Happy Tuesday Everyone

So here it is Tuesday morning and I am getting ready for work. Is there anything new going on? Not really....except I have discovered Ioffer.com! I have purchased tons of books for next to nothing!!! If you like shopping for deals and like the idea of bartering by making offers this is the site for you!!

OK I am off to work. Check out Ioffer if you get a chance. Let me know if you like it.

Thanks for stopping by for a short chat.

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

Something to think about as Remembrance Day approaches

I love Rick Mercer, he say's what I think and does it in such a way that we can't deny the truths in his rants.

I happen to have been brought up with a parent in the Canadian military. My grandfather served in the war and lost a leg. My mother's father was a war correspondent. We (My brother and I) were brought up to respect the military and the sacrifices being made by the men and women in the military. Who, for the 35 years before 9/11 were strongly unsung hero's. The wars had ended and for the most part Canadians sat back secure that our country was safe. The threat was gone and all was well in the world.

Sadly, our countries military has never been at rest. There has never been a time that our military men and women have been able to sit back and relax. We {the Canadian Military} have been involved in one way or another in every major conflict around the world since the end of the Second World War, but we did it quietly. We did it, like all Canadians function, with humility and decorum. I am not saying that our men and women are perfect or that they didn't step out of line now and then...but then again...they are men and women and as a result they are subject to "free will".

My father was in the military forever! But, under the old rules, he was not considered a Veteran. He served his country for more than 30 years but he was not a veteran. If he were alive today, he would be a veteran. How times have changed.

My big brother, who served in Kandahar/Afghanistan is a veteran...but was a veteran before he served "in theater". Have I ever mentioned how proud I am of my big brother? {{I am}} My hubby is a serving member of the Canadian Air Force and my brother is a reservist now that he has retired from full time service.

I am a DAMN PROUD CANADIAN MILITARY WIFE & SISTER...but presently I am not that proud of the political parties in Canada and their decisions in regard to our wounded Canadian Veterans..in fact I am ashamed. Ashamed that these men and women can serve our country at personal risk and injury. They have returned to their country wounded...physically and mentally only to find out they are going to be punished financially by the very government they served to protect and laid down their very lives for...shame, shame on you - Canadian political leaders who approved the changes to the Veteran's Affairs Act! Shame on you Mr. Prime Minister for firing the one man you appointment to watch out for our great Canadian hero's!!

Please watch this rant by Rick Mercer...he states it best...now what do we do as Canadians sitting comfortably in our living rooms while our friends, family, neigbours fight for us? Think of them, talk about this. Open a dialogue with each other...don't let this issue fall to the wayside...write a letter to the editor, change your vote, talk to your MP, call your MLA. BE HEARD!!


At the risk of repeating myself...I am a DAMN PROUD CANADIAN MILITARY WIFE...are you a DAMN PROUD CANADIAN??

We support our fallen like no other country...now lets support our fallen that are trying to get back up!

Thanks for stopping by for a chat...rant...bi*&$c session...all for the good of others {did you read yesterday's post?}

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

Hump Day ~ Wednesday~ Mid-Week....

No matter how you slice it Wednesday is smack dab in the middle of the week. Is it a good day? Does it inspire you to push through for two more days until Friday? Do you think.."YES! Almost there!" or do you let the mid - week marker slide along hardly noticed as it slides into Thursday?

Does this all come down to being a "glass half full or glass half empty" kinda person? I'm typically a glass half-full kinda gal. I choose to see the good at all times. Now...don't get me wrong...I have bad days just like anyone else...but I think they are fewer than most people have. Why is that? Why do I find it easier to smile and laugh than frown and growl?

Not to go into too much family drama; but... I made the decision to look at the positive a very long time ago. I remember very well making that decision because it was a decision that changed my outlook on life and the stuff life throws at me.

Did you ever notice that one person in a group in a poor mood has the ability to suck the life out of the group? and unfortunately its just too easy to let that poor mood guide the attitude of the entire group. Kind of the road of least resistance. There is a reason for the saying, "The shortest distance between two people is a smile."

Laugh! Laugh loud! Laugh often!!

The next time someone points out that it's Hump Day, point out that it's also a beautiful day! Point out something positive about the day...like it's chilli day or family game night! Choose another reason...make up a reason...fake it 'til you make it! Be happy that's it a great day to have lunch with a friend. It's a great day to take a walk in the sunshine or splash in the puddles. there is good and happiness to be found everywhere...sometimes it just takes a little more work to find it.

So, I will laugh loudly...and if you indeed know me...I laugh loudly! I belly laugh! I laugh like there are no boundaries! I can proudly state that I can be recognized by my laugh! How awesome is that?!

• Be happy everyone. Take time to smell the flowers..heck take time to buy some flowers for yourself or someone you know that would least expect it. Spread some happiness.
• Send a cake to a friend with "Just Because" on top.
• Send your friends postcards from your province with the simple message "Weathers nice, wish you were here."
• Fill your friends car with balloons while they're at work.
• Pop over to a friends house the morning after it snowed and shovel for them.
• Find out where your friend gets her hair cut and pay for her next trim.
• Invite your friends over for a game night / PJ party
• Arrange for a maid/or yourself to clean your friends house before the weekend to give them a free weekend.

What can you think of to bring some happiness to one of your friends?

Have you done something for your friends that has made their day? Leave a comment and tell me about it. I'd love some new idea's. Thanks again for stopping by for a chat.

Hugz,

Sunshine :~D (There is a reason they call me Sunshine ya' know!)

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian Friends and Family

IT'S TURKEY WEEKEND!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

Well, another Thanksgiving dinner has come and gone. We had our big dinner early this year. We decided to have our big dinner on Saturday so we could have two un-interrupted consecutive days to enjoy our long weekend.

We had a great meal and lots of laughs. We all had a round of "What are you thankful for this year?" suggested by my big brother, DW. The overwhelming consensus was that we're all thankful for family and friends.

Our wonderful niece was thankful for her new bed and not so thankful for the family cat, Charlie!

Charlie has a habit of waking her up around 3AM with purrs, making bread kneading on the bed covers, sharpening his claws on the carpet thingy by the top of the stairs.
The culprit! Code name: "Charlie"..."Carpet Cougar"..."Charles"..."King of the Hill"..."The Purrnator"..."Mr. Bower"..or as Emmy calls him..."Stooopid Cat!" LOL

Poor girl...she was so po'd by Charlie she scared the bejeezus out of my brother in the early morning hours when he got up for a drink and she was carrying Charlie down to put in her parents bedroom and shut the door!! Wish I could have seen that little encounter!! LOL!! My brother isn't a jumpy guy so that must have been funny!!!

OK...I don't know about any of you but I don't look like this when I am finished making a big dinner, like today. I look like something that should be thrown in a bubble bath with a glass of wine and told to "chill"...dang it! Just once I wanna look like this when I'm heading for the table!! Is that too much to ask??
I was also thankful for my family. I am grateful for my kids; that I know they are all safe; that I have a job; that I have the best friends a gal could ever ask for and that I have the love of my life by my side.

I watched the coolest video on FB today posted by a gal I went to High School with. Guess what she did today?? She jumped out of a freakin' plane!! How cool is that??!!! I was soo impressed by her courage.

I am terrified of heights and always thought that jumping out of a plane might be a great way to get over it...what do you think? Maybe I will jump out of an airplane to celebrate my 50th birthday...that would starting my second decade with a splash huh??!! Wonder how many of my friends I can talk into it??

How did you all spend your Thanksgiving? I wish all of my friends and family a beautiful, family filled Thanksgiving.

Thanks for stopping by for a chat. Enjoy your holiday. Don't eat too much turkey....you need room for the pumpkin pie...or that extra stuffing.....mmmmm....stuffing! I love stuffing....drool...stuffing....ummmm...what was I saying....side tracked by stuffing....Gosh I'm so easily side tracked!!

Once again thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.

Hugz,

Sunshine:^D

Here is a great recipe for a no bake pumpkin pie. I cheated this year and bought my pie...it was ok...but nothing is as good as home made is it? I am suggesting this recipe for all that left over pumpkin you are bound to have.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 2-1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate remaining whipped topping for later use.

Spoon cream cheese mixture into crust.

Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Thanks to That's My Home for the recipe. It's the same one I use..so I copied and pasted from her site instead of typing up my own recipe...kind of lazy huh? If you have the time check out the site. Its a good one.

Hugz again.

Sunshine:^D

My Stephanie Plum Obsession

Janet Evanovich

I have to admit I am totally hooked on Janet Evanovich books, novels, scribbles, blogs..hell if she wrote her grocery list on a napkin I'd read it!! Seriously, she makes me laugh out loud in an empty room. If you haven't read her books before; now is the time to start.

She has a great series of novels featuring Stephanie Plum as a bounty hunter with a lingerie buyer background...no really I'm not making this up!! The chemistry between Stephanie, her gramma, parents and the two men in her life is priceless.

DO NOT eat while reading these books...you WILL choke, spit, sputter and gulp trying not to laugh too loudly. I have been known to lay beside my sleeping husband and laugh so hard but trying to be quiet about it. I failed because I ended up shaking the bed with my mirth!! LOL!!

I am soooo excited!!! They are making a movie of the first Plum novel - "One For the Money" and they have casted Katherine Heigel as Stephanie Plum.



I agree 100%!! Katherine is cute and quirky enough to do the character justice. Her two love interests have been decided on now too! Hold on to your seats gals...grab a napkin...drool alert!!

Joe Morelli is going to be played by: Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars)

Ranger is going to be played by: Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me)....ummm....drool!!! ***Wipes Chin***

It's time to start re-reading my Plum Mystery novels! Head on out to your local book store, go to your favourite on-line merchant..buy these novels and find a comfy seat and settle in for the best read you've had a long time!! I promise you there will be no regrets...unless you worry about all of the money you are going to spend once you get hooked on Stephanie and her hyjinks! These books are like McDonald french fries, Lays potato chips and Mike & Ikes...you can't eat just one!!

Thanks for stopping by for a chat folks. On a personal note...work went well today. I am working with a great group of gals. So far so good.

Hugz

Sunshine :~D

What a Difference a Week Can Make

Hello All:

I am very happy to report to one and all that I am now employed. Three weeks of unemployment isn't too long. I guess I survived. Not unscathed but definitely the wiser.

My new employer is a great lady named Susan. She has a school called Presidio Learning Centre in downtown Winnipeg and it's run by a great group of gals. This is going to be fun.

I am going to be an instructor and doing general administration. This work harkens back to work I have done in the past, so it's returning to my roots; as it were.

I have my first class tomorrow...well...it's a one - on - one so that will be much easier. Working right along with the student. Get my feet wet again.

I want to thank you for your support during this trying time. I am still thrown by the way I was laid off from my last position and I am going into this new venture "cautiously optimistic" because I was burned so badly the last time....but my radar is telling me this is the right thing to do and that this is a good group of people to work for.

If you are in the Winnipeg area and are interested in taking day classes check us out at:

PRESIDIO LEARNING CENTRE

The prices are the most reasonable I have ever seen for one day courses. So pop on over and check out the website and see the list of courses offered. You will be surprised at the diversity and options available.

Thanks for stopping by for a chat. I will keep you posted on how things are going.

Cheers,

Sunshine :^D

It's Saturday....

So a day has gone by and I am still working on letting it go. My stomach is no longer wrapped in a knot so I guess I am getting there. The overwhelming consensus is that I am better off out of that position and away from people that are so completely untrustworthy...and I agree. **Blessings***

My brother and sister-in-law are very supportive and my hubby is amazing!! I am one lucky lady I can tell you that. Of course my friends are there for me too. I have the most wonderful circle of family, friends and even acquaintances. They are there for me at all times; as I am for them. I could be poor in finances but I am the wealthiest gal in the world when it comes to my peeps.

**Grateful for all Blessings***

I have a job interview on Monday. It comes as the result of a friend mentioning my name. For that I am grateful. I am so fortunate. It is my hope that those of you reading this post understand the security and strength having a wonderful support system like I have. No matter the circumstance, you are never truly alone and you are not handling it on your own.
When I posted on FB my status saying:

Christina Bower is really PO'd! and is going to bed. Just found out I was lied to and don't like it at all...I can't remember when I have been this angry...it's not good folks...need to go to bed and try to calm down. Nite all. On a positive note will be calling a great gal about a job tomorrow. Looking on the bright side. G'night.

I not only got some comments on my status and wall posts but I also got e-mails and phone calls from friends and family across the country. I'd say I am one lucky gal and I thank my peeps for being there when I need them and when I don't....you know what I mean. Or at least I hope you do. That's it for me tonight. Hope I wasn't too gushy. I just wanted to express my gratitude to my peeps for being there through thick and thin. Thanks for stopping by for a chat. Have a great weekend everyone. Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

Something to ponder

So, it's been a couple of days since my last post. I have been busy applying for jobs since I was laid off from my last job. There are plenty of positions out there but they all seem to want you to have a ton of experience, education and talent...but want to pay you peanuts for it. What's up with that?

Let me ask you this...have you ever been lied to? I mean a big lie. Not what I call a "white lie".

Hmmm lets look at the difference.

White Lie - a lie of omission, exaggeration or embellishment.

You know what I mean here right?

For example: You went to an event and you exaggerated how many people and how much fun you had. You neglected to mention that you went home and vomited half the night because you drank just a "little" too much; but tell your friends it was the 'best night ever'!

No one gets hurt by your "white lie".

Big Lie - intentionally leading someone astray to cover your ass or to ensure you get what you want at the other person's expense.

For example: Your boss brings you in the office to let you know that while it is very difficult and they hate to do it; the money just isn't there right now and they have to trim their expenses and that means they have to let you go. If there was any other way to cut costs they would; but there just isn't and they are going to have to get by without your help. They will assist you in any way they can as an reference and if things change they will definitely give you a call. That you will be missed.

Now...that sounds as gentle of a "let go" as it gets doesn't it?

But here is the truth as you know it.

You were barely out the door when they brought in someone else who will work for less than you will and your chair wasn't even cold when they showed the new gal around her new work space!

Integrity is a wonderful thing isn't it? When you meet someone you automatically credit them with loads of integrity. It's an automatic thing and it's kind of just one of those 'assumed' things in life. Time goes on and without a doubt there are some little chinks gouged into the shield of that person's integrity. Either by action or word they show little bits of questionable behavior. Is this acceptable? I guess it all depends on who you are and what you find acceptable.

I am too trusting. I admit that. I want to see the good in everyone. I made a choice a very long time ago to see the good in all situations. The bad is just to damn easy to latch onto and suck you down into an abbis of negativity. So I see the good or the humour in almost all situations and I will give the benefit of a doubt until such a time I cannot. The surest way to lose the benefit of a doubt with me is to blatantly lie to me. I will look at you sideways after that.

I don't like confrontation but if need be I will confront anyone who lies to me at my expense...and that is where I find myself right now.

Scenario number two is what just has happened to me. I just found out last night that I was lied to when I was let go. The quandary is this... what to do about it....this is the person I am reliant upon for a reference to get another position...and yet their word means nothing to me at this point in time. The other side of the coin is that this person, while being my boss had one level of respect and on the other side as a person I liked her. It's so disappointing the realize that my entire perception of this person was SO wrong.

So here I am arranging for job interviews, reliant upon a person, who in my opinion, has no integrity at all and wondering if my perception of people is that "off" that at the ripe old age of 46 I can't trust my perception to tell me who is completely lacking in integrity?

So here I sit on a bright and sunny Friday morning replaying conversations and reviewing this person's actions over the last 9 months in my mind and questioning my ability to read people...something up until last evening I misguidedly thought I was very good at.

Thanks for stopping by to hear me rant everyone. I hope you have a great weekend. I am going to work on throwing this out into the universe for resolution. I know I don't have the ability to change this person's actions. So I need to change my way of thinking. After all, I am the only person I have control of in this world, right?

Hugz to one and all,

Sunshine :~D

MONDAY, MONDAY

Malcolm and Patrick - Morris Stampede July 2010

(I was going through my memory cards from the summer to prepare the pics I want printed and found all kinds of pics we took but didn't really take the time to look at. Don't the boys look thrilled? It's around 40 degrees outside and we just arrived - they know its going to be a long hot day...but we had fun and we saw a rodeo...we'd never done that before and it was fun.)

It's Monday morning and the sun is shining and its going up to 21 degrees today! Woot! Woot! AWESOME!!

I am beginning my 30 days free at Curves this morning with my sister-in-law Chrissy. She has already started her 30 days...I have been supporting hubby in his quest to have some vacay in his vacation. So today he is back to work and I am heading to Curves. I am taking a litre of water and a hand towel since I am going to be a puddle by the end of this...not pretty folks...I am not one of those gals who perspires all delicately without even turning pink. Nope...I will sweat like I've been dunked in a pool of water and my face will be all red and blotchy as will my neck and upper chest. Oh yes..SEXY with a capital SSSSSSSSSSS!!

Once Chrissy drops me off after Curves I have a plethora of things I could do...but what will I choose? Laundry? Read a book. Dusting upstairs and down? Read a book. Tidy the living room and get it moved around and ready to take all of the furnishings from the master bedroom when we paint? Read a book. Go outside and decorate for fall? Read a book. Work on the garage? Read a book. Tidy the kitchen? Read a book....sensing a trend here? Hmmm...wonder what will win out??

So Fall has come in like a lamb...not good. In Manitoba that means we will have snow by Halloween..leaves a person with such dilemmas...Halloween decorating or skip that and just get the dang Christmas decorations outside so that we don't freeze our bazumba's off doing it after Halloween. Decisions, decisions.

Well, since my sister-in-law is not going to be here until closer to 11 now, I guess I will go and get some laundry done and have some yogurt. I don't like eating a meal before working out..makes me feel kinda sick and since it's been a LONG time since I last worked out...I'm gonna feel sick anyway. So, yogurt will do.

Have a great Monday everyone. Thanks for stopping by Marlene.

Hugz

Sunshine :~D

Rail Fan Day in Manitoba

TRAIN DAY IN MANITOBA

We had a lovely time today rail fanning here in Manitoba. We caught a train early on and followed it as it did it's business dropping off cars along it's route to Souris, MB - now a side bar to my friends in PEI...Souris in Manitoba is not pronounced the same as it is in PEI...here in Manitoba it's pronounced 'Sorris'.

We found a train! This is Robbie speaking to the Engineer finding out where they were heading today...and the chase begins.



We had lovely weather today. The sun was shining all the way to a community called Glenborough and then we ran into cloud and there was a very big potential for rain, so we decided to turn around and head for the sun again.

Robbie all in "photographer mode" right on the track...'cause the train was stopped'


We managed to catch another train on the way home and then we lost the light so there was no reason to follow the trains anymore. We drove to Portage la Prairie where we had supper at a local restaurant called Bill's Sticky Fingers...where we had ribs...yum!

I like this one...'cause I really like the bell on the train...I think it's a girl thing.



Here are some pics I took today. Robbie's are much more professional as he knows how to set up a shot and his camera is the Cadillac of camera's and can balance light and such...but all that said...my pics turned out just fine and I had fun taking them..that's all that matters right?

Here are a few more that I took...the first one is the train as it is going by:

This one was taken in front of an old grain elevator that is on a back road behind the new elevator. I liked the hydrant as a splash of colour in the weeds:

Here is the old elevator

This is a shot of the "new" elevator in the distance behind the old one:

Here's the train coming around a corner at a level crossing. I managed to get a shot with the engineer, the lights and the tail of the train visible as the train curved around the corner...I like this one...whaddya think?

Here are a couple of the elevators we saw today:

This one was taken through the car window as we drove along beside the train...cool huh?

And now for some pics taken just because they were purdy:

This is a panoramic shot 'right' of a lovely look off we discovered today - the one below is a panoramic shot 'left' taken at the same spot:

The quintessential Mid-West photograph...Robbie got out of the car and laid down in the field and took photographs - I did not - I took this one from the car window:
and the final shot...Robbie doing what Robbie likes best...taking pictures!

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. We had a fun time taking them today.

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

Wednesday

Hello all...or at least...Hello Marlene...I know you are reading my blog 'cause you left a comment or two or more! LOL! I know I have been away for a while from blog land and people forget to pop by to check out what's going on when there hasn't been anything worth while to look at for ages...as has been my case.

Hubby and I went to North Dakota on Monday and Tuesday and came back to Winnipeg on Wednesday morning. I had a telephone job interview on Wednesday morning so we had to be home for that or we would have stayed longer.

We had a great time. We shopped and did some sight seeing along the way. Hubby is an avid 'rail fan' so we did some train watching and taking of pictures along the way as well. It's an interesting hobby, as we manage to see the good, bad and ugly of every place we visit by going to look for trains. The "industrial" sections of most cities is rather rugged to say the least and can be on the wrong side of the tracks - no pun intended.

We were on a mission to find new bed linens and curtains for our master bedroom. We found the linens - unfortunately, the curtains were all made to order and we hesitated to invest in them and then have to be available to go and pick them up when they are complete. When you live outside of the country it just doesn't seem right to order something to have to go back and get...does that make sense?

The same thing happened with a ring I was totally in love with at JC Penny. I fell totally in love with it online and went directly to the jewelry case to have a look when we got there. It clearly stated that the ring was available up to a size 10 - OK - I have big fingers..and I take a size 10...so totally excited when I saw it and it was stunning! ***sigh*** not only not available right away in a 10 but had to sent away somewhere to be sized and couldn't be shipped to Canada...they ship everything else to Canada from JC Penny but not jewelry. So...no stunning ring for me. ***pout*** It really was beautiful. :^(

Back to the linen set we purchased. Now....I am something of a sheet snob...OK...I am a sheet whore! I embrace it and am proud of it. I like nothing less than a 300 thread count sheet and prefer nothing less than a 500 thread count sheet. So, here we are in bedding stores and department stores where the prices are ranging for bedding sets between $300 and $800...the bed in a bag sets...around $400 include the comforter, bed skirt, shams, sheets and in some cases accent pillows...the sheets....200 THREAD COUNT!!! Come on people! What the hell??!! Why on God Green Earth would I pay $400 for a set that includes BURLAP SHEETS??!!! Have a little pride! Have a little respect for the consumer who is supposed to by your product??~~ I don't give a rats hairy behind if the set was designed by Chaps - if the sheets you are including are 200 thread count you can give the set to the dogs to sleep in, I'm not buying it!!!

We looked in every store, no matter how high end and they all managed to sneak those cheap ass sheets into the set = the highest thread count we saw in a bed in a bag was 250 thread count. EEWWEEE!!! No way!

So we settled on a comforter set without sheets. It's lovely. Very elegant and rich in appearance. The set was originally $300 and it was on sale at JC Penny for $119 - SOLD~! we purchased coordinating throw pillows in cream and red and now have to find red sheets and curtains to coordinate as well as a throw blanket of some sort to finish it off. So the hunt begins. That's half the fun and of course seeing how much I can save at the same time is the other half. Wish me luck.

On another note...I mentioned that I was laid off on September 13th. I have had one job interview, a pre-screening and got a message this morning to call another prospective employer to arrange an interview. I guess you could say things are going well on that end. Again, wish me luck I not only make the right choice but find the "right fit"...of course my last job felt like the right fit and look what happened there? My ass still stings from the boot print left behind by the 'thanks we'll keep in touch'! **That was a little snarky wasn't it? Oops. Sometimes that just sneaks out.***

Well, I must finish this and compose myself to call back the employer looking for an interview. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugz,

Sunshine ;^D

Robbie's Trip to Newfoundland...

THE VIEW LOOKING DOWN ON ST. JOHN'S HARBOUR FROM SIGNAL HILL, NL SEPT 8, 2010

The harbour plays host to multiple cruise ships a day. The locals like to watch the tourists try to ride their "cruise line" supplied bicycles up Signal Hill...the smart ones are the ones pushing their bikes up the hill!

The road leading up Signal Hill, St. John's airport is in the back...look for the red lights in the background...precision approach path indicators (PAPI's)

The entrance to St. John's harbour...known as "The Gut"

This is the Cabot Tower - where Marconi made his first transatlantic high frequency radio communication.

Another view of the cruise ship in dock.

St. John's Harbour under cloudy skies.

Hope you enjoyed the pretty pictures.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sunshine :~D

TO MAKE YOU ALL LAUGH

Tell me these don't make you laugh out loud in an empty room!! Thanks to my good friend Lil for my laugh of the day!!


Sunshine:~D

Friday is Finally Here...

Well it's been a tumultuous week to say the least. I got laid off and got depressed and lost lots of sleep and now its the weekend...hubby is taking next week off so we can paint our master bedroom...can I even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to this little barrel of fun??!!

Don't get me wrong, it totally needs to be painted. The previous owners of this house had very little taste in design and unfortunately our bedroom is a disaster. We go in there to sleep and not to spend time enjoying the ambiance that's for sure! We have light butterscotch on the upper walls and ceiling, a horrid butterscotch textured sponge painted "baby poop" goo on the lower walls and all of that has been nicely sliced in two by wall paper border of the Navajo variety...and hey lets do the en suite the same way just to be fastidious about the whole dang design nightmare!! Oh yeah! It's gotto go!

THE LOVELY BEDROOM (BEFORE)

THE DEVINE EN-SUITE (BEFORE)

Now those of you who know me, know this...I don't like to venture into painting a room until I have all of my ducks in a row..colours, fabrics, linen's, furniture, light fixtures...when I change a room, I change a room! It's a total make over! Am I ready for this make over? No way! I just got laid off! How am I going to afford all the "stuff" that's required for a total room makeover/?!!

We picked out paint colours last night at Home Depot...personal reminder...buy stock in that dang store!!!! and picked out a chair rail molding for the room. So far so good. We already have a kick ass chandelier for the bedroom - we picked it up on sale a couple of years ago for just this purpose and we have a ceiling medallion also picked up a couple of years ago...now...do I want to paint the ceiling or go with a white ceiling...again those of you who have known me for a while know that I am not a fan of pop corn ceilings or white ceilings...a ceiling is a 5th wall and deserves colour...just what colour am I going to use here I wonder.

I know what's wrong. The lay-off has thrown my mojo in a barrel and attached a lid lined with lead!! I am hooped! To make matters worse I can't get my brain to slow down for two seconds to get some sleep. So I sat up all night and applied for job after job online. Fingers crossed someone wants to hire me.

Well, I will keep you posted on the bedroom progress and I will hunt up a pic of the room before we moved in to show you...horrid I tell you...absolutely horrid. Thanks for stopping by and reading my rants everyone.

This too shall pass...right???? RIGHT??? Hey!! I'm asking you a QUESTION here??!!!

Hugz

Sunshine :~D

How many hours are there in a day??

OK..so hubby was home with me yesterday and the day dragged a bit but was OK until we went to bed and my brain went to Warp Speed 5 and kept we awake until around 4:30AM this morning! OY!

Then I was pleasantly surprised to wake up at 9:00AM this morning. OK got some sleep. Now what to do today...oh yeah...no job. Hmmmm....breakfast it is! Now what to have...home made (by a lovely Amish woman) cinnamon swirl bread - toast) so breakfast is done...now what?? Alrighty then...read it is...so pulled up my newest (but not her most recent) Kay Scarpetta novel...and its a doozy..hard cover version...good workout on the arm muscles that's for sure.

Hmmm...I seem to have dozed off....must have been the toast...not the book...book is good. OK get your butt moving girlie...laundry...there's always laundry to do...put on a load take one out of the drier and put it away.

I know!! Called Tishie in PEI. Life is good.She is cooking up a storm and swatting at this years crop of fruit flies. Give her the piece of fruit in a cup with plastic wrap on top with holes punched in the plastic wrap trick...she doesn't have plastic wrap but will consider it. I HATE fruit flies. Once they start they don't stop...little bastards! Tishie has to go...what to do...Call Hubby and see how his day is going....his day is going well...he is tired...going to stop and talk to the pool people about draining the pool for winter...he had issues yesterday...needs some clarification.

So, its lunch time! What to have??? Soup it is...read a little more, change a load of laundry, check out Facebook...reply to a couple of posts...its now 1:45PM and I am wondering...could this dang day get any longer???

Hope you are all having a great day and I'm sure mine will improve...given time...I seem to have plenty of that on my hands right now...sigh... I think I am about to become a high maintenance gal!!

Sunshine ;^D

All Monday's Are NOT Created Equally

So I got up for work yesterday and put on my new and stylish hounds tooth jacket with the flashy purple flower on the lapel, added some cute bling and headed to work.

It all started out like the usual Monday. Answering e-mails, organizing the day's paperwork and having a cuppa java...then things got a little different.

I was called into my bosses office and asked about client calls and then she told that while this was really hard, she had to let me go..that it wasn't me, the income had dropped and she needed to cut costs...and that meant letting me go! She would give me 2 weeks severance and provide me with a glowing reference. She was sorry and I was sorry. I have been downsized due to the recession that we all like to think of as "over" here in Canada.

So now I begin applying for employment again. This time will be a little different since I now have a Winnipeg job to use on my resume. I applied for 4 jobs yesterday and will apply for more today. I have faith my previous boss will hold up her end of the deal and provide me with a glowing recommendation, which should help pave the way if I manage to get my way in to an interview.

I discovered quite some time ago, that job hunting in Winnipeg is a whole lot different from the other places in Canada I have applied for work. Unfortunately, the pool is huge here in Winnipeg and people with my qualifications are willing to work for so much less than their worth. The problem has been, and always will be that those qualities that make me stand out are difficult to quantify on a resume or cover letter. and so I begin again...fingers and toes crossed, hoping the fates of employment smile on me and my furlow in unemployment is short lived.

Until then, I am using a gift certificate I won at a Wedding Social this summer to join Curves for one month free. Then I am going to join the gym on the Base because it's time to stop fooling around and get fit.

I apologize for not blogging more in the recent past. I was sick for 7 weeks this summer...not inspiring stuff to blog about...mind you...if any of you own stock in Puff's Plus...you can thank me for single handedly raising the stock price this summer!!!

We had an awesome summer with our boys! They are such wonderful guys. We just like their company. When they go home, which they did, their absence is felt profoundly. Our new pool was a hit and while I wasn't able to enjoy it because of being sick, I did plop my sad self down in my lounge chair beside the pool each afternoon while the boys played and asked them to have mercy on their old mom and splash me every now and again.

So, if anyone out in blog land lives in Winnipeg and knows of a business or corporation looking for a kick ass Executive Administrator...I'm your gal!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

STILL SICK

Well, this is not the plan I had for this summer. I am still sick. I have multiple viral and bacterial infections that are just horrid. I am on a heavy duty antibiotic now and have a super cough medicine to help me sleep. Unfortunately I have not been able to sleep lying down for over a week now.

I am happy to report that the boys are having a great time this summer. All three of my men got roller blades last weekend. They have been "learning" how to stay on their feet now all week. They have all fallen once each, now. Their nicknames for each other a cute - Rob is Bullet, Malcolm is Torpedo and Patrick is Rocket Launcher.

The pool is a big hit. They are in it everyday. I haven't been so lucky because of being sick. I am hoping next week I will be feeling well enough to get in. I am so worried that I will make the pool sick. Sounds silly but its true...if you have infections you can put it in the pool and make everyone else sick.

How are your summers going? What have you been up to? Thanks for stopping by.

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

***Whine Alert***

OK - today is officially day 12 of this "cold"...I spent most of the night on the side of the bed coughing my lungs up....and now I am getting ready for work. I tell you I am feeling very pouty and sooky today. If there was a day I could just curl up and sleep the day away I think today is the day.

So the Dr. say's my "cold" may be working its way toward bronchitis or pneumonia...ummm....hello....that doesn't sound good!

I feel like I should be wearing a Hazmat Suit at work. there is one guy that walks by and I can actually see him hold his breath and when I see him in the hall, he looks down and practically scales the opposite wall to stay as far away from me as humanly possible!!

Well, I have whined enough, I suppose. Thanks for letting me vent. I now must take my snotty self off to work.

Hope you all have a better day than I am going to have!

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

SUMMER COLDS STILL SUCK...BUT THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

SORE THROATS, POOLS, BOOKS AND STUFF

It's the middle of the week and I still have no voice. It's improving, which means I now sound like I have half a bucket of gravel and a bull frog in my throat.

The weather in Winnipeg has been spectacular! Of course that means the weather has been awesome while I have been too sick to use the pool. I have been worried that if I get water in my ears I'll end up with an ear infection on top of it all! So I watch the boys play and hope the weather holds so I can get my fun time in the pool.

On the up side of things, the boyo's and I went to our local Chapters and bought two new books to read together. They are actually murder mysteries and get this....one of them is by John Grisham!! Who knew he wrote teen books!? I'm as excited about reading the books as the boys!

Theodore Boone - Kid Lawyer

Average Customer Rating:(5 ratings, 1 review)

The #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers his first book for younger readers. In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he's only 13 years old, Theo Boone thinks he's one of them. But Theo soon finds himself dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial.

OOOohhh!! So excited to get into this one with the boyo's! The other one we got is called "The Billionaire's Curse"

Average Customer Rating:(3 ratings)

"Fast-paced, humorous and fun, The Billionaire's Curse [is] highly recommended."
-Magpies Magazine (Australia)

I think we did some great shopping at Chapters today. Now, for my darn throat to heal enough for me to read with the boyo's.

Years ago, when reading to the boyo's I developed different voices and accents for each character in the books we were reading. It's still a hit and I love reading with them! Soon enough they will think it's lame, so I'll have fun with them until they tell me they're too old for that silly stuff! ***sigh***it's gonna happen isn't it?!

Thanks for stopping by everyone.

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

SUMMER COLDS SUCK

Well, every year it seems that our son Patrick arrives for the summer with a cold or some sort of illness...this summer was no exception. However, the exception this summer is that I have managed to catch it! Dang it!

This is my long weekend and what did I wake up to this morning?? A wicked sore throat! I got up anyway and headed to the grocery store to get some supplies to make a super big breakfast for my boys! As I walked around the grocery store it occurred to me that I was really not feeling the best...prolly not the best time to figure that out right? I was after all driving myself!! OY!

Home I came, made breakie, woke up the boyo's and fed everyone...then went straight to bed and spent the day there! Read a book. Drank cold drinks, had a Popsicle (what happened to Popsicles? They are sooo not the same as the ones we had when we were kids) and slept on occasion....totally rocking day off huh??

Tomorrow, no matter how horrible I feel; we are heading to Selkirk to see the doggy Olympics. We are going to the Selkirk Fair and Rodeo to take in the attractions...that is dependent on the weather as well.

Today we had lightening & thunder today that was incredibly...in saying that I mean in the scariest, most terrifying incredible way possible!! There was one flash of lightening that sounded like it was literally ripping the heavens apart!!!

Well, I am off to take some meds and go back to bed. Thanks for stopping by!

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

THE GREAT HOTDOG QUEST OF THE SUMMER OF 2010

EVERY SUMMER SHOULD HAVE A GOAL...ours is....to find the best hotdog in Manitoba

So, the summer is passing one day at a time and we have been exploring all of the "summer" food places we have heard about over the winter from our friends. Lessee, first we went to Dingo's Wild & Crazy Dogs...totally a hot dog restaurant on the chi chi Corydon strip...

Lessee what to say about this spot? We took the boyo's and they were quite impressed by the 250 different varieties of soda pop. After much discussion and consideration Rob and Malcolm chose some sort of Sasparilla (Root Beer to you and me) and Patty chose a blue cream soda...I, forever the cautious one chose a reliable domestic brew...Diet Coke.

Then onto the hot dog choices...Rob and Patty chose the Canadian Hot Dog and fries and gravy...this means a 10" hot dog with cheddar cheese, bacon, secret sauce and crunched up barbecue chips on top. I chose the Millionaire dog and fries (no gravy) the dog came with coleslaw (starting to go off-colour)(**I will come back this later on), chili and mustard. and the smarter child...hot dog with mustard and ketchup with fries - no gravy....as we are sitting there three customers came in - a single gentleman and a pair of ladies.

As we hoe through our food with knives and forks because the dogs are impossible to eat on their own without wearing a good portion of stain making condiments; the owner prepares an order for the gentleman...then he has taken the order for the ladies and he takes out a bag of shredded cabbage to make new coleslaw and he proceeds to tell the ladies - ***apparently completely forgetting that I am sitting there*** - "I need to make new coleslaw, the stuff I have here is starting to turn." ***AHEM*** I just paid a kings ransom for my "turned" coleslaw hot dog!!!

Oh yeah, the memories!!!...the best I can say is that its an independently run operation with lots of pop choices...the dogs...totally expensive - the 4 of us ate for $61!!

Not making any recommendations here.

Next - we tried another hot dog place we have heard lots about - last night. We went to Half Moon Drive In, in Lockport Manitoba. We should have learned by now, right??

Now this place is totally cool in appearance. Its a believable 50's diner. Loved the atmosphere and the onion rings were awesome! The hot dogs...not the best. Even though they claim to have Canada's best hot dog!! We are pork hot dog fans...not beef. These were beef. ***sigh***

We ordered 3 hot dogs, two fries (medium) one onion rings (one size) a poutine and a double cheeseburger (The smart child strikes again)- also we got 2 medium fountain pop, one large fountain pop and one bottle of pop (Rob has to be different!! ).
The order came to $46 - better on the pocketbook at least than Dingo's dogs...but...we still haven't found a hot dog that we like.

Recommendations: The fries, onion rings, poutine, hamburgers and even the fountain pop were awesome...but the dogs have that casing that snaps when you bite into it and they are beef dogs...just wrong!! So very wrong! Therefore, we continue our quest for the perfect hot dog here in Winnipeg.

Wish us luck!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

FINALLY IN THE POOL

The day has finally arrived! We got in the pool today after work. The boys had so much fun, it was wonderful to see them enjoy the pool.

Rob put the two pool loungers together. I did what every loving, supportive wife would do at a time her hubby is embarking on putting together something that has 3 million pieces! I went inside and made supper!!

Rob just reminded me...he tried to do a handstand in the pool and swallowed half the pool and snorted the other half up his nose...not pretty folks...and then he spend a considerable time at the side of the pool hacking, gacking, snorting, turning an unattractive shade of purple and making sounds that no one really wanted to hear...OMG! that man is dying! Someone should help...ooooohhhh....no...that man is hurling his guts up....***slowing backing away - maybe no one saw me and I can get away before this gets any uglier than it is already....nope...stuck here...hearing the whole ugly episode**** It was lovely...did I mention that during the construction phase of the evening...he swallowed a mosquito...more hacking, gacking and ugly noises ensued...oh it was a lovely time in the backyard oasis today!! LOL!!

Off I go to tuck the boyo's in. Thanks for stopping by!

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D

Went to the Movies...

Today the four of us went to the movies...we went to "The Last Airbender"

Can someone explain to me how taking 2 boys (one still gets kid prices) and two adults to the movies came to just under $100??!! I mean holy smokes BATMAN!! This is getting crazy!

The tickets were $51.25 and then the snacks were $43.00 We didn't go crazy with snacks either...we bought 3 large pop, 1 large popcorn and 2 medium popcorn...THAT'S IT!!!! How can people who make minimum wage afford going to the movies?? How did kids afford to go to the movies??

When I was a kid (11-18) I went to the movies just about every weekend...in fact if I liked the movie I went twice! I saw the movie Grease 8 times in the Theatre...Grease 2 at least 6 times, Xanadu 4 times and others at least twice!

That wouldn't happen these days! Why have the movies been priced out of the average person's pocket book?? is this because the "stars" of the movies are making such horrifically high salaries? Is it the cost of making the pictures? What is the justification of charging us this much money to see a movie...when I can wait three months and buy it on DVD for less than $2o?! I don't get it!

OK maybe its because we are going to these supposedly wonderful "super complexes" to see our movies? I for one have no interest in playing video games, buying pizza or other things before I go into the theatre...I want popcorn and pop! I would love to get Jellytots but those don't seem to be made anymore unless they are the "tropical" flavour...what happened to old fashioned - normal flavoured Jellytots??

I digress, what movie did you all go to see last and what did it cost you? I suspect it's not so much to go to the movies for my friends stateside. Looking forward to your comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugz,

Sunshine :^D