A Colinism

I was telling Colin about this wierd Jericho/Lost hybrid dream I had. I was on a plane to escape the nuclear bombs when an EM bomb went off and my plane crashed on this strange island where the inhabitants kidnapped some of the people from my plane and did experiments on them. It was fairly long and involved but I just gave Colin the highlights.

After hearing my dream he says: "Are you sure you don't need psychotic help?"

Me (trying not to laugh): "Wouldn't that make it worse?"

Colin: "Uhh..."

Me: "I think you meant psychiatric help."

Colin: "Yeah....that's it."

Purging

Since I've been off work I've been trying to purge my life of clutter. It's amazing what you can accumulate in just a few years on this earth. My beloved book collection is approaching 500. That's a lot of books. Especially during moving time. So last year I decided to get rid of some.

By purging, I mean selling, giving away, whatever. I would never throw out or recycle a book. I just can't do it. My first choice is to sell. Money is good. Second choice is to trade. Some second hand book stores give you store credit. Which isn't bad except it encourages me to buy more books and I'll be in the same boat within a year.

I tried to look at the purging practically. I have books that are from younger years that I most likely will never read again. I have books that I've had FOR years that I have never read a second time. My rule is that if a book is over 2 years old and I haven't read it a second time in the last two years (if ever) then it must go. Quite a few of my books have been read 2, 3, and 4 times. I think I've read my Harry Potter books 8 times each. Now of course, I have series of books where I didn't like an installment. I'm not going to get rid of one of THOSE books and break up the set. So that's an exception. One of the harder parts is when I have a book that I never read. Or started to read and just couldn't get through it (like The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice...horrible book). I don't know what to do with those books. I don't want to purge them when I've never read them. Or never finished. It feels like a failure. So far, I'm keeping those ones.

I've been steadily going through my books and categorizing them into books I'll read again or will never read again and my uncertain books. Sorting turned out to be easier than I thought. It's the actual "taking the books away to a second hand store" that is the problem. I CAN'T DO IT!!!! I just don't have the courage to get rid of my babies. But my books are taking over my apartment.

Then there are the books that I'm a little embarassed to say I have (no, they are nothing dirty). These are novelizations of movies I had seen and now I realize I'm a little too old to have them. But I'm embarassed to take them anywhere to sell. Plus some of them....I don't want to get rid of because I have fond memories attached to them. So I can't really get rid of them.

I think I'm fighting a losing cause. There are other things I want to get rid of but I can't until the books are gone. (Although I've been mildly successful in getting rid of old clothes and some papers). But I still have a lot to do. If anyone could see what is in and on my desk....

I think I'm going to need help. I think I'm going to need someone to literally push me out my door with bags of books in hand and force me to get rid of them.

Any takers?

Favorite Childhood Memory

I blatently admit that I stole this idea from Jenn (http://jennlynnpei.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!3038F2845815F0C9!1066.entry?_c=BlogPart) but it's a good idea so the theft is justified. (Actually, it's not theft...it's recycling)

She was asking if someone asked you what your favorite childhood memories were, what would they be? Now, if you had a happy childhood (like me), then this should be an easy exercise. My problem is narrowing the list down.

So, here's my short list in no particular order:

• Playing dinky cars in front of the trailer at the lake with Amber, Mark, Mike and a slew of neighbourhood kids. We had entire countries mapped out, complete with swimming pools, stores, malls, etc. We should have been architects.
• Raft wars at the lake. (Ok, I was a teenager when these wars took place but they are memorable and happy)
• Playing Nintendo (Mario Bros, Battle City, Circus, Galaga, etc) with Amber on Friday nights and eating LOTS of cinnamon toast while doing it.
• I vaguely remember going snow mobiling with my brother.
• And I have to mention the number of Monster Mashes that took place and all the shenanigans that took place during those.

I have lots more memories but these are the ones that stand out the most. Or any memory involving the lake. Most of my childhood memories come from there.

Anyone have a memory to share?

Repeating Fun

The other night I was watching the last few eps of General Hospital that Colin had recorded for me on his PVR. Normally when I'm watching these eps, he's playing World of Warcraft on his pc. But it was taking a long time to load so he was watching a few minutes of GH with me.

"I can't understand why you watch this crap. It's so repetitive."

At the time he embarassed me so I shut if off until he was safely playing his game. It's my guilty pleasure and he made me feel bad.

Then it hits me this morning: Why did I feel bad? This is the guy who can stare at a lava lamp for hours! Who wants a set of those little clacking balls to play with. Who is about to get a levitating globe to stare at for hours and hours!

And he thinks GH is repetitive?! As far as I'm concerned, it's the same thing. Lava lamp...GH. Mind relaxing activities. They don't require brain power and they're not supposed to. It's called "fun". Mindless fun, but still fun.

Stupid boys....

The Hornet Experience

Everyone knows I'm afraid of bugs. I'm not ashamed of it. However, I'm not afraid of bees or hornets. I have a healthy respect for things that can hurt me but at least I know what they can do...unlike the evil spiders who I know are plotting against me.

So, the other day I'm sitting on my couch watching TV when I hear a loud buzzing coming from my entryway. I think a house fly has gotten in I'm worried I’m going to have to listen to the thing buzz for days before it finally croaks.

Then the biggest hornet I've ever seen comes into my living room. It must have been 1.5 inches long. I can see it wiggling its legs in what might be a mating call. After I finish marveling at the size of my new house guest, I decide to kill it. So I get a strip of heavy cardboard for a fly swatter. My plan is to swat the hornet to the floor and then beat it to death. It's a good plan. I warily stalk the hornet around my living room until he gets low enough to swat. Finally he comes low enough and I swing my "flyswatter" with all my might.

But this is Super Hornet and the blow doesn't even stun him. It does, however, piss him off royally and he starts dive bombing me. You don't realize how small a place is until your trapped inside it with an angry hornet.

I begin evasive maneuvers while shouting "I'm sorry!" over and over. He calms down in my kitchen and I retreat, too afraid to try my plan again. But now I have a bigger problem. It's nearly 5:00 and I'm starving. But the hornet has commandeered my kitchen. How can I cook with him attacking me and possibly taking a dive into my cooking supper? I go into the kitchen and try to "wave" him into the living room. This just makes him want to buzz around me and I begin evasive maneuvers again. I flee to the living room where I contemplate just giving him the kitchen.

The hornet is really starting to freak me out. I'm beginning to think I'm never going to get rid of him. In a moment of desperation I leave a voice mail for Colin to come over as soon as he's done his turkey dinner at his friends. At this point the hornet returns to the living room and I stay low and zip into the kitchen. I start frantically making supper in case the hornet decides to return. I keep the lids on everything so he can’t get in my food, although the loss of the food sounds like an even trade off if I can get rid of my rude house guest.

I try keeping one eye on the doorway so I can see him if he comes back in. The problem with my kitchen’s layout is that to work at the stove and counter, I have to have my back to the door. This makes me increasingly paranoid and that’s saying something. As I was chopping stuff up I had the weirdest feeling I was being watched (plus I could hear the Jaws theme in my head)…I whirl around and THERE IS THE FREAKING HORNET DIRECTLY BEHIND ME HOVERING AT EYE LEVEL!!!!!

I scream and dive for the floor. The hornet starts dive bombing me again. I run for the living room, giving him the kitchen once more. Eventually he comes back to the living room and I make a run for the kitchen again.

He seems content to stay in the living room and so for the first time ever, I eat in the kitchen. I go to get my second helping but the hornet comes back in and I run for the safety of my computer room and close the door. I refuse to leave. It’s not worth the pain and suffering.
I hide in my computer room until I hear my cell phone ring in the living room. I crack the door open and creep out into the hallway. I grab my phone from the table in the living room and turn to run back to the computer room and what do I find behind me? THE FREAKING HORNET! He was lying in wait outside my door waiting for me to come out.

I turn and run back to the living room and into the entry way. At the same time I’ve answered my phone and am begging Colin to come and get the hornet. I can hear the hornet buzzing around in my living room but I’m staying near the front door. I will run out into the street if I have to. Colin comes after an eternity and even he is shocked by the size of this sucker, “I can see the hair on its legs!” (He says this with awe in his voice. Why are boys fascinated by insects?)

Colin tries my swatting plan again but with better results. He waited until the hornet landed on something before swatting it and then jumping up and down on it. He’s laughing at me because I’m shaking and hiding behind him. He didn’t know the terror I felt at being stalked in my own home. It was like a horror movie and I felt like one of those girls in a slasher movie. Except I avoided getting killed/maimed/stung and I kept my pride because I refused to run from my home. Granted I had to get a man to come save me but….he’s a menion! It’s his duty to protect me! Am I right?

Cell Phone Goodness!

As most people know, I was in Halifax at the beginning of September on business. Since I know quite a few people in Halifax I was trying to connect with some people so I would have something to do in the evenings. My only mode of communication was my cell phone.

All well and good but I couldn't help but shudder every time I received a call on my cell. All I could think about were the Roaming charges I was racking up. But what can you do? I figured I would worry about that in October.

Here it is October. I received a notification several days ago that my bill was ready for pick up (I have electronic billing) and, knowing the ungodly amount that was most likely waiting for me, I put off checking to see the amount. Well, I knew I couldn't put this off forever so this morning I logged in to my Aliant site to view my bill and.....$40.30.

Say huh? Where's the ungodly amount? There was supposed to be an ungodly amount on my bill. You have to understand that I was on my cell phone quite a bit. I remember seeing the ominous "R" when I turned my cell phone on. So...did Aliant make a mistake (which I doubt) or does my cell number not register as "roaming" when in a different province? I did make a call back to SJ and I got a long distance charge for it but nothing on roaming. I know if I'm in another city within NB, it's considered a local call but I thought I didn't get that in other provinces.

I want to ask Aliant but I'm nervous that they'll end up charging me for the roaming, which I do not want to pay. So big score on a cheapish bill but I want to know: Can I use my cell phone in other provinces without worrying about the roaming charges?

Lori's Wedding

Yesterday was Lori's wedding in Memramcook. The hotel where we stayed was actaully a rennovated university. It was a great setup because the ceremony and reception were both held at the hotel. No one had to go anywhere.

The wedding was simple, elegant, and very "Lori". The groom and his attendents came in to a theme from Star Wars, and when the bride and groom left the chapel "Another One Bites the Dust" was playing. I couldn't believe the ceremony was an hour; it was just so fast.

Leanne and I got reaquainted bewteen the ceremony and reception, and I got to meet her little girl, Jane. It was great to see Leanne again and get caught up. We didn't stay long, however, because Leanne and her family had to get back to the Miramichi and I didn't know anyone else at the wedding so I went back to my room.

The sucky part is that the batteries in my camera were dying so I didn't get any nice pictures. Everything looks dark and grainy because my flash wasn't operating at full power. Never fails, my batteries always die at inopportune moments.