Last week it was the baby bunny in the window well that the dog startled. It had to be rescued as it wasn't big enough to jump out on its own. Which meant donning leather work gloves, picking up the vibrating wee beastie, letting the dog have a sniff of its rear and letting it loose under the deck, where it lives.
Zoë is such a good dog... she sniffed and snuffled but made no move to nip or devour the poor terrorized thing.
Today, on our walk after I got home from work, it was an overzealous boattailed grackle chick who obviously flew the nest too soon. Tail feathers come in handy when steering, and full pinfeathers are good for lift when flying. This little thing had very little of either! It still had hatchling fluff sticking through its feathers all over. Mum and Dad starling were quite irate that we were walking within 100 feet of said downed chick. It fluttered madly across the lane, clunked into the side of a garage and wound up perched behind a bag of garbage on the ground.
I made Zoë sit and stay and went over to see if I could pick it up. It just sat there and stared in paralyzed fear at me. I scooped it gently into my hands, carried it to a high bush and deposited it where the parents could easily have access.
The dog sat, oblivious to it all.
All is right in the world now. At least momentarily. Until the next youngster needs saving...
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Friday, 25 June 2010
Yet again
Went on another meet and greet. Was fun. May get together again tomorrow evening.
On the upswing?
On the upswing?
Monday, 21 June 2010
Death Fog
Gaseous clouds of poisonous vapours will fill the midnight air in my city's streets tonight.
Bring it on, I say!
Kill the little suckers!
The city is fogging for mosquitoes. Finally! They are voracious, the little nasties.
Bring it on, I say!
Kill the little suckers!
The city is fogging for mosquitoes. Finally! They are voracious, the little nasties.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
All Lost
In the race to the dating finish line... no one won. Not me, certainly. And none of the three previously mentioned potentials even made it to the finish line.
As you will recall Guy B dropped me like a hot potato as I've not experienced motherhood, so I couldn't possibly understand the commitment required to competently raise a couple of rugrats. (Don't get me wrong... I actually do like kids... I've just not any of my own, purely due to life's circumstances.) So obviously I would not be suitable as dating material in his world. Plus he doesn't like pets. And mine are going exactly nowhere, so there you have it. Scratched.
Guy A seemed to have potential but there were a few things that niggled at my brain. When scheduling finally permitted, we managed an evening of dinner and drinks and lots of talking to get this race heading into the final turn. Overly dramatic conversation with a heavy dose of god and religion resulted in this entry being scratched as well. He just didn't have the right stuff to make it to the finish line.
And then there's Shorty... Mr. Noncommital himself. The past week or two, contact has been less and less. When it finally came down to not replying to emails and text messages going unanswered, I decided enough was enough. It was obvious that he'd made a decision to completely withdraw from the race, but had neglected to follow the proper channels. So a face to face meeting was necessary (for my peace of mind, more than anything) and that occurred this morning. I saw that he was online on the dating website so I knew (a) he was home and (b) he didn't have a 'date' with him. So I jumped in my truck and trundled to his house, for 'the talk'.
Now, in my mind, if you have been seeing someone, even on a casual basis, for two months, and you decide (for whatever reason and that reason really doesn't matter) that it just isn't working for you, that person deserves to be informed of this decision face to face. We'd seen each other at least a dozen times and had spent many hours together. So to start the process of disengagement by completely ignoring me just wasn't going to cut it. Because that hurt.
The disappointment of it not developing into anything further was there as well, but it was the hurt that made me do it. I had to let him know that it just isn't kosher to ignore someone and hope they will go away.
So I knocked on his door, my heart pounding in my chest and tears burning behind my eyes, and asked if I could speak to him for a few minutes when he opened the door, very surprised to see me standing there. Plain and simple, I told him that although ignoring me was the easy thing to do (for him, anyway), it was so not the right thing to do. He told me he didn't think it would work out, to which I replied, "I gather that from your lack of communication." And so I went on to tell him it takes cojones to tell someone that it just isn't the right thing, that it won't work out. But despite the difficultly in doing that, it causes a lot less hurt than what he was doing.
I know...
I've been the one to say it just isn't working after a couple of months. It's one of the most nerve wracking things I've ever done (twice) when you have to tell someone, who is perfectly nice and has made it obvious they quite like you, that you just don't feel the same way. But I'd much rather do that with tact and gentleness and a true sense of compassion than to just pretend they don't exist anymore.
In the end, he apologized and said I was right, that I did deserve more than I got. And he did give me a hug as I left. I just hope he doesn't do that to anyone else. And the disappointment is still there, but at least I said what I needed to say.
I think I have to head back to the drawing board again... or the fishing pond... or whatever.
As you will recall Guy B dropped me like a hot potato as I've not experienced motherhood, so I couldn't possibly understand the commitment required to competently raise a couple of rugrats. (Don't get me wrong... I actually do like kids... I've just not any of my own, purely due to life's circumstances.) So obviously I would not be suitable as dating material in his world. Plus he doesn't like pets. And mine are going exactly nowhere, so there you have it. Scratched.
Guy A seemed to have potential but there were a few things that niggled at my brain. When scheduling finally permitted, we managed an evening of dinner and drinks and lots of talking to get this race heading into the final turn. Overly dramatic conversation with a heavy dose of god and religion resulted in this entry being scratched as well. He just didn't have the right stuff to make it to the finish line.
And then there's Shorty... Mr. Noncommital himself. The past week or two, contact has been less and less. When it finally came down to not replying to emails and text messages going unanswered, I decided enough was enough. It was obvious that he'd made a decision to completely withdraw from the race, but had neglected to follow the proper channels. So a face to face meeting was necessary (for my peace of mind, more than anything) and that occurred this morning. I saw that he was online on the dating website so I knew (a) he was home and (b) he didn't have a 'date' with him. So I jumped in my truck and trundled to his house, for 'the talk'.
Now, in my mind, if you have been seeing someone, even on a casual basis, for two months, and you decide (for whatever reason and that reason really doesn't matter) that it just isn't working for you, that person deserves to be informed of this decision face to face. We'd seen each other at least a dozen times and had spent many hours together. So to start the process of disengagement by completely ignoring me just wasn't going to cut it. Because that hurt.
The disappointment of it not developing into anything further was there as well, but it was the hurt that made me do it. I had to let him know that it just isn't kosher to ignore someone and hope they will go away.
So I knocked on his door, my heart pounding in my chest and tears burning behind my eyes, and asked if I could speak to him for a few minutes when he opened the door, very surprised to see me standing there. Plain and simple, I told him that although ignoring me was the easy thing to do (for him, anyway), it was so not the right thing to do. He told me he didn't think it would work out, to which I replied, "I gather that from your lack of communication." And so I went on to tell him it takes cojones to tell someone that it just isn't the right thing, that it won't work out. But despite the difficultly in doing that, it causes a lot less hurt than what he was doing.
I know...
I've been the one to say it just isn't working after a couple of months. It's one of the most nerve wracking things I've ever done (twice) when you have to tell someone, who is perfectly nice and has made it obvious they quite like you, that you just don't feel the same way. But I'd much rather do that with tact and gentleness and a true sense of compassion than to just pretend they don't exist anymore.
In the end, he apologized and said I was right, that I did deserve more than I got. And he did give me a hug as I left. I just hope he doesn't do that to anyone else. And the disappointment is still there, but at least I said what I needed to say.
I think I have to head back to the drawing board again... or the fishing pond... or whatever.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Keeping busy and such like
Busy busy busy... that's me!
The spare bedroom is now completely redecorated, including fresh paint, lovely burgundy curtains for a closet door (where none previously existed), a new coverlet for the bed and coordinating miniblinds for the window on order and (hopefully) to arrive on Thursday.
All in time for a friend coming to visit for a few days next Monday.
Lila has checked out the new decor and has given it her approval. She even left a small area of kitty fluff on the coverlet after her nap, just to show her thumbs' up. (The walls are buttery yellow... photo taken with my cell phone in the early morning so lighting is a bit iffy.)
I'm putting in a 52 hour work week in preparation of next week's company. Good thing I'm in the profession I'm in, as it allows a lot of flexibility for getting time off if you're willing to slog away at the salt mines for a few extra days.Sunday was gorgeous... warm and sunny and dry enough to cut the grass. My cousin and his girlfriend live in the country and were having remote controlled boat races in their yard the other day.... just a tad more water than I have. Fun at the time but a veritable mass production factory for mosquitoes... yikes!
Speaking of those
little nasties, heard on the radio that a woman who emigrated to Manitoba from Africa can't believe how vicious and voracious our mosquitoes are... apparently much worse than anything she'd experienced back home. Must be the shorter warm season... the skeeters have to get all their blood sucking done in a few months, where over there, they have all year.And you know the sound of hordes of skeeters surrounding you? Well, guess what sounds like that on a massive scale? Those vuvuzelas they've been blasting at the World Cup. Apparently they put out about 127 decibels. A chainsaw is 100 db. There were an estimated 85,000 of them in that stadium. Wonder if they will report on increased hearing aid sales after the games are over????
There's a weekly lottery here that is up to a main prize of $50 million with an additional 45 prizes of $1 million each. I am so buying a bunch of tickets for Friday's draw!!! That's retirement plan B. See top of page for retirement plan A... work, work, work.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Since you've asked...
... for an update on the date situation, here it is.
Mr. OnceInaWhile (aka Shorty per XL) is (as before) still non-committal and still there. Casual dating, I guess it is called. Only problem is, the more I see him, the more I want to see him. I guess I'm gonna have to talk to him one of these days. That won't have the opportunity to happen for probably a couple of weeks, due to work schedules (mine), business trips (his) and visitors (mine). So if and when that time arrives, I'll let you know the outcome.
Regarding Guy A and Guy B.
Well, met with Guy A last Saturday and spend a couple hours wandering about The Forks in the centre of Winnipeg on a pleasant but slightly overcast day. We each got a cup of tea and then wandered and sat and wandered and talked. I can't say I felt an instant connection with him. He's interesting to talk to, but the more we talked the more I realized we are on different ends of the spectrum with a few things in life, like religion (yes for him and absolutely not for me), healthy living (organic all the way for him, whatever I like for me), colourful language (nada for him and whenever the fancy strikes me but within acceptable limits for me).
So just don't think anything is going to come of that. He did email me a couple of days after we met to see when we could get together again but when I told him my availability this week, his free relationship seminars took precedence over a second meeting. When he suggested we could perhaps listen to one together, I said that was a bit 'heavy' for a first date... :-\
Guy B and I met last night at a local coffee shop and had a very comfortable chat over tea. No awkward pauses, just easy conversation about all kinds of stuff. We set up Sunday afternoon as a next meeting. I sent an email last night saying it was a pleasure to meet him, and looking forward to spending more time on Sunday getting to know him. Today I received an email saying he had very big reservations about me not having children (he has two and is very involved with them - he is the custodial parent), assuming that because I have none, I would not understand the commitment one has to make to be a good parent. He also stated that he doesn't really care for pets, and as everyone knows, my animal companions are important to me. So I guess that one is a complete no-go. Which is too bad, because it felt pretty comfortable... both our numerous phone conversations and the face to face one as well. I've replied to his email but don't know if I will hear from him again...
I guess it is back to the pond to cast the line in again. *sigh*
Or perhaps I should just forget the whole damn thing. Or stick with the casual thing with Shorty.
Whatever...
Mr. OnceInaWhile (aka Shorty per XL) is (as before) still non-committal and still there. Casual dating, I guess it is called. Only problem is, the more I see him, the more I want to see him. I guess I'm gonna have to talk to him one of these days. That won't have the opportunity to happen for probably a couple of weeks, due to work schedules (mine), business trips (his) and visitors (mine). So if and when that time arrives, I'll let you know the outcome.
Regarding Guy A and Guy B.
Well, met with Guy A last Saturday and spend a couple hours wandering about The Forks in the centre of Winnipeg on a pleasant but slightly overcast day. We each got a cup of tea and then wandered and sat and wandered and talked. I can't say I felt an instant connection with him. He's interesting to talk to, but the more we talked the more I realized we are on different ends of the spectrum with a few things in life, like religion (yes for him and absolutely not for me), healthy living (organic all the way for him, whatever I like for me), colourful language (nada for him and whenever the fancy strikes me but within acceptable limits for me).
So just don't think anything is going to come of that. He did email me a couple of days after we met to see when we could get together again but when I told him my availability this week, his free relationship seminars took precedence over a second meeting. When he suggested we could perhaps listen to one together, I said that was a bit 'heavy' for a first date... :-\
Guy B and I met last night at a local coffee shop and had a very comfortable chat over tea. No awkward pauses, just easy conversation about all kinds of stuff. We set up Sunday afternoon as a next meeting. I sent an email last night saying it was a pleasure to meet him, and looking forward to spending more time on Sunday getting to know him. Today I received an email saying he had very big reservations about me not having children (he has two and is very involved with them - he is the custodial parent), assuming that because I have none, I would not understand the commitment one has to make to be a good parent. He also stated that he doesn't really care for pets, and as everyone knows, my animal companions are important to me. So I guess that one is a complete no-go. Which is too bad, because it felt pretty comfortable... both our numerous phone conversations and the face to face one as well. I've replied to his email but don't know if I will hear from him again...
I guess it is back to the pond to cast the line in again. *sigh*
Or perhaps I should just forget the whole damn thing. Or stick with the casual thing with Shorty.
Whatever...
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Influx
Seems that the action just may be heating up around here.
The man who can't commit but who likes me is still around and we still get together now and then. In fact, we played pool again last night... and again, he trashed me! Admittedly, I suck at playing pool... and while he says he's no better, I must beg to differ... but we had a blast, so who cares! There was a few good shots, lots of laughter and some seriously funny bantering back and forth about sticks and balls...
There are two others in the wings now. Have not met either face to face yet. Have not actually spoken to either yet, but that will change tonight with one.
Guy A is 50, lives on his own and gets his 11 year old son every other weekend. He's an IT guy (did you know online dating sites are crawling with these guys?? go figure...) at a university and our emails have been very interesting. I'm looking forward to actually talking to this one. We seem to have a lot of basic personal thoughts and beliefs in common...
Guy B is 51, has two sons aged 10 and 14 (or close to that) who live with him and go to the ex Wednesdays and every other weekend. He's an account manager with a national firm. We've emailed and also chatted a bit online. Seems like a nice guy.
All three of them seem like nice guys. Well, I know Mr. Noncommittal is a nice guy... I've known him for two months now. The other two... well, time will tell. I know how long B has been on his own, but not A. I'm going to be asking him that this evening when we chat, because it's become painfully obvious to me that that is extremely important in how 'available' a guy really is.
So maybe there will be some development of something in the not too distant future? Hard to tell. I've done this so many times that I just can't get my hopes up. I have learned to just let things flow and see where they migrate.
The man who can't commit but who likes me is still around and we still get together now and then. In fact, we played pool again last night... and again, he trashed me! Admittedly, I suck at playing pool... and while he says he's no better, I must beg to differ... but we had a blast, so who cares! There was a few good shots, lots of laughter and some seriously funny bantering back and forth about sticks and balls...
There are two others in the wings now. Have not met either face to face yet. Have not actually spoken to either yet, but that will change tonight with one.
Guy A is 50, lives on his own and gets his 11 year old son every other weekend. He's an IT guy (did you know online dating sites are crawling with these guys?? go figure...) at a university and our emails have been very interesting. I'm looking forward to actually talking to this one. We seem to have a lot of basic personal thoughts and beliefs in common...
Guy B is 51, has two sons aged 10 and 14 (or close to that) who live with him and go to the ex Wednesdays and every other weekend. He's an account manager with a national firm. We've emailed and also chatted a bit online. Seems like a nice guy.
All three of them seem like nice guys. Well, I know Mr. Noncommittal is a nice guy... I've known him for two months now. The other two... well, time will tell. I know how long B has been on his own, but not A. I'm going to be asking him that this evening when we chat, because it's become painfully obvious to me that that is extremely important in how 'available' a guy really is.
So maybe there will be some development of something in the not too distant future? Hard to tell. I've done this so many times that I just can't get my hopes up. I have learned to just let things flow and see where they migrate.
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