Whoever Said They Were Gentle Giants?

I was browsing through files on my computer today when I spotted this fantastic image. For a while, Kyle and I made a game of changing each other's backgrounds on the computer (on our PC, as with the bank, Kyle and I have separate accounts). This image of the manatee/Hindenburg disaster is one that I set as Kyle's background, using it to creatively remind him of my love for the sea cow.
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One evening after Kyle had sneakily changed my background, I logged onto the computer and let out a huge scream when this guy popped up unexpectedly, filling the whole screen.

He is Li'l Sam, three-time winner of the World's Ugliest Dog competition. No, that isn't a chicken bone he's gnawing on. It is his own foot. Sadly, Li'l Sam died last year but he sure did deserve his title. I can't be certain but I think this picture was taken before he died.

Where Did They Get the Halter Top?

This video is of over 1500 prisoners at a Detention and Rehabilitation Centre in the Philippines practicing "Thriller". The video quality isn't great but the concept is awesome and the dancing - oh so good! Somebody on You Tube has posted a bunch of videos of these guys dancing and marching. Oddly enough, a lot of them are to songs from "Sister Act."

Speaking of Sister Act, Kyle and I saw two of our neighbourhood nuns at Safeway last night. They bought a cantaloupe.

Possibly My Worst Idea Ever

Recently I saw something on TV about how keeping anything plugged into the wall, even when it's not being used, consumes electricity. Consequently, I've been trying to unplug kettles, lamps, the toaster oven, etc. Last week I was ironing some clothes in the basement and noticed how many of our outlets were filled with plugs. In the name of environmentalism, I happily wandered around unplugging everything.
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Two days later, we were planning to go to Kyle's parent's for a barbeque. After Kyle went downstairs to get some hamburger from the freezer, I heard him call my name. I went down, thinking that my sister Kristed's lovely dog might have left a dookie in a dark corner of our basement. However, when I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw Kyle standing in a puddle in front of our darkened freezer, looking confused.

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"Jamie, something is wrong with the freezer. It's not working"

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My stomach dropped between my feet and for a fleeting moment, I considered blaming it on Kristed...or her dog. Anybody...

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"Ah... ... I... unplugged it."
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"WHAT?!"

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Needless to say, Kyle was pretty upset. He grabbed a giant rubber bin and started whipping melting objects out of our freezer. When he asked to be left alone with my puddly disaster, I skulked upstairs and waited quietly.

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Thankfully, our freezer is really new and most of the meat was still half-frozen. Oh man, I can't imagine how much trouble I would have been in if it had sat there for a couple more days. In my defense, the freezer was plugged into an extension cord, and attached to a distant wall. It's not as though I walked behind the freezer and yanked on it.
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Kyle did get over his quiet rage after about an hour, although he did threaten to resurrect his blog again. The last time he did that was when I didn't quite kill a fly before putting it in the garbage and it buzzed/dragged itself onto his hand while he was throwing something out.

But You Complete Me

Link

I've been a blog slacker. A new post will be coming very soon.

Polish Festival

On my walk home from school I pass a Polish Orthodox Catholic church. Last week there was a homemade sign out front advertising a Polish Festival with cultural entertainment, food, and merchandise. So this Saturday, I convinced Kyle that we should head on over to the Polish festival for some sweet post-workout perogy action.

I have to say that the sign was a bit misleading and the event was fairly low key. So much so that it was a bit awkward. In the parking lot that served as a venue, there was one table of used books and another displaying ceramic figurines for sale. The entertainment was one guy with an accordion (in defense of the Polish festival, I think there were dancers earlier in the day). Regardless, the food was good and the people were very friendly, so I was content. As I sat eating my delicious perogies and trying to look Polish, I wondered if everyone else at the festival could tell that Kyle and I weren't part of the Polish Posse.

Hands down, the highlight of the Festival was seeing the nuns who live down the street. They were just hanging out in their habits, doing whatever it is that Polish nuns do at festivals. I got super pumped when I saw them and told Kyle for the millionth time about how much I love these old-style nuns who live in our neighbourhood. Whenever I see them, it makes my day.

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I especially love it when they mow their lawn in full habit. That reminds me that I haven't happened to see them mowing the lawn yet this year. Maybe I should go on an undercover midnight fertilizing operation to increase my chances...

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The image above is from a calendar called "Nuns Having Fun". How great is that? The only calendar I can imagine appreciating more would be Nuns Doing Yard Work.

Oh the Suspense

This morning I was looking at my friend Paul's blog, which I enjoy immensely. On it he had posted this video which has made me laugh all day. I was even giggling to myself about it as I mowed the lawn.

I wonder how someone managed to record this gopher at the very moment it learned that Dave was driving in the vicinity.

Introducing My New Purple and Green Cankle

Last weekend I was invited to go hiking at Yamnuska with one of my good friends and her husband. We had a fantastic time just being out in the mountains and appreciating the scenery. My favourite part of the hike was when we ran/slid down a giant skree field, which is a long slope of loose gravel. I felt very hardcore.

Unfortunately, I felt much less hardcore when I tripped over a rock in the middle of a flat path about 15 minutes from the parking lot, twisting my ankle. (Hi Mom and Dad. I hurt myself again. Aren't you glad you don't have to pick me up and take me to the hospital anymore?)

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My hiking buddies were lovely, lending me their shoulders to lean on and even giving me a piggy back ride when we encountered a particularly steep hill. I have to say that after someone carries my sweaty self on their back down a mountain, we share a very special kind of bond. ,,,,,,,,,,,

My friends lovingly brought me home and supplied me with Advil and a frozen bag of peas. They fussed over me and left only when I promised that Kyle would come home right away. I phoned Kyle at work and requested that he bring me some Indian take-out, which is well-known for its healing properties.

Kyle came home to see his wife laying in front of the TV with a puffy leg, unsuccessfully trying to gnaw the cork out of an unfinished bottle of wine that had been left on the coffee table.

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My foot really has not been very sore but it sure does look gross. That's definitely the best kind of injury. I've decided to follow Kyle's lead and take a photo of my wound. Please enjoy Cankle 2007.