James

Wishing all my friends Season's Greetings

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:19:05 GMT

Merry Christmas to all of my friends and family!

I haven't posted an update to LJ in such a long time I can't remember what I last posted :)

As of late I've been feeling a lot better. I was diagnosed with an inflammation of the stomach back in September after almost six months of on again, off again abdominal pain, as well as depression. I've been taking meds for both and have been feeling a world better since ... it probally also helps that things have eased up at work and we're settled into our new place (if not unpacked yet lol)

Halloween this year saw us move from our old place into an upper level duplex. Being an older building, it has it's unique charm as well as some *warts*, like stairs that need some fixing and some problems with the windows. All in all though me and Nat love it, although we haven't had much chance to properly set things to order as of yet ... definately something to do after the holidays :)

The only drawback to the new place (besides the minor fixes it needs) is that it means I'm up and out twenty minutes earlier than our previous place, as I now have added a bus and a couple more metro stops to the morning commute :(

Holidays this year we're again making a lot of our own gifts for people. Nat is making another batch of her yummy "everything but the kitchen sink" fruit compote, as well as bath salts, dip mix and bar-b-q spice mixes. She's also making apple butter again, but with a twist this year: she added pears to the mix, and due to lucky accident it ended up being caramelized ...yum! We also bought some gifts as well to round things out, so all in all everyone should be happy this year.

Five minutes past midnight and Nat wanted to open her Christmas gifts :) Since it was technically Christmas day at this point I saw no reason why not :) Needless to say we all loved what we gave to one another, and the cats had fun with their gift as well as all the wrapping paper on the floor :)

Anyhow, enough rambling for now ... off to the kitchen to can some fruit compote! :)

MOVE

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:09:04 GMT

As of tomorrow we will be moving into a new place ... no idea when the internet will be up and running again so me and Nat will be incognito for the next few days at least

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:34:10 GMT

The last few weeks have been hectic, both personally and at work.

I've been planning for a while to get my forklift license, and it now seems as if that's going to become a reality. I registered at Liftow for the five day course, which basically means I'll learn how to drive all sorts of lifting power equipment, from electric pallet movers to order pickers and forklifts of all types. A funny thing I learned is that the forklift used at work is not only no longer made .... nobody trains it anymore it's so rare! Given how useful the design is it's surprising it's no longer made. It's going to take me four weekends to complete the classes but it'll be worth it.

Last night my wife managed to dislocate her elbow :( We were at my parent's place for the weekly Sunday supper and she was on the floor playing with their new kitten. When she got up she slipped on the hardwood floor (she was in stocking feet) and landed with all her weight on her elbow. My father was kind enough to drive us to the Montreal General. All told from start to finish, we ended up being there from ten last night to nine this morning :( The trauma center was really busy and there was a shortage of both doctors and nurses, so we only really started to see some progress (ie she was moved onto a stretcher and given morphine for the pain) at three in the morning.

Work is ... well let's not dwell on that. When the people in the office make decisions without understanding how the warehouse works, it creates all sorts of problems. The office right now wants everything to be in the warehouse without paying storage fees, processed in a timely manner with a minimum of manpower. Currently though, we have less than the minimum manpower to get the job done, and the people we do have are stressed out and overworked to the point of burnout.

Anyhow, that's the update for now!

WTF?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:42:19 GMT

I missed two days of work last week because I was feeling under the weather.

I come in today ... paperwork's a mess, there's three extra containers and a tonne of extra shipments that need to be processed.

Gotta go and upright a container that's flipped over ... how the hell did they manage that??!!!

Pneumonia bad. Prescription antibiotics very good :)

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:46:37 GMT

On Saturday natty77 and I decided to go to the clinic, since the flu that called our lungs home for a week wasn't getting better fast enough ... besides, having your lungs rattle like there's a tank engine revving every time you breathe really sucks :) The doctor upgraded my puffer to help with the breathing problems and prescribed horse-pill antibiotics to deal with the newly diagnosed pneumonia. She also gave me off work until Tuesday, when I have to go back to the grind (I really hope I'm feeling better then! I can't afford to lose another paycheck to illness)

Blaaaa :-(

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:10:37 GMT

I'm starting to feel better from whatever the hairy heck it is that struck me this weekend ... just wish I'd get over it sooner! My breathing is still a bit clogged up, the fever has come down to something a little closer to normal and my lungs are still rattling with every breath.

The funny thing is that I was absolutely fine last week and at the event me and natty77 attended on saturday ... it was only afterwards during the ride home that I started to feel really crappy. Nat thinks that the many six-day workweeks, combined with the lack of sleep while she was sick prior to the event (not to mention the several hours long hospital visit the evening prior to the event) finally caught up to me. This flu hit me so suddenly I didn't even have that gradual decline in health that most experience when they're coming down with something ... or maybe I've been so exhausted I didn't notice.

I wish the brutal hacking cough would go away now, along with the remainder of the fever :(

Yoinked from various friends :-)

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:06:03 GMT

Created by Train Horns

Don't know what that says about me ... either I have very good hearing or something about my maturity level :-)

Snagged from dragonlily3 :-)

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:38:42 GMT

Your result for The Elemental Beauty Test...

Natural Beauty

92% Earth, 8% Air, 0% Water, and 0% Fire!

You scored 92% Earth! Outstanding!

The Earth element is a natural beauty. They tend to keep more toward greens, blacks, and natural colors for their wardrobe and their make-up, if they wear it to begin with. They tend to be grounded and not caught up in the latest trends. They are more interested in doing what feels right for them and being in touch with what is around them.

For inner beauty earth elements look for stability and commitment. They look after others and their family. They are realistic and tactile, meaning they aren't afraid to touch and be touched. But they can also be quite stubborn and unmoving when their mind is made up.

Zodiac signs for earth are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

You also scored:

0% Water: Water is the etheral beauty. They like things that drape and shimmer. The love vintage and heirlooms; things with emotional ties and history. 0% Water may mean that you don't trust or use your intuition. Equal Water and Air would indicate a person that is a hard worker with a need for security and an attachment to possessions.

8% Air: Air is the fearless beauty. They are offbeat and funny. The mix old fashions with new and love to make new trends. They aren't afraid to be new or crazy. 0% Air could indicate that you have trouble looking at things objectively. Persons with equal Earth and Air are usually those who think and use good common sense.

0% Fire: Fire is the alluring beauty. They like to wear bright colors and show some skin. They are sexually minded and spicy. They use a lot of charm to get what they want. 0% Fire can often be seen in someone that pushes and tries to force self-expression. An equal Fire and Earth person is someone who has the ability to be powerfully creative. Fire provides the motivation and Earth provides the tangible results.

Take The Elemental Beauty Test at HelloQuizzy

Sounds about right :-)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:57:44 GMT

You Are a Messenger

You are a great communicator and quite persuasive too.

And to be honest, your also a bit of a gossip. You like to know what's going on with people.

You can deliver almost any message to anyone, and they'll take it better coming from you.

In modern times, you would make a good journalist or diplomat.

What's Your Medieval Profession?

Nothing like a good meme to cheer me up!

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:59:42 GMT

You Are Copper

You are provocative and challenging. You help people realize who they really are.

You live a very balanced life. You always take time for love and art.

You are both a powerful and generous person. You always have time to give back.

People find you to be incredibly ethical and loyal.

What Metal Are You?

And it hasn't even been an hour yet ...

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:02:15 GMT

Gawds this is going to be a miserable day.

I have come to this conclusion when the bozo the transport company sent to pick up the container we emptied the other day inspected the container, and judging everything good, started to pull the container out of the dock. He caught one of the doors on a pillar and ripped it clean off ... the buck-passing is still going on, with the office, transport dispatch and the warehouse supervisor still calling one another. Now it just remains to be seen who'll get stuck with the repair bill :(

I should have called in sick ...

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:03:08 GMT

The Life Experience Test

Overall, you have partaken in 61 out of 169 possible life experiences.
Your average life experience score is therefore 36%.

The average score is 50%, making your experiences more than 12% of the people who have taken this test.
The average for your age group (26-35) is 53%.

Broken down by category:
Art: 5/17 (29%)
Career & Work: 10/13 (77%)
Civics & Technology: 2/7 (29%)
Crime & Disarray: 1/11 (9%)
Education: 6/18 (33%)
Fashion: 3/10 (30%)
Fitness, Health and Sports: 1/7 (14%)
Life in General: 5/14 (36%)
Relationships: 9/14 (64%)
Religion & Politics: 1/4 (25%)
Social: 11/22 (50%)
Travel: 1/20 (5%)
Vices: 6/12 (50%)

Take the test and see how YOU compare

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:54:59 GMT

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a

Creative Self-Knowing Extrovert

Survived another Christmas!

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:32:33 GMT

Wow ... just wow!

   Another Christmas has come and gone, and I'm left to wonder what the heck happened, where did the time go in the frantic rush to prepare for a day that seems to disappear in the whirlwind of activity to prepare for it? The hectic running around, shopping, baking, cooking, planning, decorating ... and before we get the chance to actually enjoy the day it's gone.

   This year we prepared a lot of gifts ourselves ... apple butter, fruit compote, bath salts and canjun spice mixes and lots of baked goods. We rounded things out with a few purchased gifts, but for the most part we made the things we passed out. I like to think that all the gifts we made were truly appreciated ... I know of some people who were truly touched we put so much effort and time rather than cash into their gifts.

   This year natty77 's grandmother had her stove die on her ... oddly, it did the same last year too. So we had to prepare Christmas dinner at our house ... a big turkey in our little oven, and Nat's first attempt to boot. She covered it in a whole package of bacon to keep in the moisture, and filled in the cavity with a chunk of butter and spices, and gave the whole thing a nice spice rub-down ... it turned out so moist and juicy, it was the best turkey I've ever had :) Since her grandmother lived half a block away on the same street, we carried the whole thing there, along with gifts for her family and a cheesecake for dessert. To say everyone ate well is an understatement! We exchanged gifts and we came back home to prep for supper with my family on the South Shore ... dad picked us up and drove us, because we couldn't carry all the gifts we had over public transit! Another huge meal and a great gift exchange afterwards ... me and Nat were surprised because we made out like bandits! We came home, gathered our "virtual" gifts on WoW and then crashed ... something about lack of sleep and a lot of last minute cooking and wrapping :) lol

   A few things cropped up this year that threw us a curve getting ready for the season ... besides unexpected expenses and having to work Christmas Eve (which is another two big meals with our respective families in and of itself since it's Nat's b-day!), we had our youngest cat, Lady Grey, go absolutely nuts because of all the activity and she was into everything! Plus, we had to babysit a friend's cat ... and since she's somewhat antisocial she spends all her time on top of the fridge growling and hissing at everyone :)

   And now, a day later and somewhat recovered, we look back at the fond memories ... somewhat blurred because of how quickly they passed ... and we wish we could have enjoyed them a little more, spent more time with friends and family, some of whom we don't see often and might not see again for a long while. However, we enjoyed the time we did spend with everyone and we enjoyed making gifts, and even despite the hectic nature we had fun.

   To everyone, friends and family, from our family to yours, me and Nat wish everyone season's greetings and the holday's best!

Ahem ...

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:47:31 GMT

Happy birthday natty77 !

Did I ever mention how much I hate being sick?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:41:24 GMT

This is going to be the third day I've missed of work due to the flu :-( It's not only the lack of money (especially at this time of year!), but the general feeling of ick that bothers me and the inability to get anything done. At least last night I was able to start back on solid food for the first time since Sunday, but I still feel a bit achy in the joints and light headed, and the fever is not quite gone yet. Being light headed and a touch disoriented while zooming around a warehouse on a forklift is a bad thing ... and considering this whole affair has left me rather weak of limb, I won't be getting any serious box-shlepping done in a quick manner either.

Just taking a quick look around the LJ community shows that there is a nasty bug going around and a few of my friends have already fell prey to it. Best way to deal with it is to drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of bedrest, keep a bucket by the bedside and a clear path to the toilet ;-)

And surprisingly I've had one of the cats, Rogue, stay with me through the worst of this, never leaving my side and keeping my spirits up by cooing like a pigeon (I joke you not!). So at least as miserable as I was feeling, I always had someone with me, if not Rogue then natty77 to keep my spirits up.

Hopefully I'll be back to work by tomorrow ... then I can bitchslap the SOB upside the head who gave this to me in the first place!

Stolen from friends :)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:57:32 GMT

If you saw ME in a the back of a police car, what would you think I got arrested for?

Let's see what I get accused of ... given most meme's make me out to be some sort of angel >p

WOOHOO!

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:55:31 GMT

This morning I received an email from Amazon.ca saying they shipped Wrath of the Lich King. Less than half an hour ago natty77 called to let me know it arrived! And she had a lot of fun tormenting me ... the slow ripping sound of the package opening and reading the back :-)

Guess what i'm going to be doing when i get home? :-)

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:58:48 GMT

Woohow! I survived another year! :-)

Somehow this just seems wrong, yet ...

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:17:28 GMT

You Are 20% Evil

You are good. So good, that you make evil people squirm.

Just remember, you may need to turn to the dark side to get what you want!

How Evil Are You?

Why is it whenever I do one of these quizzes it makes me out to be some kind of angel? Must be doing something wrong ...

Stolen from natty77 ... who stole it from the_three_links :-)

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:48:59 GMT

100 questions to yours truly, answered by yours truly

1)Are your parents married or divorced?
married

2) Are you a vegetarian?
I didn't evolve to the top of the food chain to eat only rabbit food!

3) Do you believe in Heaven?
Yes

4) Have you ever come close to dying?
nope

5) What jewelery do you wear?
Wedding band, claddagh and a necklace with Nat's grad ring and a gold "J" on it

6) Favorite time of day?
Night

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
Yes

8) Do you wear makeup?
only if my halloween costume calls for it :)

9) Ever had plastic surgery?
No

10) Do you color your hair?
nope

11) What do you wear to bed?
usually my undershorts :-p

12) Have you ever done anything illegal?
can you define "illegal"?

13) Can you roll your tongue?
nope

14) Do you tweeze your eyebrows?
nope

15) What kind of sneakers?
either Brooks or as of now ... Dr Scholl's

16) Do you believe in abortions?
Depends on the circumstances

17) What is you natural hair color?
dark blond/light brown with red highlights

18) Do you have any children?
three of the small, fuzzy four legged variety ... oh wait, you mean humanoid? none

19) Do you snore?
No idea

20) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
British Isles

21) Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
only if the cats are well fed when they hop onto the bed :-)

22) If you ever won the lottery, what would you do first?
Pay off my credit cards, buy a house!

23) Gold or silver?
Gold

24) Hamburger or hot dog?
depends on food quality

25) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
freshly baked bread with butter and cheese!

26) City, beach, or country?
Country

27) What was the last thing you touched?
this computer ... duh?!!! :-p

28) Where did you eat last?
Tong por in China Town

29) When's the last time you cried?
Two weeks ago

30) Do you read blogs?
Depnds how bored i am

31) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
not really ... allthough medieval clothing was somewhat unisex ....

32) Ever been involved with the police?
When I was younger yes

33) What's your favorite shampoo?
Head and Shoulders

34) Do you talk in your sleep?
According to my brother, when I have a dream about food :-)

35) Ocean or pool?
pool ... lot easier to come by ... and not since I saw Jaws when I was younger ...

36) What's your favorite song at the moment?
Stan Bush - Dare

38) Window seat or aisle?
Window

39) Have you ever met any one famous?
my first english prof in Vanier College was the Leader of a political party, the Equality Party ... and they actually had seats in Parliment!

40) Do you feel that you've had a truly successful life?
yes and no .... vague enough for you? :-)

41) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
cut

42) Ricki Lake or Oprah?
oh gawds no!

43) Basketball or Football?
neither

44) How long do your showers last?
depends ... in a rush for work a minute, otherwise as long as I want :-)

45) Cake or ice cream?
yes please :-)

47) Are you self-conscious?
yup

48) Have you ever drank so much you threw up?
my bachelor's party ... mom says it was a cosmic injustice I didn't have a hangover the next day :-)

49) Have you ever given money to a tramp?
yuppers

50) Have you been in love?
Yes

51) Where do you wish you were?
I'm home ... I have my wife and love next to me and the cats gnawing at my feet ... what else do I need?

52) Are you wearing socks?
not at the moment

53) Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
nope ... and hopefully I can keep it that way, thank you very much

54) Can you tango?
not if my life depended on it

55) Last gift you received?
scrapbook from my wife for our one year wedding anniversary

56) Last sport you played?
Archery .... too long ago, especially since I got a new bow this summer :-(

57) Things you spend a lot of money on?
my wife, SCA stuff, and especially bills

58) Where do you live?
Point St Charles (Montreal)

59) Where were you born?
Saint Mary's Hospital (Montreal)

60) Last wedding attended?
Nat's best friend's in May

61) Favorite fast food restaurant?
toss up between Harvey's, Burger King, McDo's and Timmy's :-)

63) Most hated food?
Liver, blood pudding and things like that ... YUCK! >-p

64) What's your least favorite chore?
cleaning the toilet facilities, both human and feline >-)

65) Can you sing?
about as well as a herniated hippo in heat ... in other words, no :(

66) Last person you instant messaged?
Nat

67) Last place you went on holiday?
Hamilton Ontario to visit friends

68) Favorite regular drink?
iced tea :-) perferably green-tea blend :-)

69) Current crush?
My wife Nat

70) Name of your best friend?
Glen

71) What are you wearing right now?
since I just got up ... shorts

72) When is the last time you had sex?
Last week

73) Who gave you your first kiss?
that knowledge was lost in the annals of history

74) Who did you lost your virginity to?
girl by the name of Caroline

75) What will you name your future children?
perferably not "Hey you!" :-)

76) Favorite movie?
Lord of the Rings triology and Braveheart ... it's a toss-up

77) Favorite television show?
Mythbusters, various and sundry cartoons and history stuff

78) Celebrity crush?
none

79) Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Coffee ... a close second is cookie dough :-)

80) Do you want people to do this meme?
why not? good way to get to know people better :-)

81) Do you have your nails done (girls)?
NA

82) If you were on Death Row, what would your last meal consist of?
lots of fresh bread, a variety of cheeses and pate and real green iced tea to wash it down

83) Do you remember when toilet tissue came in colors?
vaguely ...

84) Did you have a VCR when you were younger?
yup ... still converting some to DVD ... grumble grumble

85) Did you have a laser disc player when you were younger?
if you mean a CD player then yes ... otherwise no

86) Do you remember when MTV played music videos?
Yes

87) Who was your favorite band when you were in the 6th grade?
I didn't listen to much music back then

88) Who is your favorite band now?
Heather Dale

89) First concert you ever saw?
Gawd ... so long ago I can't remember

90) Last concert you saw?
Heather Dale last time she was in Montreal at the Yellow Door

91) Do you ever buy cd's anymore or just download from iTunes?
I buy CDs and download rare, hard to find stuff or things when I want only one or two songs from a given artist

92) Are you married?
Yes

93) Do you want to be married?
I won't have proposed if I didn't
.
94) Are you in a relationship?
Given that I'm married ... uh, yeah? :-p

95) What is his/her name?
Nat

96) What is your middle name?
Oliver

97) What color are your eyes?
Steely blue-grey .... although they occasionally change color based on my mood :-)

98) What is your best feature?
my eyes and my sense of humor

99) How old are you?
35 at the end of the month! ... waaaaaa! :-)

100)Do you like memes?
never met a meme I didn't like ... although there was this one time ... :-)

Happy One Year Anniversary!

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:17:04 GMT

Well, natty77 and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary yesterday ... it seems like only yesterday we were the center of a maelstrom of chaos! It seems like only yesterday that we stood before the priest and exchanged our vows and put the rings on our fingers. It seems like only yesterday we were taking pictures in our finest clothing and enjoying the company of friends and family and quietly wishing we were able to invite more.

Needless to say, it didn't feel like it was a year ... guess we are still shell-shocked from all the going ons and prep needed to get The Big Day off the ground, considering we were paying for the majority of it and planning most of it ourselves with little help from everyone else! We also hit Pennsic almost one month beforehand, since we needed to escape for a week to just hold onto our sanity ... another reason why it doesn't feel like a year ... No Pennsic, no preplanned days this year ... it's quiet compared to the insanity of this time last year! :-)

We spent a nice quiet day together ... except for the fact that Nat's grandma and aunt wanted to take us out to lunch then have something to eat afterwards back at their place :-\ Also didn't help that I have a really nasty chest cold and had trouble breathing last night ... much better this morning :-)

Nat made me this wonderful scrapbook that has our life together thus far ... select photos of us, clips of emails when we first met, poems and songs we enjoyed together. She worked hard on it and only finished it at seven yesterday morning ... it was beautiful! We also got cards from family and friends, phone calls and Facebook posts wishing us a "Appy Hanniversary" :-)

Anyhow, off to start a busy day! At least I have the week off ... planned my second week of vacation so I was able to spend time with my beloved wife.

FUN FACTS!

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:03:08 GMT

FACT - most of the body's heat is lost through the top of the head.

FACT - cats like to sleep in warm spots.

FACT - cats are often startled by sudden loud noises ... like alarm clocks going off at seven in the morning.

Alone, these facts are merely interesting trivia ... together, they form a mighty good explanation for the scratches in my scalp :( **SIGH**

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:14:42 GMT

Finally figured why my foot has been aching so much as of late ... wore out the gel cushions in my runners! Now I have to wear my loafers to work otherwise I won't be able to stand for long periods of time :-(

An Interesting Weekend

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:12:55 GMT

The title of this post says it all.

This past thursday my darling wife,

natty77, finally talked me into getting something that she dearly wanted, a force of elemental fury and destruction unmatched in the natural word with the energy of several suns.

And this unstoppable force is ... a kitten. We call her Lady Grey :-)

Several much deprived nights of sleep later and we've finally managed to get her into a routine were she isn't tearing around the room at three in the morning, knocking things off of shelves or clawing at exposed body parts in the hopes we'll wiggle a string or something for her to play with. I believe kittens are so cute because we'd kill them other wise. She's very affectionate and cuddly, so this is also a saving grace.

She also has a nasty sinus cold, so we're dosing her with extra vitamins and giving her extra TLC. She was abandoned by her mom in a friend's backyard with two siblings (both now in good homes as well) and now she's about five and a half weeks old ... she couldn't even walk when found, she was so young! Now she's tearing around like a mad cat, despite being sick. This morning she's going to see the vet to get the workup and hope that what she has isn't too serious.

As for our other cats ... Tuffer likes her, Rogue hasn't decided if she's a threat or a new toy :-)