Algonquin 2013, a set on Flickr.
Holidays/ Vacation/ Sabbatical/ All of it is needed and appreciated. Go look see at some of the fun we had! and if you are really bored, check out http://www.sprocketminpin.com for a bit more lyrical conveyance of our weeks off!
Via Flickr:
Another fabulous camping trip – 1st one for the Sprocketmonster!
Some of you may have noticed that I have not completely unplugged during my much anticipated August break.
But please note my views while I occasionally check in to see what’s going on via email/FB/Twitter:
Birds are chirping, I am relaxing and even though my lurking online has not stopped completely, I am very much enjoying that it is on my terms.
For another couple of weeks at least!
Back to work with y’all!
T/H
Sunshine, great company at brunch and dinner with a lovely afternoon of quiet in between means I am almost recharged. Almost…
Today started at about 6:15 a.m. with a plan to walk to Brewer Park from home in order to get my first taste of the macaroons so raved about from Hearty Bakery. Of the 6 I bought, I kept two for WTL and I, giving the remaining selections to Linda B for her B-day today.
Photo stolen directly from the Hearty Bakery website so click on it to go see their awesomeness.
After the 2.5 hour walk/ 12.8 km round trip:
Home to Brewer Park along Colonel By: 6.4 km -allegedly 1 hour 19 minutes each way. Happy to walk faster than the average Google pedestrian.
Where was I? oh, yes, after the walk, subsequent short SprocketWalk, and freshening up, we headed off to the Byward Market location of LoneStar for their final day of 2for1 Sunday Brunches. We had even numbers, so everyone got their breakfast at half price and yes, @leiladancer, I agree, the coffee does taste great!
After that, WTL and I popped into Home Hardware to get some new attachments for the beast and her back yard leash. then we parted ways as he headed off to ByMug and I headed home to get the beast ready for a test drive.
We have friends who are awesome about helping keep the beast exercised while I am super busy over the next few weeks . ShiboriBorealis snapped a shot earlier today:
the beast in duck alert mode @sprocketminpin twitter.com/shiboriboreali…
— (@shiboriborealis) May 5, 2013
So this gets us to noon.
And then I had one client pick up at 2, so I decided to relax in the back yard until she came and left. During this time, I caught up on the research one of our newest Ottawa Browncoats had been doing to help us prepare for the Panel we are presenting at next weekend’s Ottawa Comicon. She has been super helpful and I wanted to make sure I get started with organizing my thoughts at least.
Then, ya know, client – arrives, gets dress, pays me { YAY} goes away.
Next step: backyard pedicure. You don’t need photos of this. My feet take a beating and show it. so today they’ve been ground down to their freshest baby skin and stripped of old polish and allowed to breathe. ‘Nuff said.
So then I started looking at my fabrics for an upcoming outfit. Crowd Sourced opinions to make sure my choice was not too dark for attending a wedding!
Final consensus via Twitter and Facebook- it should be fine!
After that I needed a nap – you feeling that coming on too as you read all of this?
After 30 minutes of futon/SprocketSnuggletime, I then cleaned up and got into one of my new dresses based on the pattern I used for my Level 3 sewing class:
Red floral print – photos in the future maybe – but comfy and flay – just what was needed on this hot May day!
Supper chez Tuckers in the Market for Linda’s Birthday and finally, a few moments outside the restaurant to watch the Engagement Ring Show:
Click here to see a short snippet of video
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGW9sTxaYWk?rel=0]
Now I am home and you can see why I had an amazing day but am not quite recharged. Time to have a quiet episode of Firefly with Wtl before bed to finish things off properly!
Like many people, I struggle with nutritional choices, body image unhappiness moments and a larger than desired range of weight over the past 15 or so years.
Presently, based on my own average weight I am in my medium- large size range. Not as large as I have been, not quite midway to what I would accept as my “small” size of about 165 pounds ( which would still give me an unacceptable BMI- but I used to be able to maintain that weight during most of my 20s).
This week I made a few bad food choices so the scale scolded me this morning. But I am lacing up my shoes and taking the beast out for our morning walk before I am here all day seeing clients !
And for now, I have the most hair I have ever had!
I am blessed to live in a part of Ottawa that is close by a beautiful waterfront area and parks and wildlife is mainly small but loud – though some of the geese get pretty big. This morning’s walk was a gentle moment in time worth remembering….
[youtube=http://youtu.be/FeZa3s-CEo0]
A few hours later at about 10 a.m., as we were walking to our weekly Sunday brunch, this sound suddenly erupted into the air, making me need to yell to converse with my hubby who was walking right beside me.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/97XoWgRq3Og]
This video was shot at 12 noon, so it’s actually 2 hours after the bells began. I cannot imagine how the folks who live near this church must suffer. It’s loud, I don’t care what purpose it serves, it does not need to go on for so long nor does it need to be that loud. If your parishioners are not on your mailing list, it’s because they know what time to show up for church!
I do a lot. In my busy life, there are a few elements that could be misconstrued as, “ruts”. These often repeated, quietly low energy happenings are what keep me going.
Like Datenight:
We added some gingerbread coloured spice to Datenight back in late November 2012. Sprocket adds a bit of exercise.
“What, you need to go out again ?!”
But otherwise blends comfortably into the pattern established a few years ( decade?) back that WTL and I need to ensure at least 1 evening per week got us to just chill. Sometimes we get 2 nights in a row, and that’s awesome.
I also like having a generally settled schedule for my classes- it changes every season a bit depending on enrolment, but if time opens up due to a cancelled class, that’s gravy. I am self employed, but having a framework of steady commitment gives me some balance.
We also have an established summer vacation, which I equate yo going to our own nylon cottage for 3 weeks. We have been going up to our favourite park, choosing our favourite sites and settling in for over 16 years. Some might consider it a rut, since we are not open to giving it up. But seriously:
And realistically, I am open to change, but I am slowly learning when to hold fast to my own chosen comfort zones. They keep me happy, they allow me a basecamp feeling from which my new adventures can start.
No one knows what others need to keep sane, so remember to take care of your own, and respect that the “ruts” of others may be the only thing keeping them the cheerful folk they seem to be.
And if you don’t consider them cheerful now, imagine how bad it could get if you mess with their comfort zones!
Telling people to push their boundaries and get out of their comfort zones should be reserved for trainers and coaches who have been asked/ paid to say this to their clients.
And I am never talking about the obviously unhealthy habits that folks { including me} get stuck into, knowing the difference between a Chocolate addiction and a well deserved tradition, are very different.
I think I am REALLY looking forward to August this year!
We used to have a Miniature Pinscher named, Boing.
She was about 10 years old when she went “over the rainbow bridge” as pet people say. That was almost 3 years ago. It took us a while to decide it was time to get another fur baby, and we knew we wanted to take in a rescue. so we searched out options on minpinerie.ca and sent in our application one fateful Friday in November 2012. Within less than 2 weeks, we met and welcomed a dose of whacky into our worlds.
We now have Sprocket, another Min Pin, who turned 1 in January.
She’s brilliant, creative, stubborn and awesome. Similar in some ways and totally different in others. and young. She’s at that age where her puppy looks are gone, she’s just straight up adorable min pin now. Quirky ears, crazy eyes and she tilts her head into the most adorable curious, “Aruu?” look almost 50 times a day. And it’s a challenge and a blessing.
She makes us laugh and she drives me insane.
OMG- Squirrels. I cannot get the camera phone out to get a shot of her interacting with the squirrels in our back yard, as she is pulling so hard I am afraid I am going to drop it. But imagine the sound of a little puppy screaming that she absolutely has to have that SQUIRREL NOW!!!! for 5 minutes straight. If you have heard how high pitched a human toddler can sound when having demanding moment, it sounds just like that. really.
She is training me as much as I am attempting to train her, and Tom is a human min pin himself, so they have an ongoing wackiness that also make me laugh and then drives me crazy.
So, if you are ever bored and need a chuckle, head over to see her blog. or follow her on twitter. Yeah, she’s a #dogthatblogs… Also check out her #lapdogDuJour pics – I think it’s cute…
And thanks to @rustylinda on twitter for this wordfoto:
—
This post actually was interrupted by in house crazy and @wtl mentioned it seemed unfinished when he read it last night. As in, ” You seemed to be trying to make a point, and then never did.”
Well…
Anyone who has met Sprocket, knows about the “JumpGrappleChew” greeting, the chew toys and the general insanity of a dog trying to climb onto your head, into your neck crevice, etc.
And they realize the training of a stubborn teenage can be very similar. Teens are brilliant, creative stubborn and awesome – and given time to show their true colours, they shine. Sprocket has shone since we first got her into our world, but also has those moments when I want to close the crate door and walk away. I actually do that for the safety of all concerned.
So kudos to parents of human teen, furry teens, and keep smiling when you can and lock them up when you need to!
This afternoon, I had the pleasure of working on some funky synthetic fabric covered in foil dots. And after 1 hour of handling it, cutting, sewing on the machines and generally trying to get it to the next stage for a fitting tomorrow, I have had to stop.
I am actually seeing spots -yes, those little sliver dots are now clouding my vision even as I type. My throat is scratchy and what’s worse, I have has uber bad mood swings that can only partially be attributed to hormones.
SO where does that leave me? For now, I am leaving the pretty fabric in it’s bag and I will go take Sprocket for a walk to air out my lungs and eyes before my bridal clients start arriving “after work”.
But for future projects, I am really going to have to think twice before taking on the metallic lames, foil dots etc if the off-gassing continues to affect me this much.
Sad Sparkly Arr…
We are working with our little headed demon to get her social behaviour more acceptable – she’s just so darned excitable!
One thing we have always said, we did not want a dog who sleeps in bed with us. So far, both dogs we have had, came to us having slept in bed with their people before we got them. And with both, crate training in an apartment building can only reasonably happen during daytime hours, not at night when everyone can hear the howling.
But with Tom working at night in his “office” and me up by 7 a.m. to get started on my days, we are working out the system. We had it going for a while, then over the holidays somehow Sprocket managed to squirm her way under the blankets and the bad habit of letting her come to bed with me began. But it also meant I did not sleep through the night as she was hot, then she would fuss, then I would fuss, then Tom would come to bed, or not and the entire month was a mess.
We were also both people sick, so sleeping patterns were disrupted across all boundaries, so finally this week, with relative health settling into T2, I started to get to go to bed without a furry demon to accompany me.
First two nights went so well, she did not even want to get up with me at 7 a.m. for her morning walk. So I would go out for my own walk, and let her out when I got home. Last night, she slept until 4 am, then decided to come to our door and try to push her way in. I awoke, as I don’t need to pick up any gifts, thanks, and asked, ” You want to go out? ”
She said, “No, just coming to bed.”
I said, ” You are bugging me, you must want to go out.”
As she skittered back to her own bed, ” No, no, I’m fine.”
I said , “Okay, I’m going to bed now.” Closing the door gently, I waited.
And back she bounded to our door and started pushing. And i came out, walked past her and went about my own 4 a.m., might as well take care of business myself type stuff, while I’m up.
She followed me about as best she could, then i asked again, “You wanna go out?’
” Nope”
“Really?”
“Just wanna come to bed with you”
Silence.
“Let’s go out” I say, and grapple her into her harness. Anyone who has met her understands her wiggliness requires the occasional grappling until we all understand each other.
4:30 a.m. out for a ‘Quick P’ and back in for a Kong full of doggy granola and liver treats on her bed.
And then I was able to head back to bed myself for a remaining few hours of ZZZs before I had to get up for my own day.
Hoping tonight is a solid night’s sleep for her and me, but really, it’s a good start!
And “Dad is still in there- I could be cuddled in with him…right?”
So this morning, the stars finally aligned for me to head out for a #morningwalk, post #Sprocketwalk, pre #SundayBrunch.
-19 is chilly but not as windy. The sun shining gorgeously through the trees and sparkling on the snow.
As I saw a picturesque moment, and reached into one of my many coat pockets to capture it forever – and for you – I realized I accidentally left my iPhone at home. Ah, well. So I just kept walking without worry, and let myself feel the morningwalk work it’s magic.
For today, the choice is to peruse the millions of online shots of gorgeous Canadian winter mornings, or maybe even go outside and live the moment.
Either way, have a fabulous Sunday!
T/h
