How to Carve a Pumpkin

Lilly, here's how to carve a pumpkin. Very topical information for today!

'From the mind of a mom' has a trick or treat give-a-way for some neat cleaning products if anyone's interested. First time I've entered one of these competitions. I clicked on a link in the post to enter, then I left a comment on mom's blog, then I've now linked to this item in my post? Oh and I have to check back Nov 9th to see if I won!

I found a couple of interesting articles below about the startup of a new 'nofrills' cellphone service for people that don't need blackberries and iphones. It launches in Canada (provinces of Ontario and Quebec) in 2009.

L got a call from the town yesterday. She is signed up for a swim instructor course at the end of the year and they were giving her information on attending an instructor interview and wet skills test at the end of the month. They must be short of instructors as she hasn't even taken the course yet. They said they are planning ahead for winter job applications. Anyway, she submitted a job application online and thinks she may try for an instructor job eventually to gain the experience.

News

Business newsmaker

BMV goes wireless on the cheap

Time to carve the pumpkin

Dropped K off to an early morning tutorial and decided to go to the gym for an elliptical machine workout. Caught up on a bit of morning TV in the process. Obama is getting a lot of coverage as the US gears up for elections. Apparently there's a new book out on John Lennon suggesting he had a brief thought about going to bed with his beautiful mother and even with Paul McCartney, although it was out of the question because Paul is totally heterosexual. Too bad John can no longer speak for himself. Then I picked up some snacks as L is having a Halloween party with a few friends at our house. She had hoped to use the new basement, but it's off limits until the painted stairs dry properly. K and I will go over to the cousins for trick or treating. We just have to make sure he doesn't horse around too roughly because of his recent eye surgery.

It's a nicer day today and supposed to really warm up for Halloween. I better get the pumpkin out of the side yard for carving tonight. I have lots of chocolates but typically we don't get a lot of kids.


News

Doctors find clue to fruits’ cancer-fighting ability

Heart attack rate lower day after clocks go back

Life's challenges

I got some drawer liners for the new kitchen. Nice, new non-adhesive ones.
Halloween display caught on our Sunday walk in a nice part of town

Cute blue and white house on our Sunday walk. I think the little house in front of the big house is so cute.

We woke up to some light snow this morning, enough to cover the grass. It's supposed to go back to fall temperatures tomorrow though. The trick is to have a good winter jacket and you don't really feel that cold.

I found this 'Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce' recipe in the news article below, sounds delicious.

K's Argon laser surgery went well yesterday. The retinal tear is a serious condition because it can lead to retinal detachment that may cause the eye to become blind. The laser basically spot welds around the tear and thus tries to prevent a retinal detachment. He said the doctor told him to relax, then (pow!) shot this light in his eye 4 separate times. His eye started watering and he winced in pain. Then he all he could see was bright white light out of the eye, then it became blurry for a few hours. It was a bit sore, so he took some Advil painkiller. He's back at school today, and the eye's ok, no gym for a week. There's a follow up appointment in 6 weeks.

M just made the last payment on the basement, so it's officially done. The painter is still finishing up the last minute things, but after today, that should be it!

I had a meeting this morning with the department head of K's school. Apparently the school has a person full time working with kids that aren't achieving. She's going to work with him during the school day when it's convenient, teaching study skills, doing some testing. She's recommending we get an outside (non family tutor) at $50 -60$ and hour a few times a week to work on remedial tutoring as opposed to homework help (I think that's what she said). I don't have a problem with her helping out. I just think an extra tutor would just add one more thing to his calendar. (Unless it was a bright young guy that could inspire him). We'll see what happens with that. Life seems to be one challenge after another. Thought we could relax after the basement was done!

News

enRoute magazine's 10 best new restaurants in Canada

Prosciutto: salty, fatty slice will keep those fillets flavourful

Drug-resistant staph germs harder than ever to treat

Social networking sites "good for businesses" (Reuters)

Thin line between love and hate? - science knows why

Does mold make you sick? Doctors seek answers

Surgery Day

It's freezing outside today. With that cold wind, you don't feel like going for a walk. Ottawa, about 4 hours east has a snow watch.

K is about to have his laser eye surgery, he just got some eye drops. They gave M a booklet to read prior. The doctor says K's condition is not lattice degeneration as we thought. He was likely just born with that retinal tear. Maybe that's better, providing it gets fixed ok.

They're hoping to start washing the basement floors this afternoon and they're still painting.

I'm about to try that spicy coconut chicken recipe I found yesterday, except they were out of cilantro of all things in the grocery store today. I even got a jalapeno, which I've never used before and had trouble recognizing. Last week I was buying cream, this week they had micro-filtered milk on sale, so I got some skim milk. Micro-filtered means more bacteria has been filtered out than in regular pasteurization so it stays fresh longer and has a creamier taste. It's true.

I just found this neat video on how to cut a jalapeno.


News

Is surfing the Internet altering your brain?

Open-heart surgery okay for octogenarians: study

Red on Women Drives Men Wild

Tweaking diet key to reducing risk for breast cancer

New Recipes

I had my annual eye checkup at the opthalmologist today. (My eyes are still dilated, so excuse any typos.) He's such a brilliant, competent doctor, I feel well taken care of for the few minutes I'm with him. I'm good to go for another year. I mentioned K's retinal laser surgery tomorrow and he knows the retinal specialist and said he's a very good doctor. Laser surgery these days seems very matter-of-fact and no one seems to get too excited about it including people that have undergone some type of it. Fingers crossed.

Of course, I read the latest Chatelaine magazine (November issue) in the doctor's office and noticed a few recipes I liked and some I may try:
Tex-Mex shepherd's pie
Spicy coconut chicken
Petite pumpkin toffee tarts
Focaccia cranberry stuffing bake

For the record, the big light green garbage bin on our driveway for at least the past month was removed this morning, signalling the renovation is winding up.

Beaches

I'd love to go to one of those gorgeous Southeast Asian beaches in the article below. It seems so far away though. I've heard it's more unspoiled than the Caribbean in that they are taking more steps to preserve the environment.

News

Southeast Asia's sexiest beaches

So Much For Privacy: Doing A Different Kind Of Business In The Office Bathroom

Scientists develop cancer fighting tomato

Our own counsel

A friend and I are going for a walk and a tea this windy morning while her kids are curling at the arena. It may rain. I'm doing some laundry and later on some 'home schooling'.

I'm thinking now that I have to put drawer liners in the new kitchen, get a dish drainer and a kettle, etc. It'll be strange managing 2 kitchens. At least now I have some space for extra dishes and glasses. I've already warned M to carefully think about what he drags downstairs for storage. We've increased our liveable space by a third. It feels like we have a new house downstairs.

K is bugging me for new fashionable clothes like his friends. (Jeans, hat, jacket) So we'll have to find time to go shopping. One of his friends confided that he has a girlfriend at the school. Hmm. Wonder if his mom knows (-:

I've been reading that a lot of people close to retirement age have their investments down by 50% due to the stock market crash. It seems the sane thing to do is have most of your money in cash like investments at that age. In the boom times all the financial planners were telling everyone they had to be fully invested. I think we have to keep our own counsel sometimes.

News

Australia scientists say bees can count to four

2 greenhouse gases on the rise worry scientists