TUPPERWARE!

Okay, it is 2010 and as far as I know there is still no perfect system for organizing tupperware! I can't believe we send people to the moon, we use cell phones to contact people all over the world and yet we have no way to store tupperware that doesn't involve toppling towers of plastic and missing lids!

Marty actually admitted today, after watching me restack the tupperware containers that toppled off the shelf when I reached in to grab a piece, that he would rather eat all the food on the table, leaving no leftovers than go into the tupperware cupboard! It's true, I thought, going into that cupboard only leads to frustration. We have the containers, stacked and the lids lined up beside them. The lids however, slide all over the place when you take a container and if you don't catch them in time, they all end up falling off the shelf, taking every container down with them! I've tried several methods of organizing things. I've placed lids, according to size in baskets, I've tried keeping the lids on the containers and stacking the bunch of them, I've tried having rows and rows of like container sizes stacked together, but nothing has proven to be the magical answer! Today, the method we go with is stack everything, line up the lids, close the door and hope the other guy is the one that has to get the next container!

A DEFINITION...

I am sure there are several but today, here is a definition of hell, the one I'm in right now: being sick on the couch, sharing the TV with my hungover husband, stuck inside while it pours rain with a very hyper, very bored, very vocal Boxer X puppy!!!!

DON'T BELIEVE THEM!!!

You know how your parents always told you, when you were camped out in the backyard and could hear the coyotees howling, that "those coyotes are more afraid of you than you are of them." Don't believe them! Today, I saw first hand that I am definatly more afraid of them than they are of me!!

I was out at "the farm," where I keep Dirt Face, riding with my friend, Jamie. Scout was with us, ofcourse having a ball swimming in all the sloughs, leaping through the tall grass and chasing dear. We were almost back at the barn when I saw him...the mangy, scruffy old coyote. The trick with Scout is to make sure I see all chasable things before she does and this one I saw. He was stalking closer and closer to us, making no sound at all. The horses didn't even notice him. I, made a bad decision just then, it turned out. I decided to ride towards him, hoping to scare him off before Scout would notice....oh, I scared him off alright, I scared him off into a dead run that before I could distract her, caught Scout's attention. She was off like a shot, practically riding that coyotes heels. I screamed after her, "NO, SCOUT, NO!!!!" Scout, clearly on a mission, she thought was all in good fun, didn't even flicker an ear in my direction. To my horror, she dissapeared into the bush.

Jamie and I looked at each other booted our horses into gallops, hollering for Scout. Galloping, it turned out was a great decision. Scout, unable to resist a good horse race, came bolting out of the bush to see if she could beat Dirt Face and Panda, who we swung in the direction of the barn. We got the horses stopped, and feeling sooo lucky that my dog was back, I dismounted to close the gate and hug Scouter. I had barely stepped to the ground when we heard it. The creepiest sound filled the silence between the animal's heavy breathing and my panicked heart. It was the coyote! He was back and he was "calling Scout out!" He continued to beckon for her, trying desperatly to lour her towards him and probably his pack. I managed to snag Scout's collar just as she figured out she was being challenged. With Jamie's help, I got one of Dirt's reins untied, secured it to Scout's leash and led her strait to the house where the owner of the Farm was frantically locking up her own dogs!

Those coyotes are NOT afraid of you!

VACUME

It grosses me out how much dog hair clogged the filter of my vacume today after vacuuming the tiny amount of carpet we have. Had I not vacuumed, I'd still be living in the peaceful ignorance of wondering if I really needed to vacuume, afterall it looked like there was nothing to suck up! Ha! Sick! How can there be so much hair that I can't even see????

Worse was the slate floor in the kitchen and living room. Seriously, if you were to glance around, or even walk on the floor, you would have no idea that is was covered in a layer of fine, fine dog hairs. I had not idea, until I swept it up into a pile. The exercise starts with me sweeping randomly, looking for some big crumb to start my pile, then without even knowing it, I have a pile, a big pile of dog hair!!! Ewwwwwwwww!!!!

Anyway, the floors are hair free....at least until I let Scout back in the house, better come over quick!!! :)

FATBURGER

Ate at Fatburger today for the first time. What would possess any health conscious human being to eat at a place called, Fatburger??? Her husband's insistance that's what!

In we went to "Americas last burger stand" for good old fashioned Fatburgers! We ordered, the cashier hollered out our order, the line cooks hollered it back, she gave us a number, cups for our free refill fountain drinks and sent us to find a table. Marty dropped our change into a tub labled "fat tip" the girl having heard the change rattle when it hit the bottom hollered out, "Fat Tip!" Once again everyone repeated. It was actually kind of fun, all this "fat energy!"

Our milkshake showed up first. It was a chocolate one with whip on top! What? I have never had a milkshake with whip, had I known, I would have requested "no whip" but there I was with a rapidly melting milk shake topped with foamy white whip! Not one to waste food, I chugged it down. Gotta admit, it was deliscious! Our burgers and fries showed up in plastic baskets next. We enjoyed the beef patties while condiments dripped down our fingers. The burgers really were fat. Fat, juicy, homemade and sooo worth every "fat cell" that was gonna end up on my ass...at least that is how I felt as I sucked down every last bite, the taste leaving a fat smile on my face!

Later, though, later, things were not quite so "fat tastic" anymore. I suddenly had a big fat tummy ache and big fat gas and big fat discomfort! Marty must have too, judging from the smell infiltrating the van as we drove through the city. By the time we got home, the big fat pain in my gut was urgent!!!

I feel better now, now that I emptied that big fat burger into my toilet! Big Fat Double flusher! (Was that too much info?? LOL!)

GOD'S COUNTRY

I have just returned from God's country!

Mom, her friend, Hedi and I have spent the last 5 days in God's Country. I swear I have not seen such beautiful, picturesque Ranch Country in a long time!

The three of us were taking part in a trail ride aimed at raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer. The ride is 22 days long and covers a big chunk of Alberta, from Waterton to Sherwood Park. Mom, Hedi and I were not able to participate in the entire ride, however we were not going to miss the kick off of this event nor were we going to miss the opportunity to ride in Waterton Park! We signed up for a couple of days of riding, raised some money for a great cause and spent some time in the most beautiful part of Alberta's Ranch Country with some great characters! Among the people I found fascinating was, Amanda Marshall from the hit Canadian TV show, Heartland. (To my American readers, this show is going to be making a move to US TV so if you love shows set in the country, this is one to tune into!)

Tyrell Duce, the outback guide who took the riders through the pass between Waterton Park and Payne Lake was a real cowboy literally dragging unwilling horses across rivers in order to get his charges to their destination safely. There was "Red" the Harness Driving Pro from Claresholm, Kenny, the die hard older man from northern Alberta, tagging along for the entire ride who gave out 22 calibre bullets as keychains to everyone he met. There was Jim and Bev who had once big Car Dealers in Ontario who gave it all up recently to move to Alberta to become "cowboys," a dream they had always had. So many interesting people made the last 5 days memorable, it was fun that the common dream (hope of finding a cure for cancer) was what brought us all together.

As we drove and rode through ranch country, sharing our adventures with real cow hands, farmers and ranchers, my heart ached. I had always imagined that I would truly have made a life of my own out in Ranch Country with a rancher husband on a huge stretch of land, riding and roping daily as a part of Ranch life. That was Plan A and Lord knows the heart has a plan of it's own, mine falling helplessly in love with a tal,l blond haired, blue eyed hockey playing, rum selling hottie who knew nothing of horses and ranch life. I followed this man to the big city, insisting we live on the edge of it. I am happy here with our puppy and our Country style home, my horse just a short drive away, however my heart still aches for more open spaces, more animals and more ropin and ridin! Marty, looks sexy in a cowboy hat and he even owns cowboy boots. He busts them out f the closet every July for the Calgary Stampede and he struts up and down the streets of downtown in his snap up long sleeved western shirt, his blong hair poking out of his straw hat and I see his heart wrap around the idea of maybe, one day, actually wearing this "cowboy" get up other places, like in a saddle on a horse!!! We may never actually live on a ranch, however I know we will ride through God's Country together one day!!

Mom in Waterton the day before the ride. Yep it was a rainy, cold day!

Ember, Hedi's horse and Maverick, mom's horse.

Mom and Hedi, heading out into God's country.....

Amanda Marshall from the TV show, "Heartland"

The Cowboy guide who led the ride through God's Country.

A lady with big spirit! Pink is the color of Breast Cancer Support!

All the riders heading out, there were 30!

Jane Hurl, the creator of "Wild Pink Yonder" the 22 day trail ride to raise awareness and money for breast cancer. This is her, with a tear in her eye as she watched her "dream" head off into God's Country.

Mom and Hedi taking in the scenery!

This would have been a really wicked picture, except Mom is making a big face!!

Wild Pink Yonder

Hedi and Ember

Me and Ma, pink pink pink!

Harnessed Fjord

Pink Wagon

Harnessed Fjord in Cardston

Red, the Driver from the Cardston Carriage Museum

The stable at Cardston for the Harness Horses

A horse waiting for some attention, Carston, Alberta

Harnesses in Carston

OBSESSED!

Marty has become permanently attached to his measuring tape. This morning, in his dress clothes, I watched him whip out the measuring tape to measure a wall in the basement. He can't even function anymore without that measuring tape! The other night it took him hours to hang a couple of shelves (I am not complaining, I couldn't have hung them at all,) but it took him sooo long because he spent sooo much time measuring the space and spacing and length and height and depth before he could get to the "meat" of the project. I was waiting upstairs for him to call when he needed help. Just before he went down the stairs, he told me he'd be a while, he had some measuring to do! I finally went down to check on him, seemed he'd been down there a lONG time and he only had two shelves to hang. There he was contently measuring up a storm! Maybe I dont' get it because I am not a perfectionist, not at all, not in anything I do. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Marty's patience and his dedication to making sure things are hung straight and that they fit perfectly in all spaces, but every once in a while wouldn't it be fun to just "eyeball" something? To just get it home and see if it fits?? Come on, I like a little mystery!