...especially with "Little Maple" on her way...someday. I'll give you more details on that in a later post this week.
6. Okay.....do you knit? Ever tried? Sew? Crochet? Any of that stuff?
Janet, I don't knit, sew (unless you consider putting buttons on when they fall off), or crochet. The most I do is latch hooking which I *love* doing...but I don't do it often enough...yup, I'm a hoooker. One of these days I should post pictures of the items I've made for my mom and in-laws. I've done a ton of kits and such, but I've never framed any of them for myself.
7. How come you never come to my blog anymore?
Kim, I do! Really I do! I've currently got 93 blogs on my Bloglines and with that many I just read them in there...but believe me I do read your blog everyday, I just don't always have time to comment. :)
8. Who put the "bomp" in the bompty-bompty-bomp? Just kidding! Do you want a kitten to take home with you?
Sam, me obviously, though I'm pretty sure that Heather runs a close second.
I'd love to take a kitten home, but I can't...Deuce is FAR too territorial for us to even contemplate the idea. I'm not sure who he'd attack first...us or the kitten. Knowing our luck, he'd tag team with the kitten and they would both kill us in our sleep...
Keep the questions coming, people. If you have more questions, leave them on this post and I'll answer them in the next one...oh the excitement!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monkey see, monkey do...
I've seen this on several other blogs and since I'm in a rut about what to write about, I figured I'd jump on the proverbial bandwagon. Feel free to ask me *any* burning question(s) you may have about me and I'll do my best to answer them, though I reserve the right to not answer certain ones. :)If you'd rather ask your question anonymously, feel free. (Oh, and if you ask anything from the Maya's Mom site, please come to my blog to ask questions, I won't be answering them in comments there...)
Monday, July 16, 2007
A blessing in disguise!
As most of you know, Josh and I are planning our road trip to Kentucky and Ohio. When we usually go away we leave Deuce in the apartment and have Josh's parents come over, feed him, de-poop him (yup, it's a word...really...) and make sure he's ok. Last time we were away for an extended time (our trip to Scotland and Italy last September/October), Deuce got sick and Josh's parents had to take him to the clinic. We decided it was a little unfair to ask his parents to look after him again, so we were going to leave him at the veterinary clinic.
Well, today I called the clinic to make arrangements to leave him there. I was put on hold and then I heard the dreaded words..."We're fully booked. We've been booked for quite a while."
ACK!
I asked the receptionist for the name/address of another boarding facility (which I won't be posting the name of until we get back...safety first, people) and she gave me a name which I had never heard of. I decided to call them up and it sounded 'ok' so I booked Deuce in, but told the receptionist I would be in 'sometime this week' for a tour. I didn't want to say I'd be in at X time on X date...I wanted to see what the place looked like when they weren't expecting visitors. I'm sneaky like that.
Anyways, Josh and I went in RIGHT after work to check the place out. One of the workers went upstairs to make sure none of the cats were 'exercising' and then led us up. During the day they let one cat out at a time to sit on the windowsill while the workers clean the cages and feed the cats.
Wow was I impressed! The cages were HUGE (6' long by 4' high by 2' wide). We walked through the entire cat section and I pet all the cats along the way...I couldn't help myself. I mainly did that though to make sure all the cats were 'friendly' and not traumatized by their stay there. I figured if I put five fingers in and came back with three then that wasn't the place for Deuce. ;)
So, we're going to leave Deuce there from now on whenever we go away...and the clinic has lost a client for boarding. ;)
Well, today I called the clinic to make arrangements to leave him there. I was put on hold and then I heard the dreaded words..."We're fully booked. We've been booked for quite a while."
ACK!
I asked the receptionist for the name/address of another boarding facility (which I won't be posting the name of until we get back...safety first, people) and she gave me a name which I had never heard of. I decided to call them up and it sounded 'ok' so I booked Deuce in, but told the receptionist I would be in 'sometime this week' for a tour. I didn't want to say I'd be in at X time on X date...I wanted to see what the place looked like when they weren't expecting visitors. I'm sneaky like that.
Anyways, Josh and I went in RIGHT after work to check the place out. One of the workers went upstairs to make sure none of the cats were 'exercising' and then led us up. During the day they let one cat out at a time to sit on the windowsill while the workers clean the cages and feed the cats.
Wow was I impressed! The cages were HUGE (6' long by 4' high by 2' wide). We walked through the entire cat section and I pet all the cats along the way...I couldn't help myself. I mainly did that though to make sure all the cats were 'friendly' and not traumatized by their stay there. I figured if I put five fingers in and came back with three then that wasn't the place for Deuce. ;)
So, we're going to leave Deuce there from now on whenever we go away...and the clinic has lost a client for boarding. ;)
Major recall....
Please read this, it's about a major recall from Gerber involving their organic products.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Double digits ***UPDATE***
Not sure how I feel about celebrating our 10 month LIDiversary today, being that it's Friday the 13th, but hey...one more month down. Of course, with it being our LIDiversary, we had to get another cake, well, pie, to celebrate it with.Some of my newer readers might not know about our cake 'tradition', so you can read this and find out why we celebrate in this manner every month...
Is it just me, or does the lighting make the pie look a little 'eerie'? The pie was a little too fresh and the candles kind of sunk into the filling...oops.
Of course, with another month notched up, I've also added another charm to the bracelet. This month I decided to add the Scottish flag in honour of Josh's father's heritage. If you look closely, you'll also notice that I put a blank (place saver) link in the bracelet in between Josh and my astrological symbols where "Little Maple's" symbol will eventually be placed.While I like the idea of having the place saver there, it's a constant reminder of what we don't have...yet. So, while I'm happy with the look of the bracelet, actually looking at it is a little sad, at times.
Hey, the wait is what the wait is...and we're in it for the 'long haul'. :)
***I finally got the package from New Zealand with the first item I've purchased for "Little Maple", but because I'm mean, I'm not going to post a picture of it for a little while. :)
I want to keep you all in suspense.***
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Nicknames!
I was tagged by Mitchymoo Michelle, about nicknames that Josh and I have. ;)
My Hebrew name is Raizel (pronounced Ray-zel and means "Rose" in English - I was named after my late Grandmother), but when I was in Hebrew school kids used to pronounce it Ret-zel so I used to be called "Retzel the pretzel". (No, I'm not double-jointed). The name just stuck and I was tormented for six LONG years with that name growing up. Ugh.
Josh and I have known each other since high school and his 'pet name' for me is "fluffy". Good lord, Michelle, I'm SO going to get you for this. He calls me "fluffy" because in the really humid weather my hair goes PA-TOING and I look like Captain Caveman. It's quite a sight to see...
Last time Josh and I were in NYC we were walking down the street and went in for breakfast at a place called "Fluffy's Bakery". He took a picture of me standing in front of the sign. Anyways, when we showed the photo to his mom, she said 'awww, Fluffy's standing in front of Fluffy's!' It's cute when Josh calls me that...not so much when his mom calls me that. :P
Since I'm doing such a great job embarrassing myself, I may as well embarrass Josh while I'm at it.
Josh's Hebrew name is Yehoshua Yehuda Leib (pronounced Yeh-ha-shoo-ah Yeh-hoo-dah Lay-b and means Joshua, beloved lion). When we're talking to each other, I'll usually just call him Shuey (pronounced shoo-E).
We have other names for each other, but I think I've done enough for now...
Now, who to tag...who to tag...Donna, Cari, and Heather.
My Hebrew name is Raizel (pronounced Ray-zel and means "Rose" in English - I was named after my late Grandmother), but when I was in Hebrew school kids used to pronounce it Ret-zel so I used to be called "Retzel the pretzel". (No, I'm not double-jointed). The name just stuck and I was tormented for six LONG years with that name growing up. Ugh.
Josh and I have known each other since high school and his 'pet name' for me is "fluffy". Good lord, Michelle, I'm SO going to get you for this. He calls me "fluffy" because in the really humid weather my hair goes PA-TOING and I look like Captain Caveman. It's quite a sight to see...Last time Josh and I were in NYC we were walking down the street and went in for breakfast at a place called "Fluffy's Bakery". He took a picture of me standing in front of the sign. Anyways, when we showed the photo to his mom, she said 'awww, Fluffy's standing in front of Fluffy's!' It's cute when Josh calls me that...not so much when his mom calls me that. :P
Since I'm doing such a great job embarrassing myself, I may as well embarrass Josh while I'm at it.
Josh's Hebrew name is Yehoshua Yehuda Leib (pronounced Yeh-ha-shoo-ah Yeh-hoo-dah Lay-b and means Joshua, beloved lion). When we're talking to each other, I'll usually just call him Shuey (pronounced shoo-E).
We have other names for each other, but I think I've done enough for now...
Now, who to tag...who to tag...Donna, Cari, and Heather.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Weird Al
Last month when it was Josh's birthday, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and the only thing he could think of was to go and see Weird Al Yankovic. Apparently this was his first concert in Toronto in about eight years, so we jumped at the chance to go and see him.
While we were waiting for the concert to start, Josh was looking around the audience and he poked me and said "Hey, isn't that the singer from the Barenaked Ladies?" I turned to look, but knowing how bad Josh's sense of similarity in people is, I figured it was going to be someone who looked like Abe Vigoda. I let out a gasp and saw that it really WAS Steven Page!
For those of you that don't know, I'm a
Since he was there with his family, I decided not to go and hound him for his autograph...though it was REALLY tempting.
Back to Weird Al...
He did a lot of his songs from his current album, with a few OLDIES mixed in. I nearly fell off my chair when he came out in the fat suit from Fat*. If you ever get the chance to see him in concert, go! You won't be disappointed. I can't remember the last time I laughed THAT hard.
*Disclaimer: The video and song are not "politically correct"...hey, if you want politically correct, don't click on the link or go see a Weird Al show.*
Monday, July 09, 2007
Ok, I lied... ***UPDATE***
If you remember this post, you'll remember what I said about getting one charm every other month. Well, that went out the window this weekend when I decided to celebrate every month with an addition to the bracelet. Who am I to say that one month is more 'special' or deserves to be celebrated more than any other?
So, while Josh was busy at Indigo getting maps for our upcoming Ohio/Kentucky road trip, I wandered away and went to a nearby jewellery store to get more charms. I got four more, so I'm now up to nine in total (though I am a few days away from adding another charm). I got the Yin/Yang symbol, Josh's zodiac sign (Gemini), and the Canadian and Chinese flags.
Since we're still SO far from referral, I also decided that I'm going to have enough time to make two bracelets. What I've decided to do is make the second bracelet completely out of family and friends choices. So basically, each month, I'm going to ask a family member or friend to choose a charm and that will be added on to the second bracelet. I haven't decided though if I'm going to start that right away, or wait until the first bracelet is complete.
***Donna, I'm also planning on adding our Chinese astrological(?) symbols on this bracelet. I've got ten more spots left and I already know what the next ones we get are going to be. I need to leave a few blank ones until referral, but I'm planning on getting our initials, as well as the American and Scottish flags to represent Josh's parents, the final one will be a heart. :)
When I told my mom about my idea last night, she got all emotional and *loves* the idea of a family and friends bracelet. I'm planning, in the fullness of time, to give that bracelet to our daughter and I'll be able to tell her all about how everyone chose a special charm just for her...
To answer your question though, we're planning on leaving at the end of July and come back about a week or so later. We're meeting a few bloggers while we're down in Ohio, so we're both *REALLY* looking forward to the trip.***
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Does not compute...does not compute...
Josh's uncle arrived from Glasgow on Monday, none the worse for wear. He said that the airport still smelled of 'petrol' and his flight was delayed by about three hours, so he was annoyed by that. It could have been SO much worse, but that doesn't seem to faze him...I guess having lived through WWII and having his neighbourhood bombed, it takes a lot to 'shake' him.During the week, Josh called his uncle and arranged to see pick him up on Friday night for Shabbos dinner. His uncle was staying at his sister (I) and his nephew's (M) house, so before we left to pick him up last night, we thought we would give him a call to let him know we were en route. This way, he would be ready to go as soon as we arrived and we wouldn't be stuck in traffic.
Well, that's good in theory, but it didn't quite work out that way...
Josh called, but the answering machine kicked in. We looked at each other and thought 'are we going to get screwed around?', but decided to take the 30 minute drive to their place to pick him up. I called Josh's dad to let him know what was going on and after he
We finally arrived and knocked on the door and Josh's cousin answered the door. We were standing on the stoop and M ran upstairs to get his uncle while we were standing in the doorway. Umm, thanks for inviting us in...
We walked in and stood around waiting for Josh's uncle to come down the stairs. We asked M if he got our message that we were on our way and he said 'oh you called my mom's line, you didn't call mine.' None of us have HIS line, nor did he offer it to us. Umm, WTF?!
Basically, even though he's in the same house and the phone is literally within arm's reach, he won't answer it. This was proven by the fact that while we were talking to M, the main line was ringing off the hook and he just stood there and continued talking to us. Gee, it's a good thing nobody had an emergency and needed to get a hold of any of them...
If YOUR phone was ringing, wouldn't YOU answer it?!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Somedays you feel like the mouse...
Another batch came out, congrats to everyone who is seeing their child's face for the first time over the next few days! For us, however, this new batch (at least according to China Adoption Forecast) has put us further and further behind. I figure, BEST case scenario, we'll see our referral sometime in the summer of 2009. I can't quite get into the mindset of saying it could be the year after that, let alone typing that number out...
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Annoying... ***UPDATE***
When I was in Buffalo about a month ago or so, I went into Macy's and opened up an account. Usually I don't open up accounts at stores, but they were having a deal, if you opened an account you would save 20%. So...I took the bait.
I received my bill late last week and I sort of ignored it and planned on just going online and paying it. Great in theory, not so much in practice.
I went to their website, and in order to pay the bill you have to 'register' for an account. I tried to register, but it won't take non-American postal codes (zip codes), so I couldn't pay online. Grr, strike one...
I then called the number to pay by phone, but I couldn't do that either because you have to have a U.S. chequing account. Also, if you pay by phone, they nail you with a $10.00 administration fee. WTF?! Strike two and three...
So tomorrow I get to go to the bank and get a money order and send it in...and the bill is going to be late so I'll get dinged with another charge for that. I *hate* paying anything late, and the thought that I'll get dinged with a charge for this is really annoying to me. Next time, I'm going to pay the charges on the card when I'm IN the store.
***Kathy, yes, they knew I was Canadian when I filled out the application form. When they asked for my ID, I showed them my passport. They also needed my social security number, but of course, I didn't have that since it's an American thing, so they wanted my social insurance number. I'm kind of kicking myself that I gave all that info for such a stupid discount. I'd consider writing a complaint letter, but I doubt it would do any good...
Catherine, the only reason that I'd buy the money order from the bank (as opposed to the post office) is that I don't pay for them through the bank. It's a nice little perk.***
I received my bill late last week and I sort of ignored it and planned on just going online and paying it. Great in theory, not so much in practice.
I went to their website, and in order to pay the bill you have to 'register' for an account. I tried to register, but it won't take non-American postal codes (zip codes), so I couldn't pay online. Grr, strike one...
I then called the number to pay by phone, but I couldn't do that either because you have to have a U.S. chequing account. Also, if you pay by phone, they nail you with a $10.00 administration fee. WTF?! Strike two and three...
So tomorrow I get to go to the bank and get a money order and send it in...and the bill is going to be late so I'll get dinged with another charge for that. I *hate* paying anything late, and the thought that I'll get dinged with a charge for this is really annoying to me. Next time, I'm going to pay the charges on the card when I'm IN the store.
***Kathy, yes, they knew I was Canadian when I filled out the application form. When they asked for my ID, I showed them my passport. They also needed my social security number, but of course, I didn't have that since it's an American thing, so they wanted my social insurance number. I'm kind of kicking myself that I gave all that info for such a stupid discount. I'd consider writing a complaint letter, but I doubt it would do any good...
Catherine, the only reason that I'd buy the money order from the bank (as opposed to the post office) is that I don't pay for them through the bank. It's a nice little perk.***
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Hmm, does this suit me?
| You Have A Type A- Personality |
You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds |
I'm a good 'lei' ;)
While we were in Bobcaygeon, one of the other things that I bought were three pairs of Croc sandals! I've been looking for them for a while, but I finally found three pair in my size so I jumped on them...literally.
While Josh and I were watching the parade, a chick came up to us in a bikini and gave us leis.
Attached to the leis were $20 off coupons for the place I had just bought the Crocs at! I hustled myself back to the store, placed the coupon on the counter and had a bit of an argument with the clerk. Since the coupon was only valid for the next time I entered the store, I said 'ok, I'm returning these shoes...' and then promptly bought them again as soon as that transaction went through... Gotta love a good bargain...and brain-dead chimps that work cash registers. :P
Everyone loves a parade! ***UPDATE***
On Sunday, after our smorgasbord of culinary delights at Kathy and Joel's on Saturday night, we headed up to a trailer on Pigeon Lake for a day of R&R. This was actually our first experience with trailer living and I have to admit, it was really nice. We had a blast spending some quality time with my mom and her friend, N, and we're looking forward to going again sometime later this summer. It's crazy though, it seems like every weekend is already taken and we're only in the first week of July! I've never been so busy before in my life.
In the afternoon we headed into Bobcaygeon for some people watching, ice cream eating and some good ol' fashion shopping. Yes, I know, I'm a shopaholic and damn proud of it! While we were there, we watched a parade pass through the main street in town.
I left Josh to take pictures of the parade and did some more (For a better view of the bracelet, click on the image. The first charm is a chai, which is the Hebrew symbol for life, the second is a cat to represent Deuce, the third is my astrological symbol - Virgo, the fourth is the at sign to represent the
We finished watching the parade, went back to the trailer for a bit and then headed out to the casino. I figured I hadn't spent enough money, so I
After a frustrating hour or so, we headed back to the trailer and got changed into something warmer. We sat outside while N built a bonfire in his backyard and we roasted marshmallows. I can't even remember the last time I've done that. I was trying to remember, but it was probably a good 20 years ago. Sheesh! While we were listening to the silence, I heard a loon cry. I've never heard that before, it was truly a lovely capper on the evening...
***Dolores, as soon as I got back into the car I was kicking myself for not nabbing you a bracelet too! I talked to Lisa about it, and apparently she got hers in Brampton, so you can probably
Kathy, the next symbol that I'm going to get is Josh's astrological symbol...then our initials. Whenever we get our referral, I'll be adding our daughter's initial in between ours, as well as her astrological symbol.
I realized after I bought the Virgo symbol, that they also have the symbols for the Chinese New Year characters (ie., year of the rat, snake, etc). So I might end up getting that instead. I have so many choices...and so many months to make up my mind. I also want the Yin/Yang symbol at some point as well, though I think I'll wait until we're close to referral to get some of them (ie., baby carriage, baby, etc).***
The house of no limits...
Josh and I went to Kathy and Joel's on Saturday for a BBQ and some good ol' fashioned bitching friendly banter about the wait. We weren't alone, also there was Catherine, Doris and Daisy sans Dan, Dolores and Shawn, Jill, Jaap and their daughter A, and Laurie, Jamie and their daughter S. What a wonderful group of people! It was the first time I had met Jaap, Laurie and Jamie, and I'm glad that Josh and I had the opportunity to do so.
When Kathy invited us to the BBQ, I wanted to bring something to the party, but I couldn't think of what to do, so I put my thinking cap on. I figured out the perfect gift for the woman who has the largest sweet tooth I've ever encountered (next to mine, of course), a FUN DIP picture cake! The audible gasp that I escaped from Kathy when she opened the box, told me I made the right decision. ;)
While the men were standing around the BBQgrunting cooking the food, the women sat around drinking partaking in some much needed...talking. I later found out that the reason they were all standing around the BBQ was because it was so windy, they kept losing the flame...oops.
>We were also able to meet the infamous Bear on Saturday as well. He's SUCH a sweet kitty, but I think he was a little freaked out with all the people there (and especially the children and dog that were chasing him around), but he took it like a champ. He's a sucky little boy, just like Deuce...if you feed him, he will come...Not quite Field of Dreams, but it'll do. ;)
We also met Daisy! Doris drove down from Quebec on Saturday with Daisy in the car (she literally was 'driving Miss Daisy'). Originally she was going to board Daisy, but the kennel was full...oh well, our gain. It was great seeing Doris again, I hadn't seen her since December and I missed her!
I've heard so much about Daisy, it was nice to actually see her. She's a sweetie, but watch out, she's a BIG mooch. If you have food, she's your friend forabout two minutes life.
For dessert...hey, it's all about dessert...we had the Fun Dip cake, shish kebob Kathy style (gummi worms, marshmallows and all sorts of yummy stuff on a stick), and an ice cream sandwich cake. Mmmm!
Since we didn't have enough sweets, Kathy decided to make 'Smores later in the evening. I think I'm STILL coming down from my sugar high...
When Kathy invited us to the BBQ, I wanted to bring something to the party, but I couldn't think of what to do, so I put my thinking cap on. I figured out the perfect gift for the woman who has the largest sweet tooth I've ever encountered (next to mine, of course), a FUN DIP picture cake! The audible gasp that I escaped from Kathy when she opened the box, told me I made the right decision. ;)While the men were standing around the BBQ
>We were also able to meet the infamous Bear on Saturday as well. He's SUCH a sweet kitty, but I think he was a little freaked out with all the people there (and especially the children and dog that were chasing him around), but he took it like a champ. He's a sucky little boy, just like Deuce...if you feed him, he will come...Not quite Field of Dreams, but it'll do. ;)We also met Daisy! Doris drove down from Quebec on Saturday with Daisy in the car (she literally was 'driving Miss Daisy'). Originally she was going to board Daisy, but the kennel was full...oh well, our gain. It was great seeing Doris again, I hadn't seen her since December and I missed her!I've heard so much about Daisy, it was nice to actually see her. She's a sweetie, but watch out, she's a BIG mooch. If you have food, she's your friend for
For dessert...hey, it's all about dessert...we had the Fun Dip cake, shish kebob Kathy style (gummi worms, marshmallows and all sorts of yummy stuff on a stick), and an ice cream sandwich cake. Mmmm!Since we didn't have enough sweets, Kathy decided to make 'Smores later in the evening. I think I'm STILL coming down from my sugar high...
Mini-update
I just called up my brother (HI UGLY) to find out how Z's appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon went. His cast came off and now he'll be wearing a splint for the next few weeks. Apparently he can swim and play sports...at least the entire summer isn't shot for him now. ;)
Monday, July 02, 2007
Busy weekend...
Josh and I had a really busy weekend which I'll post about sometime tomorrow, but in the meantime, I thought I'd give an update on this month's loonie and toonie fund.
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