Final post of 2013: Bring on 2014!

Words of advice and words of counsel to take with you into 2014:

A few token no brainers:

1. Buckle up for safety! (my Grandpa Cecil always told my sister and I this every time we'd drop him off after a visit).

2. Don't drink and drive. (Simple right???)

With those out of the way...we forge forth.

3. Don't take any wooden nickels! (Another from my Grandfather -- who one year for Christmas, gave both my sister and I wooden nickels in our stockings)

4. "All you can eat" can be some of the worst words to ever string together, just like "Mega Family Size". Sometimes you just need to say NO! (Your waistline, heart and knees will thank you later -- but I will concede... it often tastes SOOOO good at the time! LOL)

5. Durantime means just that. No set time. Whenever Duran gets around to it...and even if they give you a set time/date/month doesn't mean squat. Get used to it. (And while you're at it -- shut up about it, they still don't OWE you anything)

6. Judge yourself a little less and love yourself a little more. (I'm talkin' to you string-bean!) (Calling someone "String-bean" is a term of endearment from my Dad...He often refers to people he loves as that or "Sweet-pea")

And finally...and quite possibly the most IMPORTANT words of wisdom I could possibly give you:

7. Just because coats CAN float....doesn't mean they SHOULD float, no matter how much they beg or want to leap into pools of water randomly -- not every restaurant has their own dryer to toss your coat into to try to dry it out. (I'm just sayin!)

Safe and happy 2014!
Catch you on the flip side!

One Last Glimpse,

~K

New Year's Revolution

It's coming close to that time where everyone makes New Years Resolutions. People resolve to be nicer, lose weight, not swear as much, quit smoking, quit drinking, to go after their dreams. I stopped doing resolutions years ago because I decided that if I wanted to quit/start something I was just going to do it and I didn't need it to be a new year to go for it.

It is my thought; after a lengthy discussion with a dear friend of mine; that we are going to have a New Year's Revolution instead. A revolution of enlightenment, a revolution of self, a revolution of art, word and musicality. I'm not making promises to myself I won't keep -- just a promise of self exploration. A promise of helping change the universe for the better, and hopefully, maybe helping myself in turn.

Viva la resistance! Viva la revolution!

Vendi, Vedi, Vici

One Last Glimpse,

~K

Website Obsessions - What I've followed in 2013

I thought I'd do something a little different for this entry, and I'll likely explore this again in the future. I know we all do our own web surfing, places we like to explore and look at. I love it though when someone shares a good or kitschy website that's a little less populated and a whole lot under appreciated. Some of these fall under that category, some don't -- but all are very cool, very interesting and each have something fantastic share. I have collected together some of my favorite websites to check out. Some would have definitely crossed your path. Others... not so much with the crossing paths, but they are outstanding in my opinion and need to be shared. So, let's get on with this shall we?

Phoenix's Phenomenal Food Inventions 
Phoenix...A young chap who is all of 8 years of age, who has a panache for the culinary arts. He's quick with recipes, ideas, knows what he likes and what he doesn't -- and hopes that you'll like it too! Don't worry guys it's nothing like peanut butter and oysters or anything like that. These are tried and true recipes, complete with instructions, photographs and a review of his own skill and abilities. Check it out! You won't be disappointed!

Julie Anne Rhodes' Personal Chef Approach
Julie Anne Rhodes is a Personal Chef. She teaches the tricks of the trade in how to use her revolutionary PCA (Personal Chef Approach) to feed your family healthy, nutritious meals for that busy family on the go. With Julie Anne's help of weekly menus, meal planning, recipes and hands on help from Julie Anne herself, it's a helpful and beneficial website...not just beneficial on your time, but on your pocket book as well.

Pinterest
This site should come with a warning label. **WARNING: ADDICTIVE!!** You can pretty much look up anything on this site. Photographs to look at, Photographs for ideas, Photographs that lead to websites for how-to's. Photographs that lead to websites on where to purchase the items you were looking at in the first place. ADDICTIVE. I love it.

Instagram
For whatever reason, I have always loved looking at other people's photos. Their travels, their good times. Even if I had no clue about who the people were, where the places were or what was going on at the time - I LOVE looking at photos. This little gem feeds that addiction. Not only can I look at photographs that other people have taken, but I can follow people (much like Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook) and see the photos that they have taken and comment on them as well! Luuurrve!!!

Messy Nessy Chic
Ahhh Messy Nessy. This little gem was shown to me via Facebook by my friend Rachel I believe. It had an entry about an apartment in Paris (I think?) that had been abandoned since World War 2 - everything in the apartment had been left EXACTLY the way the owner had left it all those years ago. Old letters, artwork, magazines...a life frozen in time. It FASCINATED me. Since then, this little website has had entries about the 1920s, urban decay, abandoned buildings, cities and the like. Very cool.

Beautiful Colours - Deena Roth - Photographer
Deena Roth has a fantastic eye for photography. Period. She captures colours, expression, emotion in a single shot. Her world travels are bright, emotional, colourful and expressive - much like the photographer herself. See the world through the lens of Deena Roth. Anyone can take a picture but, Deena Roth knows how to take a photograph.

Jewelry by Jodi Zulueta
Jodi Zulueta makes some beautiful jewelry. She tailor makes every piece she sells, and will do custom pieces as well. As a large fan of the TV show Supernatural, she enjoys making pieces revolving around the show. Her blog entries speak of her travels to different Supernatural conventions, and the times she has there. It's a great, fun website. This great lady has so much talent it is evident that a piece of her heart goes into every item she makes. Once you're done reading her fun and funny entries - you can check out even more of her wonderful pieces (not all orientated towards Supernatural) at her Etsy shop.  Eldwenne's Etsy Shop 

Drums, Guitars, Tattoos & Guyliner
These ladies know how to rock. Hands down. And they have a great time doing it. See rock and roll through their eyes. Keep up on the latest tours, interviews and album releases with these ladies. You may even learn some new music, or new bands along the way! (I know I have!) They review albums, concerts and share some of their personal photos taken from gigs along the way! Rock on!

You can find Drums, Guitars, Tattoos & Guyliner, Beautiful Colours Photography, Eldwenne's Fantasy, Messy Nessy Chic and Personal Chef Approach all on Facebook and/or Twitter.

I hope you guys enjoy checking out some of these websites. Like I said, some you've probably heard of, some maybe not. But all have something to offer...check 'em out!

One Last Glimpse,

~K

***If you don't see your website/blog listed here - don't worry...I'll be doing another entry like this early spring.***

Mission Accomplished: Christmas Shopping 2013

For whatever reason this year outside of putting up my Christmas tree, I have been lacking for Christmas cheer. I have put off my shopping till the last moment almost, and outside of buying 3 very small things online -- up until yesterday, I had done no Christmas shopping whatsoever. None. Zip. Zero. Nadda. Rien. Zilch. I haven't even sent out my Christmas cards yet. (SORRY GUYS!) They'll get gone, I just need to get to the post office and get them done.

Yesterday, was not that day.

I woke up yesterday, knowing I had to go Christmas shopping. KNOWING that if I was going to go, yesterday was the day to do it. With the hubby's anxieties, we don't go to the mall like we used to - and that's fine. I especially wouldn't subjugate him to it at Christmas Time. That's just a recipe for disaster. So I went with my daughter Jessy before I dropped her off at her girlfriend's house.

Of course I couldn't get her Christmas gifts as she was with me, so we wandered aimlessly around Walmart (word to the wise, if you don't HAVE to go to Walmart during the holiday season, unless you go in the middle of the night to one of these 24 hour ones -- STEER CLEAR!!). How we managed to get out of Walmart unscathed I'll never know.

People on the road piss me off, although I've never flipped anyone off - I take advantage of my horn. I don't often road rage, although I do rant to myself and passengers if people piss me off. Yesterday was just such an occasion. After the chaos that was Walmart, even though we came out unscathed -- I was at my boiling point.

I was more than half way out of my spot to leave when this jackwagon (nicest thing I can call him), came literally careening around the corner and barreling down the lane way. I could see him coming and knew he wasn't going to stop for me - even though I was more than half way out of my parking spot. So I stopped and let him pass, had I not - said jackwagon would have most definitely taken off my rear end.

I grumbled about that, and then just as I pull out of my spot and drive up to a stop sign someone opposite me (just as I'm about to proceed) breezes through his opposing stop sign and scoots down past me to go down my lane way. I have to explain that he sort of had to do an 's' curve as it wasn't a straight shot across (if you get my meaning).

At this point my temper boils over. I grabbed onto the steering wheel (while we're at a full stop) shake and throttle it while "sounding my barbaric yawp" as Walt Whitman put it. It didn't accomplish anything other than making me feel better. Once I did that, I felt a calm wash over me and we proceeded on. My daughter sort of looked at me and asked me "Feel better now?".

And truthfully, I did.

At the end of the day I achieved my goal, that of completing my Christmas shopping. Outside of a couple of stocking stuffers (chocolates and the like). Christmas gift getting 2013 is a done deal. Mission accomplished.

Now I just have to wrap all this shit.....

One Last Glimpse,

~K

Wil Wheaton, customer service and home dentistry

Good morning campers!!

I start this entry off with this little reminder: In this usual hustle and bustle of the holiday season people tend to have shorter tempers, loads of anxieties, less willingness to be so cordial either on the road, while waiting in line for gas, or to buy their purchases. Please remember that we cashiers, shop keeps, customer service reps, etc are people too. We don't want to be there or see you wait as much as you don't want to be there or have to wait. But sometimes it's beyond our control...we have no control over the whole debit/credit machines going haywire and not working. We have no control over the asshole in front of you, who cut you off while you were racing equally as fast to get to that gas pump that was open. We have no control over that screaming child and passive aggressive parent who won't do anything about their misbehaving spoiled child while they have a temper tantrum about not getting a treat while the parent tries to bribe them by taking them to Mc Donalds. (I've seen it happen with my very own eyes! Child is having a temper tantrum because Parent won't buy them treat at my store. Mother says to child "now don't touch that... come on -- I'll take you to Mc Donalds!" proceeds to CHASE the child around my store while kid is screaming and carrying on. Mother FINALLY catches child and child throws himself on the ground. Mother picks child up and says she is STILL taking kid to Mc Donalds. WHAT???! I would have gotten a slap to the ass, driven home and put to bed - as would have my kids.) We have no control over these people, their actions or any technology glitch that may happen. I wish we did...but we just don't. So...have a little common courtesy this holiday season and as Wil Wheaton says... "Don't be a dick". (If you don't know who Wil Wheaton is... shame, Shame, SHAME! -- and go educate yerself. https://wilwheaton.net/ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000696/?ref_=nv_sr_1 )

On a separate note...The last few days have been pretty chaotic in my life outside of work. Hubby had some emergency dental surgery yesterday up at the hospital which came up and came along rather suddenly. But it's over and done with now and outside of the medications he has to take, and some swelling...I think he's all the better for it in the long run. He was in excruciating pain, so much so he couldn't really handle it anymore. I think the words "home dentistry" left his lips at least once. Thankfully, it didn't come to that. All while this was going on, I had to work. Oy vey. LOL

But as things always do, it all worked out in the end. He's on the road to recovery - and I'm off for the next couple days to help him out if he needs help at all. Win/win.

Hubby trying to smile...post surgery - a little swollen...my poor little Chipmunk!

Whatever you do kids, take care of yourself and have fun. You only get one you this incarnation, it would be a shame to waste it. And for the love of jebus...please, please, please discipline your children or go get gas elsewhere. LOL

One Last Glimpse,

~K

Early December ramblings

December already? Jinkies kids we are just flying at seemingly breakneck speed towards the end of 2013 aren't we?? Soon 2013 will be just a memory and 2014 will be upon us. Where does the time go?

We just celebrated (We as in the collective, universal "we" - the royal "we" if you will, not myself exclusively as I am neither American nor am I of the Jewish faith) "Thanksgivukkah" last week. "We" isn't that a funny way to put it? It's sort of like speaking about ones self in the 3rd person...Which drives Kendra crazy by the by. (I am madly cringing at that last sentence and about ready to claw my eyeballs out). I find it pretentious and ridiculous. What purpose; other than sounding like a raging asshat; does it serve? Just say "I" instead of *insert name here* and do us all a favour, there are enough assholes in the world, you don't need your name added to the list do you? I thought not. ***Edit - and lets get one thing straight -- this does not include someone who legitimately has Dissociative Identity Disorder - I'm talking someone who is just an asshat.***

But I digress....Oh and on a side note, please forgive me for the randomness of this post. I've not slept well, and I'm rather mentally scatterbrained this morning.

Now...where were we? Oh yes, Thanksgivukkah (Try saying that ten times fast!) I suppose really it only makes sense to have the two mixed together (Thanksgiving and Hanukkah), it usually takes 8 days to get rid of the last of the leftovers anyway....am I right? And before you say "booooooo" or start sending me hate mail about that last comment. THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE...I'm speaking from experience here. I'm just trying to help out. In October (When we here in Canada celebrated Thanksgiving) I had turkey in my fridge for just over a WEEK before I finally forced my husband to throw the last of it out. I'm just saying - if we moved Thanksgiving to one of those holidays that wasn't a "set" time, to when ever Hanukkah was celebrated, there would be food AND pressies. Leftovers would get eaten -- it would be win win!

Just do me a favour and think on it. It's just a thought.

I've seen so many people that have posted on Facebook or Twitter saying that they've gotten their Christmas tree up. I haven't yet...I feel like I've been slacking. But truthfully that's not the case at all! I'm dying to get some Christmas going in my house!! But I have a slight problem that I need to muddle through first. I was given; about a month ago; a FANTASTIC gently used living room suite (overstuffed couch, loveseat and chair) which hubby and I are absolutely in love with, but I already have so much junk in my living room - I have absolutely zero room to put up a tree. So, I am currently trying to figure out where I am going to put stuff. My husband and I are debating renting a storage unit (and were before this new furniture came into the house). There are pieces we have in our house currently that are family pieces that we want to keep (Not necessarily keep them IN the house but we don't want to throw them out - hence the storage unit idea.), our place right now is just too small for them. It's looking clatty and unkempt. It doesn't help that I also have a large exercise bike in my living room - which I'd love to use, if I could get to it... So unless I'm going to suspend my Christmas tree from the roof (and don't think I haven't thought on that - I kid!), currently I have nowhere to put my tree. And I am absolutely DYING to put up my tree. I love twinkle lights and the whole thing. It's like a drug to me. A sweet, sweet sparkly, twinkle-y drug.

Don't even get me started on the Christmas gift thing. I haven't done any shopping, and I have no ruttin idea what anyone is getting this year. I told my youngest daughter I was taking the money I was going to spend on her gift this year, and give it to a homeless family. You'd think I'd shot the cat with the look on her face when I said that. I think there's a lesson for her to learn in there somewhere, I'm just not sure how I'm going to teach it to her yet.

And then; post Christmas; we slide into New Year's -- which brings on 2014. The New Year always brings the potential for greatness and this new year approaching is no different. I welcome it with open arms, a positive mind and heart. I welcome the positive change, love and creativeness. The potential where anything could happen...even wonderful things that I can't even conceive of yet.

But I look forward to the possibilities.

One Last Glimpse,

~K