Hop into a New Year

Another year is almost over and we are marching into 2011.  The years seem to go so fast.  I see this especially with friends with kids.  One day they are just born, next thing they are walking and talking.

I have to say as I look back it has overall been a great year.   It hasn't been without its challenges and stressful moments, but we have been very fortunate overall.  I think the number one thing I am grateful for is our health.  I say this because we had a scare with my dad this year and we were very lucky things turned for the better.  I know others have not been so lucky so we should be grateful each and every day that we feel good!  My co-worker just found out that his wife has terminal liver cancer and may live a year if she is lucky.  They have a three year old daughter and are overwhelmed with sadness.   So I say to myself...if I am not in that kind of situation I should suck it up and be happy for the life I have.

With age comes wisdom.  This is true.  As I get older I feel more at peace with everything.  My perspective on what is important has solidified and I feel very comfortable in my own skin.  I know what I like to do with my time and who I like to do it with.

So as 2011 approaches, I am excited.  I can't wait for spring to get back to into the gardens.  Friends will be popping with new little ones.  We can get back into our farmer's market Saturdays and eating all the delicious bounty that we acquire.  I can't wait to go to the new Holes Enjoy Centre when it opens!!!

So I hope 2011 brings everyone good health and luck.  The year of the Tiger is winding down and in February the Chinese gauntlet will be handed to the Rabbit.

2011 - Year of the Rabbit
A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year.

Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again. We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty.

A time to watch out that we do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort and thus impair their effectiveness and sense of duty.

Law and order will be lax; rules and regulations will not be rigidly enforced. No one seems very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of somnolence. We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible

Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances.

Merry Xmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lunar Eclipse

Last night there was a total lunar eclipse during the winter solstice.  Apparently this is a rare phonomenom.  I will have to ask my friends 7 year old son for a full explanation, but it was pretty interesting to see.

Coming home from work tonight, the moon was low in the sky, red and massive looking.  What a great site! 

Mug of Evil Goodness

Tis the season to eat and enjoy some good food with family and friends.

This year I have worked on loosing some weight.  I am really motivated by feeling healthy and preventing issues before they happen as best I can.  I have managed to loose and keep off 33 pounds, even while in Mexico.  I like good food and don't feel too deprived as I have found options that satisfy me.  I often ask myself...is that "whatever" worth it?  I calculate the weight watchers points and then decide. 

Most of the time I make my own lunch and cook at home.  Eating out is reduced but hey....you have to have a life, and sometimes have a treat.  I like to EAT my calories, not drink them.  It's often such a waste to have something really high in calories that is just a beverage.  Here is an example of what I am talking about:

Starbucks Caramel Brulée Latte

PER SERVING (one 16-oz./Grande drink with 2% milk and whipped cream): 420 calories, 15g fat, 200mg sodium, 66g carbs, 0g fiber, 48g sugars, 8g protein -- Points™ value 12*

To put this beverage into perspective, I get 25 points in a day..so this one drink is half my points.  It is as much as a double hamburger.  I don't know about you but I would probably rather have a double burger if I am going to go for it!

Now I will enjoy some good hot chocolates over the season, after all, it's a great idea by the fireplace.  But I will make my own 2 point version.  This is a prime example of all the fat and sugar out there that people consume and don't even realize the impact. 

I plan to continue my healthier journey and will incorporate actual exercise into my life (omg)! But I will continue to get educated about the food out there so I can make wiser choices overall.  I know there will be the odd day that I say..frack it...and eat whatever.  I did that with potato chips and Settlers of katan just last night.  But as long as they are less often, all will be good.

Close the Box

My "sister in-law" wrote a post about not being able to relax.  I can totally relate to this as I am also a "doer".  I like to have stuff done that needs to be done, I like to have the bills payed, house clean, laundry done....you get the picture.  While I think these can be good traits,  (I won't be a hoarder anytime soon), they also can have their down side.  I come to some of this logically as my mom was extremely organized and a clean fanatic.  It drove me a bit nuts as a kid and I am happy to say I am not "as" bad as she was/is.  However, I hold myself to high standards, with most everything I do.  I think this can often be a woman disease.  Too much of this can rob us of fun and peace of mind.  It is nice to allow yourself time to do nothing, or to turn your brain off for a while.

All the men in my life tell me that they don't have trouble turning off their brains...lol  They can open "one box" in their heads at a time.  Close the box, open a new one and move on.  Many of us women have numerous boxes open at once, pulling stuff out from each and juggling the thoughts at mock speed!

So I say to my fellow sisters from other misters....slow down a bit.  Find something that helps you slow your mind down.  Cut yourself some slack, you can't do it all.  Sometimes knitting or reading a book can take you away.  Play a game, garden, do some baking or whatever it is you like to do.  Is shoveling snow mindless enough???  I think it is!

Living La Veda Loca

Good-bye sun and sand, hello winter!  We just got back from a week in Mexico, where we attended my best friends wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding on the beach, short, touching and very romantic.  The resort took care of all of the details and did a great job. We stayed on the Mayan Riviera at the Barcelo.  We were very fortunate not to have our lobby explode or fall off a balcony.  These are the things you sometimes hear about in Mexico among others. 

However, in actuality there are a lot of great things as well.  The people are very friendly and kind and we had lovely weather the entire week.  While there, they were getting all the lights up on the palm trees and decorating the hotel for Christmas.  It seemed so odd to hear christmas music playing while wearing a bathing suit and flip flops. 

This resort is huge and has beautiful beach and pools.  We spent a lot of time in the pools, swimming, floating and bobbing over to the pool bar for another Mimosa or Miami Vice.  Chad and I found an adult only pool area that we dubbed "shangri la" that had these covered beds that you could lounge in.  That was certainly a heavenly place to have a nap or read a book.

I can honestly say I can do without a buffet again for a while.  While the food was delicious, after a while you just want to say...nooo...more...pleeeaaase!    I started to skip lunch as breakfast and dinner were more than enough. 

One of my favorite thing on the resort was the greenery.  Beautifully kept lawns, with lovely hibiscus trees and bougainvilleas plenty.  The color and fragrance were a gardeners dream.  I enjoyed watching the Iguanas eating leaves and hibiscus flowers and the little geckos scurrying around.  I must clarify that the Iguanas were nice from about 10 feet away...if they ran in my general direction  I would likely pee myself.

They also had many lovely statues that looked really pretty at night.  Chad dubbed them the "boob" statues.

On the last day there, we each had a relaxing massage at the resort spa.  Chad's words after that was "we have to hook that shit up in Edmonton".  lol   Yes, they have massage therapists in Edmonton too : )

All in all was a lovely trip, but I am also glad to be home.  I always get a little home sick and missed the cats a lot.  So now its time to get back into the groove, and get some xmas cards written and our tree up. 

Feliz Navidad

Gotta Have Coffee

They say there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...but I think it is really a pot of coffee.

At work we are spoiled as we have a company provided K-cup coffee and tea dispenser, with probably at least 20 types of coffees, teas and hot chocolate.  Our company isn't always the most generous, however they do know the way to a nerds heart is through a cup of coffee, or two, or three.

Well today they are renovating the kitchen, so the coffee does not floweth today!  It's such a small thing but yet such a big thing as well.  When its 40 below and you are doing the morning journey to work on the slow icy streets, it is the reward of the heavenly coffee that keeps you focussed.  It is knowing that when you get there, you can power up the PC, sit down, have a nice cup o joe and talk to your pod mates before kicking into gear.

So, instead we went to the local coffee shop, it's pretty good coffee and will get me through the morning hump.  So now I am off to do what it is I do.  I hope you all have a nice morning beverage, whatever that is, and enjoy your day.

Let it Snow? Hell No!

Well, it's here.  It was nice having that extra burst of fall into November, but alas, it came.  Today was the first inaugural shovel of the season.

I have lived in Alberta my whole life, I should be used to it by now.  There was a time when I didn't mind it at all.  When I was a kid i would flop into the snow and make snow angels.  My mom dressed me in 16 layers of clothes so I don't think the cold ever penetrated to my skin. 

But now I have grown to like the winters that don't come until December.  I don't really love walking in the cold windy streets downtown (they are always windy it seems).  I am not loving the long drives in the slow moving traffic.  I am not crazy for getting into a cold car and shivering for the first 15 minutes until the heaters really kick in. Yes, I am being a whiney beyotch.

But its ok, i will get used to it as always.  There will be some lovely winter days where the snow settles and the sun shines bright, giving the illusion that it is warmer outside than it really is.  There is the fireplace, there is hot chocolate and there is cuddling up with the one you love. 

So fine damn it...just snow!

How Societies Succeed or Fail

I am not a doomsayer.  I have a lot of faith in humanity, but I also find myself often shaking my head  We have come up with wonderful inventions, in life saving treatments, in technologies that improve the quality of life.  We also like to tamper with "mother nature" and impact her sweet balance. We are often reactive, trying to fix a crisis rather than trying to prevent it in the first place.  We are also greedy, too greedy.  Our wants have turned to needs and we start to loose track of what is truly important in life. 


Today there was an article in the Journal about an author named Jared Diamond who will be speaking at the University.  Some of his observations really resonated with me.

The lesson -- that new technology creates its own unintended consequences -- has been missed by societies over thousands of years, says Diamond, the internationally acclaimed author of the 2005 book Collapse, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.

He has spent years studying why societies fall apart or succeed -- and why they often always miss the signs of their imminent demise.

Societies don't tackle their coming problems if the wealthy, ruling elite can protect itself from the worst impacts of those problems. This problem is "acute" in the U.S. these days where the gap between rich and poor is much wider than in Canada, he says.

"It's not just the fact that the elites have all the wealth in a society, but that they are disconnected from the problems. If the rich and powerful still live the good life as society is spinning downhill, they are not motivated to solve the problems."

In the U. S, where the rich live in gated communities with private health care and private schools, the elites are not engaged with the range of social and economic problems, he says.

The US economic crisis is just one example used by this author, but it is a key and current example of how we plow straight into trouble because we follow the lead of those that have nothing to loose and everything to gain.  I sometimes feel this way about living in Alberta and our dependence on oil and gas. We seem hell bent to pay any price for the money it brings.

Anyway, I think I will pick up this book, sounds interesting.

Feline Diabetes Update

A while back I wrote a post about our Cat Thor who has diabetes.  One day he started drinking lots of water and his pees in the litter were huge.  This was a concern and the vet confirmed he had diabetes.  His levels were 26 mmol which is really really high.  We got the news that we would have to give him two needles a day and switch him to the vet recommended food.  I cried as I really love this sucky cat, but decided to do the needles and see how it goes. 

After months of needles and special food, we would poke him for blood readings.  This failed more often than was successful, but it was evident he was still very high.  I did some reading and found many people had good results with very high protien or raw food diets with cats.  The recommended low carb food from the vet did nothing.

So I went to a local pet store and got some samples and some great information from the owners who obviously love animals.  We switched the cats to a dry food that is smoked venison and vegetables, and has no carbs.  After a short time we noticed Thor's coat was getting better, thicker and softer.  His pee clumps were reducing to normal.  His glucose tests showed his levels going down.  The trick with this is to be very careful not to let him get too low as he can have a hypoglycemia and go into a coma.  Brad had a story of his cat that came close one time.

Well, we are very happy that for the last week now he has not had a single needle.  We tested him tonight after he ate and he was 5.6 mmol - this is perfect!!!  That is really a great reading and hopefully will continue. 

So no matter what the problem its good to educate yourself as best you can and not just think the vets know everything.  They had the concepts right, but still didn't know the alternatives to the few food products that they endorse.

Tam I Spam

No I don't have friends in China and I don't have any deals on IPhones.  So if you were one of the people in my hotmail contact list that got a funny message today from "me" ~ that wasn't me.  It appears SPAM was sent out from my email, how I am not sure, but I have changed my password and will delete my account if it continues.

I will continue to use protection and practice safe surfing, as a girl can't be too careful now adays!

You got a problem...there must be someone you can sue?!

Sometimes litigation stories make me nuts.  I know there are valid circumstances where people need to sue for real damage done to them or loved ones.  But often we see ridiculous examples of people blaming others for everything.  We are becoming a "no responsibility" society..  It's not my fault I drank to much and used poor judgment.  It's not my fault I found my penis in 23 other women...I have a "problem". 

Well apparently its also not our faults for getting fat either.  Hey...I have excess pounds that I have been gradually shedding, but I certainly do not blame others for my inability to stop stuffing chocolate in my face.  I accept I have a "mild" addiction to all things sweet : )

But hey, why blame yourself when you can blame "MacDonalds".  It worked for this guy.  He sued and got 18K out of the deal because they made him gain 65 pounds.  After all he had to sample the food, and they had the audacity to offer him free lunches.  What is a guy to do!??

Ups and Downs

The last few weeks have had their ups and their downs.  To make a long story short, Dad has heart attack, mom rushes him to hospital.  Dad gets transferred to City and gets stent put in.  Dad has too many blockages now and needs a bypass.  He waits in hospital to be transferred to Mazankowski clinic.  He gets transferred and gets triple bypass.  He doesn't do well after the surgery, is bleeding too much, bad vitals and almost dies.  He finally comes out of the induced sleep better and blood starts to clot.  He starts to sit up and talk, gradually gets the million tubes and wires taken out and bodily functions start up again.  Woo hoo!

So things are looking up.  I will be glad to not see either of those hospitals for a while even though the staff were amazing and so nice.  I'm also glad to know that my dad may have been given some extra years to enjoy life because of the great work they do.  I know that many of my friends that are even younger than me have lost a parent and so I feel really grateful and relieved that I get to spend more time with my dad.

Hospitals

Nobody wants to be in the hospital, but if you need care, its a great place to be.  My dad just had a heart attack a few days ago.  My mom rushed him to the hospital about 20 minutes away from their rural home, and that hospital brought him by ambulance to the Royal Alex. 

Before my mom and I could get to the hospital and see where he was in the process, he had already been to the Cath lab and had an Angiogram and a Stent put into his artery.  They then moved him up to a recovery room for monitoring and care.  This is the third such go round for my dad and this was his 7th stent.  My dad is in good shape as he has never been overweight, never smoked or drank much at all.  He eats ridiculously healthy, however, he has the dreaded "genetics".  His dad died in his 40s of heart issues, my dad is now 70, so in the scheme of things he is doing well. 

Unfortunately he has a few major arteries that are 90% blocked and others on the way, so he is now waiting in the hospital for a transfer to the new Mazenkowski centre for a Bypass.  I am hopeful all will be well, he will get the bypass and if no problems will likely feel wonderful once he has all that blood flowing like it should.

I have to say though, that our family has had great care at the Royal Alex and  University hospitals.  The Royal Alex is a crazy place if you have ever been to their emergency room.  If you are not dying you may spend several hours waiting for care.  You will likely sit by someone that is bleeding from the latest bar fight they were in.  If you get into a bed in the emergency area, the guy that drank aqua velva will be yelling out expletives at all the nursing staff.  I swear that guy has been there every time!  And of course there are the people that clog up the system that have a cold or flu that should look up the term Emergency in the dictionary.

However, having said all that, if the staff see you are in cardiac arrest or some real life threatening situation, they are on it.  I have seen staff at that hospital run, and juggle so many patients it boggles the mind.  So as my dad waits in the hospital for his bypass, I know he is in the best care.  I know our health care system is not perfect, but I for one am glad we have equal care for all people and that my mom doesn't have to now worry about paying a huge medical bill on top of worrying about my dad.

Fondue - back from the 70's

Last night we went to a new Restaurant in Edmonton called the Melting Pot.  Apparently these have been around in the U.S., but this is the first one to open here.  The premise of the dining experience - Fondue!

Now fondue had its day in the 70's at the  home party.  People would dig out their sunset gold or avacado green fondue sets to have a good time.  Eventually the lowly fondue pot fell out of favour and became fodder for the garage sale.

Well, its back and its being served at the Melting Pot.  Gone are the candles and open flame burners, they have been replaced by an in-table heat source.  The colored pots are now a sleek stainless steel.  But the fondue experience is still much the same. All of the tables in the melting pot are fairly private, with cozy booths for two or private rooms for larger parties.  The staff know their stuff and are busy keeping all of the fondue components moving along.

Because we were with a larger group, all of the parts were pre-ordered, but there are a number of options you can select to customize your fondue experience.  Our evening started with a Cheese course.  I really like cheese, so you can't go wrong here.  The servers make up a number of mixtures, we had a cheddar pot as well as a spinach artichoke mix.  We were brought small plates and bowls of bread, apples taco chips and vegetables.  Each person gets a set of colored fondue forks and an eating fork.  Many of us at the table took a few dips to realize we were supposed to dip with the fondue fork, and them remove the item to your plate and eat with your other fork.  At first we were just eating off our fondue fork and then re-dipping!  GASP..that is the proverbial double dip!  OK, so shoot us, we are fondue newbs.  We got the ettiquite after a few double dips.

Next was the meat course. Our cheese fondue pots were replaced with hot oil and one with steaming vegetable broth with citrus.  They also provided two types of batter for dipping and a plate of assorted hunks of meat - chicken, beef, shrimp and salmon.  We were also given a number of dipping sauces for said meat.  I have to say, I enjoyed the cheese course, but for me the meat course was nothing to write home about.  Not because the restaurant didn't do a great job of the set-up, but because a hunk of plain meat dipped in hot oil isn't really all that great.  In some cases the batter would fall off in the pot with all the fondue fork fury!   The oil cooked the meat a bit better, it only needed 2 minutes, but the broth was tastier with the veggies (like mushrooms or broccoli).

Then it was time for the chocolate!  Now we are talking.  We had one that was chocolate with some penut butter stirred in, and a second pot that was white chocolate and banana.  The servers brought us fresh forks and some plates of dippables that included strawberries, banana, marshmallow, brownie, cheesecake and pineapple.  This was really tastey - how can you go wrong here. 

As I say, there were many options so you could really customize to what you like best.  They also had some really nice looking drinks.  Not cheap, but pretty impressive and apparently delicious.  One that was popular was the Yin & Yang.  This just looked amazing and was concocted with White Godiva Liqueur, Creme de CaCao and Ice Cream. 

This is definitely the kind of place to go to do something different, the whole process takes a bit of time, so you will have a leisurely dinner.  Personally my preference was the cheese and chocolate courses.  This isn't a cheap night out, so prepare for at least $50/person but a nice evening out.  I am not sure how long fondue will be here this time around, but this restaurant was packed and is apparently full most of the time.  So the next time you are looking for something a little bit different on a night out, give it a try.

Black or White

Why do so many people only see things in black or white?  A recent visit to the Oilsands by James Cameron really made me think more about this.  Lots of comments from Albertans were "Who does he think he is?", "Go home and mind your own business" type of comments.

I hate when people are narrow minded.  Why do people have to be either in the pro-oilsands or the bleeding heart environmentalist camps?  It seems so black or white, with no shades of gray.

I for one don't have a problem with James Cameron or others taking a closer look at our Oil sands.   Yes I know that this sector fuels the Alberta economy, always has and likely always will.  Politicians have always bent over backwards to keep these companies happy so they will stay and fill the provincial coffers. 

Yes, I also drive a vehicle and am a consumer of these products, so it would be hypocritical of me to say shut them down.  However, I am also a citizen of this province and pay taxes and expect the government to also take people concerns into consideration as well. 

People are so worried that they will not have these jobs that they are willing to let these companies do whatever they want.  They can pollute the air and poison our water and we just accept it.  They can use tons of fresh water to extract the precious from the soil and we don't say a word.  So what if we deplete our resources or more people get cancer. 

I wish we could rely on these companies to take a little bit of their profits and come up with ways to do things better that  have less environmental impact.  But as we know, this is usually not the case.  Unfortunately it will take more James Cameron visits, more U.S. and European scrutinization of our environmental record to make things better.  Finally, the first tailings pond has been re-claimed.  It was created in 1967!

So I welcome the magnifying glass.  I believe these companies have top scientists, money and research at their disposal.  Alternative methods of extraction have already been found, but until we set the bar a bit higher, nothing will improve.  There is nothing like a little bad publicity to make companies clean up their act, or to make the government make them clean up their act.  Many oil and gas companies will send their exorbitant profits back to their home countries at the end of the day but those of us who live here will reap what they sow, both good and bad.

So rather than get our panties in a bunch lets always remember that we can do better, and for those people with children, we have to do better!

Sunday Walk

What a lovely weekend this has been.  I talked in an earlier post about fall being one of my favorite times of year.  When the weather is like this, it sure is! 

Today Chad and I went for a nice walk across the Sturgeon River to a local coffee shop.  Lots of people, young and old are out walking, skateboarding or bike riding.  The leaves are mostly gone off of the trees now and are crunchy on the ground.  I like the sound they make when you shuffle through them.

This year for the Childrens festival some sculptures were brought in and displayed behind City Hall.  They are made of stone and are really beautiful.  My favorite is the bear.  She is so smooth and heart warming, her caption says - "Mother Bear Prays for Earth Healing".    The sculptures were meant to be on display temporarily, but because they have been so popular and well received, the city has agreed to purchase them and they will stay in their current location.

 

When we got home we started to bring some of the patio furniture in and gradually prepare the yard for winter.  I always like to get a mum and put it in our front porch pot to help extend the season a bit.  The summer flowers all died after the frost, so the mum I planted will last until the snow balls fly. I am one of those people that likes to kind of reflect the seasons on the front porch. 

So Mother Nature, keep the nice weather coming!  

Technology - The Good, Bad and the Ugly

I grew up in a world that didn't have a ton of technology.  No computers or cell phones, just basic TV, radio and that's about it.  Obviously in the last decade or so, great leaps have been made and now new generations of kids will never understand what it is like to NOT have cell phones and computers.

I sometimes can't help but think maybe my simple childhood was better.  I am sure kids now would disagree as I am sure they cannot fathom life without constant connectivity, but I can.  Obviously there are great advantages to some of the technology.  You need information on anything?  Just google it.  Your car dies on the side of the road, pull out the cell phone.  Need to share pictures of your kids with family far away, put them on facebook. 

I understand the draw to an extent, but now we are seeing a whole new world of opportunities for pedophiles and bullies.  Recently a young man committed suicide because his roommate video taped him privately kissing another male and posted the video for everyone to see.  How humiliating for the young man and who knew if he had even shared with anyone that he was gay, and now it was public for everyone to mock. 

In another incident a woman's ex boyfriend took a photo off her facebook page and posted an ad on Craig's list saying she "an aggressive man with no concern or regard for women".  Next thing you know some weirdo showed up at her home and brutally raped her.  The only good part of this story is that both the rapist and boyfriend got 60 years in jail. (sometimes americans do justice better than we do).

Now don't get me wrong, I think people can be evil without the help of technology, but there is this disturbing trend toward being a douchebag because of anonymity. Chad and I both play W|OW and often in groups people can be terrible.  They say terrible things and act maliciously towards others. Now I am a big girl and I can take it.  I can put them on /ignore or rationalize that they must have been dropped on their head at some point.  But I often wonder about the young kids that are playing and being exposed to the hate.  Or the poor dood who is more fragile or has poor self esteem already.  Usually the people that behave these ways would never do it in person.  They do it with the "Cloak of the Coward" on and feel superior to others.  Personally if I am in a group and someone is nasty to others, I tell them to shut up.  I won't stand by and put up with abuse of myself or others. 

I know technology isn't going away, but I hope we can figure out how to fit it into our lives and get back to some compassion and manners. 

My Toyota Needed a Reboot

It turns out my Matrix needed an update to its ECU (engine control unit).  I guess this is kind of the motherboard of the automobile.  The good news is, it was under warranty so it was free of charge.  The bad news is it still cost me $200 for the original tow job to fountain tire, a scan there and for fountain tire to transfer the car to Toyota dealership. 

But all in all, I got the update to the bios : ) and we are back in driving business!  Here is some ECU Trivia if you care ~

An engine control unit (ECU), also known as power-train control module (PCM), or engine control module (ECM) is a type of electronic control unit that determines the amount of fuel, ignition timing and other parameters an internal combustion engine needs to keep running. It does this by reading values from multidimensional performance maps (so called LUTs), using input values (e.g. engine speed) calculated from signals coming from sensor devices monitoring the engine. Before ECU's, air/fuel mixture, ignition timing, and idle speed were directly controlled by mechanical and pneumatic sensors and actuators.

I'll Take a Leaf Blower and an Alternator Please

Yesterday I went to Home Depot to buy a Toro Leaf Blower/Suckzor machine to help with the clean up of our yard of leaves.  Especially all those that get into the rocks.  Well, mission accomplished, got the goods and got in the car to leave, drove about 20 feet and the car died.

I have a 2007 Toyota matrix that has been really awesome to date,but it just croaked.  Battery and engine light were on, without any warning.  I would try and restart it but the battery would not hold its charge. I am partly in the lane leaving HD so I put on my emergency flashers, call Chad and we get a tow truck on order.

I can't tell you the number of people (mostly Women I might add) that honked at me to get out of the way.  Dumb beyotches!  If I could move do you not think I would?  O..and did you not notice my flashers  on while you were giving me the look of death?

Anyway, a nice truck driver stops to make sure I am alright.  Those guys are always the nicest people.  Finally the tow truck comes and takes me and the car to Fountain Tire in St. Albert.  They are closing for the day so I won't know until Monday what the dealyo is.  They suspect the Alternator croaked.  The Fountain Tire folks are awesome though, such great customer service and they gave me and my leaf blower a ride home.

So, tomorrow me and Mr. Chad will be riding the bus to work, that will be kind of fun : )  I have to check if I still have warranty on my car, if not I hope not to big of a repair.

Good Day!

Today was a good day.  The sun started to shine and Chad got his drivers license today!  It feels really good to know that if he needs/wants to he can take the car and go for a visit with his friends, or be backup in an emergency.  Also one of our good friends' wife went for some tests today for various lumps that she found.  It was a real relief to find out they are not anything serious.  Some of the people that I work with have spouses that have serious health issues and it really puts things into perspective about what is important in life. 

Also the new Big Bank Theory starts today.  Nerds rock!

Indian Summer?

An Indian summer is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs in autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere. It is characterized by a period of sunny, warm weather, after the leaves have turned following an onset of frost, but before the first snowfall.

So today the tides have turned a bit.  The sun is fighting its way out and the long term forecast isn't bad at all.  In the 20's for the weekend if the weather man is correct.  We went for a walk around the neighborhood and it's nice to walk through the fallen leaves as they crunch under your feet.  September can be one of my favorite months when the sky is blue and the sun is out.

In order to have a true Indian summer there needs to have been a killing frost.  Well, I would say we had that.  Lots of our plants and flowers got cooked, even ones under our front porch area which is usually more protected.  Well I am not ready for snow balls yet, so bring on the Indian Summer!

Yarrr!

Yesterday I had my family over for birthday festivities.  I got so caught up in the cooking and hostessing, that I totally forgot it was "International Talk Like a Pirate" day!

Here is an excerpt from the site ~

Before we go any further, there's something we need to be clear about. Pirates were and are bad people. Really reprehensible. Even the most casual exploration of the history of pirates (and believe us, casual is an accurate description of our research) leaves you hip deep in blood and barbarity. We recognize this, all right? We aren't for one minute suggesting that real, honest-to-God pirates were in any way, shape or form worth emulating.

What, you're wondering, is the point? We're going to be painfully honest here, perhaps fatally so.
The point is, there is no point. And that's what's fun about Talk Like a Pirate Day specifically, and talking like a pirate in general?
We're talking about the mere image of swaggering pirateness. And while this is a guys' guide, the comely wench will have fun talking like a pirate, too. It's powerful, yet harmless. Perhaps, dare we suggest it, the ultimate aphrodisiac. Try it! 

So in the spirit of Pirate Day, here are some Pirate Pick up Lines:


10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if I fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?
And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …
1. Prepare to be boarded.

I am a Dad's Girl

Today I went shopping and got my Dad a gift as his birthday is next week.  It reminds me how lucky I am to have a dad like mine.  I can honestly say that the world would be a better place if all kids were blessed with a guy like him.  I know there are lots of great dads out there, but there are also some damn crappy ones. 

So what makes my dad so great?  Well, he is kind, patient, manly yet sensitive, positive, encouraging and smart.  My dad isn't the "I graduated from University" kind of smart.  He had to quit school when he was in grade 7 and look after the farm when his dad died.  He is the "I have common sense and know how to use my brain" kind of smart. 

Growing up we didn't have a ton of money, my dad was a laborer when we moved from the farm.  After all he didn't have the education to get well paid.  But he did get on with the Provincial Government and eventually apprenticed as a Sheet Metal man.  My dad went to work every day with a smile on his face.  He always provided for our family and I can rarely remember him staying home sick. 

Every morning he would come downstairs to eat breakfast with us before work.  He would often lightly pinch my cheek and tell me "I was so smooth, I must have shaved today".  We would always laugh, it never got old.  He was always in a good mood, I know it's hard to believe but he was.

My dad is the kind of guy everyone likes.  Every time we go to a grocery store or anywhere, there is someone saying..."Hello Bob".  It didn't matter what walk of life they came from.  My dad always treated everyone equally.  He never judged people by what they did or didn't have. 

I remember one time telling him about a lady at work (Tina) that had a well to do husband, and she wanted to invite another lady and her husband over for dinner.  But Tinas husband who was an Architect didn't want to invite them over because the other ladies husband was a Janitor, and he wouldn't have anything to talk to him about.  When I told my dad this story, he said if the Architect was so smart he should be able to talk to anyone!

My dad has always been a good teacher.  He never had boys, just my younger sister and I, but he never seemed to care.  I was always his right hand man and he taught me how to shingle a roof, make fence, drive a tractor, you name it, he had me do it.  He never acted like I couldn't do something because I was a girl.  As my mom fretted watching me do manly things, my dad would just tell her to chill out, she is doing just fine.

To this day I can ask my dad for advice/information on just about anything.  If you have a leak in your oil line, he will tell you how you can put cardboard down on the ground and rev the engine and see where the "spray pattern" is to find the leak.  He is just a wealth of information  Not having a lot of money really taught him how to be creative and a do for yourself attitude.

I did not have a lot of things as a kid, but we certainly felt very rich for the life we had.  I got to spend a lot of time with my dad helping him with whatever he was doing. He taught me how to be strong and independent but also kind and giving.   Never to think you are better than others and be humble and grateful for what you have.

So I can't wait to make a nice meal for my family next weekend and celebrate my Dad's Birthday!

There is no I in Team

I have on occasion complained about people who lack common sense and the trials and tribulations of hiring people that don't give a crap about their jobs.  Well, recently we had some turn over in our office for various reasons so we were back to the drawing board doing interviews for Developers.

Now being a good Developer takes a lot more than a knowledge of "syntax" or of a specific language.  There really is an aptitude that good developers have.  They also must have good problem solving skills and COMMON Sense!  Now there are some out there that aren't bad developers when the page is blank, but the true test of a Developers moxie and brain power is to give them an application someone else constructed and ask them to resolve an issue.  This takes a lot of skill to step through someone elses logic or illogicic.

Well, we just hired three new guys, and I have to say, we totally scored!  Not only are they smart and have common sense, they are really nice individuals that are very humble about their excellent skills.  They follow process, hell they help develop processes.  I make sure to thank them often for their great attitudes and effort.  They truly are becoming part of our team and I feel we have a great synergy developing.  At the end of the day we are all getting paid pretty good money to come up with solutions for our clients.  Our clients deserve to get what they pay for and having people that care about quality is wonderful.  My own personal ethics are that if I am going to do a job, I want to do it well and feel satisfied that I have done the best I can.  It is so nice to have more team members that are like minded which makes for great collaboration and end results!

What a nice start to the fall season - feel like we are all rowing the boat in the same direction!  Yay!

Nice Long Weekend

It has been a great long weekend.  We have seen a few friends and watched some movies.  We even watched an Indian flick that had no English, but a LOT of dancing.  There were some serious dance moves, and I have realized that Indian men are very comfortable in their sexuality.  They must be because the dance moves and flamboyant outfits would make Canadian men cringe.  I enjoyed the Bollywood style very much although they can sure drag out a story!  We also watched a guy named Black Dynomite show up Shaft in the woo the bitches category.  With lines like "hit the streets or the sheets", how can a guy go wrong!?

We also had my BFF and her man over and we chillaxed and then watched the latest Robin Hood with Russell Crowe.  I actually liked it more than I thought I would.  This year there have been a few movies that have had crappy reviews but I liked them.  The Last Airbender was one like this too.  Needless to say we even stayed up past midnight a few nights, even (gasp) 2:30 a.m.!

On Sunday we went to Chad's sisters for dinner.  Boy was that yummy.  Her and her husband collaborated on the dinner and Apple pie dessert and boy were we pleasantly stuffed.  Their little girl Hailey is getting bigger every time we see her and she is now walking really well and chatting up a storm.  She really understands what you are saying and has some cute responses.  His mom and brother were there as well, so we had a great visit.

This morning we went for a nice walk across the river to the downtown area and found Jimmy's open and went in for breakfast.  It's really nice out today, the sun is shining and great weather for a walk.  I pulled out my bean plant from my back step as it was almost done, and got a nice mum from Holes to give some color into fall.  Those mums can stay out until the snowballs fly now, so they are a great way to extend the season.

It was really nice to get an extra day on the weekend!

Face Freeze!

Tonight I was watching a new show about celebrity chefs, and the chefs were making food for a "Botox" party.  I guess this is all the rage amongst the rich and well...rich in Beverly Hills and around the U.S.  Women show up at the party and there are people present to give them Botox injections amongst other treatments.

I suspect this is pretty lucrative for the Botox givers as apparently an injected area costs from $350 - $500.    The theory behind botox is it blocks the transmission of acetylcholine from the nerves to the muscle. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which send a message to the muscle telling it to contract or tense up. With the flow of acetylcholine blocked or significantly reduced, the muscle can no longer retract and it relaxes. As a result, the wrinkled areas smooth out and soften.  Apparently these injections last about 4 or 5 months.  So really you would have to do this pretty regularly to continue the benefits.

You can start to see the results of this in Hollywood, where actresses like Nicole Kidman are starting to look like expressionless wax figures.  Throw in a little lip enhancement action and you have yourself a party - or a freaky looking actress!

OK so people are crazy, but what is even more startling is I saw a news report on the use of Botox on Teens under the age of 18.  Here is the dealyo:

The statistics by ASAPS reveal that there is a surge in the number of Botox treatments given to teens in the U.S.  Approximately 12,110 Botox injections were administered to patients 18 years old and younger in 2009. That translates into a 47.8 percent rise in teen Botox use from 2008, when a total of 8,194 Botox procedures were performed.

So NOW the theory is, if you start to block the muscles from every making expressions in your face, then your skin will never wrinkle! Now instead of being a teen and enjoying life and having fun with friends, you have to start shooting Botox into your face to prevent expression and aging?

I keep thinking that women (girls) have come a long way baby, but often I feel as though we are stepping back.  Our value still seems to only be tied to how we look and not how we think or our capabilities.  Don't get me wrong, I don't blame men for this, I blame us women.  We keep up this craziness and now the only role models we see are slutty crazy chicks from Orange County or Jersey Shores. I do know that TV doesn't represent everyone, I get that, however these are the messages being sent out to the masses - to women and young impressionable girls. 

So go ahead and smile, get a laugh line or two.  Let people see the lines of experience and joy you have earned!

The Wall

I think you can tell I am hitting the wall
I just wrote a post about a big Shweddy ball
The challenge has been for just thirty days
And now I am starting a limerick phase

I have written some posts about music and food
About our two animals, the fuzzy cat brood
I wrote a few rants and stood on my box
I talked about building a trellis that rawks


I looked at our names to see how they rank
Apparently Liam is better than Frank
I wrote about gardening and my very green thumb
I wrote about shrinkage of my ample big bum

I shared some memories of ponchos and songs
My favorite theme music that is still going strong
I read lots of posts and learned quite a lot
About every ones lives and the dreams they all got

I know that last line is not proper or right
but who the hell cares its been a delight
To write out my thoughts and be in the game
And I really hope you all feel the same

Just a few more days, a few more takes
and this new blogger will  take a break
to get some fresh ideas to write
But for today I bid you a wonderful night.


Tammy

Schweddy Balls

OK, I'll admit it, sometimes I have the sense of humor of a 15 year old boy.  Not in the potty humor kind of way, but in "mom...you said buns" kind of way.

One day at work my friend Steve was talking about how he and his 15 year old daughter were watching TV, and an SNL skit came on that had Betty White in it.  Well, it was a radio show where Betty White was talking about her "muffin".  Of course they made all kinds of innuendo and crass jokes about her muffin, actually she made most of them herself.  There is something funny about an older lady that seems kind of proper saying nasty things. 

The funny part was that Steve's daughter was watching the show and trying to pretend she didn't understand the jokes. She was able to hold back for a while but finally started laughing and couldn't stop herself.  I understand that!  I remember watching TV with my parents as a teenager and something sexual coming on and I would be all uncomfortable (maybe they were too).  I would try and pretend I didn't understand what was going on, cuz you didn't want to seem too knowlegable to your parents! 

So one of the other very funny SNL skits that was similar was Schweddy Balls.  Alex Baldwin played Mr. Schweddy on the radio show.  Well, here it is...hope you laugh as much as I did.

I [heart] Ponchos

My first Poncho looked much like this.

Growing up as a kid in the 70's, my clothes were "groovy".  They had lots of color, nothing really matched and the patterns were a tad wild.  Mind you, in every old picture I have our "chesterfield" and wall paper in the background were equally as wild. 

One of the must have items of the day was the Poncho.  My very first one was made by my grandma with purple verigated wool and it had fringe on it.  OOO how stylin I was when I wore it with my dress and leotards.

For many years, ponchos fell out of fashion.  But alas, they are back.  No, not everyone wears a poncho, but that is alright with me.  I like to wear a poncho.  Yes, I could just wear a jacket..that is practical.  Well often I do, but whenever I can, I like to get out my nice cozy poncho.

A poncho is like a nice hug.  It covers your shoulders and your arms but has room to move.  It is nice and warm, yet cool and nonrestrictive at the same time.  The cool weather is making me think about poncho wearing again.  Erron has been talking about knitting, which has reminded me that I wanted to knit a nice new poncho.  I think this will be a winter project. 

Sunday Soapbox

I started writing this as a comment on Erron's blog where she was responding to some questions from Shaun about a previous article she wrote called What if it's Not.  I started getting really wordy and ranty so I decided to just make this my post for today.  I don't have kids of my own, but I work with many people who have children that have various issues, from Down Syndrome, Aspergers, life threatening allergies, etc.  As a family we have often talked about the high numbers of people with MS in certain small farming areas.  This has always made me wonder what the heck is going on?

Erron wrote about some of the theories out there of Autism.  Personally I don't buy a lot of the deflection of just more diagnosis today. Yes, I am sure there is, but not to the extent we see in the numbers.  I also don't buy a lot of the prenatal care stuff.  I think women know much more about that today and take extreme care when they are pregnant.  Of course there are exceptions to this, but really, women used to smoke, drink and do all kinds of things women don't do now while pregnant. 

I think this is part of the point of  Erron's  article.  Anyone, no matter how careful can have a child with some sort of issue.  It isn't fair to blame the parents as they have done everything they can.  Everyone should be alarmed that autism, severe allergies, behavior issues are on the rise.

My sister works in clinical trials at the Cross Cancer Institute and they see correlations between types of cancer and geographical area.  Gathering comparative statistics requires different countries to participate in studies, this is not always easy.  As an example, they are thinking that certain cancers are higher in the north because of the methods of cooking meat (open flame generating high levels of carcinogens).  They see tons of intestinal types of cancers in countries like ours which could be because of pesticides and overly refined foods.  The problem is we can't wait for science to agree and who knows what combination of things can do what.

I think we all have to continue to educate ourselves and use our common sense.  Let's reduce our use of pesticides.  It can't hurt, and it might help.  So, maybe a few chemical companies will loose money along the way.  So what!  Our era of modernization keeps taking us further away from natural things.  We over vaccinate because heaven forbid we get sick and develop some of our own immunities.  We mass produce food and use high temperatures and chemicals to preserve and change the properties of the food, and the we spew by-products of these processes into our air, food and water systems. 

Recently a number of communities got together and told the electrical company to bury their lines in the ground and not have them overhead near communities.  Of course the debate starts about just what is the safe rate of radiation that people can be exposed to without harmful impacts.  If the option is some or none, I say go with the none and bury the damn lines.  What, it will cost the private company more money?  O gee...let me see..."I don't care!"  I am sure they will claw it back in my electrical bills anyway.  But it will cost all of us much more when people end up in hospital with varying ailments.  These are the kinds of statements we are constantly fed:

The EMF levels produced by the Heartland Project are expected to be well below the exposure guidelines established by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for public exposure (833 milligauss) and are well within the range of magnetic field levels that we are exposed to in our everyday lives. Neither Health Canada nor the World Health Organization has recommended that the general public need to take steps to limit everyday exposures to EMF.

Sure, that is comforting.  In the office where I work, many of us are continually getting headaches and suffering allergy symptoms that we don't have when we are on vacation at home.  But we are continually being told that "Air Quality" experts have said that the air is within safe guidelines.   Don't get me wrong, I don't think it will kill me, but I think that dirty air ducts that never get cleaned, and air-tight buildings are highly efficient, but not the healthiest for people.

So in the end, the "Dollar" always wins.  Especially in Alberta.  Money talks, sick people walk.  It is really high time that people start to ask questions, say no, that doesn't make sense and use your consumer dollar to make your point.  This is the only way we can make actual change that will benefit ourselves and future generations.

Ok, I am putting my soap box away.....for now!  ; >

Women's Magazines

Today I was going through some stuff and came across some old comics of mine.  I have some that go back to 1974 and cost 20 cents.  They are mostly Betty and Veronica becuase those were the ones I liked : )

I also found a few Ladies Home Journals that I must have picked up at a Garage Sale one time.  There are three of them in excellent shape, with the oldest being from 1953. 

The content of these magazines hasn't changed much over the years.  Still a lot of recipes, articles on raising children and ads selling household items to mothers.

I always laugh at some of those old articles about being the perfect wife.  The article in the 1953 LHJ is called "Making Marriage Work".  Be well mannered with men - it will astonish some and delight all.

This article has lots of tips about attracting a man for marriage.  Here are some of the tips:

Don't keep him waiting.  To do so is to bolster your vanity at the expense of his self-respect.  And lengthening the evening accordingly at the other end is a real imposition.

Dont  demand constant attentions.  Customarily, a man lights a woman's cigarette for her.  But for a girl to insist that a man cross the room to do so, whle she sits with a lighter before her, is an absurd distortion of etiquette.

Don't take his courtesty for granted.  Whe he does light your cigarette, thank him even though these are routine attentions.

Don't belittle him by trying to prove your popularity.  That's what you are doing when you praise other men.  Men are humans too, whether dates or husbands. 

Don't complain.  No reasonable wife will complain about occassional business trips. 

The article then has a quiz called "How Irritable Are You?"

Flash Forward to 2010.

Now you see magazines like Cosmopolitan, which provide women with advice as well.  Here are some articles:  "99 moves you need to make his toes curl in bed".  (Really, we need 99?)   "How to give off a good Vibe in Bed" and "101 Things we need to know about men".   It seems there is also alot of advice about attending to the Va-jay-jay! 

Wow, what would I do without all of these valuable reference books!

Friday

Well it's the end of a long week.  We came home and i got some fresh air by cutting the grass : )  Nothing terribly eventful happened this week, people are gradually finishing their summer holidays and we always start to kick off new projects.  They are renovating our offices so with fresh carpet, paint and blinds, the space looks alot fresher and brighter.

Our big boss went to bat for raises for the key members of our team and he handed out nice envelopes at the end of the day.  He is really a great guy and is always sticking his neck out for our account members.

Tomorrow we will go to the Farmers Market as Chad is on a quest for the perfect peach (no comments pls).  So likely we will walk down and then grab a coffee. 

We have been giving Thor and Fuzz a newer type of food, so tomorrow is another attempt at a home glucose test.  I moved from the ear to the foot.  Almost got enough blood last time but no dice.  So we will give it another shot. 

So that is it for today!

The 000's

So here is the last installment in my music tour through the decades.   Now it is the 000's or is it the 00's or the 2thousands?  I am not sure, but it doesnt have the same ring as the 70's or 80's does.  So here are some of the bands/songs I have liked this past 10 years.

Nickelback - OK so I know it is apparently cool to diss Nickelback, but I will say it here, I like them.  They keep coming up with songs I like.  Is it so bad to sing and do the fist pump in the air?  Songs like Burn it to the Ground and Rock Star get me singing along, and hey, they are also from Hanna, Alberta.

City in Colour- Dallas Greene is a talented guy and a great song writer.  I love a lot of his songs like Save your Scissors and my favorite is his Sleeping Sickness collaboration with Gordon Downie.

Kelly Clarkson - What can I say, I never watched American Idol, so I never saw Kelly Clarkson win.  I would usually be skeptical of a manufactured star, but then again, aren't they all anymore?  She has a great voice and I enjoy her music.


Pearl Jam - In a previous post I talked about how much I like Eddie Vedder's voice.  His song Just Breathe is one where you here him  and his guitar.  He has a bit of that "crash test dummies" tone in this one too. mmmm mmmmm

Madonna - Yes, she has been in every one of my decades since the 80's, but she deserves the recognition.  I really like her song "Give it to Me" and she knows how to collaborate with other artists to keep herself current.  Always the marketing machine that madge.  I see lady gaga getting a lot of influence from Madonna, although I think she is mixing that with Marilyn Manson influence to get the gaga.

Eminem - I like Eminem, I like his wit and his lyrics.  I know that people can get offended by him but I think they often take his messages to literally.  Don't get me wrong, he can be an angry dood, but he likes to mock things and use sarcastic lyrics to make his point.  "Without Me" is a perfect example of this.  Since his return from his hiatius, he has hit the charts again.  I really like his song and video, Not Afraid..  His hair is dark, he looks determined and clean and is still good with the lyrics.

KD Lang - I have always liked the lesbian from Consort, but she really gained attention this year at the Olympics with her rendition of Leonard Cohens "Hallelujah".  It is incredibly beautiful and I can listen to it over and over. Here is a version she did at the Juno's years ago.

So have i mellowed?  Well, yes and no.  I still like a wide variety of music depending on my mood.  Some times I like the chillin stuff and other times I really like something with a kick in beat.  Good music makes you feel something.  Cliff has talked about the Johnny Cash version of Hurt.  It is so powerful.  I feel the same about songs like Hallelujah and Just Breathe.

So that is it for my music through the decades.  I have lived through records, 8 tracks, cassettes, CDs and now all the digital formats that are out there.  Whatever the technology, hook me up when I am in the old folks home because I will always love the toons!

August 25th

Today I don't have anything special to talk about as it was a pretty typical day.   One thing that has been really nice is that Chad has driven me to work a few times now and it has been really great.  I can kind of veg and look around at all the yards and sights.  I am still a bit of a nervous passenger because I am not used to it, but it's all good. 

T & I in mouth of WEM Whale

My best friend T is getting married in Mexico December 1st and she keeps sending me the countown in days.  lol  That is OK, she is a pretty chilled bride and as excited as she is about the ceremony and the wedding, I know that ultimately all she cares about is her marriage to Aaron who is a great guy!  I can't wait to be there and be part of the special day.

I have enjoyed this blog challenge and have really gotten to know people more through their writings.  I feel it has been a great success because of this.  Hell I feel now that Brad and Kathy whom I have never met are good friends too.

It is still summer but I can already kind of feel it winding down.  September can be one of my favorite times of the year.  My family has land about an hour north of Edmonton and they grow grain crops on the land.  I used to love going out to the field on a beautiful September evening while the combine was going and jumping over the swaths.  My dad would stop and visit with us while the combine was filling the truck with the just harvested grain.  September in Alberta can be beautiful. One quarter of land they own usually produces really good barley which is malting quality, which means it will go in beer!  (this means much better grain price for a farmer)

Well, I will cut it short tonight and think i will go chillax and watch some TV in bed.  Its getting dark noticeably earlier now which makes my sleepy.  So good night all, talk to you tomorrow!