Embarrassment – a 13 letter word

I think we all have had moments of embarrassment. Some of us, like myself, have more than our fair share. The only way to truly handle an embarrassing situation is to laugh, at least for me it is. My most recent OMG, red faced, stammering an apology…I’m so sorry moment happen on Tuesday night while I was at work.

Tuesday night was a very busy night at the centre with a back to back sports rental and the regular Camera Club meeting. When I arrived at work a kids program had finished and the staff of that program was just cleaning up. My Supervisor was still in the office since she was to attend another meeting that was taking place upstairs in another area of the center. She gave me a few last minute duties to do during my shift and then off she went. With in a short period of time one of the hockey groups began to arrive and since new rules have been put into place I had to make sure the one change room per group rule was followed. With one team now on the floor, the camera club began to arrive as well as other people for the meeting my Supervisor was attending. My directing skills and smiles continued until everyone was settled where they should be. I sat down at the desk just as the staff from the children’s program was leaving. One staff member peeked into the office to let me know that the toilet in the Men’s washroom was not working. Oh great, just what I needed to hear. I certainly was in no mood to mop up toilet water if it over flowed, so I put an out of order sign on the Men’s room door and instructed them to use the Women’s washroom. Being men I figured they might need further explanations so I drew a pink happy face and put IN USE and a blue happy face IN USE and taped both to them to the wall by the woman’s washroom. I explained to them that they needed to put the blue happy face on the door so I would know it was occupied by a man. That seemed simple enough, well to me it did. About 45 minutes later I had to go so down the hall I went. There was NO sign on the door so all was good. It was not in use. I taped the pink happy face onto the door and went inside to do my business. I’m not sure why, but I always prefer to use the last stall and low and behold it was locked from the inside. I even cussed out loud saying “damn kids, now I’ll have to crawl under to unlock it”. But I had to go rather badly so I did what I needed to do in the second stall first. I’m sure we all experience the rather low rumblings that escape into the toilet bowl making a rather loud noise and for me tonight was no exception. I had a teeny tiny bit of gas so yes I did fart a couple of times, but since I was alone in the washroom, I thought nothing about it. I finished my business and since I was going down onto my hands and knees and squirm my body under the stall door I didn’t bother washing my hands. All I can say is OH MY FREAKING GOD……can anyone say peeping Jane!

As I lowered myself to the floor and got onto my hands and knees, I bent the rest of my body down and slowly started to slip my head under the door. My eyes fell onto something that just wasn’t registering at that moment. It looked like a pair of feet, but I knew that was not the case since I was in the washroom all alone. I turned my head and looked up. There in front of me, sitting on the toilet with his pants down to his knees was a freaking MAN. Well hells bells I stared for a second although it seemed like more than a second and quickly thrust my head back out. The only thing I could manage to stammer was “for F**k sakes” and then “OMG I’m so sorry”. I knew my face was beat red and I quickly rose to me feet. I quickly moved to the sink and washed my hands. I called out in rather a loud voice how sorry I was and that I thought the washroom was empty since no sign was posted on the door letting me know it was in use. I laughed rather nervously and called out that I thought one of the children from an earlier program has locked the door from the inside. I was becoming even more mortified since he never said a word while I was babbling away, so I quickly left. My eyes never focused on who was actually sitting on the washroom throne so I’ll never really know, but since I was the ONLY female staff on duty who ever it was knows it was me who slipped my head into his personal space!!!

Man versus Woman

For as far back as there has been both men and women walking upon this land, an argument has been going on about what sex is the strongest. I’m not going to dig too far into this subject since we all know who will come out as the stronger sex. I will only go so far as to say….I am WOMAN..hear me roar.

This conflict has seeped into the unfinished walls of my home where the other half of my marital contract walks around as though the Grim Reaper is his shadow awaiting the impending doom of his ailment. His ailment; nasopharyngitis also known as the common cold. It is true that this particular cold whooped both our arses since I was lucky enough to share this wonderful event with the other half. It is true that when ever I wasn’t working, cooking dinner, cleaning, doing laundry or taking the dog out for his exercise, I was bundled up under big fluffy blankets with hot tea and honey. My bundled up body was hidden behind mountains of Kleenex as I quietly snuck in a few extra minutes of recuperation time. It took a little over 7 days before my rashed nose, watery eyes and constant cough began to subside but it did and without any sympathetic gestures from the other half I may add. Now, as for the other half who just so happens to be a man, instead of roars I seem to be hearing nothing but sad soulful whines with every tiny movement his “manly” body takes. I find it rather entertaining that men claim to be the stronger of the sex’s and boast about what they can bench-press or how far and how hard they can throw a punch. Yet when the common cold penetrates their masculine form they morph into an entity that does nothing but whimper, whine and complain about how sick they feel…..Guess there is no debate on who wins this issue!!!!!!

sniffle sneeze..cough cough

AAAaaaaaaaCCCHHHHOOoooooo………….was forcefully thrown from my lips throughout the day today. Yep, it’s here again. The dreaded……sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching….. all stuffed up…I got a cold season. Oh those dreaded minions’ of the common cold have attacked me with a vengeance. One minute I’m so stuffed I think my head will explode and then the next minute my nose has suddenly turned into a faucet with no shut off valve.

Gesundheit...........bless you………. and God bless you were chorused after the echoes of my many bouts of sneezes had subsided. My red and watery eyes matched the pink tinge of my nose as I smiled and thank all who blessed my sneezes. One of the people from the last rental I had today was looking for an escape from the high pitched laughing and squealing from the ladies during a baby shower he was supposed to be attending so he came down stairs in the hopes of an early escape. He heard me sneezing and peeked his head in the door to say “bless you.” As I have been doing all day, I smiled and said thank you. He then proceeded to explain the old custom of blessing someone when they sneeze. Apparently with his version it goes as follows…when someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. He also said that whatever word or group of words that are used, it all pretty much means the same thing. So…..while I was at work today I was certainly blessed many times….I’m guessing I have a very good chance of not developing the plague!

One to make you smile

Postcard from one Redneck to another:

Dear Billy Jo, I'm writin' this real slow cause I know you can't read very fast. We don't live where we did when you left. We read in the paper that most accidents happen within ten miles of home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you our new address cause the last family that lived here took the house numbers with them so they wouldn't have to change their address. This place has a washing machine. The first day mama put four shirts in, pulled the chain and we ain't seen them since. ... It only rained here twice this week. Three days the first time and five days the second time. I know it is cold where you are so we're sending you a coat. Mama said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with them buttons on it, so we cut'em off and put'em in the pockets. We got a letter from the funeral home. They said if we don't make the last payment on grandma's funeral bill, up she comes!! My sister had a baby this morning. I ain't heard whether if's a boy or a girl so I don't know if I'm an uncle or an aunt. Uncle John fell in the big whiskey vat. When they tried to pull him out, he fought them off, so he drowned. We creamated him and he burned for three days. Three of my friends went off the bridge in a pick-up truck. One was driving, the other two was in the back. The driver got out cause he rolled down the window and swam to safety. The other two drowned, they couldn't get the tailgate down. Well, I hope this catches you up on things that's going on around here!! Your cuz, Bubba

The On-set of Autumn

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Here we are already mid September, well a few days shy of it at any rate. We are still seeing some pretty warm days actually bordering on down right hot, but the nights are becoming cooler and a heck of a lot more comfortable. The crickets are in full chorus as it begins to get darker earlier in the evenings now. Autumn is definitely in the air. Since the Harvest Moon peeked last night and the Hunters Moon is preparing its showing which will peek October 11th, skies are keeping track of the seasons. Not many people pay attention to the different moons, but growing up as a farmer’s daughter and since my mother’s best friend was Native American I was taught about the different moons. Each month of the year has a special moon according to Native American folklore. The hunters and farmers throughout the centuries have also come to pay homage to the night skies. These full moons are no different then the rest of the moons just given names indicating the different times of the year. The Hunters moon, also known as the Blood Moon or Sanguine is the first full moon after the Harvest moon.

The List of the different Moons are:
Full Wolf Moon – January
Full Snow Moon – February
Full Worm Moon – March
Full Pink Moon – April
Full Flower Moon – May
Full Strawberry Moon – June
Full Thunder Moon – July
Full Sturgeon Moon – August
Full Harvest Moon – September
Full Harvest Moon – October
Full Beaver Moon – November
Full Cold Moon – December

I paid attention to last night’s Harvest moon and even though it was nothing notable it still brought back memories of my childhood; My father standing outside, his hands on his hips looking up to the sky and pointing at the moon.


September 12th 2011 – Harvest Moon

Canada Remembers

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

And the greatest is love.
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

Summer Vacation 2011 comes to an end....

Another ending and yet another beginning. The summer season isn’t officially over for a few weeks yet but you’d never know by the weather the last few days. Brrrrrrrrrr

This past weekend was a great one. The annual Fish Fry went off without a hitch even though Saturday was a scorcher. Fish, corn and salads a plenty everyone enjoyed the buffet style meal not to mention the desserts and cold drinks. I was a perfect angel with a tarnished halo but if one looked hard enough my horns were peeking out just a wee little bit. I could tell a few whispers were circulating within a small group of people about recent changes in my attitude towards life and I think the smile that stayed on my face the whole day confused more than a few people. You know what they say “Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to.”

Over the Labour Day weekend my dear friend came down from her Northern world to celebrate her sister’s birthday. During her time here in the South, we text messaged back and forth and giggled secretly about all sorts of things. It brought me back to the days of our yester-years when secrets were shared over the phone or whispered in each others ear. On Monday we got together and left the city just before 10am. It was cloudy and cool but the grey skies didn’t deter our adventure. It was off to Port Dover for a day of fun a small bit of shopping and of course the famous Arbour Dog, along with a Cherry Glow for her and a Peach Glow for me. We walked barefoot in the cool beach sand and had a laugh about the difference in colour from dark tan and almost pure white. We even braved a small “toe dipping” into Lake Erie and shivered as we watched a very few take on the cool nip of the air making their way into the chilly water. Before we ended our adventure we sat on the deck of the beach restaurant for a drink. We ordered a
pina colada and a margarita and we toasted to the end of summer and our long lasting friendship.

A friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself...Jim Morrison

My Port Dover Butterfly Find!!

Feet of Friendship

Yes it takes 2 hands to manage 12"











Things are still in an upheaval on the work front, and even though a shift was taken away from me and given to someone else I’m still going to smile all the way through it. It was definitely unfair and if I had to hazard a guess it was so that the person who was given my shift would feel beholden to the new supervisor and become a program Instructor filling a spot where one needed to be filled. From what I gather it was not a smart move on the new Supervisors part since the person did not take the offered program Instructors position leaving her searching for someone else. Oh well, sucks to be her…lol. I’m sure there are going to be many many problems as the rental season begins and I will have great joy in sending all problems across to the “Big Desk” in the office. In the past we were given access to certain things in order to thwart any situation before it became a problem. We no longer have that access so I will be smiling that cheery smile of mine as I post note after note onto the “Big Desk”.


Things really DO happen for a reason!!!!