Oskie What What?

Once upon a time on Saturday night (technically it was early, early Sunday morning), I was minding my own business being asleep. Then all of a sudden I wake up and I can't breath without coughing (I am an asthmatic recovering from a chest cold). Even just shallow nasal breathing sends me into fits of in which I can barely catch my breath. A little bit of inhaler time and some self talk reminding me that I was not dying solved that. But I slept like restless crap after that.

That kinda set up the suckiness for my morning - feeling just off and bleh and bleh and gross. So when you're feeling like that, there is really only one thing that you can fully throw yourself into - opposite action all the way.... Hamilton Ti-Cats playoff football. Duh.


Two excited fans waiting for the game to start:


Patriotism:


My boyfriends:

Some Real Solid Parenting

Just in case there are little ones in your life - this is a very good and highly recommended place to take care of your diapering needs in a way that feels good for your heart, your wallet and your earth.

Solid Parenting Example

superpoop.com

I'm just sayin'

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

Quatchi (whom I cuddle with every night, who is in many forms stuck to the back of my car, whose picture is on the fleece blanket adorning my bed, who is in postcard form a few times in my collection, who has been coloured by me and some crayons on many occasions) and Prince Charles (whose hand I shook last week) together. Oh. My.

(many thanks to Dad for pointing this out to me)

A Tale of a Daughter of the Empire

Once upon a this morning I was trying to have a nap after a restless night when my lovely roommate Ames come up to inform me that I had visitors. The lovely Linda and ravishing Richard where in my kitchen looking for an umbrella and possible company. They informed me that Prince Charles and Camilla were down at the HMCS Haida getting a tour and they were aiming to do some royal stalking. Obviously I wanted a piece of that action, so I threw on some outdoor protection and my United Empire Loyalist pin and took off with my friends. We got ourselves some great standing ground by the car we figured the couple would be taking. We had prime placement for watching Camilla get in the pretty black car, but Prince Charles did not get in with her.



He was shaking hands with the crowd. The crowd on our side. And, (fanfare please) he shook hands with me! Eeeee! I shook hands with Prince Charles! I'd say that was worth getting out of bed for.

Eco Friendly

I'm waiting for a certain beloved former school of mine to go down this route...


toothpastefordinner.com

World Class

Mukmuk eyes up the luge start at the Whistler Sliding Centre

More Mukmuk

Mukmuk terrorizes traffic on the Lions Gate bridge!

Mukmuk

I'd like you to meet my new friend Mukmuk:

Possible Delays In Service

Hello faithful blog readers. This is your friendly neighbourhood lstew. I'm coming to you today from the comfort of my kitchen to tell you that me Daddy an' I are heading to British Colombia tomorrow and will be there for a week. This may 'cause interruptions in regular updates. My apologies for any distress this may cause.

-The Management

Things We Can Be Thankful For

Turkey farts

Things We Can Be Thankful For

Bacon

Things We Can Be Thankful For

Safety

I Think They're Missing Some Big Marketing Possibilities

From cbc.ca (and my Dad)

What the ...? Wisconsin Tourism Federation changes name to avoid potentially vulgar acronym
Canadian Press THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin tourism lobbying group is changing its name after realizing its initials formed a crude acronym.

The Wisconsin Tourism Federation group did a quiet rebranding in July, changing its name to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin and updating its logo from WTF to TFW after it was featured on Web sites and blogs poking fun at it. It had no way of knowing 30 years ago that the letters would go on to take on a crude association.

Lead lobbyist for the group, Chet Gerlach, said Wednesday that the federation made the change after the meaning of the common text message lingo was brought to their attention.

FWIW (For what it's worth), officials say Wisconsin's tourism industry is a $13 billion business and grew 2.7 per cent last year.

A Kitty After My Own Heart

A Little Different Than Earworm

I have this funny little habit. Ok, I have thousands of funny little habits. But let's focus on just one for this post. The habit of focus is this - sometimes when I see something (and label it) or think about something very specific, the term or label pops into a song that fits the syllables of the term. That explanation was kind of convoluted, so let me share an example.

Sunday evening I was standing out on my porch and I saw a couple walking by. The female of the couple was wearing skinny jeans. I identified them as such. Then in my head I started singing (to the tune of Silver Bells), "skiiiny jeaaans, skuh-innny jeansss, it's Christmas time by the bay-ay." I'll share a couple of others to prove that it is indeed a quirk of mine.

One day after a particularly enraging meeting I was walking home singing Zippidy Doo Dah in my head. But the lyrics, uh, well, I'll use a rhyming word, it went like this: "duckity, duck, duck, duckity yeah...". Or last week (this one's a little different) I was getting ready to go out for Chinese with my friend Linda and my head took the tune from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and started going "Go, go, go Linda, you know what they say. Hang on now Linda you'll make it someday. Sha-la-la Linda, you're doing fine. You and your dreamcoat ahead of your time!"

Does anyone else do this?

Likely What I Could Afford

nataliedee.com

Equation

1 Friday afternoon + 1 roommate's hair extentions + coffee grounds + vapo rub = Dwayne

I Knew There Was A Reason I Should Have One

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Though I'm not too sure about the fire coming out of my butt.

Just A Reminder To...

Goo Goo

Ok, I have something to admit. I like Lady Gaga. I think she's good for pop music. And on Saturday I cleaned the upstairs bathroom for an hour, fueled by her infectious pop rhythms.

Up until a few months ago she was a very tiny blip on my radar. To the best of my knowledge I hadn't even heard the entirety of one of her songs (which is what happens when you don't spend much time with top 20 radio). But then, while engaging in one of my favourite activities - reading in the bathroom, she got up in the face of my cultural radar. Through one 3 page spread in Macleans I came to respect her and what she is doing with her art. Yup, I called it art. Lianne George of Macleans says in the spread, "Instead of engaging the idea of 'realness,' she's created an absurdist alternate reality - identifying David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Warhol as her inspirations - where music, fashion, performance art and sex collide to create a commercial art supernova."

Gaga is bringing pop back. She says in interviews that you won't catch her blogging about her feelings or pumping gas in a t-shirt and flip flops. She's living her art and I feel like I need to applaud her for it. In my mind she's leading a renaissance to the days of true performers. Pop performers don't get to be human, nor do I think we want them to be. In this time of recession and transition, I don't want to know about pop star's regular everyday problems. I want to be transported, distracted and entertained. Lady Gaga is training hard in this trade

On Sunday night I happened to catch her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. I have to say that I was actually moved by the intensity of her performance. Thus far I haven't located a posting of it that I can embed here. But, you can you find it on MTV's site here (chose the 15th clip) or this lesser quality youtube post here.

Uh, concluding sentence...shake ure kitty.

We're On A Boat (Yes, With Flippy Floppies) [updated]

Soooo, last weekend a couple of roommates' parents brought their bought up to our place and we took it out. Possibly at one point we found ourselves in a week channel meeting some sizable swells coming in from Lake Ontario. Here is some topsy turny (mostly what you'll have to do with your head) footage:

(UPDATE - you can actually watch it now)

Watching People In Labour

Willem and I took in Hamilton's Labour Day parade. There was a dragon, and we got a frisbee and some candy and there were dogs and buses and trucks and an old timey school teacher and whistles and pipers and waving and fun. Awww.

We're Living In A Slap Dash Episode

Next in a series of things that would make the universe better if I owned them is this:



Reasons it would be good for me to have the SLAAAAP CHOP:

• I really like to cook.
  
• I love to keep expanding my repertoire and taking mini adventures with traditional recipes or the dishes I grew up with.
  
• I live with 7 other people.
• Moving sharp blades that swing to look like a butterfly for dishwasher safe easy cleaning (we don't have a dishwasher).
  
• This would help cut prep time.
• The guy on the ad looks crazy.
  
• This would help cut dishes.
• More growth in cooking due to the ease of prep.
• It's named Slap Chop
  

Laura The Merciful

If I ever need to send underlings to collect things for me, I think I'm going to hire this cat...

"It seems that the time has come for you to repay your loan. Laura the Merciful requires your cooperation in this."

"I see. You do not *have* the money. Ms. Merciful has given me the authority to strongly encourage you to *find* the money."