I'm DEFINITELY using the credit card!

So, there's been this disturbing stuff in the news today. According to an Evangelical Christian group based in California, Judgment Day is coming up this long weekend.

http://news.sympatico.ca/oped/coffee-talk/the_world_will_not_come_to_an_end_on_may_21/5e605131

According to this blurb, on May 21st, true believers will ascend to heaven and non-believers will be stuck on Earth, subject to natural disasters and horrible catastrophes.

It's a bit odd, to say the least. Apparently this same group had made similar claims several years ago. So... does that mean that these guys are the ones who were left behind?

There's even a website where believers (true optimists, indeed) can pay to have their left-behind pets taken care of by confirmed atheists who will (of course) be left behind. http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/Home_Page.html

Can you say "Crazy?"

So, I'm planning to have a table at the Dog Show taking place on that weekend. I've been busy planning my table display, drawing, making business cards and posters. Should I worry about finishing the job? Maybe I only need half of the items I figured, since I'd only be there for one day. ?

And hey, I've bought a bunch of paint so that I can colour up the house a bit! Should I return it, or just do a giant Jackson Pollock with them all?

Also, I'm thinking of replacing the toilet in the master bathroom, calling a plumber to make sure the pipes are unclogged. I wonder if they'll take credit cards?

Well, if it doesn't happen this weekend, there's always the Mayan calendar to go by. According to them, there will be some sort of big happening next year, just before Christmas. On Kyle's birthday, I believe. hmm... I wonder if I should plan the party for the weekend before. Just in case.

I do wish they'd make up their minds.

*sigh*

I'm not a "believer," so I'd be "stuck" here. I'm okay with that. Actually, I really hope that none of the things they're talking about will happen. I like this place. I like the idea of it being here, in great shape, for future generations. If people'd look after it more, stop letting other people muck it up... It'd be pretty darn nice!

We could be here for a long time! I like that idea even more.

Mother's Day, 2011

We've had a couple of eventful days this week!

On Thursday, Paul  made cookies. Yes. Paul. Made. Cookies. He brought some into work for sharing. The rest stayed home in multiple bellies and bowls.

Oatmeal, raisin, flax, sunflower, coconut cookies. 

The boys took me out on Friday for Mother's Day dinner and 5-pin bowling! It was pretty fun. We took Paul along, rather than forcing him to sit at home by himself. He kicked our asses at bowling. Such style, such grace. He didn't land on his face... This time. :D

Paul and I did the East Coast Trail custodial trail hike from Flatrock to Torbay on Saturday. 2 1/2 hours of walking through varying conditions of trail and with a light misting rain. The point of the exercise (hahaha) is to assess the condition of the trail for maintenance and safety issues. Since the ECTA had just done a massive overhaul of that section last year, there really wasn't much to report. Some mud, but that's to be expected. It's spring in Newfoundland... helloooo... 

Muddy patch

Lots of moose tracks. Big moose. I'm very grateful that we didn't bump into any of them!

Moose

Another moose

Lord tunderin' jaysus! Another moose!

We took food. I'm glad we took food. I needed it! You know me... I forget to eat. Well, I had a slice of cheese toast before leaving the house, but it wasn't enough. Half an hour into the hike I found myself huffing and puffing, getting all shaky and feeling abused by the gruelling pace set by the Hike Nazi. (Heil, Paul!!) We stopped for a sandwich and a rest. The food energy kicked in fast, and within 10 minutes I was hustling along, cheeky and opinionated again. It was GREAT! 

Shortly after our lunch break we paused to enjoy the view from Whale Cove. Right on cue, a gigantic bald eagle drifted by just below our feet. Only moments later, he drifted back the other way, a little quicker, pursued by a quick crow. No picture. Mouth gaping. Busy being Zen.

Surprisingly, (or maybe not, given the grey skies), we only saw one other hiker on the trail. A bird-watcher and her dog, PJ. We paused for a quick photo and dog greeting and moved along.

Suddenly, through a thin layer of scrubby pines, we heard rustling. Cow rustling. (sorry... couldn't resist.) As if drawn by some irresistible force, the black and white cows drifted towards the fence, keeping a sharp eye on little cow-coloured Igor. Greetings were in order. Igor wasn't thrilled, but the cows were enthralled. 

Tapper's Cove continues to be an attraction for photo shoots. Just as we got to the stairs, a car zipped to the wharf and unloaded a prom-clad couple and their skater-esque photographer. He was wearing a white pimp-daddy suit and she wore a confection of pink fluff. Too cute.

The cookies came in handy for a quick burst of energy at the end of the trail. Thanks for baking, Paul! You're welcome to try making a batch of banana bread anytime you like. :D

Pause for cookie break

Nearly home. 2 1/2 hour trek. This is where we ate the last of the cookies.

The dogs got a much-needed shower and collapsed in their respective blankies for a nap. They're still looking a bit bagged today.

Matt D., an adventurer/sailor who's been living in Iqaluit for the last 6 months,  arrived in St. John's last night just before midnight. We visited with beers and Mike's Hard Lemonades until the wee hours of the morning. The hot tub made prunes of all of us, but it was so nice relaxing and gabbing. Matt had some tales to tell of his life. Kangaroos and sled dogs. I'll never think the same way about either of them! We finally crashed around 2:30 am. Sadly, my internal clock woke me up for coffee at 6 am.

Matt will be in Whiteway for the next couple of weeks, getting a crab boat rigged up as a research vessel for northern waters. He'll then take the boat to Greenland where it will be used to observe the narwhal breeding habits! He's getting off the boat and heading back to Manitoba to work on another project. His brother, Chris, the lawyer, will be staying on the water. I'll have to get more info from Matt, but it's a project funded by one of the big family-run organizations. All I remember about the name is "Pew" ... family name. Kind of like Ducks Unltd, but not.

Mother's Day has been pretty quiet. I got a bit tied up with odds and ends in the morning, and the afternoon stretched long and languorously into evening with a nap followed by a short hike down to the beach. Paul cooked dinner. Grilled Arctic Char (Matt brought 2 pieces) a scoop of yummy grains (thanks Paul!), a bowl of Cream of Leek soup, and a glass of wine. Okay, okay! A bottle of wine. Blueberry. My favourite.

It's 9:30 pm and Paul and I are relaxing in the living room in front of the fireplace. The dogs are snuggling. I think it's time to finish the wine and end the day with an early bedtime. That brief nap didn't really help all that much. Or is it the wine? 

 

May 1st, and the weather is still a bit touchy...

The sky is grey and overcast, and I hear rumours of freezing drizzle, possibly snow. I hope it doesn't come to that. Pity the foo's in Winnipeg (lol... you know who you are!!) who woke up to a blanket of the white stuff. This, after a "fooler" of a high temp of 22 and sunshine last week! Hahaha!!!

Of course, you realize that this is merely sour grapes on my part. At least you will, once you get past spring, achieve an actual summer with sunshine and heat. Those of us in Newfoundland will continue to get grey skies mixed with rolling fog banks, and occasional bouts of sunshine. Summer is expected on a Wednesday this year. I think. Sad for those who work weekdays and only have the weekends off. They'll miss it.

Paul's did a jiu jitsu seminar this weekend, and achieved blue belt status. Yay him! We went out to the Celtic Hearth for dinner last night for the visiting sensei's birthday party. Instead of the Jiggs Dinner Pie that I usually order, I had the Beef and Guinness stew. Mighty good stuff. I could've done without the two chunks of mega-heavy soda bread that it came with. Steamed veggies or a salad would've been great. Ah well. Note to self: NEVER order a bloody caesar at the Celtic Hearth. The bartender managed to mess it up. Twice!

Today was a great day to take the dogs for a walk. It wasn't raining! They gallivanted up and down all the hills nearby, down to the beaches, (all 3 of them), and then up and down some more hills on the way home. They got good and mucky, tangled with twigs and burrs, and needed a shower. Igor's a hoot. I usually shower him first, then Niki. He really enjoys getting wet. So much so that he typically strolls back into the shower while I'm busy washing Niki and tries to duck under the spray! What a little nuisance. :D

Did you know that Cavaliers rub themselves dry on any available surface? Niki typically uses the back of the couch, which is one of the reasons I keep the living room furniture covered with blankets. Today, she used the side of the house in the back yard. Igor watched in amazement. Really. His eyes were huge! Finally he deigned to rub his head on the siding. I don't think it's his gig. He went back to the backyard and ran around in circles until he was semi-dry. There's enough of a wind blowing that I was surprised the dogs weren't drier than they were!

Tomorrow I shall consider prepping some surfaces for painting. Rooms. Not paintings. Actual walls. *sigh* Putty the window frames first. Let them dry for a couple of days. Prime. Prep the bathroom. Paint. Did I mention, "sigh"?

Bye for now. I'm going to sit down with a cup of chai. Relax. Wait for dinner.