our crazy critters

Not much new, so thought I'd just post a few pics of our pets being wacky. Enjoy!

Cleo washing her belly

Rufus basking in front of my SAD light

Lexi playing with our friend's Bichon/Shitzu, Linus

home sweet home update

Back in May 2008, I posted about the things we wanted to do to the house we just bought in order to make it more energy efficient, to indulge my gardening addiction, and just to make it all round nice to live in.

From our original list, we have accomplished:

• 5 new windows, including the one that is basically our whole living room wall. After much research and deliberation, we went with fibreglass over PVC. The choice seemed simple, but fibreglass windows are quite a lot more expensive. Very happy with our choice, though, and will replace the rest as well are able.
• New front and back door. Steel & insulated = more secure & warmer. Also new storm doors.
• Insulation in all the walls and attic. Our house was built in 1912. You'd think even back then insulating the walls would be something builders would just do. But no. We have gone from no insulation to fully insulated and are noticing a huge difference in our comfort level. Hoping to notice a huge difference in the heat bill as well!
• Fence & raised garden beds in the back. The summer sucked, so gardening was frustrating. Loads of rain and cool weather through July & August, then hot in September. Everything was leggy. Nothing fruited well. We got loads of small tomatoes, but many of the skins split. Being a gardener, I've already put it behind me and I'm planning for this season. We're a hardy bunch, even when the plants aren't.
• We also painted the trim on the house and the whole garage, using Benjamin Moore's Aura paint. Seemed very thick but was actually great on the trim, especially when we were reaching up, as it doesn't drip. It's self priming, so two coats were enough. Has no smell, and as proof... we were painting under a wasp nest and they completely ignored us.

Oddly, the easiest and cheapest things that we could have done, we haven't gotten around to yet. Next on the list: low flow shower head and programmable thermostat!

A few pics of our progress:

When we moved in...

Summer 2009...

The after pics were taken prior to painting the garage and getting insulation. The garage is now the same burnt orange as the trim, and our house is pretty polka dots from where the insulation was blown in. Will repair and paint the stucco this summer, and then, I dunno... maybe just enjoy it for a while!

weird day

Have this mild but persistent GI thing going on. Sore stomach, nausea, and some other things I won't mention here. So, I wasn't in the best frame of mind (or tummy) when I got up this morning.

First thing Omar told me was that our garage was broken into last night. Gate wide open, garage door no longer has a lock. Oddly, nothing was stolen. Not that there is much to steal, but car stereo and all glove box contents are still there. No damage either, other than the lock. Still, it gives you a queer feeling to know that someone was in our yard and up to no good while we blissfully slept.

Work was fine, but all our computer systems have been super ornery and slow since we got back from holidays. Michele and I were both feeling frustrated, and I was wishing that I had called in sick again today.

Then in the afternoon, I think I got asked out for coffee by one of the researchers upstairs. He's a scientist and I work in a library, so obviously the whole thing was very awkward. This sort of thing never happens to me, plus, I totally insulted and mocked this guy (semi-accidently) not long after I started working there, so I didn't really think he was my biggest fan. In any case, if he comes back, I'm going to ask him if he'd be interested in meeting a friend of mine, because I think they might hit it off. Have already cleared this with her and my one previous attempt at match-making was highly successful, so I'm going with my gut on this one.

And speaking of guts... still not feeling too hot, so I'm off to bed. Hoping that everthing just goes a little better tomorrow.

why weeding the garden is good

I discovered this...

Which turned into this:

And left behind this:

Three weeks of patient waiting this past August paid off in the best way. Didn't get to see the butterfly emerge, but spent three hours protectively watching while it dried its wings and blended into the sidewalk. Prior to this, I only knew the name of one butterfly. Monarch, obviously. But now I know two. This one is the Eastern Comma.

In love with the new Ron Hawkins album. Looking at these pictures again, in the middle of a bracing prairie winter, I keep thinking of a line from one of his songs: mighty as a sparrow, fragile like a whale. Wonder if my fragile, mighty cocoon will still be tucked under its leaf once the snow is gone?

resolutions

10 days into 2010 and I still haven't got it together. The holidays put me into a relaxed frame of mind, and I wish, in every way, that I could stay there. Like my job very much, but liked being in Brandon with nothing but unstructured down time better. (No kidding.)

So... in order to bump myself back into real life, I've set some goals... made some resolutions... all of which require sticking to a schedule and organizing my time. Not necessarily fun, but still good.

Turning 40 this year, so have upped the ante on my resolutions. Two are big, new goals. Three are old resolutions that kinda didn't really happen last year. :]

1. Be a better blogger.

2. Get back on the budget bandwagon. Shredded all the receipts that I collected last year. No point in feeling guilty about what I didn't do. Haven't started this year's budget, but totally determined to start and actually keep it up.

3. Apply for grad school. Called the U of M Sociology department on Friday to get a registration package. Contacted my former prof for a letter of recommendation. Off to a good start!

4. Actually do the Master Gardener program through U of Sask. I applied last winter and received all the correspondence stuff, but have never gotten around to it. Want to finish before I start a Masters.

5. Run the half marathon at the Run to the Hills marathon in Treherne in September. Started training in October. Getting back to serious training this week. I'm up to 10k, so definitely on track and feeling good about it, despite the funk.

That's it. (?!?) What are your resolutions?