A Friend

A friend came to me today.

In need and hurting...

I offered all that I could...

I only hope that it was enough...

Baubling

Lila thinks she's found a shiny new toy.

I beg to differ!

For the past couple years, I have been keeping my eye open for a necklace that contained an amethyst, which is my birthstone. Not actively shopping, but when I've been out in a mall, I will cruise through the jewelry stores, just to have a peek.

Earlier this week, I was at a large mall in town and a centre aisle kiosk had a bunch of new stuff on display. I just about caused a collision by stopping midstride to backtrack and have a gander at their pendants.

Lo and behold! I saw several purple stones glinting up at me, all begging for closer inspection. After trying a few on, I chose one that I particularly like.

Now all I have to do is keep that silly kitten from ripping off my neck. She's attacked it several times already and grabs it in her teeth, trying to pull it off.

She better outgrow this 'attack anything and everything' phase... Let's see... she's ten months old now... Maybe by the times she's three? *sigh*

Ain't it purdy???

Sporty shorts

Everyone wants to know what the Canadian Olympic male athletes wear under their sleek lycra outfits.

Here's a peek... the boys are stylin' and smilin' in these fancy Joe Boxer boxers.



I'm not really sure what that guy in front is doing to the guy behind him, though... and I probably don't want to know either!

A day of rest

I'm tired.

I've worked a couple of overtime shifts this week... in fact, Thursday was a 13.5 hour day and Friday was 12. I've been working a fair bit of OT lately, to fatten the coffers.

Well, fatten is probably not quite the right term. Getting the coffers to a level playing field is the goal. The fattening will come after that.

I've done not much else.

I now have a week off.

Excuse me while I got have a nap in front of the TV with the Olympics on...

My eyelids are falling....

Any good ones left?

I'll tell ya... I am getting sick and tired of being strung a line... I am so ready to win that lottery and leave this frozen wasteland of a place, where men are wimps and women can't find a decent male specimen of the species to have any kind of a relationship with...

Mid January, a friend introduces me to someone she's recently met, whom she thinks is a nice guy. Turns out he's separated from a common-law relationship and agreed to my friend giving me his email address.

To make a long story short, we emailed, then met for coffee and hit it off quite nicely. Seemed like a very nice, down to earth kinda guy...and after a few dates, I sent a brief email basically saying hi, how ya doing, enjoyed the time we spent together.

Nothing.

Wait a couple days, send a text saying hi.

Nothing.

Wait another couple days.

Then, getting annoyed, email saying it's rather rude to not answer the email or the text, especially since the last I heard, he'd quite enjoyed our dates as well.

He tells me he was scared shitless by how we got along... and was only 5 1/2 months out of that old relationship and so was feeling like he wasn't ready to be dating again. Okay... fair enough... but why not just tell me that? So we talk, and agree no pressure, just see each other whenever, and we went out on a few more dates over the next couple weeks.

Then he says (again) he's not ready to be dating. Fine. But we are definitely still friends. So we were going to meet for a coffee and a visit this afternoon. That's all. Not even a 'date'.

He calls me this morning.... He's going to be getting back together with his ex... feels he has to give it one more try to see if there's anything there worth salvaging....

Fine... Been there myself (the trying again thing)... so I wish him luck... he apologizes and says he's sorry if he hurt me.

What actually hurt... was on FB today, his status showed 'married'.........................

That packed a pretty good sting.

Seems I didn't learn a thing from the last guy who asked if we could just be 'friends'....

Waking Nightmare

The night was getting late but still true sleep escaped her. Her body ached with fatigue, nestled in the hollow of the comforting bed, blankets warm and thick tucked 'neath her chin. The darkness swirled and eddied through thoughts barely formed, fading in and out in ghostly images. Fear crept through her bones, and not yet knowing the why, she curled tighter in a ball in the centre of the bed.

Clutching the arm of the stone cold statue, feet grasping purchase on the edge of the wide base, she scanned above the throngs milling about the square. Bleak eyes darted black glances her way, her foreignness palpable, her fear staunchly held in check behind a fierce countenance.

He was late... so very late... and it was so unlike him not to call if something had happened to cause a delay. She'd heard from him well over an hour ago, with words of reassurance that he was on his way to rescue her from mistaken routes.

Lost as she was in this chilled and misty city, ancient landmarks filtered in with new architecture, she'd not paid close attention to the names of the trains and had gotten hopelessly turned around. What area this was, she knew not, only that her presence was stirring the hordes of restless youth and vagabonds to circle round like wild dogs.

Some grinned wickedly at her, taunting with words not fully understood, darting in to touch and grasp. She pressed her back against the statue, his damp and unmoving form protecting the side she could not see and keeping safe the contents of her backpack. In the mist, the dampness soaked through her clothes and into her bones, deep into her bones, like claws gripping tight. Her jaw ached from clenching to prevent the clattering of teeth... to hide the chilled vulnerability as well as her terror. Each contact snagging at her clothing drew a hissing breath and she kicked aimlessly at those who ventured near.

Please... please!!! Where are you??? Please help me! Thoughts staggered through her mind as her eyes scoured the crowd, straining to catch a glimpse of his tall, formidable form but she saw nothing more than disinterested faces or prying eyes.

Several tattooed and pierced faces sprang into her field of vision, toying with her fears, prying at her grip on the arm of her stone cold benefactor. A muffled cry sprang from her as tears bounced down her cheeks to blend in with the rain-soaked cobblestones. She flailed and kicked, making contact and eliciting cries of anger and pain.

A silvery flash caught her peripheral vision but suddenly it clattered to the ground, its owner's hand crushed within the huge fisted grip at the end of a black sleeve.

Just as she whipped her head around to look, an arm slid around her waist, strong in its grip yet tender in its touch. She stiffened at first, then seeing his scarred and familiar face, she allowed herself to be drawn from the niche of the statue into the folds of his long black leather coat. He wrapped the warm leather around her body, holding her shivering form close while glaring balefully at the hooligans as they withdrew. His presence put an immediate stop to their cruel shenanigans and they scattered across the square, blending into oblivion.

His warm gnarled hands gently stroked her damp curls, brushing away the tears and pressing her face to his chest. "Ah hen, I am so sorry. Traffic snarled because of an accident and my mobile died. I couldnae reach you on yours..." He held her in a tight hug, willing away the fear and the tears and the chilled chattering of her teeth.

She drifted off to sleep, the ghost of those arms holding her into the depths of more pleasant dreams...

Going for Gold!

For the first time in our Olympic history, one of our own athletes has won a gold medal on home turf. No one won gold in Montreal in '76, nor in Calgary in '88.

Today, Alexandre Bilodeau made Canadian Olympic history by being that first First Place Winner! He took gold in the Mens' Freestyle Moguls! How cool is that! What an amazing young man!!!

(Reuters)

(Gerry Kahrmann/CanWest News Service)

I am soooo proud of our Canadian athletes! And this is just the beginning!!!

A Valentine for Each of You

Across the Pond

It was a brilliantly sunny day today... ambient temps hovering around -11C... but a biting wind from the north dropped it to a 'feel' of -20C. Despite the nip in the air, the dog and I headed to the local off leash park for a run about. Or a walk about for me and a trundle about for her. Zoë rarely actually runs full out these days. She's just past 6 1/2 but is getting grey on her chin and a noticeable slowing down. She's never been a speed demon, even in her younger years, but a steady jog is more her tempo these days.

She does, however, still get quite excited when we get suited up for a walk, and even more so when she sees the keys for the Blazer come out. Then she knows we're going to the dog park!


To stay as much out of the wind as possible, we headed for the creek bed, to follow the wide and winding reed lined path.


The reeds, reddish golden with a few cattails still intact, stand taller than my 5'9". This shot was taken at eye level.



Looking back from whence we came.



The creek feeds into a pond which, in summer, is home to many ducks and geese. A lot of dogs love to swim and play in it as well. Zoë has yet to get her toes more than barely wet. As far as she is concerned, water is for drinking... out of a bowl. If you have to step in it to get at it, she wants nothing to do with it! So this time of year is the only time she's ever actually 'in' the pond.



That's the entrance to the creek way behind the dog. It's a well used path. Sometimes, especially early in winter, the pond is actually bare ice. Recently we've had a few good snowfalls, so you'd not know you were walking on water.



A view from up on the shore. It's a good sized pond. Nice that it is part of the dog park and not a skating pond. There are so few areas in the city where dogs can run loose that this park is heavily frequented by carousing canines and their human companions.



Here Zoë stops to say hi to one of the people. She's always much more interested in humans than the other dogs, as she knows just about everyone will stop and pet her. She suckers them in every time!



Heading back towards the parking lot, the early evening sun was blinding. By this time, I'd warmed up enough from the brisk walk that I had fogged up my sunglasses and had to take them off to see anything at all!



Even in winter, she drools. Only this time of year, it is frozen in thick lines of ice wrapped abstractly around her face each time she shakes her head. She had a great time!



The setting sun's warm glow caught the rosy-ness of my cheeks in the rear view mirror on the drive home. No, that's not a tear in my eye... just another reflection off the truck glinting at me.

Bully Ballet

(photo courtesy of www.manitobastampede.ca)

In a few short months, the local rodeo season will commence. Not that I want to participate, you see. But there is something rather exhilarating about watching supposedly sane men climb onto very large and often ill-tempered herbivores with only a small rope handle to hang on to.

A town a short drive south of Winnipeg has the only pro-rodeo in Manitoba... so in July, I intend to head on down and take in some bone jarring, spit slinging (on the bulls' part), ground shaking excitement.

Hopefully, this summer will be hot and sunny... unlike last year, when it was chilly and wet for the most part.

Hey, it's a chance to wear a cowboy hat and big belt buckle and fit right in!

The Waiting Game

Life is all about waiting, isn't it...

You wait to be born... nine long months floating in that motherly cocoon.

You wait to be able to walk and talk...

You wait to be heard...

You wait for school to start...

You wait for school to finish...

You wait for a boy or a girl...

You wait for the phone calls...

You wait for that someone special to fall in love too...

You wait to hear if your application has been accepted...

You wait to hear if you'll be offered the job...

You wait for end of the work day...

You wait for payday...

You wait for your annual vacation...

You wait to retire...

And you wait for death...

Earth is one big Waiting Room...


What happens if you get tired of waiting?

Where do you go then?