Personal

by

Video Tour of a 2000 Glendale Royal Classic

Wow, this is the first time I’ve found a video tour for a Royal Classic, and it is almost identical to mine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNLbWbDArJk

The differences are barely notable:

-No over cab window across the front (improvement)

-My awning is recessed

-Mine had a less offensive colour scheme before I redecorated!

-I have a single door above the sink. I’m glad that they decide to use up all the space and make a wider cabinet. My setup has a ton of wasted space.

-I had two chairs with a bar between them instead of a sofa. I think the sofa makes the lounge too crowded.

-I don’t have the entertainment centre above the cab.

-The fridge is bigger (I had room to make a cabinet above mine).

-I had two twin beds with overhead cabinets.

Otherwise, the rig is IDENTICAL. So if you’ve been wanting a video tour of Miranda, this is pretty much what she was like before I took her apart.

by

Local Delicacies?

Every time I visit the grocery store, I see something that makes me think, “I’ve got to take a picture of that!”

Today, I finally did. I’m still afraid to Google what it is exactly:

0102131352

It is called a ‘chitterling loaf’ and there is a label that says ‘cooked pork chitterlings and pork stomachs, gelatin added.’ The ingredients are pork chitterlings, pork stomachs, water, vinegar, salt, gelatin, and pepper. My most educated guess is that this is akin to head cheese.

Okay, okay, the things I do for this blog. OMG, chitterlings are the intestines of a pig. And you’re supposed to eat this stuff cold on crackers. Note to self: if someone offers you chit’lins, smile, close your eyes, and remember you like raw fish.

Something else caught my eye and made me jump, but for what reason I cannot fathom:

0102131354

Eating pigs’ feet is part of my culture! Only, I’ve never seen the pig feet like these, only all yummied up in my aunt’s ragoût de pattes de cochons.

by

A Glass Half Full Kinda of Gal

2012 has been quite the year. It’s easy to look on the six months of it that didn’t go as planned because of the accident and call the year a write-off.

But that’s not how I tally up a year. Rather, I look at where I was, where I wanted to go, and where I wound up. Doing that exercise makes it obvious that 2012 was one of the most successful years of my life.

I welcomed 2012 in an apartment while I was working for an outside company, albeit part-time and most definitely temporarily. For the year ahead, I wanted to finish winter with a journey eastward through the US, to spend the summer with my family, to continue growing my business, and to welcome 2013 from a warm spot in the US. I have done all of that. How can I not deem 2012 a success?

Sure, my eastward journey wasn’t uneventful and there was more stress this summer than fun. But the culmination of all that is that I am in the best place I have been in years.

The accident meant that I had to stay put for the summer and gave me the time to learn a new trade while upgrading my home. Except for a little paint, my good home is as done as it ever could be. It took 14 years of adult life to get the idea of ‘home’ right and to fall into a sustainable housekeeping routine. Now, I wake up every morning now contented with my space rather than bemoaning what needs to be done.

Even though I miss my little green car, I have to admit that I am happy with my new rig and consider it to be superior to my old one in many ways. Could that old codger’s misdoing have been a blessing in disguise? It’s starting to feel that way.

But most wonderful of all, because of this new solid foundation to my life, I am parked in my best friend’s driveway for the holiday season. A few days from now, I am going to be heading for the Gulf coast where I will finally get to sit on a beach and drink wonderful rum-based drinks out of coconuts and snicker at all those silly Canadians who choose to winter in snow and sleet. And I missed Snowmaggedon 2012!

I can only look at 2013 with hope because 2012 ends with so much promise. Happy new year indeed!

Untitled 3

by

Wretched Housekeeping

It’s a beautiful Sunday here in Hampton Roads, but yesterday it was pouring rain! It was perfect weather for a movie, but I was reminded that going to a movie on a rainy Saturday is not the best idea. Boy was the theatre packed!

I saw Les misérables, the depressing nature of which was also perfect for the weather conditions.

Most of the reviews of the movie compare it to the musical, which I have not seen. But I have read the novel straight through at least three times and frequently find myself rereading favourite parts. It’s one of those iconic books of a reader’s life, one whose first reading is remembered forever.

So I went in with fairly low expectations but high hope. And except for a few quibbles (like using the Thénardiers as comic relief), I felt this was one of the better adaptations I’ve seen. It got the mood right, most of the cast was perfect (Fantine, Cosette (child and adult), and Marius especially looked exactly as I have always envisioned them). And not a single one of my favourite scenes from the book was missing.

So while I wasn’t crazy about the musical style and every scene with the Thénardiers, visually this movie was a feast for a fan of Victor Hugo’s classic work. I look forward to seeing it again on DVD.

Today’s project was to rearrange the front room. I am tired of cleaning up the cat litter area every night only to step on filthy clumps in the morning because Neelix decided to have a party overnight. So reversed the layout of the room.

 

This picture of Neelix waiting in line for water was too hilarious not to share.

This picture of Neelix waiting in line for water was too hilarious not to share.

Good about the new layout is that it hides the litter box and gives me space to put my shoes.

Good about the new layout is that it hides the litter box and gives me space to put my shoes.

Not so good about the new layout, the chair looks squeezed in and the window is behind it.

Not so good about the new layout, the chair looks squeezed in and the window is behind it.

The room feels more unbalanced now.

The room feels more unbalanced now.

I’m not crazy about having the chair crammed in like that, but I’ll try it for a bit. Another thing I’m considering is getting a top-entrance litter box. I will miss my Omega Paw so much, but the cleaning is really getting on my nerves. What’s nice about this layout is that you don’t see the box first thing when you come in the door and I have room for my shoes, but the room feels more crammed and unbalanced at first glance.

I really need to do something with that styrofoam and get some colour on the back wall. I think I will stain it.

by

I Missed Snowmageddon 2012!

Reports rolled in today from family and friends in southern Quebec and eastern Ontario about the crazy amount of snow the region was getting. I heard estimates of 50 cm/20 in some parts! They are going to be digging themselves out of that one for several days.

These stories remind me of how much of my life has been wasted fighting winter. All those hours of dealing with frozen pipes, shovelling, driving in bad conditions, dressing and undressing in 50 billion layers, and earning the money to pay for all the propane needed to stay warm. And then there was the number of times I had to walk with soggy feet because of slush or nurse bad bruises from slipping on ice or lose a piece of my ear to frostbite. I do miss crisp cold sunny days, building snow forts, snowshoeing, and tobogganing, but not enough to ever want to deal with wintery conditions again.

There are no words to express how grateful I am to be in Hampton Roads tonight, warm and snug and not needing more than a heater running on low to keep my home comfortable. All I can say is that I feel very content and satisfied.