the journey home

I was sitting here thinking about my last entry apology.  I was sitting here noting that I've now managed three months without posting.  I was sitting here trying to figure out how I managed to screw up the counting of months.

Really, I'm sorry for letting 2 months pass between writings here.  It's not like nothing's happened.  I've had remarkably great and remarkably bad things happen in my life, most of which has been blog worthy.  My problem is the computer/internet itself and my ability to spend four hours doing a fifteen minute job.  I got up extra early (which implies that I think 8:30 am is early) this morning so that I could get done some of the things that I really must complete.  Over the past 2.5 hours I have checked my email, read blogs, caught up on Facebook (evil, evil facebook) and typed this entry.

No reporting for school (I am so close to being caught up it isn't funny)
No further steps in the organization of the Longroom.
No breakfast and not nearly enough coffee!!

The list goes on, really, but all I'm doing now is not getting off the computer and, that, I really need to do!

So, know that I'm alive and that I'm ridden with guilt about abandoning you all.  I love you and will promise nothing, other than I will try harder.

I NEED a schedule!  How the hell do I do that?!  Seriously.

Last year, at the age of eight, Kitten began the school year in her first school. It was a phenomenal, tiny little independent school with its curriculum based in bioregional sustainability. They believed in child-led learning and we loved it there - we fit. It wasn't perfect, nothing is, but it was the best of all worlds to our little family. A month after school began, our delightful landlord gave us six months notice. He was selling our house. Gee, thank god we'd redone the 30 year old flooring throughout and completely rebuilt the rotting bathroom! He might not have been able to get the $400K he was hoping for.

I digress. With housing being what it was in the city (read: nonexistent) we quickly discovered that we didn't have the option of sticking it out for the remainder of the school year. With that decision made for us, we discovered another positive point about the school. It had a great distance learning program. Brilliant. Me? Not so much. I really prefer to do my own thing. I don't like feeling like I've got someone looking over my shoulder. Not only that but I'm really lazy and easily overwhelmed. Not the best two characteristics when trying to... well, anything! So our poor DL teacher had to pull it out of her ass at the end of the year because my reporting sucks.

We're with a new program this year. My sister has been with this program for a couple/few years and offered to be my paper-worker as they require weekly reporting of a very detailed nature. She said, "You do the home learning and give me a general outline of what you've done, I'll put it in the form they want to see." Well, guess what? They seem to be less than pleased about the fact that Kitten is registered under my sister's name (as opposed to a parent) and they want me to register with the program. Yay. I'm f*ing thrilled. From 3x yearly reporting (which I sucked at) to weekly reporting... did I already say 'yay?'

Needless to say, my life has not exactly been what I'm used to. Kitten has swimming lessons 2ce/week, plus 'Library afternoon,' 'Park day,' and woodworking. Monday is the only day we're not scheduled out the ass. Whee. Yeah, I've been busy, not that it really makes a difference to blogging. Busy... lazy... it all ends up the same in the end. No updating!

I'm updating!

Now, for the news. Wolf had a  laparoscopic appendectomy on September 9th (Happy birthday to YOUUuuu!)  He's doing well and only had to go back in once (due to refusing post-operative hospitalization for longer than 12 hours.)  He's still tender and that means, you know kids, kitten head butts him in the belly at least once a day.  Yesterday, finally, we were painfully graphic about the procedure.  Maybe she'll get it, now.

Kitten is doing well.  She's in her element- busy, busy, busy! I'm ... me.  I have good days and not so good days.  I'm okay.  I'm rolling with it.  Sometimes I'm rolling under it, protecting my arms and legs from the wheels, but I'm still here - have you noticed the time of this entry?!

And now Super Mom has to have a shower.  And another coffee.  And some Advil.  Swimming lessons and the library await!!

Okay, I know that I've been gone a really long time and I generally don't like that fact. I haven't had the time or motivation to write lately no matter how I would love to do just that.

I want to be able to catch up just like that but I am so distractable and time runs a bit faster for me because of it. If only I had... there are too many things and none of them would actually help. If only I had a laptop... I'd still have to open it and use it without getting totally distracted. If only I had a laptop that wasn't connected to the internet... I'd still have to get my writings from it to the PC. If only I had a Mac... No, that one pretty much stands, lmao. I have to make the time, post the pictures... there's a lot to do and the list gets a little longer everyday. This is not a bad thing, it just is.

I'm very glad for the 'friend page.' It means that you will know this is here, rather than not knowing of the update until you happen to check in, like other (cough-blogger-cough) blogs. Ahem, I seem to have a tickle.

Anyway, I have already eaten butt-loads of computer time and Kitten wants to check on her blasted webkin. I must let her as she finally, finally cleaned up her room and it only took 3 weeks.  (Truth be told, I didn't really institute consequences until this week.  It works!  It confused her a little bit after the 2 wishy-washy weeks - wait a minute, she's nine! - but I'm sure we'll both get the hang of this thing.)

I'm outta here, but maybe this entry signals the beginning of the Three Posts a Day part of my cycle?  Ooh, suspense!

Sending oodles of web-love (not net-sex) and stuff (not 'the money shot')...

I'm heading down island for the weekend so I won't be posting a)entries b)comments c)replies to comments.


Love you all!

I am so tired.  I just can't seem to get any sort of spark lit under my ass right now.  My sink is full of dishes, the only clean laundry in the house is stuff I can do in the sink (read: underwear).  Dinner, this evening, was egg salad on toast... and chips and ice cream.

I'm already dreading this full week ahead of me...  I don't know for sure but I'll bet setting a bedtime that's earlier that 3am might help a touch.

I'll let you know.

I love my family. I love my daughter. I struggle to let go of my need to control. Our cat (Kitten's cat) is particular and precious and patient. She will speak when she's less than pleased, but she almost never strikes out. She's not much for being carried and will say so, meowing once as if she's been startled.

Kitten comes from one side of the house, carrying her beloved cat.  A brief conversation ensues.

K    - There, I finally found a position where she doesn't meow!
Me - Oh yeah?  You picked her up by the muzzle?
K    - NO!

Kitten loves to make forts for her cat.  She designs complicated tunnel and bridge systems, some of which remain upright long enough to be enjoyed.  Sometimes Kitten will forget about their game, leaving the room.  This morning, after having fed her cat into one such tunnel, Kitten returns to the kitchen to chat.  She spits out a brief flurry of statements, some of which are even related to each other, before returning to her room.

K    - I know how find just where she is in the tunnel (giggling)
Me - You enter the room and suddenly scream like a banshee?
K    - NO!

Yeah, she has to deal with my crap all the fricken time.

What Your Favorite Color Red Says About You:

Ambitious --- Energetic --- Passionate Spontaneous --- Attractive --- Inspiring Seductive --- Powerful --- Addicting

You Are Wolverine

Small but fierce, you're a great fighter. Watch out! You are often you're own greatest enemy. Powers: Adamantium claws, keen senses, the ability to heal quickly

Your Musical Tastes Match: Nicole Kidman

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

Your Love Life is Like Annie Hall

"A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies." You believe that love (if you even believe in love!) is a very complicated thing. Maybe love is pain. Or maybe it's all a big therapy session. You're still figuring it out. Your love style: Brainy and a bit neurotic Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Realistic and reflective

Only because I am so tired and must sleep. Here's the rundown, complete with pictures.

We left for Nanaimo at about 7:45am. Arrived just in the nick of time to catch the 8:40 ferry to Horseshoe Bay. Once on the ferry we saw water,



and more water. (I am sorely tempted to add more pictures of water and, trust me, I have them. It's late and being tired is only an excuse right now. By the time you read this, I'll be awake and feeling sheepish. I'll leave it at this, I think.)

Is that a military vessel of some sort...?



Oh, nope... it's an island.


Off the ferry and onto the Trans Canada.
This road trip takes us through mountains,




past trees,




beside snowy patches,



under a cloud...



Here's a new experience.







Yeah, there really is a first time to drive through a startlingly recent (though minor) landslide. And I got pictures, sucka!

My Dad, the reason for the trip (his retirement party),



and the little sister I always wanted but didn't get until my Dad remarried.



Persian candy,



friends,



and, of course, playoff hockey!


(pardon the blur, I was laughing)

I was gifted with silliness, step-sister style,



and a little more,



that had me laughing 'til tears and precariously close to wetting myself.

We see the whole party,



minus the photographer,



and some family bonding to end the day.



Sunday:

(apparently, body snatchers replaced me with a noob in all photos of me from the weekend. I have no recollection of it happening, but that is the only explanation I can come up with.)


Homeward bound by 8:30am, one hour later than we wanted to leave




but we still managed to catch the 7:00 pm ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo.
There was a slight delay as we waited for The Queen of Esquimalt to leave dock three,



which gave me the time I needed to walk around on the parking deck in my bare feet (a wholly satisfying experience in my opinion).

Back on the Trans Canada but my favorite stretch, this time.
We leave the highway to travel a mostly unlit back road. Now it's dark!







There's the condensed version. Stay tuned for the filler...