bean talk

Baby Beans!

2007-01-13T21:39:00.000-04:00

For my birthday, Mr. Bean allowed me to purchase two sweet little rats: Bianca and Molly! They are hooded rats (one grey/silver, one black) and are the light of my life! They are so sweet and intelligent, and have all but removed my sense of longing for my sweet dog Bear.

Many people have a very negative impression of rats. Some because of the tails, others have the idea that rats are "dirty" (like the vermin shown on television and movies). On the contrary, however, rats are extremely clean, intelligent and a joy to have as pets!

I've had "my girls" for just over a month now and every day they surprise me :)

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to WORK I go!

2006-11-13T18:07:00.000-04:00

I have a job! From December to March I will be running a pilot in-school suspension program for a local middle school!

I've just had a wonderful long weekend with Mr. Bean (and friends), and am about to eat some homemade seafood chowder and biscuits...could life GET any better? Perhaps...if our tired, old Contour suddenly transformed into a new, happier vehicle...but let's be reasonable ;)

November: The Most Boring Month of the Year

2006-11-03T21:42:00.000-04:00

I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed the month of November. With its grey skies, bare trees, cold winds, and lack of cheerful holidays, November is less than inspiring.

I'm hoping to make the best of the month with a variety of training, tutoring, supplying, and desktop publishing. With any luck, I'll be so busy I won't even realize its November...until I step outside that is.

Aach-you too?

2006-10-28T14:35:00.000-03:00

It's that most wonderful time of the year again: cold and flu season. With the onset of the first frost, many find themselves affected by a rather nasty virus. I have been affected for just under a week while Mister is in the early stages of the mess. As a supply teacher, my work depends on others being sick: I can't afford to be sick myself!

Otherwise there is nothing of note. Life moves along at a regular pace, and I'm sniffling my way through it :P

The Trip

2006-10-25T20:46:00.000-03:00

Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm far too lazy to go into any detail about our trip (October 18-22), but I will note a few of the highlights. Travelling went well. Avis gave us a brand new Caravan that had all the perks including a console DVD player so that kep things interesting and comfortable. While we encountered a variety of...we'll say "sketchy" small towns and communities along the way - not to mention what seemed like years of fields, silos and barns - we arrived at our log "cabin" (which was far more a log house than cabin) where we were treated by a most gracious hostess. The wedding was splendid and all went well. We even managed a quick trip to the Museum of Civiliation in Ottawa before heading back.

Please visit the photo gallery for a photojournal of our trip.

Monday-ist Monday Ever

2006-10-25T20:35:00.000-03:00

At 8:30am I received a call to supply - thus beginning the day at a frantic pace. The supply work went well but - because I was in New Maryland at approximately the same time I SHOULD have been in Douglas - I was 30 minutes behind in beginning my first tutoring session. When I *did* arrive, the tickle that had developed into my throat was beginning to feel like a wicked cold setting in. Rushing off to pick up Mister at work (late), I managed to nearly run a red light. After dropping him off (supper-less), I rushed out to Keswick for a two and a half hour tutoring session with a sweet family on an off day. Fortunately, I left that session on good terms with all involved, but - about 2km down the highway - managed to get something in my eye (in that high, unreachable ridge of lid). By the time I arrived at my parents' place (where I was picking up a few items) my eye was nearly swollen shut. We spent the next 45 minutes flushing my eye with saline solution, to no avail. Having aborted my grocery shopping, my mother kindly offered to make our lunches for the next day and I accepted. On the trip home, however, a tire blew out on the bridge and I was forced to call a tow truck to come and replace it with the spare. Standing in the freezing cold rain - for nearly 30 minutes - I DID manage to tear up and dislodge the particle that had irritated my eye so much. Arriving home cold, tired and frustrated, I dropped my things and crawled into bed.

Oh well...at least I had a supply job!

TGIF

2006-10-13T17:32:00.000-03:00

Thank goodness it's Friday! It's been a long and stressful week (save for Monday) with no work and no work prospects aside from helping mom at the bookstore: not exactly competitive wages. Oh well. The week is gone so there's no sense in fretting about it now.

E. and I will be heading out of town in just a few days so there's a fair bit to get done around the apartment so as to avoid a mess on arriving home. The nice thing is, I won't have to cook for five whole days!! :)

workbean?

2006-10-11T23:10:00.000-03:00

I know that October is supposed to be a slow month for supply teaching but this is ridiculous! I've only worked a total of 3 (2 full, 2 half) days at only two schools. I can't say that I'm not concerned. I'm sure it will pick up but, at the moment, I wish I was doing more to add to the household income. I love my comfortable life with Mister, and I can't say that I regret having so much "free" time on my hands, however, it is disconcerting none-the-less.

Beyond employment (or lack thereof), October has been a wonderful month thus far: the weather has been sunny, crisp and clear; life has been nearly free of tragedy; good news abounds; and Thanksgiving was a real treat. To add to it, Mister and I will be travelling to Ontario next week* to witness our friend K's wedding to her long-time sweetheart, J, whom she met online. The trip promises to be fun as we're going up in a rented van with our friend C., and staying overnight (there and back) in Ottawa with our friend W. A five day road trip complete with wedding, free cottage, and good company: does it GET any better than that?!

*October 18-22 (I'll be sure to post pictures on the gallery soon after our return)

Turkey Day Part 2: Stuffed!

2006-10-09T13:07:00.000-03:00

After a full Thanksgiving dinner last night at Mister's parents' place, we're off for the same treat tonight at my parents'. I'm not sure I can manage another full holiday meal...but I'll certainly try my best ;)
This weekend has been a really nice break, and spending time with Mister has been great. There's nothing like avoiding agenda and sleeping in three days in a row! I haven't been this relaxed since the honeymoon.

Happy Turkey Day!

2006-10-07T21:01:00.000-03:00

Thanksgiving...turkey, potatoes, pie...time to pull out the "comfortable" pants :P Mister and I have dinners on Sunday AND Monday with both sets of inlaws so we shouldn't have to eat for the rest of the week! I'm looking forward to having someone else cook for a change...and I'm hoping to be able to get out of dish duty.
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After my mother's father died in 1991, the whole extended family (comprised of the five sisters, their husbands and all their kids) would get together to help bed down my grandmother's house for her for the winter. That meant a variety of chores from picking up butternuts from the front lawn to putting plastic up on windows. Us kids would usually fall in line and collect several baskets of butternuts before tiring of work and heading off to the corn feilds (owned by our great uncle Carl -proprietor of Harvey's Big Potato) to play. The men would do the "rough" work outdoors while the ladies buzzed around inside preparing a huge feed. There was every kind of holiday food imaginable including Canada Goose, which was always a treat.

A few years later, my friend (and Rotary Exchange student from Japan) Kaori would forever alter Thanksgiving in my mind as "Turkey Day." She was so excited at the prospect of it, she spent the entire month beforehand preparing and wishing all she came across a "Happy Turkey Day!"

school daze

2006-10-05T09:38:00.000-03:00

I'm teaching grade four today at a local elementary school. Fortunately, it's only a half-day position so I have the opportunity to relax this morning. Mister called me a "big lazy a**" :P

I have this giant to-do list of things that I could/should be attending to but I can't seem to do much more than play World of Warcraft and listen to Sowerby and Luff's "Big Squeeze" podcast (from the UK). Maybe I *am* a big lazy a**.

getting started

2006-10-04T12:06:00.000-03:00

I'm just getting started. This blog will likely be no more than a glorified journal.

It's fall in New Brunswick again and the weather has been gorgeous. Clean, crisp air and sunny days make for a real treat when I actually venture outside. I really ought to get in the habit of it.

This shot was taken on STU campus last fall.