Wonder why we have been graced with "neighbours from Hell" once again. The young couple from next door along with the masses of friends and family who treat the place like a hotel are inclined to party outside well into the night. The father of the couple who used to live there has "connected" with the recently divorced lady who lives on the other side with a mouth like a sewer and a more than sociable liking for drink. She is looking at buying the house across the street as her home is being taken over by her two divorced sons - how lucky is that?? The owners arrived last weekend to wack down the weeds and tall grass and to clean up all the garbage around the place. On Friday night I got about two hours sleep with the noise and drunken behaviour - at about three o'clock I was awakened with screams and upon checking out the front there was a bunch of fallen down drunks trying to carry the lady (and I use the term loosely) to her place while her young grandchildren ran around the street. We talked to the owners before they left about the situation only to be told "that's the way the cookie crumbles" which tells me they are more concerned with collecting the rent while they live quietly in Sudbury. On Sunday evening after having been closed up in the house because of the heat I decided to sit out front to read and get some fresh air only to find the couple next door once again drinking decided to start up an argument in a very loud and vulgar manner not al all concerned that their child was playing beside them or indeed that the neighbours might be trying to enjoy a nice summer evening. It is going to be a long, hot, noisy and sleepless summer!!!!

Saturday, June 25, 2005

The following article appeared in Housekeeping Magazine in May 1955 and although it appears to be a bit exaggerated believe me it was for "real". Men surely did rule the roost - women were taught before marriage to cater to their husbands and to overlook any transgressions along the way because after all he was a "man" and women with their perceived inferior intelligence were not capable of having a career or indeed making major decisions but were simply there to raise children and cater to their man!!! No wonder it took so long for women to finally become real people with a functioning brain and for some they learned from the school of hard knocks that the fight for equality was not so easy. Thankfully, the younger generation are truly reaping the benefits and how great is that!!!

(I did not do the underlining!!!).

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

- With all we hear about government's opposition to a two-tier health service there was an article on the front page of the Citizen paper recently regarding huge amounts of money spent by the Department of National Defence at private clinics for medical services while us peons face huge waiting lists - is the Department of National Defence not a government department??
- Another point that caught my attention lately and rattles my bones is the fact that the Government spends millions of dollars to finance "quit smoking" campaigns while they in turn have huge investments of pension funds in nine different large tobacco companies - there is definitely something wrong with that picture?
- Forgive me if I am not correctly understanding the purpose of this Live Aid concert taking place in Barrie. They claim that the whole purpose of the concert is to alert people to the fact that governments need to be more generous in the amount of
aid allotted to poorer countries. Do they really think that the Canadian government will take them seriously - Martin states he cannot make any promises to provide more aid which translated means "no". The concert planners have stated that they are not asking us for monetary contributions - but if in fact they somehow convince our government to dig deeper into their pockets is it not us as taxpayers who will foot the bill? Would it not make more sense to charge admission and use
the millions of dollars collected to feed the poor in less fortunate countries??

I seem to have a lot to say these days - perhaps I need to get a life!!!!

Monday, June 20, 2005

The other day while shopping in a ladies store there was a woman who was I think in her mid thirties - hard to remember anymore what 30 something was like - anyway, the woman was with a little girl about 8 years old who I presume was her daughter and the mother was looking for a pair of jeans. The young girl who was all decked out in the latest designer fashions for the younger set walked over and picked out a pair of jeans emblished with a lot of bling - she then called over to her mother and said "Look, Mom, these are so fab" and without missing a step continued to express her opinion while checking out here mother's physique "But they are definitely so not you". I was holding a blouse (hot pink) that had some emblishment and when Miss Little Opinionated looked my way I immediately hung the item up and walked away. I am so very glad I had three sons - they only ragged me about my addiction to the "Waltons"!!!!

Sunday, June 19, 2005

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL DADS:

I like to remember my dad on Father's Day - he passed away when I was young and just starting out in life. I did not get a chance to really know him in a way I would have liked as he was a very personal man, always busy earning a living to provide for his family. I am thankful to him for the lessons he taught us - he prepared us well for life. I wish I would have had more time to learn more about him - questions left unasked and words left unsaid. "Thank you" dad for being you.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

SAMANTHA RULES: It has been an exciting week with Samantha - next time I look at new puppies and have the desire to take one home "PLEASE" hit me in the head with a frozen boot!! Now I realize that most dogs are well trained and most are obedient which makes living with your favorite pooch a little less aggravating but when you wait most of your life to own a puppy and you have the time and inclination to dote on a little white ball of fur with georgeous eyes and knows how to train you to obey "HER" every command you can be well and truely sucked in with the result that before long she becomes the "BOSS". The cone which the vet stated would have to stay on for a whole week lasted part of two nights when the relentless crying and lack of sleep on our part took over our resolve. She knew she had won and was quite proud of herself but sucked up to us every chance she got "just in case". We had to spend a week saying "NO, Samantha" (a command which by the way she pretty much ignores) and watching her every move. The pain medication did little to slow her down and think perhaps would have served a better purpose if we took it ourselves. Anyway, it is almost a week, the wounds have healed nicely and my thoughts of having to run off to the vet with torn stitches and being severely reprimanded did not occur. By the way, raising three boys was a piece of cake compared to one little dog with a mind of her own - let's face it Samantha "rules".

Saturday, June 11, 2005

We have one "sad" dog today. Samantha was operated on yesterday and they removed two lumps, one at her underarm (about 12 stitches) and another one on her backside (about six stitches). She has to wear a collar for a week which she just detests and being the spoiled dog she is can voice her concerns for all to hear. She cried most of the night last night to have the collar taken off but we cannot risk her tearing out the stitches and can only leave it off when we can watch her which we have been doing most of the day today. We still have to be concerned about her backside as she tends to try and rub it on the ground - it is going to be a fun week and she has us worn down already. Temperature of 32 today with a humidex of 42 along with a smog warning does not help matters any!!!

sad%20dog1.jpeg

Thursday, June 09, 2005

A neighbour's son across the way is cleaning out his father's house and had a garage sale/free takeaway last weekend. There were a few good items which went fast but I was surprised at the "junk" that folks hauled away and even more surprised at how our neighbour managed to collect so much "junk". Folks have been wandering off for the last five days with various items but the leftovers went into the dumpster this morning - guess it is true one man's junk is another man's treasure.

Well, I am ready to go right on into fall - enough of this humidity, heat, smog, etc, etc. Those who like this type of weather should move to Florida and take the weather with them. I know, I am becoming a cranky old fart!!!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO DAVID

Monday, June 06, 2005

Okay, you folks who were praying for warm weather it is time to stop, enough already, and it is not even officially summer. Have some pity on the menopausal ladies who already feel like they are camping out on the Sahara Desert!!
Took Samantha to the vet on Saturday to have a look at her "lumps" which have become englarged and are giving her trouble - she is scheduled for surgery on Friday to have them removed. It is really a dog's world when it comes to medical care, unfortunately the price is a little high. Looks like the kitchen will become a lesser priority again!!!
Often wonder why little jobs always become a lot more work - decided to replace the carpeting on the front steps with the new granite coating - started with the two steps only to discover they are not in such good shape and neeed a lot of work to patch holes, somehow remove tons of glue, etc before even thinking about new surfacing - could be the steps will deter us from doing the porch surface ourselves.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

I think it is about time the Citizen newspaper got its priorities in line - yesterday when Ottawa's own Shaunna Burke reached the highest peak of Mount Everest and Natalia Glebova from Toronto was crowned Miss Universe the Citizen dug to the bottom of a pit to run a picture of Karla Homolka on the front page. Come on, how ridiculous is that? Two great ambassadors who accomplished great feats to make this city and indeed our country proud and they get relegated to a few lines somewhere in the back of our newspaper. I personally think when Karla Homolka is set loose she should be shipped to a deserted island somewhere in Siberia!!