'Exciting' morning

This was an 'exciting' morning for me. M and I went to see a basement that our contractor is just finishing up in the neighbourhood. We were very pleased with what we saw, and we're 'looking forward' to getting ours started on Thursday. The contract is all signed and we're good to go.

Last night M and I went to Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse (new in Canada) and found a good selection of bathroom vanities. In fact, we purchased one, along with a new dual flush toilet (like the ones in Europe), and a laundry cabinet kit.

There are a lot of little things to think about. It seems to make sense to give the contractor a key to the house for the next 8 weeks, however, we would want to make sure valuables are out of sight. How exactly do you locate and put away all your valuables? Do these include video games and their systems, laptops, I can't even think of what else we may have. M doesn't think they need a key. Well, we are going off for a long weekend to Sauble Beach on Friday!

For any Amazing Race fans, it starts up again September 28th at 8pm!


News

Meet the new teams on 'The Amazing Race'

Don't Want To Feel Old? Don't Look At This List

Magpies are no bird-brains, mirror test shows

Today's must-have item is luxury water

Vitamin D: Who to test, how much to take

Nutmeg Side Table

Well, here's what the infamous 'nutmeg' coloured side table looks like now. M ended up finishing the job. I actually like it.



L is engrossed in 'Twilight', a young adult vampire novel, by Stephenie Meyer. It's a best seller and much-hyped by one of my sisters and some of my nieces.


News

Virtual storefront finds success on Facebook

Antibodies from 1918 flu still work well, study says

Madonna Turns 50

Treatable heart disorder kills hundreds of kids

Eating race is on at Food Network

Blog Anniversary

Yes, it's today, my one year Blog Anniversary. Thanks for remembering Barbara! I know that I kept a daily diary in the early 80's for about 2 or 3 years, so I think I can keep going for awhile. The thing is, I don't know what to do with those diaries, they seem a bit too personal (revealing) to share, but I feel it wouldn't be right to throw them out. Then I keep thinking what will happen to them when I die? Hmm.

There's a Jazz Festival on Main Street this weekend. I took this short video yesterday on my afternoon walk. M went over there later that night and said it was packed. Great way to spend a Saturday night, what with the lovely weather.



And here's that infamous cupcake from SAM's club. K nagged at me to go get some more.



News

Surprising superfoods offer 'bang for your buck'

The Top 5 In-Demand Majors

Guess what? Military funds mind-reading science

Costa Rica

It's an absolutely gorgeous day today, can't wait to get outside. L went for a tennis lesson. My sister who had been in Europe this summer brought us back a huge Cadbury milk chocolate bar from London. K loves his baseball hat from classy Monaco.

My sister who lives in Florida is raving about her recent trip to Costa Rica and the huge, sweet fruit they have there. She said it's lovely there, just like Jamaica without so much of the crime. Sounds like a place to visit.


News

Health Considerations Before Your Kids Head Back To School

Brussels Sprouts

The kids and I are going over to visit my mom and the cousins today. We may do some swimming if it doesn't rain. Now K has added incentive to get some piano practice done before we leave instead of the regular postponement. In fact, they are going at it now. L helps him with ear training and scales and she's decided to do a mock exam every day until the exam in a week's time. But he's complaining that she keeps running away to check on the Olympics. It's hard to get good help.

I impulsively subscribed to the Canadian Health and Lifestyle magazine that I was reading in the dentist's office yesterday. It's only $8 for the year. There are some great-looking recipes on the website and healthy at the same time, this brussels sprouts salad looks intriguing.

News

More women pursuing careers in forensic science

Relax for 20 minutes and call me in the morning

Remains of 5,000-year-old cemetery found in Sahara

Much Ado About Nothing

Well, it turns out my car was ready early yesterday so L and I didn't have to walk to the doctor's. And M came home early so he could've given her a ride. Also the rain cleared up early so K was able to make his last tennis camp lesson for the season. I realize I do tend to over-think the situation!

K was at his regular dentist today for a cleaning and got a good report. Then both kids went to get their hair cut. With 2 weeks left before school starts, it's nice to get a few things done. My walk is getting a bit hazardous with all the construction going on around town. They are putting in some 'traffic calming' measures which are bumpers of interlocking stone. Wonder if they'll do more harm than good during rush hour? My good deed of the day was when this lady in her car slowed down to ask some of the construction guys if they knew the way to this facility. They were pointing her in totally the opposite direction, so I thought I'd help her out. It's great to see all the people eating outside on all the restaurant patios. I'll miss the summer.

L is busy painting our pressed wood (MDF) table. Unfortunately I had let them write on the top with indelible markers when they were little just for fun and a few coats of white paint, then a few coats of mustard yellow paint wouldn't cover it. So now we're going to try nutmeg. I didn't want to go too dark. L says 'that's it'...if this doesn't work, she's done. They're asking me how I could have let them write on the table in the first place.

News

Beer goggles really do work, new research suggests

Ear infections linked to increased risk of obesity

Teens misjudge risk of injury and death, study says

Intelligent GPS devices tap away traffic

Octopuses have six "arms" and two "legs": study

Scientists "listen" to plants to find water pollution

Rain, rain go away

My car is in the shop all day today due to a recall notice. At least there's no charge to me, but it's tough without a car for the whole day. It's also supposed to rain later on. It doesn't help that L has a doctor appointment in the late afternoon. We may end up walking there in the rain (unless there's a thunderstorm). The other possibility is that M may get home early or my car may be ready sooner than expected. Also K is having his last day of tennis camp for the season, wonder if it will get rained out?

We went to an impromptu piano concert last night. It was good for K to hear the other kids and to play in front of others. The hostess gave us some iced chocolate and vanilla muffins from Sam's Club...they are the BEST. I devoured a soft moist chocolate one, including all the icing. Their birthday cakes with whipped icing are amazing too.

News

Girls who blog: Innocent fun or potential danger?

Can Honey Help Cure Some Of Your Allergies?

Canadian math whizzes to help Africa fight AIDS