summer waning

photo by BIll Jobling

Emily goes back to school on Tuesday, and I am so looking forward to routine again!

As summers go, it was pretty good for both kids, other than the part where Kyle became an ass wipe and Jamie had to dump him. I know it sounds harsh, but I think he did it that way because he wasn't man enough to break up with her on his own - I think he planned it, and I think that he is persuing one of her friends right now.

On the other hand, Jamie is enjoying her new job so far. I really hope she makes new friends there, and maybe meets a guy who would enjoy going to a movie or going for coffee. Guy friends are awesome to have after a break up!

Today I'm working a short shift at the clothing store. Bill and Jamie are picking Em up from the lake and will be back to pick me up when I'm finished my shift, then we'll have supper and Em can go through all her school supplies.

Have a nice weekend!

momma's boy

mature men are the best!


Jamie had a birthday party for her boyfriend last weekend. As birthday parties go, it could have been better - for example, since we're all broke, she couldn't afford to buy him a birthday cake. Instead, she bought cake mixes and made him a cake. She bought plates, glasses and napkins in a Spiderman theme (I know, I know, he was turning 23. But he's very immature) This was all money that was supposed to be going to our phone bill, but I agreed she should put this money into the get together. About six people came, and they visited, played games, ate cake and drank whatever liquor the guests brought.

Afterward, Kyle (the birthday boy) told Jamie he was disappointed. He thought the party could have been better. He was upset that Jamie didn't want to watch a movie at 11 pm, but she says she was too tired. Between her nanny gig, not sleeping, all the baking (she had to make the cakes twice due to a mishap) and cleaning, she was wiped. He was mad.

The next day, Emily said that he was paying quite a bit of attention to Teagan, one of Jamie's youngest friends, who recently turned eighteen. "Quiet!" he'd call out at the party. "Teagan is trying to tell a story."

A few days later, both Jamie and Kyle slept in and were late to hit the 1:30 matinee, and Kyle was so mad that he told her he couldn't look at her face. On the other hand, he could look at Jocie's face. Jocie is Jamie's best friend, who works at the mall. He headed there to chat her up before coming back here, where Jamie broke up with him.

This is the thing with Kyle - he is a Momma's boy who won't stay over at our house in case his mom gets mad. We all thought that was strange for someoone who was almost twenty-three. The other thing is how touchy he is with girls, including Emily. He pokes and pinches, he comes up behind Emily and picks her up off the ground. Em always told us she wanted us to make him stop, but then we'd find her wrestling with him, so we didn't say anything. Once when he scooped her up, I said "Kyle!" and he dropped her, but there was other strange behaviour too. He had a thing for Jamie's friend, Teagan. He'd sit with her on the couch and put his head on her shoulder, but because he did it in front of us we thought he was just weird.

Anyway, Jamie is heart broken. As much as she knows that he wasn't the one for her, he was her first major love affair. I'm worried about her and hope her new job really helps. As for Kyle, who sometimes read my blog before this all happened - I have something to say to you.

I know that something is going on in your head with regard to Teagan. Kyle - it is not cool to start moving in on Jamie's friends. I know you're thinking it. I think you should just mosey along so that you don't have to hurt Jamie more than you already have. Jamie's friends are off limits, but even if Teagan is receptive, I'm blaming you.

bicycle bicycle bicycle

photo by Eve Parry

I've been selling things on Kijiji, to supplement our income while we're looking for work. You know things are desparate out there when people try to severely bid you down! For example, I listed a $260 mountain bike for $120, hoping to get a minimum of $100.

A few minutes later, I get an email that says "Sixty bucks. Text me."

One minute after that, I get another. "Eighty dollars. I'll pick it up today."

I text the first saying, "I have another bid for $80."

They reply, "Sorry I only have $60. Can I come get it before I leave for work?"

I replied, "sorry, I'm willing to wait for more."

The good news is that our economists believe that a recession in Canada is almost over, due to deflation. Hopefully, that reaches the Oil & Gas Industry in Alberta!

august 31, 1997

The last few days have been overshadowed by financial worries and back-to-school planning, so I've been more concerned with a little TV watching and reading than blogging. In the old days I would have come here first, but eventually you worry about it becoming the same old, same old.

The book I've been reading is Andrew Morton's biography of Princess Diana, which was written in 1992, five years before her death. I just adored her and remember crying my eyes out the night she died and while watching the funeral coverage. To be honest, she was the last famous person I ever cried for - there have been some notable losses, but nothing at all like Diana. I had no idea I felt so strongly about her until she died.

Anyway, in between chapters I find myself googling all the scandal surrounding the affairs that they had, the gossip about who might or might not be Harry's biological father, and the theory that Diana and Dodi were murdered by the Powers that be. Fascinating!

I'm not finished doing all the digging yet, but the thing that shocked me the most was the accusation that the Queen herself warned someone in Diana's circle against "the Powers that Be" - and it was worded very much like a threat! I think I'm going to have to re-read that part, lol.

Now I'm off to visit as many people as I can. I hope the week was good to you!

wedding anniversary

photo by J. Chanders

Today is my second wedding anniversary!

I've been sitting here near the deck, listening to all the birds chirping and thinking back to this day two years ago when Bill and I were saying our vows. We stood on a dock in the middle of Bear Lake, and as we repeated the Commissionaire's words, two eagles soared over top. I'm a city girl at heart, but it was pretty romantic.

More than just having a companion to share the burdens in life, Bill gave me a much bigger gift - a family unit that protects each other. I longed for a relationship that my daughter could admire, instead of one that would breed fear and resentment. I hoped that I could set an example for her, that she could see that rebuilding a life was possible.

And it really is.

We have a few problems, but nothing compared to before! For the most part, my days are filled with laughter and kisses and I never really know what'll happen next, and I'm really enjoying it.

Happy Sunday!

friday full of promise

photo by Eve Parry

It's a foggy Alberta morning, but promises to get warmer as the day goes on. Both Bill and I have the day off today, and the kids are leaving in an hour! *insert happy dance here* Jamie and Emily are leaving for an anime convention, so that leaves us to ourselves for our second wedding anniversary on Sunday. I think we're going out to dinner for that.

Hard to believe we've been married for two years already! We haven't had the easiest time of it financially, but the family seems to thrive anyway. Jamie and Em have become sisters in the truest sense of the word and both have had success in school, although Jamie is struggling to find a good job like the rest of us. All of her post-secondary plans are on hold until she finds a way to fund them, and I hope that I can help her as time goes by.

Speaking of work - I think that I will start something on my own to supplement our income. The mean-spirited manager that I work for approached me yesterday and asked me not to quit, so if she works with me on a schedule I might stay on while I start my own consierge business.

Our community of Seniors has grown so much over the last decade, yet they really struggle to get around. A taxi might cost $30 round trip, or a daughter might not be available to take her mom to get a dress. They want to mail packages but the Senior's Bus only runs on certain days. I think I could help fill that gap, but first I need to look into liability insurance and First Aid & CPR training. Hopefully this will something I can do around any jobs I get in the next few years.

Have a nice weekend!

busy summer

It's so nice that things are slowing down a bit, now that the rain has been here for a few days. Also, the trees are looking a little greener, and I bet the farmers are happy to see all this moisture!

Rain usually spurs a few gutter cleaning jobs as well, and now that Bill is between jobs again, every penny will help.

Today we have to buy a bus ticket for Emily, who is attending an Anime convention this weekend in Edmonton with Jamie, and Jamie's boyfriend Kyle. However, she has to be back on Sunday at noon so that she can pack for her second summer camp beginning at four p.m. that same day.

Em has been so busy this summer! She just returned from a camping trip to Crowsnest Pass and still has to get all her clothes and bedding washed. After she gets back from camp, she has a two day trip with Bill's sister, then the only thing left to do is back to school shopping. Hard to believe it's all going by so fast.

Anyway, today Bill and I are going out to drop off more resumes and hopefully we get some kind of meaningful work out of it. This past six months has been brutal in the job market!

Happy Wednesday!

still looking for a good fit

In the last week I've become very aware of the fact that I do not want to work for Sandy, the woman who is my part-time boss. She's been running the clothing store for eleven years and was my colleague when I managed the sister store in town, so we used to see each other in Vancouver and Montreal at the rollout meetings.

She hired me in May 2008. For the longest time I worked very part-time and never really had a chance to see what some of my co-workers were talking about. Then one of her two assistants walked off the job and I picked up all her shifts for last week and everything became crystal clear.

She gets grumpy and resentful about all the hours she's required to be there (been there, done that) and starts treating her staff badly. I actually saw some of this this past Spring when I applied for the H&M management position. After they dropped me, she started saying random stuff like "oh, it's too bad that H&M didn't want you" in response to me saying "wow, this t shirt table was torn apart today."

It was all petty stuff but easy to let go, until I was there every day for nine and a half hours. She's not the kindest woman and tends to do a lot of complaining and finger pointing. We have security cameras and she views hours of it every day, then sends her minions out to document. This past week she didn't like that she saw my yellow bra strap when I was wearing a white India cotton smocked tank, so I had to discuss it with her assistant. We had a head office visit on Tuesday and she felt it was important to tell me to "dress properly" for it.

The problem with that is that I still dress in jackets, skirts and sandals and she wears pull on pants with blouses that haven't been ironed, and many people mistake me for her boss.

Obviously, it's time for me to move on when someone tries to put me in my place.

I have applications in at a few independent living buildings and condos, and I want to apply at Pottery Barn tomorrow. I've already given my notice at the store.

You know, this is the first time in my life that I haven't been making much money and it freaks me out. At forty-four, I should be saving for retirement, not trying to get the mortgage payment together.

At least we're all healthy and otherwise happy!

summer reading

It's been awhile since I've done any blogging! I wish I could say that my life is too busy to get here, but the truth is that I've been working, playing around on facebook, and reading two very different books.

The first is an old Barbara Delinsky novel, called T.L.C., written in 1987. I get a kick out of the descriptions of their clothing - heavy wool skirts, wool tights, and silky blouses with little ties at the neck. Also absent is the mention of cell phones or computers, lol.

The second book I'm reading is an old novel by W.O. Mitchell called Who Has Seen the Wind? I picked it up at a yard sale for 25 cents, and I'm pretty sure this one was on my reading list in elementary school. It's set in 1947 Saskatchewan.

I love reading at the beach, so I think we're headed out to the lake today. Are you reading anything good?