MSN Encarta - Quiz - Geographic Extremes%3A How Well Do You Know the World%3F
Here is a site on extremes.

I was extremely angry when I found out about Hub's removal of his wedding ring.
And for how long he kept it off.
And where he kept it.

Makes me kind of wonder what was going on when he decided to take it off.
Was it drive-through, "Dear"?
Or pick-up?

The best revenge is living well.
So I will.

Where was I last time we had a nice, long Blog, O Gentle Reader?

Oh, yes...

I was becoming more "interesting" to the boy-next-to-next-door.
When I went to Elementary School, I veered off to the right from my house.
But when I went to High School, I walked in front of his place.
To the left.

I was tall and thin. Tallest in my class for years.
I was a runner. Track & Field. Cross-Country.
I wore my hair 70's style. Long and straight, sometimes a barrel-curl.
Glasses. Yeah. Some pimples, too. I thought I was sooo ugly.
But someone was noticing me.

In grade 8, I found myself a circle of friends like me, learned to dress and put on make-up right, and started to feel like I was fitting in.
In grade 9, it was like someone sprayed on me with neon paint that only boys could see.

"Here she is!"
"Whisper into her ear!"
"Whisper into her phone!"
"Hug her, Kiss her, Squeeze her!"

But before all that ruckus, I was flattered to be noticed.

One summer day that year, I was playing Badminton on the street with my friend.
The Watcher sat on his front steps for a better view.
As we hit the bird harder, our "court" grew bigger.
To the left.

Did we two s, in our little halter tops, play to attract his attention? Did we rush up and down and jump for the bird to catch his eye?

Y'think?

On one hit, the bird got stuck in the elm branches overhead. When I tried to knock the bird down with my racquet, the racquet got stuck, too.

Oh, no!

GAME OVER.

But, wait!

The watcher sprang into action, gallantly hurling a corn-broom into the treetops and releasing the errant birdie and racquet!

Well, we thanked him, introductions all around, and we asked him to join us.

He DID!

This University man: Dept. of Civil Engineering, second year, a Safeway clerk (good money!) and the owner of a brown Duster, (front bench seat) YES, this man of means played badminton, however briefly, with us.

And after, when my friend was a little way off, he asked me if I wanted to out to a movie, or something, sometime.

And that, my friend, is how it all got started...

It's funny, but you become imprinted with your first love.
Although we never made love, we loved each other.
I still get a rush if I catch the scent of his brand of cologne, the sound of his voice.
We did some simple sensual things for each other that still stand as my benchmark for pleasures.

But he didn't want to marry or have kids just then, and I did.
So, I found someone who said they wanted what I wanted.
I believed him and I married him.

My old boyfriend visited our town not too long ago.
He found me, somehow.
Called me up on the phone.
Would I come and see him?

NOT seeing him was the hardest thing I never did.

But I stayed away for the sake of my Hub.
Who has kept his wedding ring in the car ashtray for a month.
"One of us has made a serious mistake here, and has wasted the valuable time of the other person."
Which one of us?

superjer.com %3E videos %3E shockwave %3E theater
Proof positive that piracy doesn't pay!

I noticed today that Hub hadn't his wedding ring on.

When I asked him about it, I found out that he hasn't been wearing it for over a month.
Made his hand hurt, he said.

And where was he keeping this precious token of our union?

In the ashtray of his van, with the gum wrappers!

Shall We Dance%3F
Here is a site on Ballroom Dance.
Hubster and I will enroll in a class, if we can get a spot, called Romance Dance.
It's all slow dancing for beginners.
Should be dreamy...

Why dancing after all these years?
Tut, Gentle Reader; you ought to know me by now.
I'm just looking for a new way to get Hub to hold me tight!
After over 23 years, we have held one another just about every way that clinging can be clung!

It's been over 20 years since I last danced with a partner.
I have been active with liturgical dancing occasionally in the last 10 years, but before that - nothing but dancing while doing housework & chasing children!

It's funny that the two main men in my life have not been eager dancers, like the more casual boyfriends were.
From the age of 15 to 20, I had an intense relationship with a boyfriend five years older than I.
He was the prosaic boy-next-to-next-door, who watched me grow more "interesting" from grade five, when I moved into the neighbourhood, to grade ten, when we started to go together.
I had no idea he was watching me, noticing me, all that time, until he told me.
I was flattered AND a little blown away all at once.

More later...

MSN Women - Article
I housework, so any new ideas on reducing this time-consuming chore are welcomed by me.

Less stuff to clean? If only we could simplify our lives! There's always more stuff crossing the threshhold.

Hubbers got a "new" laptop - not the very expesive one he was going to order from Dell, but a customized reconditioned IBM thinkpad, which is even better, as it has all the ports he needs for any possible connections. Downward compatability can be a good thing. It looks a lot like the one I used when I was working as an Advisor for certain company.

Apparently, this techno-item is neccesary for new software he's training to use.

So, here am I, entering my Blog from MY laptop, an aging Compaq LTE 5280, bought when I was working as an Advisor for a previous certain company, perched atop HIS laptop, on a 60's vintage TV tray beside the his n' hers swivel rockers we keep in our bedroom alcove, where we talk, pray and even argue in private.

We have enough power for both laptops, but do we have enough broadband cable connection for each of us? Would a splitter work?

When we used to chat online, and in the same room, Hubs quickly began to make unprintable propositions to me. I guess it's an online thing, or a passing-notes-in-class thing. I would for such material to survive when I bring my LTE in for service. I technicians looking at me with a knowing eye.

In case you are reading my Blog, Hubby...

I still prefer the personal touch.

I'm not a fat housewife anymore, but I appreciate the tragi-comic laughs.

The Unofficial Sixpence None The Richer Website
I'm sorry to learn that this group has recently broken up.
Oh, well. Have a baby and everything changes.
I keep my promises almost all the time.
Here's proof.
These are my promised,
amateur,
probably not grammatically correct,
unaccented
French lyrics to one of my favorite love songs,
"Kiss Me" :

Embrassez-Moi
Dedier a l'espirit et l'esperance d'amour

Embrassez-moi, hor le champs plein d’orge barbue
Chaque nuit, au bord de l’herbe si vert
Tourne, tourne, (tourne, tourne) tourne-moi les pas de tourne
Portez vos chaussers chic et moi, je porterai cette robe joile

Ah, Embrassez-moi,
sous le ciel en l’eclat d’etoiles
Danse avec moi au le claire de lune
Lever dehors votre main ouvert
Commence l’ensemble jouer, font les lucioles danser
La lune scintillment
Alors, Embrassez-moi

Embrassez-Moi, (Embrassez-Moi )au cote de maison d’ arbre
Balancez moi (Balancez moi) au le balancoire
Aporte-vous (Aporte-vous ) votre chapeau toute fleurie
Prenez, nous deux, le sentier marque sur le
carte de famille.

Ah, Embrassez-moi,
sous le ciel en l’eclat d’etoiles
Danse avec moi au le claire de lune
Lever dehors votre main ouvert
Commence l’ensemble jouer, font les lucioles danser
La lune scintillment
Alors, Embrassez-moi

My husband has been behaving much more "husbandly" lately, and I was inspired by his manly actions to finish the translation.

eHow.com: How to Find an Ex-Boyfriend

Do I want to find my ex-boyfriends? Sometimes, some of them come looking for me.

I am not looking for a boyfriend, though. I am looking for a husband, a really good man.

When I look at my husband, do I see a HUSBAND?

My husband does not treat me like I expect to be treated as a wife.
Instead of involving me in his decisions, discussing them, praying together and coming to an agreement together, he gives me a series of announcements, kind of like the 11 o'clock news, of things that have already happened, that I can do NOTHING about.

Since he is deeply in debt due to several decisions he made against my advice, I feel very uncomfortable with the secretive way he is behaving.

That, and all those email adresses.

He e-talked to his brother about the laptop computer he is buying, instead of with me.

What does his brother care? He is not liable!

His brother once recommended for Hub to shop at Harry Rosen, a high-end clothier, for a certain job interview.
Probably he meant, just for a tie.
Hub bought a complete outfit. It was beautiful. The socks were $32 a pair.

With taxes, Hub's outfit cost just under $1K. The clothing was tailored and so was unreturnable. He used a credit card, since he didn't have that kind of money saved.
When I found out, aghast, he told me that, if he got the job, I could go out and spend a lot of money, too.

He didn't get the job.

The interviewer did say he looked great, though.

It took a long time to pay off the credit card. We had a very skimpy Christmas for our little sons. We had to consolidate.

Where we live, husband and wife share liability for debts incurred in either's name, together.

I am on the hook for his debts, without even knowing for how much, unless he deigns tells me!

This is the man who said that buying a gorgeous red running Karmann Ghia coupe (my dream car)for $2K would be an extravagance, a waste of money. Okay, yes, I would have had to learn how to drive Standard...

But for this car, I would learn how to drive, all over again.

Plus, the car had a story! It was bought new in the 60's to be the honeymoon getaway car for a cute young couple. The bride wore a cute little Jackie Kennedy hat with a veil!

Plus, it was MY TURN.

This is the man who owns a $1K suit that hasn't fit or been in style for years, which hangs unseen and unsung in the closet.

This from the guy who goes to visit his sisters, goes to visit his brother, goes whitewater rafting, while I stay home and work to subsidize his spending. Yes, I did go to Quebec and B.C.with him, but I helped to pay.

I'm tired of being the responsible person who takes the prudent view, who thinks of others, who gets stuck with so much of the crap and so very little fun.

It's time for my turn, for a lot of things.

Including a husband who makes me a part of his decisions, who takes turns.

Instead of one who mostly takes.

Pharmasave National - Library
Here is an article on BALANCE. It mentions the Zone, which I am striving for, in my own way.

Hubster may be going up to Baffin Island for his work. We don't know when or how long he will be away (Not too long, we would miss him too much, or get along without him too well.), but he expects to be well-paid. I hope he will get to see some of the unique wildlife there, and take lots of pictures.

Our Homestay from Quebec was emailing about his sports adventures, including kayak in the rapids. I tried kayaking - it's a hard vessel to control! I have a stronger right arm, so I fight the tendency to go in circles. I never tried rapids yet!

There are only four days until the Summer Olympic Games open. No-one has replied to my invitation to discuss the Games.
Too busy...
I am hopeful that our Canadian competitors do well, in spite of being pitifully under-funded. Here is the New York Times collection of articles on the Olympics. Their view is quite "Ameri-centric". Have you seen any good sites on our Canadian teams?

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/olympics/index.html?th

Here is the rather lacklustre CBC site. Please email the link if you know of a better site:

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/

Last week on Wednesday, our Japanese guest, Ron and I visited three Folklorama Pavilions. (our guest is 42, mother of an 11 year old son, and a Professor at Tokyo University, presently studying North American aboriginal culture.)
You will want to be sure your next visit to Winnipeg coincides with this great festival!

http://www.folklorama.ca/

Our first stop was at the Canadien Francaise location at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre, where we tasted bannock and tortier. We enjoyed clogging, terrific fiddling and the highlight was a female vocal quintet called Madrigal. Striking harmonics!
Then we saw the Tropical Paradise pavilion, where we tasted mango ices and enjoyed the dance and music of India as it evolved in the Caribbean.
Lastly, we visited the Australian/New Zealand pavilion, where we met Australian aborigines in their authentic costumes.
To end the evening, we showed our guest the Cathedral St. Boniface, beautifully floodlit, and walked to the Forks over the Esplanade Riel.

Friday, I took our guest, my mother, my brother and my oldest son out to the cottages at the lake. We went up via Gimli, visited my second son at Camp Arnes, then went west through Arborg to Lundar. Here is a map that shows our route.

http://www.travelmanitoba.com/maps/interlake.html

Saturday morning our guest and I visited the Dog Creek reservation. It is good Interlake land. They fish, grow hay, wild rice and grain crops and raise horses, sheep, dairy cows and cattle. It was a funeral day, so we did not interfere with their grief, but visited St. Laurent for lunch later in the day. There is a large, friendly Metis population, and we had just missed the Metis Days with jigging, fiddling, food and fun.

Sunday after church, our guest and I went to St.-Andrew-on-the-Red, the Rectory, Captain Kennedy's teahouse and Lower Fort Garry. Later that night, our guest, Hubster and I went to the Metis pavilion where Sierra Noble fiddled for us, and enjoyed square dancing, reels and the Red River jig performed by childrens' and s' groups. We tasted buffalo stew, wild rice and more bannock. Next we visited the German pavilion, and tasted tortes. Years ago, I used to be a Folklorama volunteer at the German pavilion, and took my ballroom dancing lessons at the German Club there. I used to win prizes dancing. However, Hubbo will NOT dance, not even a Polka!
Maybe one day...
with the right music...

ah, well...

maybe not.

Victoriana Online
Were the Victorians repressed?

I think they were not.

I think they couched their natural instincts in a bower of flowery language and rustling silk that nevertheless resulted in large numbers of children!

Queen Victoria herself was the of domesticity, with her large, mostly healthy and beautiful family.
How else, but through fun in the flowery bower, did her prodigious progeny appear?

I love the clothing of this era.
I love to watch period romances featuring the whispering, puffy dresses, the elegant suits, the hand stitching.

I do sew, myself, and I have always longed for the luxury of a full costume of this time, from the petticoat to the tippet.

Oh, and the servant to help me into it.

On This Day

Remember, Gentle Reader, that Hubbs and I were married the same year as Charles and Diana? The New York Times remembers!

Our homestay guest returns to Japan via Calgary, Banff and Jasper on Saturday. Tonight we will have a barbeque to say goodbye to him and three of his student friends.

I am regularly emailing our first homestay guest. Let us call him Lance. I send Hubbs a BCC of each missive I send, and forward to him each message I receive. Last message was about a two-tusk narwhale an Inuit hunter bagged. Before that, we discussed Lance Armstrong's win at the Tour de France.

Or, should I say, the Tour de Lance?

Rosacea Awareness Program - Programme de sensibilisation � la rosac�
When I was a teen, I had a very hard time with my skin. I used stong anti-acne products and exfoliated a lot.
I did not understand that my skin was sensitive, and over-producing oil in an attempt to protect me. Now that I am older, I have a definite diagnosis: Rosacea.
I have to treat my skin with great care, as the capillaries are delicate and sometimes break. I use Cetaphil cleanser ONLY, now, and Aloette Visible Aid cream, and a Parsol sunscreen. I look like much younger than I am.
I want to keep it that way!

I had Sushi tonight! Raw salmon and grilled tuna with avocado and special rice wrapped and rolled in roasted seaweed. This fits with my Zone life! It was fun to help our guest in the kitchen... After, I helped him with his pronounciation of the schwa.

My brother has broken up with his fiancee. They seemed to go well together, but she is very intense.
Ah, well...

The Human Clock - A Photo for Every Minute of the Day

Tempus Fugit
That's Latin for "Time Flies".
I just got back from the lake. It was great. So beautiful. Birdsong in big liquid trills refreshing the jaded ear of an aging urbanite. Lots of weeds gone, by the wheelbarrowfull, heh, heh...
My big fat highlight was getting stung by a bee!
I'm supposed to carry an epi-pen, but I never expected a bee. I don't bother them, and they don't bother me.
Until today.
Nobody expects bees or the Spanish Inquisition. It had crawled under my RED t-shirt, and I cupped my hand over it when I felt it crawling. Shoulda swatted it hard, but I don't like to kill anything I can't see. It stung me, I shook it out onto a blanket, and folded the blanket over it to crush the critter. I have the bee in a hanky. Funeral later tonight.
I'm ding-dang allergic to bees, wasps, horse- and deer-flies so I had to take a antihistamene PDQ, as well as a painkiller and relaxant. Mom gave me a cold compress because I was flushed and feverish. After a short snooze into the cool of the evening, I woke up fine.
Read some more about Princess Diana. She and Charles were married the same year Ron and I were. On our old street, some of the neighbours thought of us as their own Royal couple. True story, they told me this!
I was always out doing good works, and Ron was always out working. To the public eye, he didn't show a lot of affection. We never seemed to have time together. At times, our marriage was in trouble. I never knew until later just how much.
However, we have an advantage on the Royals. We are still alive and together. It will be 23 years in November.

Yoshi is making sushi for us tonight. There is also a farewell party for a couple from church. He is going back to Bible College in the US, and while there, she is going to babysit her adorable grandkids.

Our second son emails to tell us that maybe he will not go to College this fall. He is hoping to get on as full-time staff at the Bible Camp where he is working this summer. I hope he will at least submit the app. in case he is not selected to work there.

Saw "I, Robot" last night. The computer has the same name as yours truly. Went to Romance Street for a snack, listened to music.
I want to dance, he doesn't.
We look at each other as if from Venus, from Mars.
Which we are.
I MUST find a way to get dancing back into my life!!!

Read "Bridget Jone's Diary" yesterday. Somewhat resembles my blog!!!!
Funny, trashy, but exactly what the compromised mind of a modern woman approaching her "best before" date can be. Full of cautionary tales!
Women, take warning! This could be YOU!
I haven't seen the movie yet. If you've been reading my blog, you know I usually read the book first, and sometimes after, I see the movie.

Supper is ready.
Laters!