Halloween Photos

Here are some pictures from Halloween.  These aren't all of them.  The uploader was taking way too long and I have zero patience.  You can see the rest of them here if you want.  I wish I had as much energy as Tim and Pat when it comes to Halloween.  They know how to do it in complete style.

Halloween on Gore. ..

 is actually pretty boring.  We only had two trick or treater's...

So on Friday because of the hooplah of Gage's science project I completely forgot to get Roan ready for his Halloween day at school.  He wanted to go as a zombie again but I neglected to get him ready or frankly ask Eric to get him ready like he did last year.  I only remembered after seeing Gage's teacher dressed as an elf when I dropped off his project. Or maybe she actually is an elf.  Either way it helped me remember that I'm a terrible mom.  I called Eric and asked him to quickly make Roan into a zombie on his lunch hour.  However, Roan had made the choice at the last minute to go as a nerd.  I'd wish I'd known prior and I would have completed his ensemble like we did last year for Gage, with a proper name tag, glasses, etc.  He was content with what he had on in the photo so I guess all ended well.

Gage decided he's getting too cool for Halloween proper and all he wanted was three options so he could go T or T'ing in Caleguiro Estates (the hoity toity neighbourhood).  Three masks would allow him to hit the best houses three times.  Clever little shithead I must say.  So while Eric and I were out yesterday we went in search of Halloween masks without the actual costumes.  The pickings were slim to say the very least.  We still aren't sure what the point of this lame mask is...

Tonight Roan returned after an hour because he was freezing.  My dad took him out.  He still raked in a pretty decent score.  He too went to Caleguiro Estates and came home with a couple cans of pop, about 6 real store sized chocolate bars, a candy apple, over a dozen bags of chips and a decent haul of mini candies.  Sa-weet!!  I was craving chocolate too!!  Gage still isn't home but I trust I'll he'll fair well also.

Ace of Cakes!

 Tuesday night Gage informed me that he had a science project to complete by Friday.  Sigh....He needed to create a plant cell in 3-D form.  I don't remember ever having cool projects like this when I was in school.  Perhaps then I would have found plant biology more stimulating than human biology.  Just a hunch.  Anyway, we decided to make his 3-D cell out of cake.  So on Wednesday night I baked the actual cake and then we'd shop for the cell parts on Thursday at the Bulk Barn and he could decorate it.  After his soccer game Thursday night (they won 3-0, with Gage giving the other team a shut out), we headed to the Barn and bought all the candy we'd need to decorate this cake. During the process of decorating the cake/cell, Eric thought it would be a wonderful idea to make a 'jelly roll' out of the left over candy tape (cell wall) and the green icing (cell membrane). 

 Gage thought this was a brilliant idea and true to Gage fashion proceeded to eat it with complete decorum and class.  Below you'll see a picture of the completed cell.  With all the parts necessary.  I posted a picture of an actual cross section of a plant cell in one of my previous posts and as you can see, we're awesome cake decorators.  We should have our own TV show. I mean clearly anyone (Buddy of Cake Boss) can have one these days. 

We took his cake into the school on Friday morning and while I was there I noticed most of the other projects that had been submitted.  We had some stellar competition I tell ya!  It was pretty cool to see all the different ideas.  Anywho, Gage got 20/20 or 100% or A+ (whatever way you want to look at it!) on his cell and then they all proceeded to eat devour it.  So all that remains are the fond memories I have of working on it with him, because we really did have a lot of fun doing this together and it was nice to hang out with him for a couple hours and chit chat and photographs.  Sometimes homework isn't too bad at all.

Kittie Kuddles and Kuteness

 Oliver and Kanika are kindred spirits and they love each other so much.  She has a much higher tolerance for him than she does for the others though we know she loves them too. 

 It's only been a year now, but Tabbouleh is FINALLY starting to come out of her shell with all of us, not just Eric.  I find now that she's much, much cuter with a better, sweeter personality.  She's got a little ways to go, but at least she's moving in the right direction.  Or maybe it's because I fed her bacon last night.

And Shakespeare is just the best kitty ever.  He trusts us completely.  He'll sleep anywhere and let us (more importantly Roan) do anything we want to him and he still loves us.  He can sometimes be an asshole to Kanika though, but that's because he knows he'll get a rise out of her.  Typical boy.

Making the Grade

So tonight, we  I start another school project.  This time for Grade 8 science.  Gage  I have to make a replica of a plant cell.  It can be in any medium but must be 3-D.  So the ideas Gage has come home with thus far is a cake, a jello mold, a shoe box...  I say lets go with the cake.  We can bake a round cake, ice it in whatever colour they draw cells in for text books, add a huge gobstopper on the top of it, off to the side as the nucleus, licorice or something for the filangies (I'm making up names), jelly beans for the mitocondria (whatever, you know what I mean), etc, etc.  But Gage is poo-pooing this idea.  He's also pretty much ruled out the jello idea as well because he's figured out the weight of the gobstopper does not allow it to 'float' in the jello.  So I've told him he has to draw me a detailed picture of a plant cell so I know where we need to begin and what supplies I'll need.  Then tonight, we begin.  Did I mention it's due on Friday and we have soccer tomorrow? I'm gonna kill my kid.  I think I'll push him into the cake idea, so I can bake it tonight and tomorrow he can ice it and decorate it.  When he acted all nonchalant about it I inquired about his grade on his art project I helped him with did.  He casually mentioned he got an A.  I asked if he thought he would have gotten an A with his half-assed first attempt and he said no way.  So maybe he'll come to terms with the fact that mom is always right.  Did I mention I got an A???  Awwww yah!!!

The Picture Show

I wish I could have watched this week's episode of Glee without any familiarity or affection for The Rocky Horror Picture Show but, I can’t change the fact that I’m a not so secret fan and my perspective on this installment was going to be a little rose-tinted.

They could not have started the show any better than they did in my opinion.  A pair of lips filled the screen singing the opening song, then faded to black-and-white and were covered in a familiar blood-soaked logo that read: “The Rocky Horror Glee Show.”  I was almost giddy.  Ok, who am I kidding?  I was giddy and singing along and poking Eric (who was not giddy). 

And how great was it that they made room for cameos from the oridinal Picture Show???  Barry Bostwick (the Brad of the movies) and Meat Loaf Aday (who played Eddie on film and onstage, and apparently has a last name)?  So great!! 

But once again, Sue summed up what we all know is true with her rendition of what Halloween 'used' to be all about.  'A time of year when we allow boys to dress like girls and girls to dress like whores. We've lost the true meaning of Halloween: Fear!  Children must know fear. Without it, they'll try frenching grizzly bears or trying to live in Florida.'  But by far the best quote of the night came from "the mini Sue Sylvester" - Becky (a girl with Down Syndrome):  "Give me some chocolate or I will cut you."  So wrong, but oh so right.

So while I know Glee has gotten off to a rocky (no pun intended) start this season I was overall very content and pleased with last nights episode.  It blended in well with, what, the 8 lbs of Halloween candy I've consumed over the past three days.

Having my say.

I voted tonight.  I did my duty as a citizen of my city and cast my vote to elect those who run it.  I'll be honest (and a tad shallow), I voted for only those I've actually met or know.  I don't follow politics.  Not in the slightest.  This is probably wrong but I could care less.  I know, I know not the best comment to say about how the city I live in is run.  I guess my pessimism gets the better of me and the belief that any person or group of persons is going to make enough change for the positive doesn't exist for me.  Even if they manage to pull out one good thing, there will probably be a few other lousy things they do.  So tonight, for me it was a popularity contest.  Maybe because I know them in the slightest way possible they will disappoint me less.  Or they won't, because again, I don't really care.

The little things in life.

It must be my lucky weekend.  I've never been shy about liking free stuff, or great deals or coupons or anything of those sorts.  Well it started last week for me, and I hope it continues.  I found a sweet, sweet deal at Groupon.com so I took advantage and got another gift out of the way.  It's pretty cool, but I can't talk about it yet because the person it's for reads this blog.  Then on Friday I went to Starbucks and ordered my Grande Caramel Apple Spice and they didn't have any apple juice.  Of course they didn't.  They NEVER do when I want one and since I don't drink tea or coffee I requested my second of only two choices I have at Starbucks; a strawberry smoothie.  After waiting damn near ten minutes for my smoothie, she proudly announce Orange Mango smoothie!  So I stood there and stared at her thinking it was someone else's smoothie, but alas it was mine.  Argh.  I was nice though.  Since I have entered the world of management I have so much appreciation for handling disappointment politely.  I said it was supposed to be strawberry, but I'll just drink this one.  She gave me a free drink coupon for next time I go to Starbucks.  That makes me happy.  THEN, on Saturday I went shopping with my momma bear and decided to go pick up a pair of DC's for Gage for Christmas and of course the one pair (that I wanted) left in his size is missing the matching shoe.  Typical for Holly.  So they gave a discount coupon for the next time I buy a pair of shoes.  AND THEN, when I got home Netflix had sent me an email telling me they had extended my free subscription because the sound was messed up on a show I wanted to watch.  Yippee!  And then Marble Slab sent me a coupon I wanted with an already expired date on it so I emailed them with my disappointment and they sent me another one!   

It really is the little things in life that make me smile.  Now if only the company I worked for understood how simple it is to buy me...

The importance of impotence.

So today while I was checking through the boys gym bags and ensuring they had their lunches I came across a paper of Gage's writing.  I thought maybe it was a journal entry project or essay or something along those lines.  Nope, none of those.  They were one paragraph repeated over and over again, 12 times.   Lines.  Something about him being mature enough to understand the importance of not speaking out in class as he is an intelligent young man.  Except clearly spelling wasn't a requirement.  We got that he was inta eligant or something like that and he's impotant.  Which then lead me to another thought...

I wish it wasn't morally wrong to basically, temporarily, sterilize my children, unbeknownst to them of course, until they are into their 20's, self sufficient and not living in my house.  I think this should be a right of all parents whether they have sons or daughters.  Gage is getting to an age where he is soon going to be 'experimenting' and I have no reason not to believe that statement about him being impotent is false.  Of course I'd still teach him and preach to him the importance of condoms.  It would just be nice to secretly have that reassurance that he isn't going to come home and tell me he got some girl pregnant when he's 15.  Gah.  I have to be honest, if I had a girl, I'd still be 'on birth control' and each morning she'd have a crushed up pill in her cereal. 

Just my thoughts.  I know it's wrong, but it actually feels like it should be so right.

Peering into other people's lives...

So this weekend I decided I really wasn't going to venture out of my pj's and bed for much more than food or bathroom breaks.  I'd spent all my money last week on Gage so I had no other real options.  While I was searching for sites to watch RuPaul's Drag Race I was routed onto NetFlix's site and decided, what the hell, to sign up.  It's free for 30 days so if it sucks, I'll bail.  So while I'm bummed that most of the tv shows I actually care to watch aren't offered on NetFlix, I was quite pleased with the selection of Documentaries they have available.  I've watched three so far and all three I would recommend.

1. I Think We're Alone Now
I Think We're Alone Now is a feature length documentary about two people in love with Tiffany (yup, that Tiffany from the 80's). They have been labeled stalkers by the media, but neither of them even consider themselves fans. They call themselves friends. I know I shouldn't laugh at mental illness, but man these two made it really hard to sympathize with them.  It's surreal and in itself crazy that this shit exists.

2.Confessions of a Superhero
Confessions of a Superhero is a feature length documentary that chronicles the lives of three mortal men and one woman who make their living working as superhero characters on Hollywood Boulevard.  This deeply personal look into their daily routines reveals their hardships and triumphs as they pursue and achieve their own kind of fame.  The Hulk sold his Super Nintendo for a bus ticket to LA; Wonder Woman was a mid-western homecoming queen; Batman struggles with his anger, while Superman’s psyche is consumed by the Man of Steel.  Although the Walk of Fame is right beneath their feet, their own paths to stardom prove to be long, hard climbs. (hint:  Batman steals the show)

3. Dear Zachary
"Stamping it bluntly, Dear Zachary is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen and I am not prone to such hyperbolic statements.  Kurt Kuenne has remarkably turned this into a furious lightning bolt of reminiscence and outrage that is going to reach into each viewer's chest and squeeze their heart like a tomato in a vice.  Dear Zachary unfolds like a masterful thriller that never loses respect for the wake its tragedies have left.  And still, by the end when we're exhausted and ready to collapse under the weight of our tears and anger, Kuenne has created an absolute love letter to the art of parenting...it's the best documentary of its kind.  This is Oscar-worthy material and hopefully enough people on the committees will see it and cast a vote for next year." - Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com 
**I couldn't think of any way to describe it better.  This movie story effected every emotional fibre of my being.  I felt like my heart broke and I felt outraged and angry.  I also felt my heart swell and I can't remember crying as hard during and following a film.  Please take a moment to watch it, let this film not have been made in vain.

Hidden Gem

I don't know how I have missed knowing about RuPaul's version of America's Next Top Model.  I am most disappointed in myself.  Today out of boredom while I was flicking through the channels I came across RuPaul's Drag Race so immediately I stopped to watch it.  And what I found was his/her version of a gay America's Next Top Model with all drag queens.  One episode in the middle of season two and I'm stoked.  I went online to see if I could find any more information about this hidden gem and I found this website where I can watch all of Season 1 and 2's episodes for free.  I checked out the link and it works.  So join me won't you in a lot of make up, wigs, two sided tape and cattiness, cause I'll tell you those bitches in ANTM have not NUTHING on these queens.

Secret Superstar!

So Roan suffers from hyper focus.  Sometimes this can be a good thing, sometimes this can be a bad thing.  Lately his hyper focus has narrowed in on the solar system and all the planets and everything to do with space.  So much so that he forgot to tell us that his intramural soccer team at school came in first place.  I found out by reading through the school newsletter.

Warpaint

I can usually thank Lesley for introducing me to good bands but recently I accidentally stumbled onto this band and I, so far, heart them very much.  In fairness I've only heard one song by them but I'm a smitten kitten.  I'm a little frightened to delve deeper into Warpaint for the fear that they won't measure up to Undertow for me.  I'm going to take a chance though with my fingers crossed that I've found a new band I love. 

I'd only heard the original recording of the song, but here's a video of an acoustic version (an acoustic version of a song I already love usually just makes me love it more).  I dig this version just as much. 

Pictures Pictures Everywhere!

Here's some more pictures from the weekend: 

Doesn't that pretty pink cell phone bring out the blue in Eric's eyes?  Then that's a pic of me and Eric with Roan sneaking into the background.  If you think I am a camera whore, I have nothing on that kid.  Then the next picture is the most recent one of my two favourite boys.  Gage is looking so grown up here. I think this picture is one of my new favourites.  Of all time.  Then that's Felix, Mr. Sweet Cheeks himself.  And the last picture is of Felix with his Uncle E.  He looks unsure but I can assure you he was quite content and comfy laying with his uncle.

Photo post

I can't be bothered to post them all as there are lots.  You can go look at my Facebook album if you are that curious to see them all, but here are some pictures of me with my friends who joined me in a dance party on Saturday night.

UFC

George St. Pierre is such a much better person than Josh Koscheck.  Hands down.  I'm not just being biased because GSP is Canadian (though that helps).  Josh is ignorant, immature, hot headed, juvenile, naive, arrogant, and lame.  I want to punch him in the face.  He is doing his best to get under GSP's skin and he's failing miserably.  Which only pushes him over the edge even more. 

George is a much better coach, motivator, trainer, fighter, champion, human being.  I hope he destroys Josh Koscheck in their fight at the end of this season. I hope he knocks him out.  Cold.  I hope he teaches that boy some humility.

I love George for the same reasons I love Randy Couture.  They're humble, modest, fair, and decent and they have the skills that speak for them. 

And of course everyone looks better in red than in yellow.  That just goes without saying.

The Funeral

Oooh, I almost forgot next week me and Lesley are going to see Band of Horses again.  This time in a smaller venue, of which I'm TOTALLY stoked about.  We saw them during the summer on Toronto Island and they were so fantastic and yummy and wonderful and good and amazing and I can hardly wait (now that I've reminded myself) for this show. 

I just love them so much. 

Gobble Gobble.

Why does everything always taste better when someone else cooks it? I mean even if it isn't even good, it's still not that bad.  I love when we're invited to other people's homes to celebrate the holidays.

We hit my parents house for Thankgiving on Sunday.  I always love spiral ham and most importantly my mom's homemade baked beans.  Yum!  So clearly it wasn't this meal that I was speaking about in the first paragraph.  She even made homemade apple pies.  My absolute favourite too.  Dawn and Anita weren't there as they were hoopin it up at Nerdfest (Supernatural Convention) 2010 in Chicago.  Geoff came with Sebastian and Sawyer.  The boys weren't there as they were at Rob's, so overall it was pretty relaxing which was great since I was 'hungover' for the first time in at least 10 years.  I'm still not 100% sure it was a hangover because lately I've been getting car sick even if I drive when I run into stop and go traffic.  But whatever...I was uber tired, groggy, headachey and just overall blah.  Probably not the best company.  I am going to look into those little magnet bracelets that are supposed to help with motion sickness.

Monday, we headed out to pick the boys up and make our way to Welland to Eric's aunt's house for his family dinner.  Chris was working but Lisa came with Felix and well, he's just super-dee-duper!  Dinner was ok.  I'll give a shout out to the broasted potatoes (yup I'm blogging about food) but a thumbs down for the creamy frozen peas and carrots.  Vomit central.  Ten minutes in Roan was declaring his boredom even after not 1/2 prior we begged him to refrain from doing just that.  We basically just spent time with Lisa, Felix and Eric's mama bear.

Following this dinner we headed over a few blocks to my aunt's house to hit dessert at her place.  It was also their 25th wedding anniversary.  We had delicious pumpkin cheesecake then we headed home.  But not before Roan could show off his Teddy Get's T-bagged video to hordes of laughter.

I still can't believe summer is truly over.  I mean it's for real now.  Thanksgiving is in the bag for another year.  Remember when time stood still in our youth?  Some days I long for that...

Saturday night dance party!

• Learning that Amy drives the speed limit or under.  Argh.  
• Sweet renovated mansion hotel.  I think it might have been haunted.  If not, it should be. 
• Hotel room party circa 1992.  
• A ride in the National Lampoon's Vacation family roadster.
• Car sickness
• Vampire dens with half naked women and velvet wallpaper. 
• Street roaming down Queen St. 
• Random balloons floating through the city and landing in my shirt. 
• Annual highschool type reunion underground.
• Tequila Rose
• Camera whore.
• Lost my breath dancing to KIDS by MGMT.  I'm getting old.
• Can't.Stop.Dancing.
• Dying of starvation.  Probably not a good idea to drink on two cups of ketchup chips and a mini Mars bar.
• Subway at 2:30 a.m.  Another idea that sounded good at the time.
• Laughing homeless dude.
• Laughing Amy.
• Laughing Holly.
• Meeting a member of the Taliban.
• Pat and Tim almost losing their teaching jobs.
• Homophobia.  Not cool.  
• Lost Margie and Tina.  Not cool. 
• Split cabs
• Best pillows ever.
• Stumbling in Margie.  Post vomit. 
• Tina pulling an "Eastender".
• Headache.  Could this be a hangover?
• Multiple hangover.
• Greasy breakfast.
• Reunited with Tina.
• Car ride in traffic from hell.
• Car sick.
• Nappy Nap Nap
• Thanksgiving dinner.
• 14 hour sleep.  Sigh....

79 more shopping days...

So today I ordered (on-line, as that's how I plan to do most, if not all, of my Christmas shopping) my first Christmas present of the season.  I'd post a picture but I'm not entirely sure if the person I bought it for reads my blog or not.  It was totally spontaneous but in all seriousness, I could be finished one person now.  Yeah!!!

Countdown...

In exactly one month, at this time, I will be strolling around Epcot Centre.   That is all.

Dance off!

So this weekend I'm heading to Toronto with my dancing partners (minus Jodi, Lesley and Dawn - all of which I'm totally bummed about) to dance my face off for my birthday (a few weeks after the fact).  I'm super excited and after a week of being sick and a Monday from hell I'm going to need and want to drink heavily. 

And I hope these three are able to come as well (don't bail on me!!):

 

The camera batteries are charging because we all knows what happens when Holly drinks now don't we??

Riding the Bitter Bus

I had the worst day on Monday.  I'm not going to get into it all here because to most of you it means absolutely nothing, but needless to say I felt/feel unappreciated, used, abused, taken advantage of, bullied, disrespected, you name it. 

Under most circumstances I LOVE my job.  I know I'm blessed and truly lucky to be able to say that after 14 years of this profession, but man on Monday I'd have quit in a heartbeat had I not needed money to pay my mortgage and bills.   I should also say that for the most part, even though I work for a "big bad corporation", I don't normally  mind the company I work for. I have worked at one time or another for both the independants and the corporates and I have to say I would never go back to the independants, but like I said, had any of them called me on Monday I'd have jumped ship.  I'm chalking this situation up to the actual manager and not the company itself. 

I'm still on the bitter bus this Wednesday afternoon, but I don't think I'm actually driving it anymore (I was on Monday). 

Today I decided not to deal with people and wore my civilian yucky clothes and bought paint and what not and repainted and redecorated one of our washrooms.  I like shopping on other people's dimes.  In my anger I also bought a table to the Niagara Region Children's Safety Village Gala on the 15th of this month and I'm taking all of my full time staff.  Yup, doing something nice for the community and my staff on the company's dime.  HA!  I'm not even taking a member of the clergy or nuthin!  Totally rebellous I know. Made me feel better though.  $800.00 later....

Converstion maker

Here's a video Eric took last weekend after having breakfast with one of our favourite people.  Ryan has had a penny farthing for the past couple of months.  I feel like I've already posted a picture of him with it, but this video shows him in action on his sweet ride.