snort

I don't know if you ever watch these things... I keep forgetting about them, then I have a bunch to catch up on when I get back around to them.

Enjoy.

FAI Hashdown

It's Wednesday night.
Tomorrow night I have no plans to go out... and it's EXACTLY what I need.
Why? Because I need to do boring normal people things. I need to do laundry and I need to get some writing done..  I need to ... crap. in writing this I just remembered I do have plans.

This is why I write.


I figure I'll go thru some of my favourites from Folk Alliance and share them here...

So, like OCFF, basically there are the public showcases and then the private ones. I missed The Milk Carton Kids in their public showcase, but I managed to shoehorn myself into their last private showcase.  Picture this if you can- a Suite in the hotel, the bed has been removed, the couches pushed against the wall. These suites can fit about 30 comfortably, room for people to move around, the band at the "front".

Now get rid of the front of the room... place two singers in the round- in the centre of the room... fit more chairs in... now shove people into every available space and start to question the structural integrity of the building when you realize there's more 80 people in the room.

Got that?

ok.

now the sound guy says "you're all going to have to be silent for this to work", as the humidity in the room has shorted out something in the board and it's suddenly an acoustic set... the room goes silent, and stays silent for the entire 30 minute set... except for that part when someone in the hall knocks on the door trying to get in.. and the entire room (including the musicians) dies of laughter as each person realizes they can't even turn to look at the door.

Mush up against someone and listen to this...

It's like simon and garfunkle had babies with ron sexsmith and then those babies locked themselves in their bedrooms till they were 25 with only their guitars to keep them company. Like that.

perfection

I laugh when I read the line "feel all the feels" no matter the context. But after the past week it was the only way I could express what was going on in me...

The hard stuff was outweighing the good... and though they were coming in equal measures, I was heavy.

Someone sent me this video last night... and... well, it's perfection. It's up there with Tanya's "How to be Alone" in terms of feel good and practicality and cuteness.

I feel much better. My scared is scared.

Dream a little dream

This is a little rambley...

Vivid cottage dreams kept me entertained at night... including this one where the taxi guy owed this mob guy some money, and when I went out to get my taxi, he'd been buried alive in pea gravel. I had to use my wheat broom (one that used to belong to my parents and now belongs to me) to sweep the gravel off of him, except that the broom had been eaten by the rabbit, so mostly I was just wiping this sump of a broom over the poor guy's lips...

I remembered so much detail in the morning that the retelling of the story made me sleepy.


Also... we watched Harold and Maude....

I don't have much to say ... just... WAY TO GO MAUDE

(totally tempted to make some inappropriate phone calls after watching that)

Eat Papa! Eat!

(disclaimer, I didn't post this one before heading to the cottage- cottage stories are coming soon)

There are certain Christmas movies that just make the season for me. My mom was in love with "It's a Wonderful Life", I've always been partial to the Christmassy cartoons- but I'd still sit down every year and watch that one with her. I think of her when I watch it now. This year I didn't really get around to watching any Christmas specials...

Anyway, for me it was the Disney "Silly Symphony" Christmas special. It was getting old when I watched it as a kid, but it was the thing that brought me into the Christmas Spirit. A few years ago I posted my favourite short, I'd spent years trying to find it... I'm posting it again.  Jump to 6:25 for the "Night Before Christmas" portion.



The stop frame animation Christmas specials were also a huge favourite of mine. Rudolph being the all time best.
At work when we want to encourage one of our individuals to eat his supper, we quote it "Eat papa, eat! No one wants a skinny Santa".

Skinny Santa is what I call this one guy that I see in town. He's an older man in his 60's with a long flowing beard. He's a runner. I totally yell (in my head) "Eat papa, eat!" when I see him.
The other day I saw him jump the plastic fencing around a construction site while he was running. We've gotten a good amount of snow here this week, and he high stepped his way to the fence and bounced over it.

I giggled.

But I laughed HARD out loud when I saw him high step his way to the porta-potty on the other side of the construction site.

1500

Yes.

For some strange reason I've stuck to it... 1500 entries to the blog.

For your enjoyment (and mine)... here's a treat from my longtime favourite fiend Amy Winfrey.

(click for awesome)

*yes, I realize if you add the numbers on the side bar it doesn't add up- that's because there are a number of "secret" posts that you don't get to read*

udate

There was an Easter miracle.. other than the obvious.

Maria laid her first egg, and the hot tub worked.

They were short lived miracles, no eggs today and the hot tub stopped working.

Tub is scheduled to be fixed on Thursday- when on thursday? "he'll be there before noon, unless he isn't, then he'll be there after."

I just cried my way through this video....

so, I realize I've been a slack in the posts department lately.

It's because I've been boring.

This weekend has been filled with awesome things though, and when I've a moment, I'll be posting again... until then, another WOTE video...

Spring... and SPRUNG!

It's spring here!

Robins, Cardinals, Chickens, Wood Peckers... and giant leaping bunnies!

Poor 'Touff. He kept wiping out in the mud in the yard while he ran around. Slightly funny, slightly terrifying. Eventually he figured out that the herb bed was dry and solid and fun to play in (yes, the fence is going back up on it as soon as the last frost has passed). He's a bit of a lug though- and ran into the wall and the boards multiple times.

Yes, I called him a "wingnut".

head aches

There's one thing about the new job that pains me.

The music selection.

I support a young person who's taste in music is limited to the current top 4 songs.

If those 4 songs could be played on an endless loop, she'd be happy... thanks to the wonders of radio planning, by flipping the station after every song, she's found a way to play those 4 songs in endless succession.

Enter some awesomeness.

This may be the only redeeming version of this song.

Though, I'll admit- the "Elmo and I know it" tune is the alternative I sing when subjected to the radio version.

quiet listening.

one of those sounds that I just really like....

personal improvement

I only share this with you because I care.
THIS (link) was an actual video that the health and safety group from work decided we needed to watch.
Please, take it to heart. I think the most important line in it has something to do with patriotism ...



in other personal improvement areas... I think I need a sign by the door. Like the one that hangs at a home I know of... it says something to the effect of "am I ready to face the world today?" and hangs beside a mirror, so everyone who passes it can see if they've remembered to clean themselves up before they leave the house.
Last week, I forgot to bring a fresh pair of sock with me to the overnight job... and then didn't have time to stop at home in the morning before the day job.... by the end of the day I nearly killed myself with the fumes.
Last night I went with the boys to grab some dinner.
When I got there, I realized - though I'd just showered and smelled pretty- I'd forgotten deodorant. And a bra.
At least I'm awesome.

Little Log Love

I was thinking about this again.
I know that I've posted it before- but it's always good to see it again!

click for log love.

back in time... waaaaaay back

for years I've been looking for a certain Christmas special.

seriously for years... I started when I was around 18... checking in at the local video store, asking the owners if they remembered it. (They did, but didn't know the name of it)

This was in the days before Google.

These are the days of Google, so for the past few years, I've been googling "Christmas specials old" "Disney Christmas specials night before Christmas" and "mama dolls decorate the tree"

all for naught.

Growing up, we'd watch all the Christmas specials we could find. Grinch was right up there. The animated Rudolf, old saint nick, chipmunks, Micky, Muppet's.... the list goes on. But the one I loved most was the one where the night before Christmas played... Santa went down the chimney, and let loose the bag of toys who proceeded to decorate the tree while a dozen little kids slept. Images that stuck out in my mind the most... the dolls that say "mama" marching along (floppy falling over) in time to the tin solders playing their trumpets.... the fire engine pumping fake snow onto the branches.... Santa using a tiny umbrella in the toe of a torn stocking so it would hold the toys... and the blimp dropping the star on the Christmas tree....

It was remembering the blimp that helped me find it on Friday night... "Christmas special Disney night before Christmas blimp" went into the google bar... and I came face to face with the 1932 Merry Melodies Night Before Christmas.

It was taken off the air because of one scene where a little boy looks up into the fireplace and gets covered in soot from Santa squirming out... the result is the little boy looking like he's in black face until a puppy licks his face clean. It was considered "ethnic humour" and a little too racy for TV.

Enjoy! Seriously, this brings me back... (click the pic)

come again?

I'm not sure how I missed this....

but I think I just found the best ever site.

www.failblog.org

I'm pretty much about to pee myself here.

NOw... go... watch THIS

hooked up, linked up... (or) Bunday Monday updates

that's right... we're back online.

pray for the computer, that it lasts another month or so... till I'm able to get my new one.

and now, without further delay.... the missing Monday Bunday shots (and video)

(Giant Binky... only just barely caught it when I turned on the camera... CBC radio in the background... You can get an idea of 'Touf's size when I pan over to him by the computer desk... he can put his nose over the top of the desk, again, just barely caught him doing that too)

Chillin' on the top shelf. They seem to like it best for sleeping.

I think everyone's settling in ok.

OMGPONIES!!!1!!1!!!!!!

ok, so I'm nearly wetting myself laughing since T.Lam posted about Mark the Ikea Guy.

you MUST... I repeat... MUST watch these videos!

50 points if you can correctly give me the origin of this post's title.

A Year of Firsts

... or new beginnings.
If you were into numerology you'd understand that this year is a year of beginnings... something about "add the 2 and the 8 and remove a zero and shift the decimal... and you get a 1".
errrr.. something.

So, to a year of; new things; new people; new places; new emotions; new goals; new dreams; new adventures!

Ok, so I made the most brilliant discovery today! Rock Band (which I love) and Guitar Hero (That I don't so much love) are NOT new concepts!!! Nope, they are a rip off of an old design.
Press a button, strum, feel like you're creating music... oh yeah, it's all been done before.... may I present to you ....



The Autoharp!
Yup, press a button (they are cleverly decorated with the chord printed right on them) strum... and you've got instant music. errr. so long as you aren't laughing too hard to keep playing. Now, that said... there's alot more you can do on the autoharp than my ridiculous plunking of "leaving on a jet plane" or trying to play "blowin in the wind"... esp if it's been set up right... I had the privilege of using a um... designer autoharp tonight... so the chords were limited. If you click the photo above, you'll get to hear a pro in action.... I sound more... umm... stylistic?

12 days... like none other.

well, the count-down is on, my shopping is... near finished I think.
Most of my bedroom is packed (I did get rid of a lot of stuff, and I found three sweaters I forgot I had)...

Generally I don't consider it the Christmas season till I've had "Christmas in the Tub"... an annual event that has me singing Christmas carols along with the Nylons at the top of my lungs while enjoying a long hot bubble bath. The bubble bath is packed, and the Nylons are only on my computer this year... I think though, that this video has brought the Christmassy feeling to my heart..... enjoy!

FOUND!!!!

ok, last week? I mentioned how much I loved the new Old Navy commercial (the sweater one) and... ta-da! it's been found... take a listen to it . It's been in my head since it first came out.