the screaming pages

Guess who has finally finished her paper and managed to get about 1/2 way through herpsycho assignment?   I know.  Easy question since we aren’t sending any of the furry kids to school.  Got it in under the wire – something like 5 hours before it was due and am now going out in search of the hubby.  He spent the day getting rained on at the Ellerslie Highland Games and promptly toddled over to the neighbours once he got home.  I think they’re building shelves or tables in L’s garage this weekend.  Seems the project changes every time I turn around.  I just wish we could get our garage demo/build started.  I thought hurry up and wait with the military was bad.  Getting any sort of construction done in Edmonton is slow as molasses these days.

Yesterday was Father’s day and it nearly slipped by us unnoticed this year. Since dad passed in the fall of 2006 I really haven’t kept track of it anymore. I figure Drew should have to remember something since he left Mother’s day up to me. Probably explains why our mom’s received flowers and his dad got a late night phone call.

Come to think of it, I’m sure I graced dad with many late night phone calls wishing him happy Father’s day and assuring him that a card and/or present was in the mail. At least 50% of the time I’m sure the card actually made it into mailbox before the phone call was made.

For a non-father, Drew usually makes out quite well on Father’s day. A few years back he wanted a new lawnmower. We had completely forgotten that it was Father’s day and couldn’t figure out why the stores were so packed. We bought a new lawnmower and Drew happily toddled off through the yards testing it out. It wasn’t until a neighbour was showing off the tie he got from his 4 year old daughter (ooh, sparkly) that Drew realized what day it was.

We did it again this year.

I wanted some capris or shorts to wear over the summer. Most of my shorts aren’t appropriate to wear to work – silly dress code – so after I’d gotten sick and tired of working on my paper we hopped into the truck and headed off. Shopping therapy is always nice. Usually I don’t manage to find a lot that I like at prices I’m willing to pay so when I landed at the store with the giant SALE! signs in the window I was pretty excited. I managed to find 3 pairs of capris, 3 pairs of normal dress pants, and three shirts.

Drew’s eyes bugged out of his head when he paid the bill. Then he got his revenge.

He decided he wanted to stop into Moore’s to check out their suits. He has a few but wanted to increase his wardrobe. My mistake was thinking that he was in a browsing mood. Drew hates to shop but once he’s made up his mind to do so, he dives in feet first. One mortgage payment later we left the store with two suits, a macintosh, new dress shoes, and a shirt.

Remember those bugged out eyes when he paid my bill? It was less than a third of Drew’s. He didn’t even bat an eye when he paid his. He’s trying to tell me I got “the look” because he thought I’d brought my Interac card with me. He should know better. Besides, it’s not like the joint account magically has more $$ in it when we use my card instead of his…

Drew’s clothing selections are interesting. 60% of the time he wears a uniform. When he’s puttering around the house, he wears ratty jeans and t-shirts. I’m having problems prying them from his hands. To say he’s attached to them is the understatement of the year. I think he cried the last time I threw out one of his t-shirts. It was so filled with holes that it showed off more skin than it covered. You’d never know this is the same guy who likes to get dolled up in suits and ties and go out. Hell, he even owns his own Tux! And don’t get me started on the number of shined dress shoes that are in his closet. We counted once. He has 3x the number of shoes I do. Uses some silly excuse about being issued shoes by the gov’t…

What’s a little bit odd (to me anyway) is the fact that he has no real mid-range casual clothes. He used to wear golf shirts and khaki’s but stopped a few years back. Oh, you can catch him in a (slightly ratty) golf shirt paired with really fugly jeans on rare occasions. Really rare.

That’s my man. He’s got three looks; man-in-uniform, homeless bum, and businessman/mobster. Happy non-Father’s day to you.

It occurred to me last evening that I jokingly referred to Drew’s friends as “hoity toity” on my Saturday blog entry and that someone reading the entry from that group might take offense.  A much needed clarification is in order.

Aside from individual friends and couples, we tend to divide our time with the members of a few set social groups – neighbours, karaoke buddies, no kidding!, stonecutters, band-geeks, and ex-Cons (no, not the criminal types).  Of these social groups, some members we see on a daily basis.  Some we see weekly.  Others we spend time with on a monthly basis.  I’ve blogged about members of many of the groups before. 

The hubby is a stonecutter and we’ve met some wonderful people through his association with the group.  Of course, the first time I attended an event it was a black tie dinner.  I wore a floor length ballgown and pointy high heels.  Drew wore a tux.  Yes.  I know.  It’s a shock.  We’ve been to a few more dinners with couples Drew has met through this group and there’s usually a fancy outfit involved. Skirts and Blouses. Dresses. Heels.  All the stuff I wouldn’t normally wear.  The exception to the rule was the jeans and tshirts attire for the backyard pig roast at J&R’s last year. 

The “hoity toity” reference had nothing to do with the personalities or people involved with the group.  Just the clothes.  We always have a fabulous time out with the couples we’ve met from this group.  And I was sick ;(  So Drew drank chocolate beer without me.

Note: Ex-Con sare ex-employees of the company I used to work for before moving to the college.  Many of us who were friendly while working there get together for an informal monthly dinner to catch up on what’s happening in our lives.  Only one of the group – 10-20 people depending on personal commitments – is still employed with the company.  Thus we named ourselves ex-Cons.

I don’t have too much time for blogging today. I have lots of homework and we had band practice – minus the practice – tonight. Apparently, the final practice of the spring is spent in full party mode . Everyone brought desert and gathered around to chat. Presents were handed out to the instructor (no, ours wasn’t given a year long supply of meds to help her recover from us) and there was lots of silly giggling.

Lots of fun. Now it’s time to get back to the grindstone. Have a great evening all.

Finally – we has the internets again!  Yipee!  Modem apparently arrived Friday.  We got notice of the package at the post office yesterday.  Yeah, our mail is really reliable around here.  Picked it up from the corner post office yesterday evening on the way to a dinner party with the hubby’s hoity toity friends (as opposed to the usual neighbourhood shindig), and put it aside to install today.  Plugged it in.  Watched the pretty lights flash.  Changed a few settings.  Set my WEP key. Et voila!  All laptops in the house are now back up and surfing away.

Life is good again.  With the exception of when I’ve been traveling I’ve never been without an available internet connection since 1993.  Sure, things have changed a lot since I used to dial into the university servers or BBS’ but having had a high speed (or what they like to call high speed) connection in the home since 1997, these four days have seemed like a throwback to the dark ages.

And mcpypr (you and I both know who you are) – thanks for the offer to piggy back off your connection this weekend.  Of course, since you sent the offer via my blog on a Friday evening and we didn’t get our connection back online until now, I didn’t see it until I downloaded my email this afternoon.  Best laid plans of mice and men.  If all goes well, I’ll actually see you at dinner tonight before you read this on my blog.

Perhaps next time *oh gawds, please don’t let there be a next time* you’ll remember to make your offer via the low tech tele-phoney thingy…

I know y’all are desperate to learn what I was doing while we were offline.  Sit down.  This is a bit of a shocker. I started reading some of my textbooks.  Now usually I put my pretty expensive textbooks paperweights on a shelf in my office in the basement and skim read them as I move through each chapter. I’d rather gather up the names of topics or authors and dig through journals to read a variety of articles on a topic than read a one size fits no one textbook. Granted, there have been a few classes where I’ve read the listed books cover to cover – if the topic or writing style really interests me.  However, most of my texts are pretty pristine.  I love to read.  I just don’t love to read the books I’m being assigned in my classes.  So, these past few days I’ve been hiding out in my basement reading my textbooks for the current semester.  Ooh, and I’m 1/2 way through writing the paper I have due on Friday.

The hubby, in his time of disconnection, started in on his honey-do list.  The lawns have been mowed.  The dog licenses have been renewed.  The permit to replace the ugliest garage in Edmonton has been obtained.  Plans are being drawn.  Our contractor is off getting quotes on the materials and the garage is being emptied of all the bits and pieces it’s accumulated over the years. Most importantly, for the first time in a year the third door in my pickup truck opens.  The plastic froze and the door handle snapped in winter 2007.  Yes, you read that right.  Nearly 18 months ago.  Hubby complained a 60$ part was too expensive and never had time to fix it.  Since he has an imminent departure to the sandbox in his future, I’ve been campaigning heavily that it be fixed before he leaves.  How else would I manage to get groceries home or his dogs to the vet if I can’t open the door? He fixed it on Thursday.  I’ve been all smiles since.  Ok, so I’m silly to keep opening the third door for no reason.  I missed it.  We need time to bond.  Move along. Nothing to see here.

Either way the hubby seems to be on a roll this week.  Perhaps next week all the weather stripping on my doors will be replaced while I finish my paper.  A girl can dream…

For now, I have a bazillion blogs to catch up on.  Excuse me while I do some drive-by blog reading.

It’s nice to be back.