A bit of trivia

How smart are you people? Let me see.

What are the only 2 EC countries without an official minority language.

Enlighten me with the very genious of yourselves.

Roy Keane so does not suit green

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I heard Roy Keane had lost his first game as a Celtic player. I was amused that Keane wasn't all that, but sad that Celtic lost. To Clyde. That's a bit hard to take I think. There was a picture of him the next day in the paper (yep, occassionally we get a bit on Scottish football) and he really did look terrible in that colour. For someone who looks rather cute in a touch of Celtic green see this lovely girl below.









This dress caused great distress for the child's father who is not at all a Celtic fan but as it was a gift from his sister, he has consented to allowing the child to wear it. But he'll never be the one to put her in it.

Next year, I'll probably get payback and one of her gifts from Scotland will be a Rangers' kit.

Unions, and why I like to bitch about them.

So my 5 days off shortened themselves to 3 as I was called into work for today and tomorrow. I was hoping for a nice, quiet day but it was madly busy. I didn't even manage to read a complete article in Time magazine, that's how busy it was.

This is purely a bitching post. I work with, quite possibly, the laziest girl in all of Canada. She would be a champ in the lazy arse world series. She is late every time I work with her. So today she comes in 10 minutes late or so and gets the pharmacy pager. I am not a fan of the pharmacy run and am more than happy to let someone else do it. The pharmacy run is every hour at half past and takes about 15-25 minutes. When you are done you are supposed to come back to radiology and help out there. Most do, but not this girl. She'll show up occassionally, if she knows it is not busy so she can sit and watch TV or read a magazine. She knew how busy we were today, I even told her, but she did not come into our department once. So essentially she had four hours of breaks. I saw her in the ER locker room, she was also seen in the front lobby reading a magazine. She is a lazy cow and on Tuesday when I see my boss I am officially complaining. It is not like this is a once in a while event, it happens every weekend and frankly I have had enough of it. It is not fair that the other guy working and I did 45 runs each.

The thing is, my boss can do absolutely nothing about it. It might be marked in her file, but apparently it is very difficult to discipline someone, never mind fire them. For all she would have to do is grieve it to the union and the union would support her entirely. I totally disagree with this. Here you have someone who is not serving patients at all, and can give our department a bad name. And does. Yet the union would back her. I don't get it. Because I am casual I have absolutely no rights. For example there is a temporary .4 position going in my department. My co workers and my boss would love for me to have that job. However, we all know someone from housekeeping will get it and chances are they will be someone who has a reputatuion for being slightly more than lazy. If it were given to me, even a .2 with 6 months seniority could grieve and get it. The crazy thing is I could grieve it as well, even though it would do me no good. That's the odd things about unions...they support all their workers even if it goes against one of them. It's nice in theory, but there's usually a reason that someone shouldn't get a job. Maybe the unions need to start looking into files and actually say "Well, hey, guess what joe blow, we see that their are numerous complaints about you and you don't show up to work all the time. Jeesh, we really can't support you on this. You don't deserve the job." It'd be nice, but it'll never happen. Feckin' unions.

Adults are worse than children

I feel I may have once touched on the pettiness of adults but I can't be arsed to look and see so if you feel this is familiar on my part...well, what can I do? I'd tell you to bugger off but I'm rather nice so I won't. Just move onto your next blog I suppose. Or suffer through reading this one.

You know how when you were a kid you'd fall out with your friends at the drop of the hat? Or how there was that one girl (and let's face it...it's always a girl) who could make everyone mad at you? That girl in my case was called Margaret, who once managed to turn the entire fifth grade against me, they even marched around my house so I was afraid to go back to school after lunch. The power some kids have!

She's a stripper today. Makes way more money than me. And apparently has a much, much better body.

Anyhoo, I digress. Back to the adults behaving like children.

I have been friends with a group of mums since we were in 4 year old playschool. We weren't personally in playschool, our children were. Alot of us went to the same school for elementary. We were joined by a mother who knew a playschool mum from living in the same neighbourhood. So we were all one big happy group.

In theory anyway. I was sort of looked down upon for leaving my children for a month to go to Ireland in the aftermath of 9/11. (Honestly, who would turn down a free trip to Ireland?? Not this girl.) As women, we are somewhat naturally catty- I can admit that about myself- and I suppose there were times when someone always felt like they were on the fringes of this group of mum's.

But nothing was ever to big a deal. It was things like "That Danielle. She thinks her children walk on water, when they are really little devils." That sort of stuff. You know, catty. And then November arrived.

We had a friend who moved to another city about a year and a half ago. She came into town with her family and a group of us went out to dinner (myself, 2 other mums and our families.) Ah feck this is turning out to be a long story. I've not the patience for it. Anyway, there was a sleepover and the next day when M (note the initials) when to pick up her son, B's son said something to her about her son being rude and M yelled at B's son. B was slightly offended but let it go and thought everything was fine. Then M's son started picking on B's son at school. B still said nothing, but realized M wasn't talking to her. This is because M believes her son is being picked on by B's son. Does this make any sense? No, not to me either.

So long,long story just long...B and M are not talking and N (yet another mum) has been thrown into the middle and is hearing both sides. She tends to side with B and thinks M needs to calm down. I agree with her as M is a wee bit on the high strung side and tends to make a mountain out of a molehill. The problem I have with M is that she is taking out her frustration on all of us, from her friends to the volunteers who help out with hot lunch.

On the last day of school before Christmas and summer vacation we always go out to lunch with our kids. This year it was off, so I thought I would do it with 2 other friends (C and F) and then decided to invite B. Then that morning I said to N that why should we lose out on our lunch because they were fighting. However, this did not extend to me asking M. So here is my dilemma. I have a very guilty conscience and feel terrible about not asking M. I am also slightly afraid that she will find out that it was me who arranged the lunch and the full wrath of her anger will be upon me. God forbid. She can be very frightening. I am not sure if I should let it be known that we went out and apologize or if I should just let it be and hope no one lets the cat out of the bag.

Being a mother of a school aged child is much more difficult than being a school aged child.

It's been a long, long while

Well. I am back. Are you absolutely thrilled? Did you miss me?

No, I didn't think so.

It has been a busy, busy holiday season. Christmas was lovely, but very quiet with Liam away. Who knew how truly loud one 9 year old boy could be? We managed to surprise Taylor with a stereo, she had also received an MP3 player from her dad the week before as well as a discman from her aunt so she now has plenty of electronic items at her disposal. More than her mother, anyway. Saoirse was happy with her toys and tossed aside the clothes, much like her brother used to do when he was a toddler. Still does, come to think of it.

My mum, the girls and I hit the mall on Boxing Day. This may have been a bit of a mistake as it was the busiest shopping day of the year and the mall was packed. All I got was a calendar, Taylor bought a Build a Bear with Christmas money from my brother and a Spongebob calendar. We left as quickly as possible.

I worked the rest of the week and was in bed by 10 every night. How sad is that? Even on New Year's Eve I was in bed at 9.30. I worked New Year's Day and there was the usual drunks and whatnot. Someone had set fire to a room in the ER well before I started but it was the talk of the day.Apparently there were some extremely good looking firemen involved. Someone was raped at a nightclub, and there was a couple of guys who looked as though they had taken quite the beating. Just the usual New Years stuff I suppose.

So now I am on day 2 of 5 days off. I worked a Bingo with my friend Shelley yesterday for her sons' hockey club. I apologize in advance to any Bingo players who might read this, but I do think there are people out there leading rather sad lives. 7 hours to do nothing but lose money? That is insane. Although 10 minutes before the night ended, some woman won over $3,000. So I suppose it might be worth it for the odd one playing.

I have totally lost my train of thought. I am like an old woman these days. Sleeping before the double digits, forgetting what I am going to say,losing my keys, pretty soon I am going to start calling people "dearie" and wearing diapers I am sure. Off to bed I go, two late nights in a row has killed me!

Honestly, people, these things are so stupid!

You Were Nice This Year!

You're an uber-perfect person who is on the top of Santa's list.You probably didn't even *think* any naughty thoughts this year.Unless you're a Mormon, you've probably been a little too good.Is that extra candy cane worth being a sweetheart for 365 days straight?

Were You Naughty or Nice This Year?

So why do I do them then? Because I have nothing else to do apparently. No original thoughts in my head, so I am dependent upon such amusements.
Here's the thing. These are obviously written for the single high school student. I am sure that when I was 17 I kissed well more than one person (in fact I know I did- that's what high school was all about) However these days, I am kissing only one person and I am quite happy with that, thank you very much. So because I am in a relationship and I don't go out every night I have become a goody goody. There's no mixed balance in these blog quizzes. They should do one for the elderly among us.

*Mist point out that I was far from good 365 days this year. Screamed at my kids a thousand times to often, avoided parental responsibilities and my daughter would tell anyone who would listen that I am far from perfect. In fact, tonight she told me that I get mad too quickly. Sooo true. My response was "Then why do you do things that you think will make me mad?" (That would be almost everything) If that girl would just realize that my sanity is hanging by a thread life would be much more peaceful.

The limited talents of myself

Anyone who knows me, knows very well that I am craft challenged. However, I like to spend lots of money on crafty items that I occassionally, very rarely, actually do. So here's a card I made, minus the cutting which I let my friend do while my other friend and I talked, ate and drank. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am left handed and therefore unable to cut a straight line to save my poor life.

Anyhoo, here's my Christmas card to you, whoever you may be. Have a good one. I'm shopping tomorrow, working Thursday and Friday and might take Taylor to a movie on Christmas Eve Day and who would post on Christmas Day? Pathetic really. So I may or may not be on before Christmas but if I'm not I'm hope your day is lovely, whereever you may be. We will be having a brown Christmas so the Christmas Day sledding tradition is out the window.

5 Weird Habits (or just things if you are me)

I have been tagged by United Irelander for one of these memes. I could swear he once said he hated these things, but nonetheless, he seems willing to participate in them. I said it would take me awhile to think of something and it has. In fact, I'm still thinking. So let's see if I can figure out how to copy the rules onto here and in the hour or so that it may take me to do that, I may have thought of a few things. Maybe.

"The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals."

Ah, that only took but a minute. Didn't even have a thought cross my head, except for the fact that I'm pretty sure it should read "Five Weird Habits About Yourself" not of yourself. Could be wrong though, I am occassionally.

So here we go.................... #1) I do not like to use other people's bathrooms, or public ones. This is quite possibly odd, as I am sure most of my friend's have cleaner toilets than myself (especially if I have to use Liam's...that boy never lifts the seat and always, ALWAYS pees on it.)

#2)I lose my train of thought in a split second. I know that one day I am going to suffer dementia, probably early onset. That's not a habit is it? That's just something about me. Looking, so is number one. Damn. Let me change it to I have a habit of not using other people's toilets.

#3)I have a habit (I have to start it this way now otherwise I will just say something wrong) of starting something and not finishing it. Hmmm...that's not weird, it's just annoying.

#4)I refuse to move for other people. If I am walking in the mall and there is someone in my direct path I expect them to move for me. When I was little couples walking by holding hands used to have to raise their hands and walk on by or split apart. I would then get in trouble from my mum for not moving out of their way. This is only weird because I am normally a very polite, apologetic person.

#5)This is weird, but not a habit. I absolutely can not drink beer, it makes me throw up. However, I can consume vast quantites of any hard alcohol, and mix them, and not even suffer a hangover.
*Note: due to the fact that I am a mother to three young children, those episodes are few and far between. Like never.


Now I have to tag 5 people. Let me think, let me think. Do I know 5 people? Am not sure.

Erik at Terminal Dysfunctio
Boliath at In My Head (I have just started reading her, and have not yet updated my links, but will shortly)
Calista at the Barham Bunch
William at Travelling Ulsterman (I'd like to see how different his list is from the one I would give him)
Mike at Mindless Dribble

Only one or two are regular readers so we'll see if this gets done.

A shameless plug pour moi

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear Emma
Happy birthday to me



Isn't it sad when you wish yourself a happy birthday?

Did you notice my ability to switch from English to Francais. Aye, I was impressed too.



*Pour moi is one of the few things I can say in French. Shameless plug? Not a friggin chance. Must ask Taylor, she'll know.

Taylor and the Bully

Taylor is being bullied at school. It started in October with name calling and teasing. I went to the teacher and was told that it would be dealt with, but that I should understand that this child, who was brand new to the school, came from a bad home on a reserve, and has had a hard life.

Well, I'm sorry but that is not my problem. That is the problem of the girls family, her elders, her school and quite possibly Social Services if they have become involved. I said to him that Taylor has had a difficult home life as well (a dying father for gods sakes, parents seperation, freakoid of a mother) but that she has always been very well behaved at school.

I will give Taylor kudos for that one. She may drive me crazy at home on a daily basis, but has been loved by every teacher she has had from the age of 3. She has always been friendly, is commended for her willingness to help others and her grade one teacher said "If every student was like Taylor, teaching would be a pleasure everyday." See, I've done something right.

So don't give me that bullshit about a bad home. Deal with the child before it becomes an issue at school, or as soon as a sign is seen at school, and it shouldn't go to far. He never talked to the girl and for the rest of the week Taylor was picked on. And then one day she called home and said she was sick. William went to pick her up and as they were coming home he asked her a few questions. He said to her that he didn't think she was sick, but that she was suffering from "Bully-itis." She said "I think you are right." Taylor hates missing school, she cried one day last year when I made her stay home because she was really sick. So with her actually calling home I had known something was up.

The teacher still hadn't talked to her by Friday and Taylor was still getting picked on. It was a hot lunch day and I served lunch to her class. I figured that if he wasn't going to take care of this, I would. I went up to this girl and said "Since your teacher isn't going to talk to you, I will. If you say another word to Taylor, I will take it right to the principal. Do you understand me?" She nodded her head and said yes. When I saw her again at the end of the day I said "Remember what I told you."

And all was good. The following Monday Taylor came home and said that Hope had been really nice to her. The last 6 or so weeks have been teasing free.

Until Tuesday when Taylor came home and said that Hope kept hitting her in music class. I am going to the school tomorrow to talk to the music teacher (who's a hard ass, I know she'll deal with it) and if it doesn't stop I will call the police and ask them to come in and talk to her. I know that seems like I am pushing it, but it is something they offer and so why not take them up on it. Now that Taylor has actually been hit, the police consider it assault, not bullying. Although this girl will not be charged, I am under the impression that the police actually open a file on her (if there isn't already one.) It will make the principal mad, but too bad. It is our silly conduct policy that allows children to get away with being monsters. Zero tolerance, my arse!

I will not have my daughter afraid to go to school. This is that school's problem, they have had children move to other schools because they have been physically attacked and the bully's haven't been punished with anything more than an in-school recess suspension. It's ridiculous.

Liam's Christmas Concert

I went to Liam's Christmas concert tonight. I'd post some pics but I was so far at the back they all turned out shite. Ah well. I was surprised by the songs played, as at our other school they only sing religious songs. Away in the Manger and the like. This was a mixture of religious songs and songs of the Silver Bells and Must Be Santa variety. I enjoyed the change. I have been listening to the same 8 songs every year at Taylor's school, although apparently they plan on changing it this year. We will see. Somehow I don't imagine there will be much of one.

Still, at least they can sing songs about Jesus, the public schools don't have a Christmas concert it is a holiday concert or winter concert. And there is absolutely no mention of Jesus. Which means no Little Drummer Boy and I do love that song.

In the absolutely fantastic news of the day, I won $205 in a 50/50 draw at the concert. I do realize that this is not alot of money to some people but to me it is a few Christmas presents. When they announced the dollar value I said to the girl I was sitting with "Well, I could really use that" and then they called out Liam's last name! It took him a minute to realize, I was already walking up when I saw him jump up from the crowd of kids sitting on the stage and do a "yoo hoo." He wanted the money himself, but I figured it was better to keep it myself than to have him lose it in a crowd of 200 children. Which I can almost guarantee he would have done.

A bit about my Saoirse

There's no need to point out to me that this wee girl has a dirty face, I can see that very well for myself. I can also see a piece of her toast on the floor. This is something about Saoirse..she absolutely positively hates having her face washed. I know all babies do, but she hates it more than my other two did. There is screaming and fists flailing. Usually, if we're not off somewhere, I just give her a wet facecloth to suck on and then at least her chin gets a bit of a wash. And then I'll quickly give her a once over while she screams her head off. But I do love this picture of her, minus the dirty face. It was taken in November, just after her first birthday. I love the expression on her face. Sort of a saucy smile.

Saoirse is her father's daughter. When I was pregnant William used to say she was going to be bad, just like his neices. It's not so much that they are bad, but that they are stubborn and determined. And that's what Saoirse is. From the refusal to arrive to this very day, Saoirse is a troublemaker. And we love her like crazy.

So here's a bit about my youngest...she's super affectionate. She hugs everything and everyone she likes and gives them a big "aaaahhhh" while she's at it. She has just starting kissing and you're very lucky if you get one!

She hates her godmother. I have no idea why, but she just does not like my friend Shelley. Poor Shelley, it devastates her.

She loves her dad. There is no one she would rather be with. She cries when he goes into the kitchen to make supper or up the stairs to go to the bathroom.

She loves the park. She has loved going down the slide from about 8 months old. It used to freak me out, but she seems to enjoy it.

She only just started saying mummy. Her first word was dada and then she went right to who's that, and what's this at about 9 months and then started saying read this just before her first birthday. She's a genius I say! Like her older sister, she loves books. Current favourite "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and anything with Elmo.

Her favourite meal is spaghetti. She can take or leave the meat, but sucks up the pasta like a pro.

She likes to be chased and to run away. She loves playing on the stairs and has been known to fall down them the odd time or two or ten. She has a great laugh and is a screamer. She screams and Taylor or Liam will scream back and then she will do it again and on and on. It gets the two older ones in trouble, but we all seem to think she is adorable when she does it.

One day we will pay for that.

Proof that men are wimps

This happened at work last week, the day my nan died actually, which is why I never posted about it, but just thinking about it makes me laugh. I don't know that I will adequately be able to express the pure amusement of this story, but I'll give it a go.

I was with a patient in one of the ER rooms, messing about with her IV pump. There was what I originally thought was a baby screaming. As I listened I realized it was someone slightly older. "What's going on?" this patient (an older lady, in alot of pain, just a bit of moaning.)

"I'd assume it's someone who's broken a bone and they have to reset it" says I, the medical genius.

So I'm walking by the doctor's area and the intern/resident ( I can't tell the bloody difference, someone enlighten me) says to the doctor "Can you believe he's doing all that screaming just for stitches?" As I walk past a couple of the nurses I hear them saying that all they had done was the needle for freezing the area to be stitched.

I'm back in the ER about 10 minutes later, getting a patient ready to go to for an x-ray. More screaming. Last time, I was in the room next to the screamer. Now I am in a different area with doors in between us and him. But I can still hear him screaming. One of the nurses says something about him looking for attention and another says he said he a low pain tolerance. I have a low pain tolerance. This man had a negative pain tolerance. Liam had stitches in his chin at 4 and never uttered a word of complaint. It turns out he received one stitch. All that and alot of whinging.

See, men are wimps. It's true.

Just a note...if you ever have to go to the hospital don't expect anything to be kept quiet. I have heard patients called fat over their heads, I have heard nurses making fun of patients, and people's medical histories discussed in the open. I don't imagine it is just the staff where I work, in fact I know it's not. I dread needing to go to into hospital. Frightening.

Slacking off

I am not sure what's up with me but I am feeling very blah these days. Blah can not even begin to describe the terrible bitchy mood I have been in the last wee while. Here it is December, my favourite month and I, quite frankly, am a miserable cow.

I have been particularly lazy also. I had a meeting tonight and it was only today that I even started the minutes from last month's meeting. I just had zero interest in doing them. I am suffering from volunteer burn out I think. William always says I need to prioritize and I think he is totally right. Perhaps my New Years resolution will be to drop some of these things from my schedule. Then perhaps I can focus on my family.

Look at that...I feel better already. I'd still yell at one of the kids if they walked down the stairs right now, but it would be yelling because they are being a pain in the arse, not because I am stressed all out. Sometimes you just have to write that you're in a shite mood to pull yourself out of the shite at least a wee bit.

I am off Christmas shopping tomorrow. Liam had decided to go to Red Deer with his dad for the holiday. Ah crap, here comes the shite mood again. That really has me down. I will miss him like crazy, but I know his dad misses them at Christmas as well and I have had both Taylor and Liam with me every year since we split up. So I will let him go with as few as tears as possible. The dilemma is what presents do I send him with? I don't want to send them all as I would like to see him open at least a few. I think I will send down one or two Santa presents and his Christmas Eve pajamas. He hates the Christmas Eve pajamas, but I always say it is tradition and one day he will appreciate it. I suppose I could get him boxers and a t-shirt instead.

After tomorrow I should have most everything done... just a few odds and ends and those last minute gifts I always end up getting. I have to say I am not as excited about Christmas as I used to be. I still would say it's my favourite day of the year, but there's just something about Christmas when you're a kid. I used to count down the days and the closer it got, the slower I wanted time to go so that the excitement of it all would last longer. And of course when you're little it's all about what you are going to get (and if you tell me it wasn't like that for you I will call you deluded or a liar.) Now, I am excited about what I am giving. I would much rather have extra presents under the tree for the kids or William than for me. This doesn't mean I am not giving William a list of things I want, of course I am, I am no fool. But I ask for sensible things, the things I actually need, like the frying pan my mum is giving me for my birthday. And books of course, since I seem to have run out of things to read.

I am getting so desperate for fresh reading material I am now reading Taylor's books. I just finished a book that Taylor bought while in England called the Illustrated Mum. I have to say it was quite enjoyable, very amusing and sad also. So I have just admitted that I love children's literature. I do, I do. I reread the Little House series every couple of years. It pains me terribly that Taylor never got into those books. One of life's great disappointments really. They were my favourite books as a child. I also loved the Famous Five, another series Taylor has no interest in.

The worst thing about posting is that I rarely know how to properly end them. So I'm just going to go. No rhyme or reason really.

Yesterday

I worked yesterday, and had to go down to my mum's office to pick up some charts. She wasn't at her desk so I siad to one of the girls "Where's my mum?" She just kind of shrugged her shoulders. Odd, I thought, she's normally so friendly. And on I went with my day.

Was back at her office around 12.30 or so and she still wasn't there. I said to the 2 girls at the front "Is my mum not in to today?" One of the girls said "No, I think the jet lag has caught up with her." (She came home from England on Friday night.) So I say something about how I talked to her last night and she never mentioned not feeling great, in fact she was supposed to be bringing me in fruit pastilles for the kids. Her boss walks by and I can't remember what she said but my next words were "Has something happened to my grandmother?"
"No, no, " she says, "your mum's just not feeling very well."

It's the way they all looked at me that told me that something was in fact wrong.

I went back to my department and said I needed to make a phone call. My mum's line is busy so I call William.
"Did my nan die?"
"I don't want to tell you" he says.
That kind of tells you doesn't it? He tells me he spent part of the morning at my mum's, she hadn't called me that morning because she knew I wouldn't have gone in to work.

The thing was, alot of people at work knew and I didn't. So while I can understand why my mum didn't tell me, it kills me that all these people knew and I had absolutely no idea my nan was dead.

They called my mum at 6am. I'm not even sure at what time my nan passed away. Sometime in the late morning I guess, maybe the early afternoon. A nurse and an aide were with her, my grandad had not long left. The nurse phoned my aunt in London so she could say her goodbyes. My aunt in Weston had spent the evening before there. My mum had just come home after spending 2 weeks with her.

It must not be easy to lose your parent. I have never seen my mum cry like she did last night. She said to me "What am I going to do without my mum?" It is funny to think that at 56, you still need your mother. But I suppose it never goes away, that mother/daughter bond. We have lived in Canada for almost 30 years, but my mother and her mother always remained extremely close.

My last conversation with my nan was the Sunday before last. My aunt called and said that she would like to talk to me. She came on the phone and sounding very weak, said "Hello, Emma"
"Hello Nanny" I said. I always called her Nanny. Not growing up with her, I never shortened it to Nan, although I did in letters. I will never forget my cousin making fun of me for calling her Nanny.
"I miss you Nanny." I said.
She said she missed me too.
"I love you alot" I said, and I was crying by now.
I could hear my aunt say "What do you want to say to her?" I couldn't hear the reply but I heard my aunt tell her to say she loved me.
"I love you, Emma" my nanny says.
"I love you too." I say, practically bawling.
My aunt comes back on the phone and I don't even know what she said but we were both crying.

When she came home on Friday, my mum told me that what my nan had said in reply to my aunt asking what she wanted to say to me was "Remember me."

I always will.