How to survive a garage sale with your husband.

Okay, this is kind of misleading and you're probably thinking that I have all sorts of examples of why you shouldn't go to the 'mother of all garage sales" with your husband, but no I strongly advise you take him...There are many reason like the conversation along the way, the small knowing jokes you both share....okay, who am I kidding, he's really great at carrying all the heavy stuff and doesn't seem to mind, AND, when the bags get too heavy he treks back to your car to drop it off and gets new empty bags to start over again. I know, it brings a tear to your eye. Garage sale 101, made easy. Also I discovered a gem smack-dab in the middle of the sale. I cannot divulge the name of the school because well I'm not giving it up, but let's just say that's it's been a pain in the arse (yes, I'm Canadian) looking for a bathroom each and every year when I go to the sale. You have to go into a restaurant and hope they'll let you use their washroom, and this can be inconvenient when you are not around one...so in the past, I usually went into one of the churches, but by the time you get in there, there is a line-up and NO toilet paper. So the genius of the school I discovered is they have a donation jar and I believe this alone keeps out the delinquent scallywags that use up all the toilet paper and throw garbage on the ground, and let's face it sometimes have difficulty getting their bodily fluids into the toilet! So this donation loo has volunterers stocking it all day and it's a beautiful thing, I gave them three donations to be honest, kept going back. Six hours into it and this bathroom is still stocked and clean!! If you're a girl you know the importance of a clean available washroom....I'll be back next year, don't you worry. It's my new loo away from loo ♥ If you're really nice to me, I may tell you where it is. The garage sale I'm talking about is the annual Glebe neighbourhood sale where all of Ottawa descends on the Glebe. We're talking all of Ottawa, their dogs, babies, puppies, birds(I took a picture of a beautiful parrot )although I can't see the reason to bring strollers and young toddlers, when those Glebe streets get so congested it would be one stressful day just keeping track of the little ones.
My husband enjoyed it, , and he was a great Glebe garage sale virgin(geez, someone has to break him in), but I think he's a convert now. We got down there at 7:15 am, found my favourite parking spot,  and were going, going, going for 6 to 7 hrs (two energizer bunnies). Well, we had to have one beer break (twist my arm) and then got our asses back out there on the street. We were hard-core, it was the best. This is one of my favourite days of the year, why you ask? Well how many time can you go shopping and spend $2, $3. and $4. for each purchase and the negotiation is the fun part. Come on, everyone know that most items are overpriced to compensate for the haggling that's going to happen. We all try to get a better price!! The most we spent was $30 (yikes) for hubby's golf clubs...it was a good deal.
My garage sale pet peeve are those people who won't haggle(a rarity), or the ones who have things that are over-priced. I don't care lady that you spent $400. on your boots, and think $175. seems a fair price. You don't get the philosophy of the garge sale. It's someone else's used items or garbage(so to speak), so I'm not spending over $10 for a clothes item, it's USED for crying out loud!!
My favourite quote and this is not a lie was two fellows walking by a seller of duvets and there was a sign, "Touch me, I'm super soft". One guy didn't miss a beat, he looked at his friend (or hmmm, maybe more than friend) and said "I have that Tattooed on my behind" His friend laughed and said " Better than having it tattooed lower than your belly button. A hardy laugh was had by all. What did he mean though??  :D
I'll be there on the mean streets of the Glebe next year. Hope to see you there...we'll high five in our loo, okay?

Con ♥
* Here's a friend I met at the garage sale.

Losing a sister is bittersweet.

I lost my sister a few years ago and I still miss her so very much....I miss everything, I even have her e-mail on my contact list still, and her phone number on my cell that I will never erase. I don't have them in case I forget (I won't). I have them there so I can include her when anyone sends me stuff and asks me to send to 5 or 10 friends. I include Sheila because even though she isn't here, she can still be part of what's going on....I know, I know, it's not exactly normal, but it helps me feel close to her still, and I like that. I include her because she will always be part of my close 5 to 10 friends that I am advised to send this e-mail to so we can all partake in some good luck...
Sheila and I were only 15 months apart, and opposites in personality, but we had each other's backs and knew things about each other that no one else did or ever will. We had a bond because of our growing up together in the same room so close and our differences didn't really matter.. Maybe that's how she drove me so crazy at times, she knew all my strengths and weaknesses..she was afraid of nothing and I was afraid of everything...she could sleep through everything, but me, I needed a night light and even with the light, I was sure there was something under my bed, or worse, in the closet. Sheila would tease me about that, and at the time I would get mad at her, but when I think back now, I think maybe she just wondered why I was scared when she never felt that. EVER. Maybe she was trying to snap me out of it with her goofy teasing. I used to tease her back and say, "Are you human?" I did really wonder how she could possibly be afraid of nothing. How could she possibly fall asleep in 5-10 minutes after seeing the movie "Halloween", did we not see the same movie?? She could totally let go of it while I relived every scene ad nauseum as I tried to go to bed, and even the music did me in, couldn't get that out of my head either. I was jealous of her that she could just let go of it after seeing it and I would relive it for many nights....God, maybe I had OCD, is that it?? Who knows it was the 70's we didn't talk about why we couldn't sleep, nope we just sweated, put the night light on and put up with the teasing...I don't have that problem now, well that's not the total truth, I just don't watch certain movies okay for example (horror, devil themes, evil kids, zomby movies, evil kids in the corn, weird paranormal themes, weird dolls,  people walking like a spider, should I go on). Strangely enough I'm okay with really creepy movies if they have a rational explanation at the end. So if the movie is plausible and all the weird happenings can be explained and further if I can live with their explanations, if it makes sense to me, hey, it could happen, presto, I can sleep. Maybe it's being Catholic and growing up hearing all about good and evil, this made those devilish movies have a hint of truth to them and then having a friend say to me, "Don't invite the devil into your home", didn't help in my cause. Don't get me started on" the Exorcist". Okay time to change the subject because really, why go down this road and start thinking about this right before bed okay? Let that devil go bother someone else who's less vigilant.

Here's the funny thing...when we hit our twenties we sort of switched and Sheila did become afraid of things, where I finally, okay I compare myself to a chrysalis (can you tell I'm working in a kindergarten class), when I finally let go of things I was afraid of, the same things that held me back, and took off on my own, finally confident in myself and what I could accomplish.

Here's the rub, with Sheila gone it's just not the same when I accomplish something, anything, because she would always say something, not much (she wasn't big on complimenting) but she would say something funny or simple like "Way to go Con!" and I knew she was impressed. She didn't make a big show, although big shows are good with me as well, but that just wasn't her style.
So going through my life without my slightly older sister has made me appreciate all that is good, made all my daily grievances not matter, made me hold on to my family a little tighter (but not quite the choke-hold, so that's okay). It makes me know that when I get out of bed and put my feet down in the morning, I am grateful to be here another day. You gave me that gift. I sure do love you for that.
Here's to you Sheila. Know that every time someone passes me by wearing Patchouli, I'm giving you a great big hug (even though you weren't a hugger, that's just too bad)
Love yah
Con ♥

Ruby Tuesday....love that Kristen Wiig ♥

Did anyone see SNL with Mick Jagger on Saturday? I didn't realize that it was Kristen Wiig's last night, and what a touching send-off they gave her. Mick Jagger singing Ruby Tuesday for her and dancing with her, and then one-by-one all the cast members dancing with her...the best!
She always killed me with her "I'm so freakin' excited" lady who loved surprises to the "Target lady" . I wondered when she was going to part with the show with her movie hits coming, man Bridesmaids was the funniest movie I've seen in a long time, we laughed all the way through... All the ladies in that movie were hilarious, saw it with my co-workers, we were in one long row in an early showing right after work. We laughed so hard, and then relived the scenes throughout our dinner, well, except the bodily functions scene, okay I'm lying, we relived those too. "God, it's like molten lava coming out of me!!" Another favourite was when Wiig was on meds/alcohol combo on the plane and was giving the steward a hard time, calling him "Stove" :) .
Well she's off for bigger and better things...and just when I fianlly got a PVR and could tape all the shows...geez!
One more thing, Jagger was amazing..God he's 68 years old! He killed it with Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, Jeff Beck and finally everyone at the end for "Ruby Tuesday". He still had the moves and the voice...he must have made a deal with the devil, eh?
At least SNL did it right this time and sent someone amazing off with one classy ending...she so deserved it. Hope you all saw it.
Con ♥

Celebrity rant..all those beautiful people

Okay, before you start getting the wrong idea about me, I don't usually(there are circumstances) care about celebrities, what they wear, what they think etc... I'm above all that, I have way more important things to think about, like for instance, why did they have to change the packaging of my favourite ginger snaps, it was fine the way it was! Nothing better with my cup of Stash(product placement) green tea and honey, but I digress...
 Anyways,  I was at the gym today, no didn't spot a celebrity...ha!, in my small town maybe I'd run into the first cousin of the guy who was a room-mate of the new Goalie of the Sens, yup big-time celebs!
So back to the gym, I'm reading the new magazine issue of (okay, it's the opposite of Goodbye), stay with me now. I'm just not sure if I could be sued for writing about magazines and celebrities, so let's play it this way..I'll supply really easy hints and you fill in the blanks. Okey dokey??
So I'm reading about all these beautiful people....I do believe that's the title of the article, "50 Beautiful Stars", and there were many good quotes, but two honourable mentions, OMG, they are gems.
I was chuckling to myself, well chuckling and sweating on the exercise bike, and thinking back I probably looked a little demented...
The first quote was to do with cashmere sweaters, and if this guy wants to attract the babes, he's better either get a different publicist, or think man before you open your mouth...Oh, and before I give you a hint about who I'm talking about, his dad plays a mean, mean guy in the Hunger Games movie, and his brother was in a show with the title that had all the hours in a day, or if you're Canadian, "Hey it's the long weekend, grab a ____ eh, and let's head to the cottage. Living in Canada, we live for the cottage...I don't actually have one at the moment, but there is always one I can visit, rent, dream about, enough of that, back to the story.
Okay so this up and comer actually says he love the feel of cashmere, can't get enough of it, he even called it his policy concerning clothes having to be as soft as his skin!! I am not making this up. Okay if John...oops, I mean Pokey (reference to a past Gumby and Pokey blog, not a weird reference to any kind of Boudoir happenings so get your mind out of that dumpster). So if John(back to actual name, Pokey sounds too weird) said that to me, my first thought would be "I didn't know John was getting a lobotomy?", or maybe the Bodysnatchers come through town last night and seriously messed him up!! Speaking of the movie "The Bodysnatchers, that guy's dad(Hunger Games) was in an old version of the Bodysnatchers...I remember it well, the last scene kind of freaked me out..that bulldog with the weird human face hissing like a cat. Am I remembering that right?? My mind wanders, have you noticed that about me?? If this guy is not wanting the babes, then this quote would be a-okay, I have no problem with any side of the fence you're on...live and let live I say. But seriously, it seemed way too PR to me, and I'm thinking he's into the ladies. So, Come On!! His friends should seriously be ribbing him over that one, I know Kiefer is!
Okay the second quote was from a starlet, model/actress, starring in a show called Rookie _____(substitiute the colour of the sky or my eyes) and she  apparently eats in the bathtub and loves it!!   The quote kind of goes like this, "I can eat cream and macaroni in my bath and I love it!! No you don't, your PR person made that up, and it's crazy town talk....hmm do you take your hot cup of espresso into your shower as well?? Yup, thought so, you're adorable. Crazytown!
Is it just me?
Con ♥

Matthew McConaughey challenge to all the ladies

Okay this is very short blog, but I want to challenge all of the ladies. Let's see if this strange phenomenon happens to you. I tried it out on my sister Cynthia and it worked for her too.
Just watch the trailer for "Magic Mike". That's it. Okay before you start saying anything, I know, I know it's not going to win any awards....we all know this going in, and that's okay. I will watch it someday (the Lord is my witness), maybe on Netflix (hello, product placement, hello!!) probably with my sister Cynthia who kind of appreciates Matthew (second to her husband Harry). "Hi Harry!! Oh that brings me to my husband who also make me happy in every way, but John, there's something about this trailer, it's just a weird phenomenon, believe you me!!
Okay, so wait until the end of the trailer. The part where Mr. McConaughey says, "But I think I see a lot of lawbreakers in the house tonight". You'll get this big goofy grin on your face. I'm telling you, I don't know if it's that sexy drawl/combo abs, but whatever!!
Every freakin' time I watch it, this happens. The big goofy grin. Weird eh! This should be studied...it reminds me of that petting the dog thing where your heart rate drops when you pet a dog,  and all your stress leaves your body. Same thing. So you could say that this trailer is good for your health. Just watch it. Just see this as my personal public service announcement. From my house to yours. You're welcome!
One more thing..the other guy in the movie looks pretty darn good as well, and flexible!
Con ♥

Gumby and Pokey...aka blended family

  Okay, when I get brave I will post pictures of my actual family (they look quite different from Gumby and Pokey), but I want to connect with real people first. Yes, by that I mean nada to the fake ones, example if you are from tinsel town and your handle happens to be Kardashian or Hilton, just stay away, you kind is not wanted in these here parts....by these parts I mean my small Ontario town (cue the banjos) . Yah, we're so hip :)  
I would love some feedback comments on any of my blogs....I'm a blog virgin, so be kind! Do any of you people out there have fond feelings towards Gumby and Pokey, like I do, and if so why?? In my blended family scenario, let's just say Gumby is definitely (c'est moi), and my faithful sidekick Pokey (yup that can be my husband John), and my two girls could be the Blockheads (I'm not making this up), they are a pair of humanoid, red-colored figures with block-shaped heads, who wreak mischief and havoc at all times. Okay is that not the most accurate description of 15 year olds, I don't know what is. Kind of eerie, eh?
If you go back and watch, it can be painful with the stop-action. Whatever, I just really believe that whoever put together this Gumby, Pokey stop-action scenerio had a little ganja in their life....come on, how else could someone dream the  character Goo (say what??), who is a a flying blue mermaid that spits blue goo balls and can change shape at will. Take that spiderman!! Goo beats the hell out of the Teletubbies, but don't go downplaying those guys..I think back of those guys fondly, albeit they were odd to say the least, but kept my 3 year old toddler transfixed!! This was back in the year 1999! She's now fifteen years old, but back when she was a little curly headed imp, that show could stop her in her tracks in our living room and she would stand still staring at the tv with wonder. I watched and wondered if the reason my daughter loved Tinky Winky was because he/she?? was the only one with a purse?? I also thought maybe they were sending waves from England to my house that could mess with toddlers heads, but hey, that's another blog!
This Teletubbie time frame was pre-blend, when my family consisted of two. Now we're four, and I have somehow put us into the Gumby-Pokey family...hmm, simpler time don't you think, but I'm off course now.
Talk to me people, particularly if you have sisters, are in a blended family, love Gumby and Pokey, are a ginger, or you're bored and could relate this blog...
Just talk to me!
Con ♥

Donna Summer :'(

I loved Donna Summer.
'The Last Dance', 'I feel love', 'love to love you baby, I remember them too well. I also loved Dan Hill so wonder if there was something in that Quebec water, or if I just had really bad taste in music. I did love Kiss at one point, but my excuse for loving those four chord wonders was the sheer spectacle. Now, who could you see in the seventies over and over that would spit blood, blow fire, and prance around in stilettos, it was awesome, and the wineskins probably helped a little bit in the enjoyment of the show....well, that and the show was $7.00(whoa!!)  I was around in the 70's and for the most part I kind of agreed with my older sister about disco sucking, but sorry, couldn't say that about DS. She was cool to me, in her own category, maybe having that awesome voice and even saving a real cheesy movie called, "Thank God it's Friday". Classic cheese movie, kind of like a Love Boat episode, but Donna Summer sang her hit right at the end(good marketing) and she made the $2.50 worthwhile just to see her sing 'The Last Dance' in the big finale. I know what you're thinking, man two dollars and fifty cents, Now, I'm just guessing, maybe someone out there actually remembers the price of a movie ticket and could enlighten me, I have an enquiring mind, don't you know, and it was the 70's, and you know what they say about the 70's??  I feel much more melancholy with DS passing than say Whitney Huston, who I'm comparing to because she also sang mostly dance hits but she was a superstar, well not a superstar like Mary Katherine Gallagher, but who, tell me who, could top Mary Katherine??
So here's the 70's in a nutshell, Donna Summer, clubs in Hull, camping, my sisters' Camaro, dragging in her Camaro(don't ask, it was allowed then), smoking(I think it was a law in Quebec), school dances with bands, Roughrider football games(North side sucks!!), taking the train(Expo games), and before I continue, here's my little aside comment on beer, where in some establishments you were served by the quart, what class!!There was  Bud, Canadian, and who could forget 50. These were the only beers I remember in the 70's, it was a dark age for beer unless you had a Brador, with the whopping alcohol content of, whoa, 5%. People drove over the border for those babies. No, I'm just making that up. I would have to devote a column just to all those wonderful wines we are still trying to forget, duck(as in baby), Piador(spelling?), Lonesome Charlie(now, am I making that one up, or was it a real wine??) Okay what else was great in the 70's, hmmm, gay bars had the best music, and then there was the shoes. Which side to you belong to, North Stars or Adidas??(your choice said a lot about you). My dress shoes were my Earth Shoes, loved them, and if you were really killing it, wear your Doc Martens with your short dress, and put a pair of bike shorts on to boot. It just worked. it was a simpler time. I feel love.
Con ♥

Red red wine

I am trying to switch from white wine to red and so far it's pretty successful. I've heard it's much healthier, less sugar, blah, blah, blah. Sounds good to me, I'm enjoying the switch so far. There is one problem though. Sometimes after a glass or two I start to look like I should be starring in a Twilight movie, maybe as the older aunt of Bella who is much more interesting than her(wow, is that possible??) and lives in an area of New Orleans where all the men with deep voices and good legs are disappearing slowly, but surely. I think I definitely have a type but never knew it up until a few years ago...That's an ode to my husband John. I never really knew how much I loved a deep voice until I met him. Sure I always loved actors like Javier Bardem and Casey Brown, not really realizing that their voices was the killer attraction....sometimes it takes me awhile. I always wondered what anyone saw in David Beckham..sure if you just saw his print ads, I could understand the mass appeal, yes I can :D. The problem is that I saw him in interview and it  totally ruined any kind of fantasy...I think my voice is deeper than his, sad but true.  He's up there with Pee Wee Herman(who I like for other reasons), but I digress.....
 What I was getting at with the Twilight reference was my teeth turning red as I imbibe the red wine(Australian red seems to be the worst offender). Pinot noir doesn't seem to be as bad as a merlot....I should become the first sommelier who rates wine for teeth colour. Wouldn't that be interesting, and helpful especially for those first dates, #1 being okay for first dates with minimal discolouration and #5 being better steer clear, what looked like sparkling pearly whites are now turning into "God, I guess she doesn't have a dental plan, how did I NOT notice her rotting teeth!!"
It could definitely be a deal breaker, but thankfully my husband knows all about my affliction and how a good brushing makes it all better in the morning.
Should just stick to my Kilkenney, my favourite winter brew, and new favourite for the summer Tennent's lager. This is my carefully thought out product placement that if I would be rewarded in any way for, well let's just say, that would be okay by me.
I'll talk about something more serious next time, like why should I break down and get the Brazilian, I always thought my good old Canadian bikini sugaring was okay by me, and downright Canadian.
Anyone out there want to convince me otherwise, be my guest.
Con ♥

Got the book....

Okay seriously, you'd think I had contraband or something. Here I sit with my "50 Shades of Grey" at my eye doctors' office. I have my Kobo, so no worries on anyone seeing my smutty book, except when my step-daughter comes out of her appointment and says, "What are you doing?" I quickly closed my Kobo(and turned a mild shade of pink) while saying, "Oh reading  'Catching Fire', the second book of the 'Hunger Games' trilogy". There's a lie. Okay, technically I am reading that one, just wasn't at that moment. Speaking of "Catching Fire", this is a pretty darn respectable choice right?? All the kids are reading this trilogy, well all of them except my girls. Also, the movie was decent, beat the hell out of "Twilight", don't get me started. I'm still trying to turn my girls into readers, but no success as of yet. Any ideas out there on how to light the fire within that will turn them into readers...I think their cells have replaced reading...the time that goes into texts and replying, well let's just say they could have read 'War and Peace' a few times over, or at least the' Shopaholic' series..that may be more up their alley.
Did I say I was kind of nerdy?? My mom never pushed reading with me or any of my sisters, yet we all LOVE reading. I have read with my daughter all of her life and she only reads magazines, and books she has to read for school. It kills me. Maybe I should have used reverse psychology, hey, maybe that's what my mom did, maybe she was diabolical that way!! I could have totally underestimated her...
I continue to buy my girls books at Christmas, books I inevitably read like, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games to name a few because I refuse to believe they won't become readers. Is it too much of an exaggeration to say that their lives will just not be as full, rich or amazing as they could be, but I digress, that's anothe rday and another blog. I'll never stop holding on to the hope that I'll convert them, just have to find the right vampire/best friends book, I know it's out there. I can be stubborn. Did I mention that??
One of my friends went to Costco to pick up 'the" book (yes, I can't stay away from that shade of grey topic) and when they went back again to Costco , there was a much smaller pile of books. In the same day..
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?? It's not like we never had anything smutty to read?? What is it about this book...I only got to page 4 myself, not an ounce of smut to be seen as of yet, so I have to suspend my comments until I'm up to my waist in mud. If you are wondering how I never got to the good parts, well to be honest, I had an eye appointment after my daughter and my doctor put drops in my eyes to dilate them and everything is kind of blurry right now. I'm sure they'll be back to normal tomorrow and I'll take another gander... I have had a couple of people tell me they feel weird reading it, so I wonder weird how? Weird-guilty, weird-dirty, or just plain weird-turned on?? I want to know, I've always had an enquiring mind....
Stay tuned.
Con ♥

50 shades of "count me in!!"

Okay, am I the only one who really wants to read that new book because,
#1. it's really dirty
#2. everyone, and I mean everyone is reading it
#3. I don't want to be left out, geez!!
Up until two days ago, I never heard of it and now every radio station, every hockey mom(really!!), every teacher I work with is talking about it. I have even already made a deal with a teacher and good friend that when she buys it(and she will), I'm next in line. What is this world coming from?? My God, I grew up in Quebec where every teenager was glued in from of their tv on Friday nights watching "Bleu Nuit". If you grew up in Hull, Quebec, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's not like I never saw this stuff before. Also I has an older sister who had all of the Linda Lovelace books, "Deep Throat" etc.. She wasn't weird okay, this was the 70's. I can't even begin to explain it. If you weren't there, you wouldn't understand, There was a movie but this was the 70's and we read everything first. We were weird that way. So, it's not like this stuff hasn't been around, Why is this new trilogy such a runaway hit??
I guess I'll have to wait and find out..who the hell am I kidding, I just download it to my Kobo Vox. It's the age of instant gratification. I'll let you know
Con ♥

Numero uno

Hi,
This is my first blog and I am very excited... I have always loved to write about my life, record what's happening (so I don't forget), because I realize that my life is slowly erasing, and I want to write it down in BOLD before it all erases. No, I don't mean I suffer from memory loss and I'm losing all my data, although there are some days....it's just that I have lived through an experience that has made me think time and time again that there are others out there experiencing what I am experiencing and this is what I would like to connect to..that and my writing side. There is a side to me that wants to record it,(I'll be honest) because things come to me some days, and then I'm tapping my finger saying, "What the heck was that amazing thing I was thinking again?? "This love of writing is a side I have ignored, but from time to time I either take a course online or have to write out an essay, and this writing thing starts to burn again and I feel time fly and am one with my laptop. Yup it's a pretty good feeling.
So this is what I want to talk about..in no particular order...

1. blended family
2. living with teenage girls (yikes!!)
3. having and holding onto a happy marriage

4. Selling stuff online

5. being a ginger and all the persecution that goes with i t(just kidding, kind of)

6. loving pedicures, mud and all things messy (weird eh??)

Okay, I will add more on as time goes on, but for now, this is what I (and a glass of red) is dictating.
Hope to hear from you (all hair colours), but if there is some serious persecution gingers, let me know!!

Con ♥