My tax refund came far earlier than I had expected. It is not a huge amount but enough that I could do one or two things I haven't been able to. After talking to the kids about it we decided that we would like to rent a car and go camping for a weekend.
So I called, inquiring about renting a car. Rates are reasonable what is unreasonable is that they require a $500 deposit on a credit card. I have neither $500 nor a credit card (((
There is a provincial park within half an hour of me and that was going to be my destination.
So now my brain is going into over drive. I really want to go!
The park is big. It is several km to get wood and to the beach.
hhhmmmmm
If I took my grocery buggy so I could get wood could we possibly pack light enough to take a taxi to and from the park?
It would be a lil unothodox and extremely inconvient but I am thinking I might just be able to do it.
Attempting to take camping to a whole new level,
ju

I was heading into Wal Mart when I heard my name called. My god it had been at least 15 years since I had seen C!!
She was my best friend thru high school and most of college before we went our own ways. Of course we got caught up with each others families and then started the reminicing.
We were SO bad but never quite bad or dumb enough to get caught, just bad enough that I would get into trouble recounting some of our escapades here.
It was so funny remembering. We really did go to Florida one day for a week. I think it took us 24 hrs to come up with the idea and hit the road. We arrived at school on the last day planning to leave right after classes but left by 10am having told our teachers we wouldnt be there cause we were going to Florida. We were both dressed in track suits and everyone kept asking where we were going of course we just said, Florida.
We got away with it just because we were us. Things like that never suprised ppl once they had been around us for more than 10 mins.
One of our trade marks in high school was to walk in one door, gather up a few friends and walk right out the other. The party had begun before the bell even rang.
We were both laughing that we would kill our kids if they even thought of doing any of the things we did!
We stood there talking so long I have a sunburn but have exchanged numbers and plan to get together. She wants to do something fun for my bday, which is also the same day as her daughter who happens to be exactly 20 years and 12 hrs younger than I.
I had forgotten there was another person on this planet who could talk as much if not more than I do!
I am still laughing about the memory of the pool at the first hotel we stayed in. All we wanted after 28hrs of straight driving was a swim. We went around the back looking for the pool. What we found instead more closely resembled a rather deep and not very clean bathtub! Needless to say we moved on. The following day we went to the beach but it was really windy and started to rain so we went and got our hair cut instead. You know the typical things ppl do when on their second day in paradise.
I could go on and on but C and I just did so I won't bore you with the details.
Smiling,
ju

It comes up every now and then since NN has had the option of friends. Sure there are the numbers collectors. On the other end of the scale there are those who have very strict rules about who is and is not allowed on their friends list.
Honestly I do not take it that seriously. If someone asks to be my friend, I accept. They have reasons for asking me only known to themselves. To date there is no reason to explain WHY they have invited you to be a friend and to be honest does there really need to be a reason?
I don't need a list to know who my friends are, they are the ones close to my heart, the ones who are always there. Friends are the ones who have no need to appear on some online list. They know they are valued as I know I am valued by them.
Making lists, other than for groceries and trying to place something or someone as more valuable than the next or previous is futile to me. Food is the most valuable to the hungry, shelter is the most valuable to the homeless. Give the hungry food or shelter to the homeless and the priorities change.
Life is like that, a constant change so you might as well throw the list out the window.
Friends, real friends are with you, always, even tho you may want them to bog off now and then because they speak truths you may not want to hear. An online list means nothing.
Thankfull for friends in the truest sense of the word,
ju

Master of none.
Still wondering what I should be when I grow up,
ju

Is in Iraq now. He sort of has access to the internet but definitely not to NN.
He says hi and that he misses everyone.
ju

Ron came over today sans fiddleheads. Tomorrow we are going to go picking with any luck. Tough week for him all he wanted to do was chill so took kid2 out to play a bit of hockey. Keep in mind their version of hockey has nothing to do with traditional hockey at all. Yes it involves a net but that is more for show than anything. Ron uses a lil kid snow shovel as a hockey stick and they have a "Caillou" ball the play with.
More often than not that ball careens off walls, into trees and in general resembles nothing even close to a hockey puck.
The small ball somehow ended up in the tree above the net. Which naturally meant firing the shovel into the tree in an attempt to free the ball. At this point my daughter, my friend and her daughter couldnt resist getting involved.
Well it was obvious the shovel was going to get stuck in the tree, which was quickly retrieved with a hockey stick. Still the small ball was stuck so the shovel was called back into play. One really good shot by Jen after several failed shots and the shovel slowly disintigrating and the ball was dislodged but now the shovel was stuck.
Let us not assume I was a silent bystander.
Get the basketball out! It is heavy enough not to get stuck (we hope) and may just dislodge the shovel!



I was so lucky to capture this shot! The basketball was actually several feet in front of the shovel but you will get the idea.
There were a few times the basketball looked like it was doomed to join the shovel but was just heavy enough to find its way back to earth.
Perhaps the funniest part of this whole escapade was when the shovel was finally freed and everyone asked.
"Now what are we going to do?"
Still laughing,
ju

I updated my blog last night and it dissappeared. It was a good one too
Perhaps I will blog it again later.
Busy day today so I won't see you until this evening.
ju

I went to my sons annual review today and apparently he has problems expressing himself in a social context. He is doing well in all other aspects but he doesn't like to talk about himself.
I know where he gets it from!
I read through blogs and go through the whole gammut of feelings from laughter to tears and think I should blog, I want to blog, but in the end I cant and don't blog. I know it sounds insane for someone who appears so out going but it really is hard for me to let you all in.
Perhaps I don't comment much because it would open myself up far more than is comfortable and perhaps that is why you get so little of who I am.
I want to blog, I formulate them in my mind all the time and then chicken out.
I want to!!
Wondering what the hell is holding me back,
ju

sorry I forgot and was kicked in the ass a few times today. I will know nothing at all till early next week. I was told it all went well but there were a few more ppl.
You will all know what happened as soon as I know.
Waiting is a total bitch,
ju

Ron and I buy a lottery ticket, a months draws at a time. He buys and gives it to me. I stick anything that needs immediate attention right behind my keyboard, that is where the lottery ticket lives so I can have our hopes dashed twice a week.
Last week he brought it over we spoke of it, dreamed a bit and he showed me his sports betting tickets. Next time he came over the ticket was nowhere to be found. It wasn't in its usual spot. We remembered the whole conversation but both drew a blank when it came to where the ticket ended up. Total mystery and there was a draw last night. Being the superstitious ppl we are we bought tickets with he same numbers to replace the one we lost and then realised we would be splitting the jackpot with ourselves if our numbers came in. It would have totally sucked if we had to split 11 million with ourselves if the lost ticket never materialised.
Today I went to the mall, had to get some new jeans for the interview tomorrow. After I got off the bus and before I got into the mall I took my MP3 off and went to stuff it in a pocket in my purse that is only used for that purpose when lo and behold I spotted a lottery ticket.
Yup it was the one we lost.
How the hell it ended up in that pocket that I never use is beyond me!!!
We won nothing last night but still have 2 more draws and double the tickets on what are prolly totally useless numbers.
We prolly won't win the millions but I am still hopefull for my interview tomorrow.
Still positive and hopefull,
ju