Musings on a Small Life

Well, hell's bells, I knew this would happen.  I got home to find the docs in the mail--I've been called for jury selection on September 10th. Should I forgo bathing for a few days to make me smell offensive to others? I just called the courthouse to confirm this meant one day only, as Dad is arriving later that week. After going through their long voice mail spiel, the voice said that if I still wanted to leave a message I could do so and that someone would get back to me at their convenience . So you can guess what came out of my mouth on the message I left. A very snarky comment that I had expected a real person, but gee, shouldn't be surprised with the lack of service from the government. I asked for confirmation that this was the one day only, explained why, and left my work number (not my name, actually) and said they could call me back at that number, at their convenience (with heavy sarcasm). Oops. It just slipped out like that! What, is it a f...

Today is my "Friday," since I'm taking Thursday and the real Friday off. Monday is a holiday for most provinces in Canada, so the five consecutive days will be nice. The "fleas" (kids) next door are still away for the moment, so I hope to have at least the rest of this week with peace and quiet. It's going to be exponentially harder for me and the boys to endure the screaming obscenities/pounding/slamming doors when they return, but...one day at a time! Nicki has a vet appointment tomorrow at 10:30AM, for a check and for his anal glands. The "new" clinic. He won't be impressed, but maybe I'll give him some Zylkene (natural calming product/capsule) an hour before we go, to help take the edge off. He usually goes berserk in the carrier. I've really ramped up the walking lately, in an effort to burn a few extra calories, but am having difficulties with the right foot again. So I have to face the reality that I won't eve...

No, not the cats.  :-) I took a little jaunt into the cemetery before running errands on Saturday morning, haven't been there in oh so long. It was nice to be able to walk around for a while, just me and the little camera (old PowerShot), accompanied by the mosquitoes and the never-say-die deer flies. First, though, while I don't normally do cross-over posts between this blog and the cats', I'd like to ask for prayers, purrs, Light, good vibes, whatever, for Abby of ManxMnews , who has been diagnosed with feline congestive heart failure. She is her human's heart cat and this is a particularly difficult and stressful time for all. Most of you already will have left comments, I know. I'm just especially concerned for Abby and her human, because I know how much Abby means to her "mom." Ann @ Zoolatry did the graphic, of course. As for the little jaunt, snapshots follow.    Little angel Melinda's grave has flowers planted on it...

Okay, I've been to the new Target store twice now, once yesterday afternoon for a look around and then again this morning. I'm admittedly under whelmed. With the exception of a couple of home decor items, there's nothing I can't get elsewhere for equal or less in terms of price. I won't be giving up my treks to WalMart for household and drugstore goods. The store looks great, obviously, rather like an updated Zellers IMO, but I guess I just expected something different, something more , having been on the Target.com site many times over the years. I even foolishly hoped they'd have a large pet section, with cat trees, but it's small, has far less than the old Zellers' pet section, which comprised two long aisles. My other beef is with a design/layout issue. The store is an anchor for the mall, as was Zellers. It has an upper floor outside entrance, as well as an upper and lower mall entrance. There are no check-outs on the upper lev...

I'm "on target" for taking a half day vacation and going to check out our brand new Target store. It opened on Tuesday in the old Zellers location in the mall. Not having been in a Target in the U.S., I don't know what to expect in terms of quality, though I've heard it's supposed to offer better labels (at least in clothing) for reasonable prices. Not as inexpensive as in the States, unfortunately. But I'll see for myself! One of my hostas a week or so ago, before it fully bloomed.   I hope to take one or two days off next week, before our long holiday weekend. I've got an appointment for Nicki's check/anal glands for next Thursday, but if the neighbour kids come home this weekend I might try to move the appointment to Friday August 2nd and just take the one day off instead of two. I'm playing that one by ear right now, literally. Spied on my way to work a week or two ago, a cat I often see curled up in one of the chairs on his st...

(Derry on the left, Nicki on the right)   Purrs from the boys and peace from me. *Comments are off today.*

At last we have a perfect day, about 23C/73F and low humidity ("low" being 50%). If only all the days of summer could be this glorious. Storm clouds earlier in the week The house went from 85F on the main level, about 90F or so upstairs, to low 70s overnight. Bliss. I'm wrung out from the lack of sleep, but welcome the respite. I took Friday off to run errands, did more shopping yesterday after a routine haircut. Found a pair of dressy jeans at Alia (middle-aged/elderly ladies clothing store) that actually fit my ever-expanding chubby body with its short legs and long rise. I went looking for lightweight slacks, but had no luck there. Everyone has fall stock in now, of course. Pretty plum and navy colours coming in for the autumn season. But it's been decades since I had to care about fashion and seasonal colours (when I worked in retail in my early 20s). The boys are okay, were perkier this morning in the cool. Nicki had a run-in with Carla (the swee...

We just had a wild thunder/lightning/wind/rain storm! Whew! Didn't help to clear out the humidity, but it sure watered the garden. Alas, my glorious "old" ivy (maybe 10 years old now, or close to it) took a beating. It went from this (a few days ago): To this! It was being supported by one medium-sized trellis and it was just too heavy to withstand the wind. So now I have the ivy/trellis anchored around the fence support with some string, temporarily, till I decide what to do. I don't want to cut it all back, it's intact. Maybe I can get a couple of larger trellises, then cut it back late in the fall? Suggestions? Odd how the wind brought it (and the bamboo trellis in the corner) down, but didn't disturb the lawn chairs or potted plants. BTW, guess who I happened to see just before 6PM, when I was upstairs in my bedroom closing the curtains? Yeah, the next door mother. So the father did bring at least part of his "loving" family h...

I'm so thankful this building has updated air conditioning (not all buildings here do, our former location doesn't and it's an oven over there). Note the humidex as at 11AM: 97F, underlined in red. And that's at the airport, near the lake, with the breeze from the water. Heading up to 106F this afternoon. I hope the cats are "chilling" in the basement right now. Derry yesterday evening, giving me a steely, don't snap my picture look. Either that or he's just squinting into the light.  :-) And Nicki back on the 12th, posing nicely for me. Work is fine for the moment, just plodding along through a few projects that have August deadlines, so no rush. It's still quiet on the home front, and I'm holding my breath waiting for the respite to end. He left at 7:40AM on Sunday, and I thought he'd bring his "loving" family home, but he got back sometime after 11PM (I was up then for a bio break and no truck), by himsel...

I've had almost two weeks' respite from the neighbour mother and kids, who, presumably, have been with the paternal grandmother in the Toronto region. I had expected them to return last week, but mercifully they didn't. I'm surmising she has taken her two weeks' vacation from work and so they'll all be back this weekend. I'm grateful beyond words to the Universe for this break, especially since I was home 1.5 days this week sick, but it's going to be oh so hellish trying to readjust to their return. I've felt I've had a real home again, while they've been gone. The father BBQs in the evening, but other than that, one can hardly hear him. We've also had a brief respite from the breath-sucking, lung-gasping humidity, for the past day and a half. We're heading back into the "pea soup" though. Such is Ontario summer weather! I got the Maxi/Guard oral gel for Derry on Wednesday, but....1. It's a pretty runny g...