12.01.2008

I Ain't Cheap And Neither Is My Time.

This is going to be another one of those bulleted List posts where I just babble on and on about myself and the events of the past few days. After all, I am ALL about the Economy of Words and, frankly, attempting to segue is beyond my capabilities this morning.

  • Friday afternoon, our business did a contractor appreciation lunch. Really very informal and fun. Like a "Come And Go Tea" kind of thing, except without the Tea or the nicely dressed and Clean people. Also, without the breakable plates and real silverware. Also... OK, so it's nothing like a Tea. But, the guys did come and go as they were able. Our store has been doing this thing a few times a year for a while, now. And it's been pretty successful in doing what it's supposed to do, which is make the trades feel welcome in our ritzy *murphlegasp* little corner of decorating heaven *HA!* and gives us the opportunity to do business-ey kind of things with them such as Inform, Collaborate and Communicate. Also, Sell Stuff. What it also means is that I get the dubious pleasure of making more Chili than the law should allow the night before. How much is More Than Should Be Allowed? Try somewhere between Commercial Pasta Pot and Industrial Vat of the stuff. Yes, that is an amount that is officially described as A WITCH'S CAULDRON of chili. Except it's rather hard to come by Cauldrons in this day and age, which is unfortunate as one would have been extremely handy. So, I was left piecing together four batches of chili into numerous, very large slow cookers and hoping for the best. At 3 a.m. Cause I'm dedicated to the Chili like that and wouldn't want it to get scorched from too many cooking hours. Mission accomplished, bee-yatches. That was some Slammin' chili -- got "spoons up" from contractors around the store. My wounded pride (I refer you, dear reader, to the Beef Stew CookOff post) was healed and I once again walk tall in the kitchen.
  • We are having some the THE NICEST winter weather, ever. I'm sure we'll pay for it somewhere down the line... we always do. But, yeah. For now, THE NICEST.
  • Chanukah. Our family just wrapped up a super fun eight days with, uhhh, more Fun. Special thanks to the lovely JJ for hosting the gory lot of us. I promise the next one's on me, sis!
  • Nothing says "family" like a little GNR. Take one Paradise City video:
    and add four wildly flailing, dancing, stalling, flipping and headbanging grommets. Add way too much laughter and an inordinate amount of Mommy/Auntie pride (cause, yeah... out of all the songs these kids could pick? GNR, dudes!!!) and you have a recipe for happiness. Or societal anarchy. Take your pick.
  • New Zealand. Yeah, I'm doing it, again. I'm one step away from phoning the Consulate to request an immigration packet. You can't tie me down. You can't fence me in. I was made to ROAM. ...Or at least to crazily contemplate roaming while being safely entrenched in my life and home Here in the frozen part of the Frozen North. Which, granted, has been unseasonably lovely and all of late. But, it's no NewFreakingZealand, I tell you that much. I do give Mr. F. grand and glorious kudos for understanding this part of me -- this little unconventional bit of me that comes up with these idealistic dreams. I'm not sure if he's just humoring me or really is willing to go on the wildest adventure with me, but he's being exceptionally accomodating of all my enraptured babbling about this. High Five, Mr. F.!!!
  • And now... now I must go deliver paint. Excitement like this does not come cheap.

8 comments:

Bijoux said...

I like bullet point posts, GNR, chili and adventure trips.
But I'm confused on the Channukah - doesn't it start Dec. 22nd this year?

flutterby said...

cocotte -- there are actually two different ways of reckoning the Hebrew calendar. Rabbinic and Ancient. Our family uses the Ancient calendar which means that -- for this year, anyhow -- our celebration was approx. one month before the Rabbinic order.

FTN said...

My kids now recognize nearly any GNR song, because of Guitar Hero. Not the ideal way to learn good music, but I guess I'll take it. Plus, I like to bust out the "Sweet Child o' Mine" riff on my guitar from time to time.

I didn't get an invite to this chili luncheon. Lost in the mail, perhaps? I love chili even more than beef stew.

And what, pray tell, are you going to do after you move to New Zealand? Tend sheep?

Sombra said...

YOu do realize that it is COLD in winter - not quite Saskatchewan cold, but COLD - and they DO NOT HAVE CENTRAL HEATING IN NEW ZEALAND. YOu'd be getting your cold sweet little buns out of bed in the morning to go stoke that fire and heat the house for your Princess and Little Sport and Mr. F - and then you'd be begging for our warm winter homes back in the Great White North!

Desmond Jones said...

You know I'm all about the chili recipe. . .

And listen, when you do decide to go to New Zealand, call us up; can we go with you?

I'm told that the South Island is similar in climate to Great Britain, only with a bit more sunshine; the North Island is sub-tropical. . .

Bijoux said...

I learned something new today! I didn't know there were two different Hebrew calendars. Shalom!

flutterby said...

FTN -- That IS a great riff, is it not? I imagine it probably makes you feel all Rockstar being able to do that. Playing keyboard? You miss out on all the rockstar moments. No rockstar moments for the keyboardist. I think I need to learn to play guitar.

Sombra -- Good point... little Miss FunSpoiler. :D They also have crazy beautiful mountains, volcanos, ocean, lakes, beaches, KIWIFRUIT!!!... oh, and quaint little villages and driving on the left side and super flash accents (and you just *know* how badly I want an accent, baby!!) and very low crime rates and great schools and uni's. Also, rugby. And temperate weather. Ummmm, dolphins and sea lions, but no bears, wild cats or poisonous stuff. Some of the world's greatest civilizations within hopping distance. Cheap, fresh veggies and fruit available YEAR ROUND, love. I may be able to stoke a stove for all that. Maybe. Gotta think about it a bit. :D

Desmond -- Sure, your family can tag along. Specially if you all have mad kiwifarming skillz. There some good money in raising those little fruits. (They're affectionately referred to as "hairyberries" in Kiwispeak, which totally cracks me up. For some reason.)

Desmond Jones said...

You've already got a Canadian accent, and you want another one? So, what's up with that, eh?

And, um, now that you mention it, 'hairyberries' cracks me up, too. I bet they're aphrodisiac. . .