Monday, November
19th, 2007. (Technically, it's after Midnight, so time for me to turn
on da computer, and actually Tues., Nov. 20th... oooh, is you all mad
at me for being away so long?? No, don't be mad... I'll make it up to you, fer
sure!)... Okay, there, Little Cutie. Or "L'il Q-T", as you prefer
to be called. I forgot about your new-found love of shortened words, thanks
to the advent of text messaging! haha! Hilarious
how so many of our words are one tiny letter, now, and yet the school system
is still all stuck on 'spelling'. I can't wait for the new Oxford Dictionary
to come out with "R" - shortened version of "are", commonly
used in Text Messaging on cell phones in America... and, no, there's no need
to feel sorry for me, that waiting for the lastest edition of the Oxford Dictionary
is high on my list of important and exciting things.... I'm okay with this current
level of living! I'm pretty sure that one day it will all get better, and I'll
have even bigger and better things to look forward to, right? Right??
(And, no, this is no time to break any bad news to me! haha!)
Okay, so you know what I just finished watching,
thanks to the miracle that is the DVR?
That's right, The Bachelor. Oh, what a lovely show, all full
of hope and love, then bitter rejection at the very end, all for our viewing
pleasure. My very favorite part was when Deanna, the second
reject of the evening, was in the Limo, where I'm pretty sure
they ply the women with wine until they break down enough for the cameras, and
she says, "I didn't give a #&^* about what he said...". I don't
know what the word was that they bleeped, but it sounded like a really angry
expletive, no?? hahahaha! (Okay, I'm just making myself laugh, now, as usual!
Sometimes you have to be your own best comedian, to truly enjoy your life!)
I think the very first clue that there might
be a slight problem, was when the show introduced Brad's twin brother,
aptly named Chad, since I guess the 'Twin Rule"
is that the names have to rhyme in some way, and not a crap half-rhyme, neither.
A full-on rhyme, or how will people know, fer sures, that they'se related,
hmmm? It's guesswork after that, and that's not fair to anybody, especially
a group of 25 drunk girls out lookin' for a husband in three short weeks...
that ain't right. Everybody knows it takes at least a month to find
your True Love, and even then, on week Five, you might see that they are
slightly flawed, and want to back out of the Wedding
Plans. (Yes, this is a glimpse into my past, bizarrely enough! I got engaged
after three weeks of knowing my First Husband. Hmmm. Now why didn't somebody
tell me that was crazy, when I was too stooopid and naive to figure
it out for meself?? There, now I don't have to take responsibility for it, myself,
so I'm good to go!! On to the Next Relationship... all secure 'n everything!
haha!)
An Actual Real Estate Tip, which I happened to pick up when
I was out drinking a whole lot of wine (yum!). Let's see if I get this even
remotely right! Okay, so let's say you go and look at a property, and there
are, say, 10 old cars on the property. Laying around, all crappy, 'n everything.
Or even one extra car, that some guy has a Big Plan to restore (really, I have
only met about a zillion men who all love to collect old cars, with
the fantastical notion that they will one day magically
transform it into their Dream Car, but, unfortunately enough, it remains on
it's cinder blocks for the entire time that it is in the yard, or in the Front
Driveway, where everyone else in the neighborhood can watch the progress, with
great interest in seeing it done. For the record, I do know two brothers who
did completely rebuild their car, and it was stunning -- a big, red, fancy sports
car, but I don't think it symbolized anything, so don't spend any more time
worrying about that...).
On with the Actual Tip: Okay, so despite what your head tells
you about not buying the property with the junk car on it, you go ahead and
buy it, anyway. Now you've got a house you want to fix up, and a crappy old
car to get rid of... what to do, what to do? Here'a where the tip I picked up
at the Wine Tasting: Late at night, maybe your car goes into
neutral, and it rolls onto the street, where it finds itself over by the curb,
in a safe location not on your property. I have it
on good authority that someone else might come along
and remove it. Now, I can't verify this, because I can't remember any names,
on account o' the wine, but they seemed to know what they were talking about,
so I'm just passing along what may or may not be true. Frankly, you
know I like to make an extra buck, so I would call a scrap yard to see if I
could sell it to them, or sell the parts, and if they would pay the removal
fee. Then I would find out what the removal fee was,
and the time frame involved in someone coming out to the new house to get the
damn car... (because by then, you probably hate it, and are sick of looking
at it...). If you are lucky enough to get the real papers for the vehicle (mustang
or truck, the two most common 'fixer-upper cars', according to me, since
you know I can't be bothered looking up any actual facts! haha!), you could
put it on Craig's List, or some similar thing, and sell it to yet another guy
who has Big Plans to fix it all up, then you've made someone else happy, put
a little more money in yo' pocket, and got rid of a monstrosity, all in one
fell swoop. See how easy? So don't let a few extra vehicles around
the property deter you from buying a house... I'm sure you can be creative in
your quest to get rid of them. Or you could go ahead and in about ten years,
or so, maybe get to fixin' them, yourself! haha!
I just remembered that I saw this Ad for AutoAnything, which
is just what we talked about, so how funny is that? And Mr.
Beer? Puhleeease, that's just a good combo, what with
the Holidays coming up, 'n all! And then, I found this new site where
you can have any question answered, on the off-chance that you still
have an unanswered question, and you are tired of waiting for your friends to
get waaaay smarter...
<><><>
You know I care about you, but I have to let you go. We canny get married,
so quit yer cryin'... oh, wait, that's a flash-back to The Bachelor!
My Bad! You're not out of the running, yet, but we're gonna have to take it
a little slower, and I'm probably gonna need to see, uh, your face, 'n stuff...
you know, you might have heard that before, especially if you've been on those
wildly successful dating sites...
and if you have been all lucky in love through a dating site, email
me, and tell us -- we loove a good story!! I gotsa
bounce, Baby! C U Soon! Ailsa xoxo(yep,
we're just that close!!)
Saturday,
September 7th, 2007. Oooh, that sounds like a lucky day, don't it? (I
know, I should get some edumacation for that problem grammar,
but I don't gots dat kind o' time, what with all the courses I really
have to take! haha!) Man, I
can't believe it's been so long since I've been in here. My bad! Forgive me?
What if I have a drink with you, would you forgive me, then? Hmmm? You don't
know what to buy for me? Really, if you is buyin' da drink, I'll take whatever
it is, which reminds me of my very recent trip to Calgary, Alberta, home of
the $1.50 shots (which I had a lot of!) and where
I gots me a DIVORCE!!! Yep, I'm a Free Woman, and all very excited about it!
WooHoo!! Who would ever have guessed that Divorce would be the one thing
that would make me really happy? A little ironic, right? hahaha! Ah, well. It's
all good. Everyone's fine, and we all get along, so now we'll just go on about
our lives in separate countries!
Aaaand, I'm gainfully
employed! Yeah, I'm just as thrilled as you are! (Although I'm not so sure what
that look of surprise is on yo' face -- you know what? If you're in L.A., too,
maybe you just had another face lift, and that's the
look, not sheer and utter surprise that I would have an actual job!
hahaha!) I found out that my job was safe for another year the same day I signed
the initial Divorce Agreement. And by 'agreement', I mean 'settlement', and
by 'settlement', I mean 'screwedlement', which is a new word I think could easily
become the big new word for couples trying to split up their stuff. Okay, you
know I'm laughing, now, on account o' my new word! Do that annoying technique
where you use a new word in a sentence three times, then the word is yours.
Try and use it around your in-laws, if you still have any! WooHoo!! I don't!!
Yippee! Do you remember that article I wrote when things were really bad for
me with the whole in-law/out-law thing? Let me link you to that, for a laugh.
Dealing with Difficult People,
think I called it. You know what? I just went into my site to see what I called
it, and I labelled it 'Getting along with Jerks'! How funny is that? And now
I don't have to get along with anyone... technically. Except for the
people all around me, but no one can make me get along with anyone
who is regularly mean to me. There. See the difference? Happy versus
unhappy!
Oh, hey. I have an actual, real Quick Tip for
you that I just figured out, tonight. I drove my SUV up to Canada so I could
load it up with all the crap I couldn't jam in the car, last year, when we first
moved back down to Los Angeles. I say crap, because it seems that I
felt (before I left my marriage) that I would require a million wine
glasses and martini glasses in order to proceed with my new life. I didn't bother
to look in the boxes before I packed them in the car this time, since they were
clearly marked, and I did remember that I felt very
strongly at the time of packing that I absolutely, desperately,
needed these superfluous items. And a Silver Tea Set. No kidding. Now who
was I planning to have tea with, hmmm? Now I'm gonna have to invite the Queen
over, and frankly, I don't think she's gonna come. Especially if she finds out
about me grammar problem. And she probably wouldn't care for my mini-skirts.
Yeah, that's not gonna work out. There's another pipe dream shot all to hell.
Thanks a lot, Silver Tea Set. Now I'm gonna have to think of a new pipe dream...
maybe Craig Ferguson will come over,
dressed up as The Queen of England. (Is it appropriate to have your
tea guest stay over? Divorcee's ask terrible
questions like that, and now that I are one -- Timberland
is helping me with my grammar -- I think it's okay.) I think Craig Ferguson's
Queen would be a much better guest, anyway, and might even like
the mini-skirts! hahaha!
Oy Vey, what about the Tip??
Who has been rambling on, and almost forgot some valuable information for you?
And by valuable, I don't mean I think you could sell this idea to your
more moronic friends, although it's definitely worth a try. They are
pretty gullible, and that's the fun part. They're probably loaded,
too, since a lot of peoples with tons o' money make you wonder if University
is really a necessity... nooo, you know how I feel
about that. University is great for a lot of people, but we should never lose
sight of the fact that we need to make sure enough people are trained in the
Skilled Professions,
'cause who's gonna help us build all 'dem houses, eh?
(Still a little Canadian in there for you!)
Quick
Tip:Use a Hair 'scrunchie', the smaller one, or the
sparkly 'material' ones, double it, and put around the base of a candle to keep
it upright in a candle holder. Guess how I knows this? That's right,
the other boxes I brought back were full of Candle Sticks and Hurricane
Candle Holders. Beautiful, and completely unnecessary. Turns out, I don't have
a big need for Hurricane Lamps, even if they are made out of cut
crystal... I tried that old method of lighting the candle and letting some
wax drip into the candle holder, then quickly placing the candle into the holder
in hopes of making the candle 'stick' and stay upright, so-to-speak... anyway,
that hardly ever really works, so try this. If you're male, and don't have a
vast amount of scrunchies around the house, that's possibly a good thing, so
don't stress. You can buy them at any drugstore.
They're very, very expensive. I think 500 for $1.19, or something like
that... now don't go looking for that kind of a deal -- I just joking! I can't
remember how much they are. I'm pretty sure that if you had the funds for da
candle, you'll be able to handle the vast costs of the scrunchie hair holders,
too. And not those old giant scrunchies from the Eighties... nooo. Don't put
them on your candles or on you hair. Nope. Come with
me into da future -- it's brighter, I hear, so bring your sunglasses. We'll
both look cooler, and that's what it's all about in L.A.! hahaha!
Okay, I gotsta bounce, Baby.
Fun talking with you (some say 'talking
at', but I feel we're closer than that, now, on account o' all
the drinks you've shared with me over the years! haha!). You know you're my
very favorite. Please don't go blabbing that all over the place like the last
time, though. Crowd control is a bee-otch. Keep on keepin' on, an'
all that! I say that because we spent a lot of time on the road with all those
truckers, and I think they might like that phrase, still... and so do I! Have
as much Fun as you can, and I'll see you soon! Love, Laughter & Perhaps
a Bottle of Something Deeeelicious... Ailsa
If you've checked out my
Bio, you'll know I loves me The
Simpsons! You can get some hilarious Simpsons and Family
Guy ringtones at Jamster.com. (Or your favorite music -- I
have Baby Boy da Prince, The Way I Live for my main ringtone,
and Peter Frampton, Baby I Love Your Way for my Text Messages
(remember that great song??). Loove those ringtones!
haha! Cool songs, great ringtones!)
<
>
Tuesday, July 31st, 2007. Hey there, you
sweet thing, you. I mean 'You', with a big capital 'Y'... 'cause you
(You, I mean) deserve it, what with your fantastic efforts to make
me little site all big and prosperous... well, not so much prosperous just yet,
but you definitely must be telling yo' friends and whoever else you know about
my site, since my numbers have more than doubled in the last week! WooHoo!!
It's just a matter of time before I make more than a dollar a day! (Yes, kidding...
it's gotta at least be up to $1.76 by now, right?? hahahahaha!) Oooh, I'ma lovin'
my Readers (You!), right now! And can you believe it, I'm completely sober.
Yep. Take note, now, 'cause you know this won't last long! hahaha!
(I'm all giddy, on account o' my Numbers!)
Man, oh Man. That makes my day that has been incredibly
stressful end a whole lot nicer... to be frank (and not Shirley), this has been
an exceptionally difficult time for me, lately, and I kept waiting for this
to pass so I could write something really positive on my lovely little site,
here, but you know how reality can really suck sometimes, right? Well, turns
out it can bite, too, if you know what I mean... and I know you do! Thank God
for my little Jesus bracelet (I've been trying to find them online, but so far,
no luck.. I'll keep searching for them, in case you want one, too...). Really,
you'd think it'd be all worn down by now, with the sheer amount of praying I've
been doing, lately. I've been coming up against a brick wall of beaurocracy
(sooo late... wonder if I'm anywhere near the correct spelling for
that?).
I'm hoping, hoping, hoping that I can solve my issues
tomorrow, since I have to sign a new lease at my apartment. Hmmmm. I sooo wanted
to buy my own place down here in Los Angeles, and had gone out to look at condos,
and was all very excited about purchasing my very own home. It would have been
the very first home I would have owned with only my
name on the Mortgage, and that would have been exciting, right? I mean, it's
not like I don't think that will happen at all for me, now, it's just that my
Time Frame is completely screwed up, and it ain't lookin' good for me. Ugh.
Hate being a Renter, looove being an Owner... buuut, I have
to be careful with a purchase, just like anyone else who's in a slightly precarious
situation. I don't want to buy something, then find out I have to leave the
Country, or State, or whatever.... I definitely never want to have a Fire Sale.
Oh, quickie note for anyone who just said out loud (or
they are at the very least, mouthing the words as they read, like any intellectual
would do... you see it all the time in the Halls of Academia, folks reading
with their mouths open, their jaws all slack from all the literature they have
to read, one long word after another, for minutes on end...), "Fire Sale,
what be a Fire Sale?". Well, let me tell you, oh interested one. A "Fire
Sale" (the quotes are just for annoying fun, probably just for me, since
you may or may not know some idiot who routinely holds up their pudgy fingers
in the "Quote Move") happens when some God-Awful thing happens in
your life and you are forced to sell a property as quickly as possible, as if
it's, say... on fire. Ooooh,
says, Thorg, my favorite Neanderthal. He is quick to catch on. Like fi-yah'.
So I don't want that to happen to me. You can lose a whole lot of money, and
I'm trying to hold onto mine... and make it grow! (Oh, yeah... when you talk
like Thorg, or Mr. Thorg, now that he's so damn famous, remember to
put your lips into an over-extended 'O' sound ... waaaay funnier, for
you and for me, since I'm already doing it, and now I can visualize
you doing it, too! hahahaha! Ooooooh.)
I've been keeping an eye on the property sales down here,
and some properties are staying on the market for a surprising amount of time,
and you know that not good. (MmHmmm, that is what
Thorg told me...). I am always curious to the extent that realtors might have
some hand in this, in that they do prefer to show clients homes that come straight
on the market -- looks better for them, since if you can say a property has
only been on the market for 3 days, it must be a hot market, right? Well, what
about the properties that have been on the market for 30 days, 45 days, 65 days?
It happens all the time, and you might be hard pressed to find those places.
Makes it look like that property won't move, but there might be all sorts of
extenuating circumstances for that home to take longer than another to sell.
Price is often the biggest factor, here. I just want you to be aware of that
if you are checking out yer own area, and you're trying to gage the strength
or weakness of the housing market.
Okay, that's enough (enuf? Dem big words is
trickie.) learnin' fer today. Really, I should get to bed. I Hope to God that
I can get more answers, tomorrow, so I can make some really good, informed decisions.
(And then, with any luck, Good Decisions from here on in...! Poor decisions
be-gone! hahaha!) Oh, I haven't even had a chance to tell you about this amazing
course I'm taking about Black History in Los Angeles -- fascinating (and very
upsetting, since it's really unbelievable how so many people were discriminated
in housing alone, not to mention the myriad of other areas, and so systematically
-- I'm gonna have to write a page about it, since what I found out is shocking,
and a whole lot more people should know the reality of the past). I'll write
about that Mortgage 'Red Lines' and those insane 'Race Covenants ' on the Mortgage
Deeds as soon as I can.
Did I say I was going to bed? Right, right. Gotta go.
I gots 'ta go. Do I repeat my self when I'm sleepy? Do I repeat myself when
I'm not? Wait'll you come drinking with me! You'll hear story after story, many
of them identical to the last! hahaha! Good Night! Nightie Night. See 'ya (that's
what you say towards the end of yer marriage... guess how I knows that?
haha!) You know you're my favorite! (And, yes, that is
primarily based on how incredibly good-looking you are, but I never claimed
not to be shallow, did I? Shallow like a puddle, that's me. Hope that doesn't
make me filthy, too! hahahaha!) On that inappropriate, but fun, note,
I bid you adieu. Ugh, I am tired. Slipped into French there for a minute!
haha! Later, Baby! Ailsa
Monday, July 2nd, 2007.Hello.
hello, helllo, my sweet little angelic friends! Oh, wait a minute...
that can't be right. I don't know anybody who's all sweet and angelic... you
know that would just annoy me to no end! hahaha! Hey, there, youcrazies! There. That's much more accurate. Better
to have a little crazy in your life than all that angelic stuff -- I'm pretty
sure they don't have nearly as much fun as we like to have, am I right?? Yeah,
totally! haha! Okay, so that brings me right to the point, and so early into
my schpiel... guess who made a cool Paris Hilton connection over this
past weekend? Dat's right, 'twas meee! And my lovely
daughter, Cara. WooHoo! And Cara
actually talked to Paris Hilton's brother, Baron, yesterday -- can you believe
that? Our first year in Los Angeles, and we're a'movin' an' a-shaken'!
I know. That's hot. (You know I'm laughing as I write this!)
Oh, that's just fun to write, let alone say... aaand,
we met two people over the weekend who have direct connections to Hugh Hefner
(Come on, now, we all know he's 'Just Hef'!), and it's lookin' really good for
Cara and I to go to the Playboy Mansion. WooHoo! We're all
very excited about that one! Hope I get lucky and get to meet Craig
Ferguson, the Scottish Comic -- looove him, and
I'm pretty sure he likes 'dem girls up at The Mansion! haha! So it was a great
weekend. And now that I've finally sobered up, all the better. Man, you'd think
a girl would know her limits at this stage o' me life, but apparently
not. Ah, well. As far as I can recall, I had a great time!
Yesterday, July 1st, was Canada Day, so I had to get myself
together after one of my worst hangovers, evah', and made my way down to Santa
Monica (California), for the Canada Day Festivities (and by 'festivities',
I mean more drinking... and Fries & Gravy... and some wonderful Canadian
brought delicious Butter Tarts, which are a staple in the Candian diet, and
I didn't realize you can't get them here in the States... so I had me one of
those, too...). I'll get a great recipe for Butter Tarts and add it to my Recipe
section on the site. Think I'll make them with my Students when we get back
to school.
Oh, that totally reminds me (yep, I'm gonna milk
the 'totally' thing! haha!).. I got my Work Visa renewed! WooHoo! One more year!
I'm gonna have to find out how to switch up my Work Visa so I can stay longer
than that, if that's even possible. Must do a little more investigation, and
not just in Bars...
I'm on vacation, this week, and actively trying to figure out how a Canadian,
such as meself, can possibly get a Mortgage down here in the States... I'm hoping
my Canadian Beacon Score (the equivalent to the American
Fico Score) can be brought down here, since I have an excellent score up
there in Canada. Hmmm. I'll let you know. I did go out to look at some property
a couple of weeks, ago. Some really nice Condos available, so that's what I'll
probably end up with. Hard to find a house in my new (read: not married any
more! haha!) 'dollar range' that would be workable for me, and now that I live
sooo close to my job (I don't even have to get on
the Freeway to get to work!), I really want to stay in pretty much my own little
area. I'm in West L.A., and I love it over here. So handy for everything I like
to do, so I'm very reluctant to move beyond my new borders.
Oh, and I spent the day (and good portion of the night... not in that way,
you crazies...) with an unbelieveably gorgeous man, 'Nick O.', from
Passions and Prison Break. Man, those actors can be
sooo alluring! I told him that I had seen him in the
gym the week before, and he had his flip-flops on... I glanced at the flip-flops,
first, and thought, "Now who would wear flip-flops to the gym?", then
as I looked up at at this fine figure of a man, I thought, "Oh, Gawd,
who the hell cares what you wear at the gym, as long as you come back!"
hahaha! He thought that was funny, too! I'm telling you, Los Angeles is every
bit as fun as you might have ever heard it was! We're sooo thrilled
that we get to stay!
Okay, gotta go. My little man, Aidan, is waiting for me to take him to the
pool. Love that as an easy option in our new lives! See you soon, Baby! Have
a drink for me on July 4th!! Ailsa
Hey, it's another Holiday
-- Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all my American Readers... dare I say, "Frienz..."?!
hahaha!
Sunday, May 27th, 2007. Hey, Baby. Whad
up, whad up? (Lookie me, all Americanized 'n stuff!) So, what
are you up to on the 'puter on Memorial Day? Big plans for BBQ's, swimming,
scootering...? Not the Scootering, but you're in for
the rest, you say? Suit yousel'. I can't get enough of that crazy little scooter
-- we head to the beach with them as often as possible. I like when Cara goes
with us, because she stops and starts, giving me a little break in between,
but when Aidan (my little 7 year old son) and I go on our own, he just goes
like the wind and I have to keep up with him. I'm starting to develop one giant
leg on the 'scooter side' from that kid, alone! hahaha!
So I had this bizarre dream, last night, where I was on this River Rafting
Trip, Level 5, and it was at first very appealing -- some might say exciting,
starting out all calm and nice, then a little rough, but par for the course...
moving on to insanely crazy where you can't believe water can treat
you so badly, it's all crazy, you think you're not gonna make it through that
stretch of the river. You get out to smooth water again and are just thankful
to have survived that craziness, sit back, enjoy the scenery for a little while..
a baby deer here, some beautiful trees there, then, wham,
you're back in it, again, all insane-like, and you wonder what the hell you're
doing there...the ride is finally over and you drive away, thinking you will
never, not ever, get into that, again, then 3 miles down the road you
see another sign for Level 4 River Rafting, and before you know it, you're back
in the damn raft, and it's all happening, again. Yes, folks, apparently I'm
dreaming in analogies, now. Sounds like a Relationship to me! haha! Perhaps
I'll push it back to Level 3, but wouldn't you know I'm always attracted to
the Level 5's? Damn their good looks!
Hey, you know what I want to do some writing on, that I really haven't seen
a lot of readily accessible information, that's actually up-to-date? Info on
Graffitti. One 't' or two? Do you have to be able to spell graffitti
before you're allowed to go buy your very first spray can of paint, me wonders?
That might cut down on crime, right there, with everyone busy looking up their
Dictionaries to check for correct spelling. I think it would be good for people
to be able to read the graffitti, and to be aware of the symbolism. Some Graffitti
is so beautiful, it should be considered Modern Art. There used to be a train
that passed me by when I lived in the country in Alberta, and you would have
to wait for ages for the train to go past, so I would look at all the cars,
and there was one 'artist' who did incredible work... I hope that kid made it
to Art School -- what talent! Anyway, I'm gonna see what I can learn, then maybe
get that on the site.
So I only have 5 weeks until the end of June, and I have to know what to tell
the people at my Apartment Complex what my plans are for the next year, and
I don't have any more confirmation on whether I can stay in California or America.
Soo frustrating. I keep looking at all my fancy new furniture
-- I set up this place to live here for 3 years, with any luck, because my Work
Visa is supposed to be extended from year to year (Visitor's Visa), for 3 years,
then they see what can be done after that. Okay. That's workable. Right now,
coming down to the wire, the stress level for me is through the roof, not knowing
anything at all about the time past August. If I'm able to stay, I need to go
buy a Condo or something, since I really hate renting, although I do love
my apartment... too much money down the drain renting, though. I think about
it all the time. Yesterday, I was lounging about in the Hot Tub, wondering what
my life would be like if I didn't constantly have to worry about where I will
be allowed to live, and for how long. Lucky Americans! Wish I could be one!
haha!
Oh, and the furniture is a big issue for me because of the sheer amount of
work involved in moving it, especially if it has to be moved across country.
When I left Alberta, I left all our furniture with my ex-husband, so I didn't
have to think about that.. now it's all brand new, and all my own choices (all
suede, all the time, and all dark wood, too! haha!), and too much money into
it to turn around, sell it, and start yet again... plus, this feels like home,
now, and I really don't want to go, so the furniture is really, I suppose, just
another symbol for what else I'm feeling. All touchy-feely this morning!
My High School had their Prom on Friday Night, so I was a chaperone, particularly
for one of my own Special Ed. students, 'John'. You know how much I love my
students, but I'll tell you, it's unbelievable to see your really special students
all dressed up and celebrating their graduation. My class had gone down to the
Garment District in Los Angeles, bought a whole suit, shoes, shirt, tie 'n all,
for under $100., which I thought was incredible, so he had the whole outfit
for the night -- he looked amazing! When we were lined up for the Prom Pictures,
the woman behind the desk asked if 'John' was 'Staff' -- how cool is that??
'John' had the time of his life, and we took him out on the Cruise into the
Harbour at the Marina (Marina del Rey), too, and he had a blast. You know what
I would like to see more of? A closer look in the media of Adults dealing with
Autism. You always see kids with Autism, but those kids grow up, and they can
have very successful lives. It would be great for parents to see success stories,
so they could all have a good handle on what the future might hold for them,
too. My 'John' is 22, now, so he will be moving on to another Community Program,
and we are working to get him a job close to his home. If anyone ever wondered
why Teaching is rewarding, they would just have to have a quick look at us,
beaming with pride over our student, 'John', as he danced the night away with
all the other kids.
One more thing about the Prom before I go... you know what struck me that night?
The kids looked sooo good, all dressed up in their
gorgeous Prom Dresses and Prom Suits... it struck
me that if kids were to wear suits or dress as neatly as that when they went
to school every day, I wonder how that would affect academic and social performance?
I'm not talking about a School Uniform, or anything -- that doesn't allow for
enough individuality, which is critical in the teen years... I'm just thinking
that when you are all dressed up, the chances of acting nicely and responsibly
go waaaaay, way up, right? It's like you're more like
an adult that day, or something, you know? And when I looked at all the other
Graduating Students, who really are not kids, anymore, they areall
adults, it makes me feel good about the future. So Congratulations
to all the other Graduates out there -- and the parents who raised them. I think
I'll have a drink to Toast to them! haha! (A drink with my toast, since it's
still pretty early?? haha -- no, I know the 'Noon' rule... don't drink past
noon, right? Into the following day, is that right? Well, if they would quit
making drinking rules, it would be a lot easier to remember them... hahaha!)
Okay, on that note, let me say thank you for swinging by... you're looking fabulous,
as always. It would be nice if you occasionally got dressed before you get on
the computer, but really, who am I to complain? And it's not like I understand
the technology enough to actually see you.... yet!
hahahaha! Watch out, World, when I start learnin' stuff! Later, Baby!
Ailsa
Sunday, May 13th,
2007. Happy Mother's Day, to all the fantabulous Moms out there!! You
know I don't really call it 'Mother's Day'... I've bastardized yet another lovely
day with 'Happy Sch'Mithers Day'! I like it better, and frankly, it's more fun
to say! I also like 'Happy Mudda's Day', and that particular phrase doesn't
need to be limited to the fairer sex (women, in case youse not sure...! hahaha!).
Okay, so if youse a woman and a Mother, I hope you have a fantastic day, and
actually get to do something that you want to do at some point during
this special day...
I think we are gonna make an attempt at the Cheesecake Factory, and just see
if we can get in. I'm pretty sure it's gonna be jam-packed, but you can't make
reservations, anyway, so I figure we have just as good a chance as any of dem
other Mutha's for getting in, right? I know, I do have a lovely attitude!
And here, we just went to The Cheesecake Factory on Friday night, to celebrate
my daughter, Cara's, 19th Birthday... hard to believe I have a 19 year old...
and here I hardly look a day over 44! haha! The kids got me a gorgeous Art Book
of Georgia O'Keefe's work -- beautiful! I love her work. I'll see if I can find
a link for the book, or her Art, and pop it on here. Think I might have a link
on my Art page...
Aaand, here's a cool thing I got from Cara's boyfriend, Jon, this
week. A Jesus Bracelet. Have you heard of these, or, better yet, seen them?
I've gotta find a link for you, too... I'm wearing it right now -- come on,
Jesus, make my life waaaay better! (I'm waiting, wearing the bracelet,
hoping, praying ... haha!) I'll let you know how it all turns out...I
just went to find them, and they are tricky wee things to locate, so I'll keep
looking and post a
link asap. There's a great link for some Religious Jewelry on my regular
Jewelry page, so you might want to check them out... worth a try!
Okay, so everyone is
waiting for me to get ready to go to the pool. I got a new Kurt
Vonnegut book (new to me, since I haven't read it, yet...) on Friday when
we were at The Grove Farmer's Market in Los Angeles... great book store in there...
so I was at the pool, yesterday, couldn't put the book down, and think I mightta
got me some sun stroke... so today I'm just going for a swim! Save the sun stroke
for another day...
I hope you have a lovely
day, and with any luck, there might be some drinks involved... only if that's
what you're into, of course, otherwise, we're back to doing stuff other people
want you to do... do your own thing, today, Baby, and have a ton of fun!! You
know how much I care about you!! See you soon! Ailsa
Sunday, April 29th, 2007. Hey.
(Head nod.) How's it hangin'?I
know, that's kinda sad, but I've always secretly wanted to say that, but, really,
when is that gonna be socially acceptable for me to
say, especially if I'm at, say, work. Or Church. An important Business
Meeting. Tryin' to score a Date (well, that might be the exception, but let's
not go there, just yet!). See why I had to grasp at the opportunity, right here
on the 'Net, where all sorts of inappropriate things go on -- or
so I've heard... haha!
Let me just get a quick apology out of the way,
first, since I am very much aware of my level of neglect, or as I might better
put it, my 'momentary lapse in doing any work' (do that sound bettah'??).
I think about my site, I do. Usually when I'm in the car, or at the beach. Sometimes
when I'm on the 'puter, but by then it's waaay after midnight (I'm
seven minutes away from midnight as I write this! What's that? You
like my careful planning? Well, thank you for the lovely compliment... I am
good at Time Management, provided you include all of the wee hours
of the morning, lest I would never get anything done! haha!). Okay. I'se sorry.
I be back sooner, next time. Fer sures, eh. (Can't shake 'dem Canadian words!)
So a lot of things have been happening in my
life, lately. One of the biggest things is that I've come to the firm decision
to definitely get a divorce. I was waffling there for a while, feeling all guilty,
'n all, but now I'm sure, and feel good about that. I just needed to be sure
there was nothing else I could do to save that marriage before I made the final
decision. So now I Single... and frankly, it's kinda
fun. Tricky to navigate the dating world, though, since I don't understand why
people wouldn't set out to be friends, first... has that changed? And wouldn't
you look at everyone you meet as a potential business contact, as much as anything
else? I'm a Business Girl, first... me canny help it. I loves me da money! I'm
thinking about writing a book about being Single as a full-on Adult (does that
just mean 'old'?? hahaha!). And for the record, no,
I don't view myself as old. Not at all. I'm not fighting my age, but I'm definitely
working with it to make sure I look and feel young as long as possible. (I'll
be one of those Grannies in the Gym, all
buff, but kinda wrinkly, when I'm, oh, about 80...! yuff, yuff!)
This last few weeks I've been taking these weekend courses, and they will continue
for a while, yet, all in order to continue teaching in California. I've been
reading a lot of articles (okay, two articles, but
I'm sure there are waaay more, and I'm not sure why you would want
to call me on that...come on, now. Am I lying -- or recreating the truth
-- to you that much that you wouldn't just believe everything I might
utter?) on Teacher Shortages in California. Yeah, I think I know why. They are
making Teachers jump through so many hoops and jump so many hurdles (that's
a lot of jumping, and you know how teachers hate to jump...), that really highly
qualified teachers are leaving the field by choice or are forced out by some
pretty crazy Government Restrictions. Not sure why that has happened, but it
should be a real concern for parents, since they might not be aware of what
the reality is for teachers, these days.
When I graduated from University in Ontario, Canada, from one of the best Universities
in Canada (Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario), the deal was that you received
your Education Degree (along with whatever other Degree you had before that),
and there you go... now you'se a teachah'. Now, they have all these
Credentialing Programs that won't accept courses from more than 6 years ago,
so if you're an experienced (old!) teacher (especially from outside of the State),
you have to take all these courses over again, to prove, I guess, that you so
desperately want to teach that you'll pay the money, take the time away from
your family, and take the courses over and over again. Man, that's a slippery
slope for losing good people. I really don't see this happening in other professions,
particularly not in the Construction Industry, which you know I looove.
People wouldn't put up with it. They might even protest. Quietly.
I'm not saying that I don't believe in Professional Development, because I
do. Nothing worse than a stagnant teacher... not good for the students, and
not good for the teacher, either. But making teachers pay for courses that are
very expensive, when they are already not nearly as well paid as many
of the other professions, and making them feel like they will be out of the
job if they don't comply immediately, well, that just spells disaster. I hope
this is something that can be remedied before we lose too many good teachers.
I gotta say, Thank God I came down here to California
with 'Building Money' (money made from Real
Estate and building houses),
or the financial hardship from a teacher's salary would have been too much for
me.
Okay, all that said, I love, love, love my job, and do not want to
leave my students (Special Ed. is one of the most fulfilling jobs on the planet...according
to me!), or my school, so I'm more than willing to do whatever it takes
to stay in my Teaching Position. And in California, which I also love. I'm just
gonna plug away at it, and hopefully get all the work done that I'm being asked
to do, then hope for the best. My Mother has a Scottish saying, and I've mentioned
it before on the site, but it bears repeating here, since I'm pretty sure
it applies to me, right now, and possibly to you, too, my lovely (and incredibly
good looking) Reader... "What's for ye'll no' go by ye."
I know, the 'ye' thing looks weird to me, too, but I'm trying to write it so
you'll say it with a Scottish Accent. (Think of Mike
Myers, with Shrek, or Fat Bastard, whichever one you remember the
most! haha!) In translation, it's "If it's good for you, or meant for you,
it won't go past you, so don't stress about it. Do your very best, and let things
unfold before you." It's a good way to keep yourself grounded, when you're
not sure what your next step might be.
Well, I hope I haven't been too controversial, today... hmmm. Hey, did I tell
you that me and da kids all bought those Razor Scooters, and take them out on
the beach path all the time? Yep. Me, too! Those things are sooo much
fun! You know what's funny? I saw a Dad walking his two young children to school
on my way to work, last week, and the two kids were on their scooters, happy
as clams, wheelin' away. The Dad was walking along, all normal and adult-like,
and all I could think of was how funny it wouldda been if he had been on his
scooter, too, with the three of them scooting along. God Knows what Cara, Aidan
and I look like when we're on our scooters... Cara and Aidan looking all regular,
and crazy me scooting along beside them, laughing and laughing. Ah, well. That's
what makes our lives so much fun - we don't live by no rules, man! Age, schmage.
Keep immaturity alive, I says! Is that the Fountain of Youth? Just keep doing
whatever you love, and it's all good? I'll let you know when I'm 80, racing
along the beach on my scooter!
Thanks for popping by for a wee visit. You know I love to see you. Thanks for
the Keg o' Beer. Really, you couldda just brought a Case,
and I would love you just the same. (Well, that's probably true..)
Sorry I didn't share it with you, right now, but I'm saving it for myself for
a little bit later. Or what if I get a Date,
and he seems a little bit thirsty? I might need it for that, right? That's why
I didn't share. I know, that was a little bit selfish. The next time you bring
a Box o' Wine (Red is my favorite, in case you're taking notes),
fer sures me will share it with you. After all, you brought it, and I'm just
tryin' to make it fair... oh, I know how we can make it even for you... I'll
ride my scooter around, and you can laugh and laugh, too, that way we'll be
drinkin' and laughin'... it'll be soo much fun! Canny wait for the next time!
See ya, Baby!! Ailsa
The best way to get the word out about a new Website is by 'Word
of Mouth', or in our case, by e-mail! I'd love it if you dropped a line
to your Friends & Family about www.buildyourownhouse.ca
. Yo. Tanks, eh!Ailsa
<
>
April 1st, 2007. Hey,
Shexy. How yoush doin', 'aday, hmmm? No, I not been drinkin'. Sheesh. So
judgemental. And angry, or just pouty? I'll go with pouty, since that
sounds like a lot more fun... hahaha! Okay, enough of that crazy talk.
I have no idea why you started that. Or why you keep going back to it. I'm thinkin'
a little bit o' therapy might do you some good. Me, too. Hey, let's go together,
show 'em what crazy really looks like. Come on, it'll be fun, then
we can laugh and laugh about it for years to come, and we don't even gotta change
the story of our fun day at da therapists, 'cause ain't we tryin' to
avoid change ovah' he-ah? I know I is. Was? Oh, verbs. They
is tricky, all right.
So I've totally, like, totally, had it wit' California,
what with it's beautiful beaches and it's beautiful peoples and it's endless
list of fun things to do. Yep. I'm done. I'm out, Baby. Just bought me some
Land in Nor'dern Canada... The N.W.T., as the cool (read: cold) folks up North
might call it. I think it's pronounced 'Newt', but I have no idea why they wouldda
left out the 'E', but we ain't all great spelllers, an', I knows that. Do you
know how much land you can buy in NEWT for a quarter?? And, no, I don't mean
a Quarter Million, I mean an actual quarter! Yeah, I don't
really know, neither, but let's just say when they tell you it's gonna cost
you a pretty penny for a piece o' land up there in da tundra, they
ain't kiddin', so start saving all your pennies and meet me up there. Der. Geey-awd,
gotta start learnin' der language.
I've already drawn out my Spec House. I'm goin' Traditional on
this next build. Shaped like an Igloo, which is what everyone lives
in up there, if I remember anything form the Seventies... and all those bricks
of snow I carefully cut out in my backyard when I was a kid. The only tricky
bit is when you get to the 'roof', then there's a slight and incessant problem
with the roof 'caving in', and by caving in, I mean I never did figure
out how to curve the damn wall up to the roof and actually close it over. My
Great Hope is that the ice and snow is easier to work with up der.
(See how I'm catching on, already? I'm sure to be a hit wit' da Locals...) Wonder
how much a Block of Ice goes for, if you get it where they make it? Wholesale
Prices, I'se a-hopin'. Could you go cinder block, pour some water on it and
glaze it over to look like ice? Hmmm. I gots all kinds of important
construction questions like that.
Well, I better get to packin'. Aaand, I better load up
on carbs and fat if I'm gonna put on those extra layers of blubber I've heard
so many great things about. Sounds cozy. You could cuddle right up to yourself,
and you'd still be warm. Or so I'm guessing. Luckily, I've got a little
head-start on the whole whale-crossed-with-a-human thing, so those last three
bags of chips turned out to be a Good Idea, after all. Yeah, I knew that would
work out for me. Stooopid nay-sayers, with their 'Quit eating so much junk'
speeches. Puh-leease. Who's laughing, now, huh?? It be me!
Okay, you know I gots ta bounce, Baby. Baby-Cakes. Ooooh,
that reminds me -- must buy more cake! Happy April Fools Day, My Favorite
Little Buttercup! Mmmmm, buuuutter.... an' I like cups, too. Cups an'
cups o' butter, so it's all good! (Will you bring more cake? And you know what
goes with cake? That's right, you guessed it, 'cause you's so smart... Beer.
A delicious combo often found in the classiest eateries. Remind me to take you
there, one day. We'll have beer. We'll eat cake. It's a guaranteed Good Time!
hahaha!) Go have some fun on April Fools Day, you cute little Trickster!! Oh,
and stop by my Igloo anytime... but No Smoking. I haven't figured out
how to prevent a meltdown, so-to-speak, of my lovely new life! hahaha! Ailsa
The best way to get the word out about a new Website is by 'Word
of Mouth', or in our case, by e-mail! I'd love it if you dropped a line
to your Friends & Family about www.buildyourownhouse.ca
. Yo. Tanks, eh!Ailsa
Sunday, March
25th (is that right??), 2007... Oooh, who's been
neglectful of her very own site, me wonders... is ay me? (You have
to say that with an overly inquisitive tiny little voice!) Well,
in my defense, I've sorta been busy. Doin' nuthin' but some celebrating, recovering
from said celebrating, dealing with the aftermath also from former celebrating,
and that brings me to this very weekend. There. Did you buy that? haha! So here's
what I've learned about a fairly large number of folks who may or may not live
in the Greater Los Angeles Area (see how I skillfully covered myself
from getting into even more trouble, right there with the may
or may not line? Oh, I'm feelin' tricky, tonight!): they have
a tendency to maneuvre around the truth like it's up for debate. Now, I've lived
in a lot of places, and this is a characteristic that seems to be more prevalent
here than pretty much anywhere else I've ever been.
What
would be the underlying reason for an entire percentage of the population to
feel like the truth is mutable; something to be played with, hmmm? My guess
is the Weather, since it's like perma-summer down here, and people like to be
a little bad in da summer. (I know that from the movie, Grease, and some particularly
bad behaviour of my own during more than a few smmers! haha!) I'm kidding about
Grease, of course, since I was barely able to sit through one showing of
that little ditty... hilarious that it's still going strong in so many shows
and theatres. Who knew it would have that kind of staying power way back when
it first came out. Who came out? Oh, no, that's not what I was talking about...
Hey, have you been watching The
Amazing Race? My lovely daughter, Cara
(who is almost 19 -- hard to believe I will have a 19 year old
and a 7 year old -- don't hate me because of my careful planning! haha!), tapes
it on that DVR thing that I loove (like TiVo,
only it came with the Direct
TV), then we can watch it at our leisure. That show is hilarious, what with
the incredibly annoying "Too Hot to Handle" girls, Myrna and Charla.
What language is Myrna speaking, that she feels no need to use verbs? Those
crazies. Entertaining, though. Love that the gay couples are so open, and there
are no more issues about that ... how many years did that take to come
this far? My favourites are Luchena and Joyce (is that right?), the Pretty Blondes
(Dustin & the other one -- are they really interchangeable?), and
the two guys from Cuba,
Danny and Oswald. So funny. Oooh, and so is Rob
Cordry's new show, The
Winner. We were sad to see him leave The Daily Show, but now that we see
what he's been up to, it's all good!
OMG, you gotta go rent Jenny
McCarthy's Dirty Love. She takes the phrase, "Oh My God"
to a whole new level in this movie, and it's really hilarious. And while you're
looking for really funny movies, check out Let's
Go To Prison. Cara and I laughed ourselves silly through the whole thing.
And for goodness sake, watch the Uncut Version... I'm sure it's waay
funnier than the one made for the theater. (See how I just spelled theater
like one day I might be an American?? haha! Right now, it ain't lookin' good
for that, so I'll switch my spelling back and forth between American and Canadian
until I know whether I can/want to stay... I'll definitely keep youse posted..
now was that international for 'youse'? Coffee shop girls around the world will
be nodding their heads with a resounding, "Yep, she right.").
So I am on month eight of renting, and the first few months were okay, but
now I hate it. We moved into this incredible, luxury apartment complex, drawn
in by the gorgeous pool and three hot tubs, and for the past five months, the
pool and two hot tubs have not been operational. Hate it, now. Sucks
being a renter, because not only is it a massive amount of money down the
drain with nothing to show for it at the end of the year, but you can't just
go fix whatever problem comes up. You have to wait for some loser company to
agree that it is a problem, then some other idiot
has to finally sign the papers to fix the damn thing. I figure that for $25,000
a year, you outta have a functional swimming pool, so now I'm all bitter and
mad, and have nowhere to swim. Hmmmph. (That's me,
all moody! hahaha)
On the upside of this place, though, they do have a good gym,
so I pop over every day. Well, not every day, that seems excessive.
But I have been there, and know how to find the place, again... haha! No, I
like going to the gym a lot. Good stress relief, and this seems to be a high-stress
time in my life. One thing I don't quite get when I'm at the gym, though, are
the people you see all the time who can't bring themselves to break a smile.
What's that about? Extra strength? I'm way too into my workout to smile? Puhleease.
You can have a great workout and still be friendly. I am down another couple
of sizes, so that's great. Looove that. Wish I could get more women
into the gym and get them on the weight machines, so they could get into whatever
shape they like. Ladies, if you're heading to da gym,
spend a small amount of time on the walking/running/cycling machines (only if
you really want to... I don't do these,
at all), do some nice stretches, and make your way through the weight machines.
You'll see an enormous difference in a few weeks, and if you keep at it, an
incredible difference in a few months.
It's late, now, and here I have to get up at 5:00 am. See,
if I lived in Canada,
maybe I wouldn't have to get up 'til 6:ish... and, no,
not because they'se slower up der.... in da North. Because maybe I wouldn't
have to leave the house so early... or at all... hmmm. And I could build
something, again. Maybe... oooh, how
many 'maybe's does it take to help me make up me mind?? haha! Okay, I gots ta
go. Thanks for popping in for a wee vist! Tell
yo' friends (really, I don't care whether you like tham all that much...!
haha). See ya next time! Love, Piece (of chocolate, or something)
& Happiness, Ailsa
Sunday, February
25th, 2007. Man oh man, it's been a long time since I've
been in here! What was I thinking to wait soooo very long?? Mostly,
I've been thinking about how I can stay in America, whether I should
stay in California, and how to come to terms with the whole thing... but that's
enough about me, what's been happening wit' YOU?? You look great in
those sparkly pantyhose, by the way. They're not for everybody, but they definitely
look good on you. Not sure why you're wearing them under your jeans, but, hey,
who's gonna fight with you to take them off, anyway, right? Yeah, I'm totally
right.
So it's Oscar Night, and we had to stop and start it, thanks to the incredible
miracle of DVR, which I looove, and must make sure I can get if we
do end up going back to Canada... now it's my favourite new Luxury Item.
So, speaking as an immigrant 'n all, wasn't there an awful lot of foreign-language
stuff on there, tonight? Am I the only one who longed for someone easy to understand,
or is that just wrong to say out loud? What the hell... I think I've been saying
the wrong thing for quite a few years now. Let's see... I'll be 44 this March,
started to speak around 2, I'm guessing -- who can remember that far back --
so that's, what? 40 odd years of blurting things out? I'm giving myself the
benefit of the doubt in those early years, since some children just don't know
what they're saying... chances are really high I
was one of those l'il chilluns! haha!
I was glad to see that Little
Miss Sunshine won some awards, though, since that movie was hilarious. One
of my favourites, this year. You know what else we saw this year that is a bit
old, but new to me? Craig
Ferguson's, The Big Tease. Fuuuuunnnnny, funny, funny. We laughed
so hard, we had tears rolling down our cheeks... I had to order it through Blockbuster
Online, but you can order it through Netflix
or any of the other companies who send the Movies in the mail. It's like
a precursor to Sasha
Baron Cohen's Borat, which I also loved... only a Scottish Version of the
Documentary style film. And did you happen to catch Sasha Baron Cohen's (Ali
G) girlfriend at the Oscars (hopefully the same one he would have at home..
hahaha!)? She was gooorjus -- pretty sure that's how you spell that.
And speaking of spelling and all matters of English, I passed the giant CSET
Exam I mentioned with great bitterness, before. Oh, I'm lovely, what with the
cynacism, bitterness and some loathing thrown in... where all da mens be at,
me wonders?? Makes no sense at all that I am all alone
in my little, ludicrously expensive, home... but I digress. They told me it
was Test Suicide to attempt all four sections of the test on the same day, but
I'm only here for a year if I don't pass the damn thing, so I tooks me chances,
and there you go. Also, I happened to have been told two days before the test,
that it wouldn't count at all, so no point in me taking it. Hhmmph,
I thought. (I'm just that dramatic. All full of big words like 'hhmmph', 'n
all. I'm not trying to make you jealous with my fancy vocabulary, or nuthin'...)
So I went into the test, mad at how things were working out, but with very little
pressure, except that I didn't want to waste the time I had spent studying for
said test, and the $300. the thing cost me. Plus, I'm pretty sure that at some
point in the future, someone else will tell me I need to have it, so
it's done, now. Good.
Oh, and did you get through the dreaded Valentine's Week? I was gonna write
about it during the week, but guess who was all angry and crazy all week? That's
right! You guessed it on your very first try! Why, it was
Me! You know me so well, and I love for that. Not anybody else, but just you.
'Cause you'se my favourtie. Your much nicer than all the rest, and
better looking, too, and you know how important that is to me. Ranks right up
there with cleanliness. Or a heavy deodorant. Whatever comes first. I've lowered
the bar significantly, in order to make things seem a bit better! hahahaha!
(Okay, that one was just for my own amusement...) So I can't stand that crap
week because the first part of da Valentine's Week is taken up with wondering
how the particular people you are involved with (now is the plural
acceptable, there?? People instead of Person? Or Sheep,
which is also plural, and presents a whole series of other troubling questions,
but is still a favourite old Engineering Joke?) are gonna come through on Valentine's
Day. And then the actual crappy Valentine's Day, in which many things can happen
that are just bizarre, that wouldn't happen any other day, then the following
days when there is much scambling to undo or make up for all the mess caused
on V-Day. Ugh. Good week to skip completely. Must remember for next year, although,
as a hopeless (hapless?) romantic, maybe things will be nicer, next year, and
I'll like the day... ah, the delusions. They're really keeping me going...
Now what was that tip I had for you, today, hmm? Who can remember what I was
thinking a mere hour ago? Not me, that's fer sures. Oh, yeah. Here's a little
Recycling Tip, which Al
Gorewill thank you for... an easy way to recycle
your Grocery Store Bags, if you have a normal garbage can, ball up
the bags and put them on the bottom of a nice sized garbage bin, then just take
one from the balled up section to line the top of the Bin. I jam millions
of shopping bags into the bottom of our garbage under the sink, so I never have
to search for a fresh garbage bag, again. Oh, I know you're happy to discover
this little trick. Watch out, Planet. Here we come! Oh, and recycle all those
Beer Bottles, too. I know you've got a lot! haha!
Okay, I gots to roll. That's how I roll. I like rolls. Something like that.
This local vernacular takes time to learn... I'll talk to you waaay
sooner than the last time, I promise! I'll let you know how my 44th year is
going, when I get there! Thanks for popping by for a wee visit!
See you soon, Baby! Much Love & Many Drinks, Ailsa!
<> Hey, sounds like some good stories, and you how I
loves me a good story! haha! I found my place through Apartment.com while I
was in my bedroom in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and here we are in Beautiful
Los Angeles, California, now... and it was the only place we looked at, too,
because it was sooo pretty. Apartment.com is an excellent place to
start your search... then don't forget to start putting yer money away for a
Downpayment on a house! I've got mine stashed away until we know whether we're
gonna stay here for more than a year... I'll let you know!
Tuesday, January
2nd, 2007. Happy New Year, Baby!! How is you,
with your fiiiine self?? All lovely, 'n all... (I
had to do some 'self-censorship, here, if you've been in already and were sure
there was something else written, here... can't take any chances, so felt it
was best to remove some slightly bitter writing! But no worries, I'm sure I'll
have plenty more things to be bitter about in no time... hahaha!)
So did you have a fabulous
New Years Night?? This is a weird year for me, now that I'm Single, 'n all.
Tricky to figure out the holidays, so spent it alone with my little guy, Aidan.
Quiet, reflective (until after the second glass of wine, then not so terribly
reflective... think you know where I'm goin' with that...!). Must make better
decisions in the new year. Must try to make better
decisions in the new year, fer sures. There. See how easy New Years Resolutions
are to make? A snap. Or, as they say down here in L.A., "Oh,
snap!". I think it means, "Oh, yes, that is significant",
if you're in need of a translation...
I think this needs to
be a year when I try to focus in on what brought me to Los Angeles, and why
I felt I needed to be here soooo very badly. I don't want to just give
it 6 months, take my ball and go home... gotta remember how cold it is in Canada,
and how lovely the beach is down here. Think I will Google the Scottish-American
Society, if there is one, in L.A., and maybe meet a few more Scots. Now that
would be nice. Or just move to Scotland, where there are lots
and lots of Scottish
People... hmmmm. But where does Building figure into all of this, me wonders?
And what about all of me new furniture 'n stuff? (What if this question is on
the Exam??) So much to consider...
It is fun to have a gym right in my Apartment
Complex, but as always, hate
renting. Seems so crazy, but a necessary evil for the time-being. I'm supposed
to get some confirmation on my Work Visa status in February or March, so that'll
help in my decision-making process. Then it's be down to a two choices: Here
or There. Or 'Which There'? On the upside, I have
Choices, and that's a Good Thing. Good to have a few game plans, just in case
one (or all for them) won't work, then you can just go down yer list 'til you
find one that does work, or come up with a whole New
Plan ... and includes at least a Renovation,
if not an entireBuild,
right? Man, that's never gonna get out of my system... Thankfully!
Aidan wants me to make bugs with his new 'Creepy Bug Maker'. Looove all these
hilarious 'boy toys', what with the creepy-this and transformer-that.
He's lovin' the American prices on all these toys, too... so now he has a whole
new collection like never before... and if you're a long-time Reader (and I
thank you for that!), you might be wondering how my daughter, Cara, is doing.
She's having a great time in L.A., but we need to figure out how to change her
Visitor's Visa over to a Work Visa, so Cara can work here, too. Then we'll all
feel a whole lot more settled. (I could rename my website: 'Immigrant's Quest'
-- oooh, dat's catchy!haha!)
Okay, I gotta go make some plastic bugs! And find a Chinese Place that delivers,
for Bug-Makin' night... I hope you have an amazing year
in 2007, and that things
happen that you hadn't even foreseen that make your life incredibly wonderful.
Great Things are always right around the corner, so we'll all keep trekking
forward, peeking around every corner (hope that's not gonna look too
weird! haha!) to see what's up ahead! Have Fun and See you soon! Love,
Laughter & Perhaps a Bottle of Wine?? You know you're my Favourite!! Ailsa
It's a Great Big Site, chock
full of all sorts of Fun Stuff and Useful Information... take your time
and have a wee look around -- I think you might be surprised by some of the
stuff you find!
<
>
Give
your home a Complete Makeoverwith these tried and trueDo It Yourself ideas that
will give your home a brand new look. Renovations
add more appeal to your home for your own enjoyment, and Renovations add value
to any home, and you all know how much we love value?! (And by value,
of course I mean money! haha!) Home
Improvement -- it's a great way to love your home even more and add to it's
re-sale value! Sometimes some nice new Decorating
is all you really need to spruce your place up... You can start with some
OxiClean!
-- I use it to clean everything. Put two scoops of Oxi-Clean
into your Carpet Shampooer with really hot water, and the carpets will come
up beautifully. (Yes, I'm addicted to OxiClean!)
Sexy
Outfits and a Giant Shoe Sale!Aaand, great Bathing
Suits!! I never want to spend too much on bathing suits, because I'm in the
pool and the Hot Tub all the time, and they wear out so quickly, so when I find
great bating suits at fantastic prices, I gots ta share the information, right??
We friends like that! lol! I really like their bikinis, but that's just me!
See what will work for you ... ElectriqueBoutique.com
has an enormous selection of very sexy outfits! ElectriqueBoutique.com
always has an amazing
Shoe Sale, so it's definitely worth going through their Sale Pages! You can
find some incredible deals in there on sexy outfits and shoes!
WooHoo!
I've bought a lot of fabulous stuff from ElectriqueBoutique.com
over the last few years, and they are exceptionally easy to work with online.(Check
out their Sexy
Outfits, too!) And their shoes and boots fit like a dream! I think
I've bought three pairs of their Thigh
High Boots, and they all fit perfectly! Now's the time to give that a try,
if you haven't got some sitting in your closet, right now! haha! Electrique
Boutique
<><><><
> I just really love the Amazon Gift Cards...
perfect for somewhat lazies, such as meself! haha! I often will think
about someone's Birthday, or Anniversary, or whatever it is that is not ME,
well in advance, and then quickly and easily forget all about it, until I am
panicked about a day in advance, and that's when I love Amazon
Gift Cards the most! lol! They are little Life Savers for me! Makes
me look good when I really a little bit Bad! hahaha :)
