Whimper and whine whine whine.

That title is just so that I remember that it was a yucky day.
I tried running but my feet hurt too badly. It was and is a struggle to even walk. Arthritis is a party pooper. I would LOVE to be able to run as fast and as far as I wanted. I adore the feeling that it gives me. I like how I feel for the rest of the day and especially like having a shower after a run.
The diet is not going so well. That is the calorie counting diet is not going so well. The portion control diet is going swimmingly. I don't know if I can take treats out of the equation. They are just too yummy and life is too short. I figure, more exercise is the way to go.
My personal relationships feel like Mercury is in retrograde. Maybe it is. Honestly, I don't follow that too much.
It's grey and cold and breezy.
Whine.
Whinge.
Complain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22UWAtyGrwU

Happiest Times : Little Big Adventure (video link above)

I remember you were once my lover
Oh, oh, oh, oh
But my superiority made you walk away
Oh no, oh no
And now you're fine and I am also fine
Oh, so fine I think
Although sometimes when I recall
Last June in the arcade hall

My stomach hurts and my head hurts
(oh, you poor boy)
My stomach hurts and my head hurts
(oh, you poor boy)

I thought you loved me
But when things got black
I only saw your back
On your way out the door
What really do you need me for?
Well, I can't answer
'Cause I've got no answer

A long time
It was such a long time ago
And I won't forget anything you said
Oh no, oh no
You two should settle down
And have the happiest time of your lives
And I will try to keep myself
Alive, alive

My stomach hurts and my head hurts
(oh, you poor boy)
My stomach hurts and my head hurts
(oh, you poor boy)

I thought you loved me
But when things got black
I only saw your back
On your way out the door
What really do you need me for?
Well, I can't answer
'Cause I've got no answer

Just call me Debbie Downer.

Sunshine, roses, and maple leafs tomorrow? Please? Not that I am begging. Notice that is a Maple Tree in the picture above? O Canada. Be a better day.

Today is a no exercise day. I am taking the time to recover a bit. That and I've had a pesky stomachache all day and it's starting to bother me. 

Until about 10 minutes ago it's been a dreary day. Just now the Sun has come out and made it look almost like summer outside. I am not holding my breath for it to be warmer. I will just wish. 

I found myself thinking about Ireland a lot today. It's almost been a full year since we were there. Last year we left on Canada Day, July 1st, on a transcontinental trip to Dublin, Ireland. Interesting that we were leaving Canada on Canada Day on Philip's first Canada Day as a Canadian. 

One thing that I've learned is that I will NEVER willingly go through Heathrow Airport again. If there is any other way I will avoid that airport like the plague. It didn't help that I was still smoking back then and that I had just flown 10 hrs  without smoking. Then we get to the Airport and there isn't anywhere I can smoke. At least that I could find. So, we go through customs in a post 9/11 world. What a change! Could it be any more of a hassle? When I went to The Netherlands in 1999 it was relatively easy. In fact, I enjoyed my time at Heathrow. Last year though? No way. After customs, we had to walk through a labyrinth, take a bus to another city (no, in the same airport but it took forever), then run a marathon, then..guess what? GO THROUGH CUSTOMS again before we caught the 1 hour flight to Dublin. 

Waiting to catch that plane was pleasant. That area of the airport was air conditioned on a very hot muggy day. The accents were lovely and calm and people were polite. Whereas, they were not very nice before that. 

Once we got to Dublin, we had to go through Customs once again. Philip bypassed the long slow lines as he is a citizen but we had to wait behind some Eastern European folks that after about half an hour of questioning may not have been granted access to the country. Then there were their friends in the line just ahead of us and it happened again. Okay, you get the picture. I was absolutely bat shit crazy by then. 

Luckily, after Philip had breezed through the line he had picked up the luggage and found his brother Luke and sister-in-law Veronica. 

I was finally able to light up and return to my sunshiney self. 

Maybe that's it. Maybe I just have to light up a cigarette and I won't be so grumpy anymore. 

NOT

What? The weekend is over already?

It's tough for me to keep track of what day of the week it is. Jake is out of school for the summer and Philip works shift work. Jason's schedule is the only one that is almost always the same but who can keep track of a 19 yr old man?
So, that means that I missed blogging yesterday because I actually thought it was Sunday. Again. After the Sunday the day before. Don't ask and I won't tell. I am blonde and have lupus. Cut me some slack will you? Why are you harping on what day it is? I know it's Tuesday NOW. I didn't know it was Monday yesterday LOL. 
Lately, I have been feeling grouchy, crabby, bitchy...you get the picture. Those feelings are actually quite odd for me. I am the nice person. Everyone is always telling me how "nice" I am. Often enough that I have contemplated ripping heads off if I hear it one more time. 
If I have been grouchy, crabby, bitchy to you lately...stuff it! I am allowed once in awhile. It's my perogative. Also, it's NOT about the diet and exercise. I am eating enough and the exercise makes me feel great. 
Well, that's enough shrieking for one day! Love you!!! REALLY!!!!!! I DO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Monday to Friday is how I work. Or Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday but not Saturday and Sunday.


Except to say that I had another "thinking outside the box" day yesterday. After helping to do headshots for my sister's acting career and reading for an audition I realised...people just don't do this stuff every day. I wasn't auditioning. My husband, Philip, and I are making a low budget feature film. By low budget I mean likely under 5 thousand dollars. We will need some help with this I think.


Alright, no more work for today. It's Saturday and I don't do overtime.

Wowsers! Have I been a consumer for the last two days. In a sense. Let me tell  you what I've purchased and then you can leave be feedback on why I purchased each of these items. 

1. Three flavours of tea from David's Teas (I wonder if they see this if they will give me free tea?). 

a) Goji Pop

b) Three Wishes 

c) Love Tea #7

2. Bathroom Scale

3. Salad, tomatoes, and herbs

4. Two free apps on my iPhone. One is called Lose it and the other is called 5k or something like that. I am not going to search. 

What I haven't purchased is ketchup chips, popcorn, pastries, frapps, tacos, heavy cream, ice cream, or any sort of gooey treat. I did get cheese though. Two types of gouda which can be very absolutely scarily dangerous. I ate a very small chicken noodle soup at the mall. I ate that instead of a plate of curry or pad thai. 

Why might that be? I wonder. 

Photos for your perusal. 

Achy Breaky Heart

I  c a n  b a r e l y  t y p e  t h i s  o u t.

Every muscle in my body is aching but in a good way. Is there such a thing as a "good way" of aching? So THEY say but who the Hel are THEY anyway?
I walk every day. Twice usually. The hounds demand to be walked. If they aren't walked for at least 30 minutes twice a day they let you know that you are not seriously paying attention to your responsibilities...by creating more responsibilities. I tend to walk up hill. I have to. I have no choice. I live in New Westminster. Sometimes they use New West streets in movies for San Francisco. You get the idea. There are hills here. I live on a hill. It sometimes feels like a mountain. If I walk downhill...that just means that I will have to walk up hill eventually.
I also try to do yoga every day but honestly I have fallen off that horse. Don't get me wrong. I am getting back on that horse. I love the way my body feels when I am doing and being Yoga. Mind, body, spirit. It's all good in downward facing dog.
The other day I made a mistake. A HUGE mistake. I told my BFF (Mojo) that I would be at least 30lbs lighter by the time we go to Salem in the Fall. I didn't want to be kicked of the plane like Kevin Smith so drastic measures have to be taken. Alright, not that drastic. I am not massive. Just fluffy. I am not fond of being fluffy/pudgy/fleshy etc etc etc. Well, I made "announcement' so I have to do something about it. I will have to do something about it or I know it will come back to bite me on my fluffy ass.
Not one to spend money on stuff you don't have to spend money on I wracked my brain to think of things I could do to amp up my exercise regimen. Running! Running? WTF? Are you crazy (this is becoming a theme)? Apparently I am. I am bat assed crazy. Yeah, there, I said it. I must be. Last night I added an iPhone app based on the "couch 2 5k" program that at least one of my friends is doing. This morning I had my coffee, laced up my running kicks, and set out to run. In this program you start by walking 5 minutes, then run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, run for 60 seconds...and so forth for 6 repetitions and then cool down by walkng for 5 minutes. I made five of the six repetitions. Not bad for my first day. I won't call myself a runner yet but I think I might like it. Now to go find steel reinforced sports bras. That killed.

Snake! Ravens! and Lions! Oh my!

Two posts in one day you say? Are you crazy? NO! I just want to share with you what Jake and I saw on our walk. There were motherfucking snakes on our walk! SNAKES! ON OUR WALK! Well, one snake. He (or she) was so frickin' cute for the first wild snake I've ever seen. Probably a garden snake but I would't know. Unfortunately, for the FIRST TIME EVER I didn't have my iPhone in my pocket. It was in the camera bag. That means I didn't get a picture...but get this...I had another first time ever sighting. I thought I was seeing crows but they were HUGE. RAVENS. I started singing Ravens in the Library in my head when I saw them. There were about 8 feasting on a fish from the Brunette River. Luckily, Jake got photos of these big black birds.

Almost doesn't look real. Damn fine camera we've got. We purchased this Canon T2i so that we can film a feature film. Yes, we do that sort of thing here. Not really traditional folks. That's how I can quit my day job that I loved so that I can actually enjoy life. Sweet.

As you may or may not have noticed. There were no lions on our walk. There could have been but there weren't.

Let them eat cake.

ACCCKKKKKK! 
Take two damnit! 
I wrote a whole post about the cake I baked and you didn't get to eat. It was a marble cake with strawberry jam filling and chocolate icing. I made it late last night and it's already almost gone. Hurry, or you won't get any. 
See?

It's going to be a busy day today. The Sun is shining and it's warm. Jake (my 6'2", 17yr old baby boy) and I made plans to pack a lunch and go for a Liver Valley hike with the dogs. Er...River Valley. Brunette River. We'll get that started about 2pm when the Sun is it's hottest and strongest, because that is brilliant. It will really help my Lupus. Right? WRONG! I have to wear long sleeves, hat, sunscreen, and a house to stay safe from the burning rays. Okay, maybe not the house, I am lucky that way. Many folks with Lupus can't go outside. EVER. 
When  we get back I have to get my head into a "teaching space" as I am teaching a Wicca 102 class tonight. It feels like I just finished one but I guess that was back in February. I am actually thinking about teaching a 101...so...if anyone knows a body that wants to learn....just saying. 
It looks like I will be starting a few different things this month. This blog and hopefully (crossing fingers) a transcribing gig. 
Too much to do in so little time. 
Ciao Bella!

So...why Get Your Hair Done and Quit Your Real Job? Mostly because I am whack assed crazy and quit my job that I actually loved. There are reasons and we will get into those at a later time. First, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Tavin. Or that's what some people call me anyway. Like my Mom who I call Mammaji. That's the way I roll. I am married and have three children, two dogs, and a bitchy cat. Staying home and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life is AMAZING! I wish I'd thought of it before.

Finally, I get to stay at home and make a home.

That's what this blog is sort of going to be about. Making a home. Being frugal. Baking. Crafting. Exercising (trying anyway). Meditating. Loving life. Getting my hair done. Doing what I want. You get the picture.

Thanks for coming and do come again.

P.S- there will be the occasional curse as my 17 yr old son just told me I curse out loud too much so I've got to have an outlet.