This is ground control to the rest of the world.I have come in peace and here is my message :
Could everyone please leave their germs to themselves please ?!
Three weeks now since certain germs, viruses were admitted into my household, my sanctuary, my haven of peace and disruptred not just our family daily routine but our moral, our appetites, our well-being and testing my patience.
The little I have anyway.
We`ve had the stomach flu ( you know the one where you sleep with a bucket next to your bed) invading our home and it took its time attacking us one-by- one ! Two weeks, not that I`m counting......
Rosie was the last victim last Monday throwing up 11 times.
11 times, it ain`t an error.
I bought a RED bucket to make sure they wouldn`t miss it in the little hours of the night.
And when my kids throw up like there`s no tomorrow, who has the privilege of sleeping with them picking up the you know what and comforting the kids ?
Dr. Mom.
Where`s dad ?
Snoring in the other bedroom .
Who gets it next ?
You guessed it, the one and only.
I was praying I`d skip my turn , thinking there must be pardon for the moms who clean up the whole mess.
Don`t get me wrong, Pierre DOES help out.
It`s teamwork here.
Well it doesn`t work that way, life is not fair.
Then the common cold arrived, sneakily, cunningly, creeping up on us slowly, wickedly.
As usual, Félix-Antoine brings it home.
Germs stick to this kid like bees on honey.
Pierre gets it second ( confirmation that women are tougher than men ).
Usually Rose is next, then mom.
I have disinfected my house so well the hospital called to ask if they could operate on my kitchen table.
I declined.
But, nature is well done.
When you have kids, life prepares you for these situations GRADUALLY.
When my kids were newborns they would spit up after drinking milk.
then they`d poop in their diaper like there was an extra kitchen faucet in the diaper ( moms reading: you know what I`m talking about ).
Then when they started eating solid food, the spit up turned to vomit.
Solid food didn`t always agree with my kids.
So last Friday, after work, when the common cold crept up on me, I was a bit ticked off.
I `ve had it with germs.
Vitamins, disinfection, washing our hands till they crack open are now part of our routine. Anything to get my haven of peace back.
Hopefully soon, the sniffles, the red bucket, the coughing, the Pepto Bismol and Gravol are going to be just a bad memory.
I need the sleep.
I need the peace of mind.
I need a break.
On that ladies and germs ( just kidding ),
I wish you well, good health and take care of that immune system .
Did someone say brocoli ?
I`m off preparing a hot bowl of chicken soup, for the body but especially for the soul.
NO REST FOR THE WICKED.
Annie
lundi 24 novembre 2008
jeudi 6 novembre 2008
P.M.S Does NOT Mean Pass Me the Salt !
One fine morning this week while my kids in Sec.2 were preparing their oral, I had two young men talking and asking me questions while they were working.
We were talking about the subject of our project ( legends and other scary stuff ) when P.M.S came about.
" Annie, do you get S.P.M ? "
To that I honestly answered " Well I don`t get S.P.M but I do get P.M.S though "
They candidly asked me if I would get cranky during P.M.S and I told them like any normal woman, I would get very cranky sometimes. It wasn`t always pretty.
It`s amazing what kind of questions I get sometimes.
I think it`s hilarious , very interesting and cute.
My kids ask me all kinds of stuff : the worst thing I did when I was in high school, the stupidest thing I `ve done ( Do you have an hour ? ), best memories, if I wanted kids all my life, why did I become a teacher etc.
I love answering those questions because the questions reflect the student or the person.
And I figure it takes some guts to ask certain questions ( like the P.M.S ones )to your teacher , you might as well answer them honestly.
And I always wonder : if he`s asking about P.M.S, is it because mom at home is P.M.Sing and it`s not pretty, is his new girlfriend in that period at the moment and wants to know will it ever stop one day.
I kind of rained on his parade with my answer huh ?
I often tell my kids in class " boys, write this down: Never ask a woman 3 things :
#1- Her age
#2- Her weight
#3- " Could you be P.M.Sing ? "
Unless you want a bloody nose.
And as my two boys were complaining about girls and their P.M.S, I answered : " At least WE have a good exxcuse for being cranky, us girls are still waiting for yours...."and I grinned from ear to ear.
They smiled back ( not too convincingly )and that was the end of that conversation.
The subject was quickly changed.
So for you boys.
Here`s more on P.M.S.
13 Things PMS Stands For:
1. Pass My Shotgun
2. Psychotic Mood Shift3. Perpetual Munching Spree
4. Puffy Mid-Section
5. People Make me Sick
6. Provide Me with Sweets
8. Pimples May Surface
9. Pass My Sweatpants
10. Pissy Mood Syndrome
11. Plainly; Men Suck
12. Pack My Stuff
and my favorite one.
13. Potential Murder Suspect
And remember: Money talks but Chocolate SINGS !!!
No rest for the wicked
Annie
( and yes I am ....)
We were talking about the subject of our project ( legends and other scary stuff ) when P.M.S came about.
" Annie, do you get S.P.M ? "
To that I honestly answered " Well I don`t get S.P.M but I do get P.M.S though "
They candidly asked me if I would get cranky during P.M.S and I told them like any normal woman, I would get very cranky sometimes. It wasn`t always pretty.
It`s amazing what kind of questions I get sometimes.
I think it`s hilarious , very interesting and cute.
My kids ask me all kinds of stuff : the worst thing I did when I was in high school, the stupidest thing I `ve done ( Do you have an hour ? ), best memories, if I wanted kids all my life, why did I become a teacher etc.
I love answering those questions because the questions reflect the student or the person.
And I figure it takes some guts to ask certain questions ( like the P.M.S ones )to your teacher , you might as well answer them honestly.
And I always wonder : if he`s asking about P.M.S, is it because mom at home is P.M.Sing and it`s not pretty, is his new girlfriend in that period at the moment and wants to know will it ever stop one day.
I kind of rained on his parade with my answer huh ?
I often tell my kids in class " boys, write this down: Never ask a woman 3 things :
#1- Her age
#2- Her weight
#3- " Could you be P.M.Sing ? "
Unless you want a bloody nose.
And as my two boys were complaining about girls and their P.M.S, I answered : " At least WE have a good exxcuse for being cranky, us girls are still waiting for yours...."and I grinned from ear to ear.
They smiled back ( not too convincingly )and that was the end of that conversation.
The subject was quickly changed.
So for you boys.
Here`s more on P.M.S.
13 Things PMS Stands For:
1. Pass My Shotgun
2. Psychotic Mood Shift3. Perpetual Munching Spree
4. Puffy Mid-Section
5. People Make me Sick
6. Provide Me with Sweets
8. Pimples May Surface
9. Pass My Sweatpants
10. Pissy Mood Syndrome
11. Plainly; Men Suck
12. Pack My Stuff
and my favorite one.
13. Potential Murder Suspect
And remember: Money talks but Chocolate SINGS !!!
No rest for the wicked
Annie
( and yes I am ....)
mardi 28 octobre 2008
IS IT JUST ME OR ........?
Is it just me , my hormones , my age, my thyroid gland that is going crazy or is the daily routine stuff just too much to handle lately ?
I am seriously questionning my sanity.
Here are my symptons.
Do you want the whole list or the top 10 on the billboard ?
Here we go:
1- Get headaches more often
2- Having a hard time getting out of bed.
3- Have a major attention deficit ( what was I saying ? ).
4- Am so grumpy I can`t stand myself ( P.M.S 30 days out of the month )
5- Put the dirty laundry in the garbage and the trash in the dirty laundry basket ( seriously, I did that last night ) ! THANK GOD PIERRE WASN`T THERE TO WITNESS THAT.
6- Can`t focus more than 3 seconds.
7- I could sleep under my desk, the recycling bin left in the school corridor.
8- I run all the time like a dog running after its tail.
9- I repeat myself.
10- And finally, I repeat myself.
You get the drift.
So I Googled my symptoms because I will Google ust about anything and got a phone call from my doctor:
The diagnostic is mixed:
According to my doctor, my thyroid gland is going nuts..... again.
And according to Google : the fall blues.
I`m so happy I am not alone.
I listen to many of my co-workers and students and the fall blues is extremely virulent this year.
I sympathize soooo much.
We need sun, vitamin C and artificial sun ( lighting ) to combat it.
And I would add, a good laugh.
There`s nothing like a good chuckle to chase the blues away.
Try it.
I swear, lately, a stupid joke is the best remedy .
Five minutes of laughter is the way to cheer up and revitalize your spirit.
Well, since you`re here, click on the following links and tell me it`s not hilarious and did not soothe your soul.
The first one is in French but the other ones are in English.
Enjoy !
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=nVpO26t61fU
Make sure you watch up to the 59 seconds mark.
HILARIOUS !
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=WrpaCOb_BGk
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=vT9wAUKGrO8
my kids` favorite and mine.
In my opinion, people falling is just the most hilarious thing in the world, if there are no injuries involved, of course.
On that, have a great rest of the week and as promised, Iwill post new pics very shortly.
No rest for the wicked,
Tata darlings,
Annie
I am seriously questionning my sanity.
Here are my symptons.
Do you want the whole list or the top 10 on the billboard ?
Here we go:
1- Get headaches more often
2- Having a hard time getting out of bed.
3- Have a major attention deficit ( what was I saying ? ).
4- Am so grumpy I can`t stand myself ( P.M.S 30 days out of the month )
5- Put the dirty laundry in the garbage and the trash in the dirty laundry basket ( seriously, I did that last night ) ! THANK GOD PIERRE WASN`T THERE TO WITNESS THAT.
6- Can`t focus more than 3 seconds.
7- I could sleep under my desk, the recycling bin left in the school corridor.
8- I run all the time like a dog running after its tail.
9- I repeat myself.
10- And finally, I repeat myself.
You get the drift.
So I Googled my symptoms because I will Google ust about anything and got a phone call from my doctor:
The diagnostic is mixed:
According to my doctor, my thyroid gland is going nuts..... again.
And according to Google : the fall blues.
I`m so happy I am not alone.
I listen to many of my co-workers and students and the fall blues is extremely virulent this year.
I sympathize soooo much.
We need sun, vitamin C and artificial sun ( lighting ) to combat it.
And I would add, a good laugh.
There`s nothing like a good chuckle to chase the blues away.
Try it.
I swear, lately, a stupid joke is the best remedy .
Five minutes of laughter is the way to cheer up and revitalize your spirit.
Well, since you`re here, click on the following links and tell me it`s not hilarious and did not soothe your soul.
The first one is in French but the other ones are in English.
Enjoy !
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=nVpO26t61fU
Make sure you watch up to the 59 seconds mark.
HILARIOUS !
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=WrpaCOb_BGk
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=vT9wAUKGrO8
my kids` favorite and mine.
In my opinion, people falling is just the most hilarious thing in the world, if there are no injuries involved, of course.
On that, have a great rest of the week and as promised, Iwill post new pics very shortly.
No rest for the wicked,
Tata darlings,
Annie
vendredi 24 octobre 2008
SÉBASTIEN
Who is the handsome young man following me around school lately ?
That`s Sébastien Duhaime, my student -teacher, my rookie, the relief pitcher of the future ( man I`m poetic this morning ).
But he`s not just that.
He`s also an ex-student of Jean Nicolet, graduated in 2004.
He`s a musician in a band .
Watch him on Musique Plus after Christmas.
He`s from St.Francois Du Lac.
He`s very friendly and soft-spoken.
He laughs at all my jokes so I like him.
An English teacher who plays in a band ?
I love musicians so if he teaches English on top of that,how can I not like the guy ?
He looks very quiet and calm, which he is, don`t get me wrong, but the guy has guts too.
He actually pleasantly surprised me last night.
As some of you know, last night was the Grade 6 visit at school.
Every year grade 6 students and their parents of the school board come and visit our great school.
We teachers present tons of stuff we do at school to our guests.
I , like every year, present the English Concentration Program to the parents in the auditorium while my English co-workers present the program to the students.
I always prepare my 10 -minute presentation in advance.
Sébastien was going to be there for the evening at the auditorium not knowing he would actually take part in it !
Keep in mind you are talking to hundreds of parents in one big room while you`re up on the stage .
It can be very uncomfortable for a rookie !
But I had warned Sébas yesterday that I would push him out of the nest very soon to test his wings and flying skills.
I did reassure him that I would be there to support him and pick him up if he crashed.
But he thought that wasexclusively for the classroom.
Little did he know I would push him out of the nest right on a stage.
Obviously, I knew he could handle it, I`m NOT that mean !
So anyways, I show up at school at 6:00 p.m , all ready and share the presentation with him.
First thing he says :
" You`re not thinking of making me talk in front of all these people are you ? "
You should of seen his face : deer in the headlights look.
And to that I answer : " Well kind of, I`ll go grab some coffee downstairs , I`ll be back in a few minutes and we`ll talk about it "
I figured 3 things :
1-He`ll run and won`t be ther when I come back.
2- He`ll be crying when I come back.
3- He`ll smack me behind the head and then ask me what he has to do in the presentation.
None of those happened
We sit down, I show him my outline of the presentation.
I ask him if he could talk about a specific point and he agrees to do it.
After a few minutes of dicussion he tells me with a mischievious smile and a twinkle in his eye :
" It `d be fun if we did a little skit or something ."
" You mean like a mini-play ? "
" Yeah, like that " he says.
Keep in mind , it`s 30 minutes BEFORE we get on stage at this point.
" That`s a great idea ! " I say.
And we worked on our skit .
30 minutes later, we were presenting it at the auditorium.
I thought I was going to surprise HIM with having him aprticipate in the presentation, but as it turned out, he surprised ME with his guts to go all the way !
And he was so good during the skit too.
He improvised a little and almost had me crack up during the skit so much he was funny.
So ladies and germs, he`s not just cute, he`s got brains and guts and he`s my student-teacher.
Mommy was proud of her rookie.
So Sébastien will teach my kids this week .
I thought of having him start gradually on Monday but you know what, he`s ready for the major leagues now .
He proved it.
Oh, I`ll be on the side ( side-show Annie ) watching, but after yesterday, he proved me I may not have to pick him up in little pieces after class.
Here`s the link to Sébastien`s web site for his band.
Go and listen :
www.myspace.com/fictioninmotion
Sebastien is the last one on the right in the picture.
Lucky me, I got the c.d of their music to play in my truck.
Thanks Sébastien.
Love the name of the band by the way.
Enjoy.
Here`s AC/DC official website :
http://www.acdc.com/home.php
I`ll have pics this week to post so swing by later .
No rest for the wicked.
Tata darlings
Annie
PS : Sec.4 : November 27th
Muséee d`Art Contemporain de Montréal
Exhibition: Sympathy For The Devil
We leave at 8:30 and come back for the buses 3: 45.
My helpers : Katherine Bourgeois, Paul Lachance and Pierre Bergeron.
Can`t wait.
That`s Sébastien Duhaime, my student -teacher, my rookie, the relief pitcher of the future ( man I`m poetic this morning ).
But he`s not just that.
He`s also an ex-student of Jean Nicolet, graduated in 2004.
He`s a musician in a band .
Watch him on Musique Plus after Christmas.
He`s from St.Francois Du Lac.
He`s very friendly and soft-spoken.
He laughs at all my jokes so I like him.
An English teacher who plays in a band ?
I love musicians so if he teaches English on top of that,how can I not like the guy ?
He looks very quiet and calm, which he is, don`t get me wrong, but the guy has guts too.
He actually pleasantly surprised me last night.
As some of you know, last night was the Grade 6 visit at school.
Every year grade 6 students and their parents of the school board come and visit our great school.
We teachers present tons of stuff we do at school to our guests.
I , like every year, present the English Concentration Program to the parents in the auditorium while my English co-workers present the program to the students.
I always prepare my 10 -minute presentation in advance.
Sébastien was going to be there for the evening at the auditorium not knowing he would actually take part in it !
Keep in mind you are talking to hundreds of parents in one big room while you`re up on the stage .
It can be very uncomfortable for a rookie !
But I had warned Sébas yesterday that I would push him out of the nest very soon to test his wings and flying skills.
I did reassure him that I would be there to support him and pick him up if he crashed.
But he thought that wasexclusively for the classroom.
Little did he know I would push him out of the nest right on a stage.
Obviously, I knew he could handle it, I`m NOT that mean !
So anyways, I show up at school at 6:00 p.m , all ready and share the presentation with him.
First thing he says :
" You`re not thinking of making me talk in front of all these people are you ? "
You should of seen his face : deer in the headlights look.
And to that I answer : " Well kind of, I`ll go grab some coffee downstairs , I`ll be back in a few minutes and we`ll talk about it "
I figured 3 things :
1-He`ll run and won`t be ther when I come back.
2- He`ll be crying when I come back.
3- He`ll smack me behind the head and then ask me what he has to do in the presentation.
None of those happened
We sit down, I show him my outline of the presentation.
I ask him if he could talk about a specific point and he agrees to do it.
After a few minutes of dicussion he tells me with a mischievious smile and a twinkle in his eye :
" It `d be fun if we did a little skit or something ."
" You mean like a mini-play ? "
" Yeah, like that " he says.
Keep in mind , it`s 30 minutes BEFORE we get on stage at this point.
" That`s a great idea ! " I say.
And we worked on our skit .
30 minutes later, we were presenting it at the auditorium.
I thought I was going to surprise HIM with having him aprticipate in the presentation, but as it turned out, he surprised ME with his guts to go all the way !
And he was so good during the skit too.
He improvised a little and almost had me crack up during the skit so much he was funny.
So ladies and germs, he`s not just cute, he`s got brains and guts and he`s my student-teacher.
Mommy was proud of her rookie.
So Sébastien will teach my kids this week .
I thought of having him start gradually on Monday but you know what, he`s ready for the major leagues now .
He proved it.
Oh, I`ll be on the side ( side-show Annie ) watching, but after yesterday, he proved me I may not have to pick him up in little pieces after class.
Here`s the link to Sébastien`s web site for his band.
Go and listen :
www.myspace.com/fictioninmotion
Sebastien is the last one on the right in the picture.
Lucky me, I got the c.d of their music to play in my truck.
Thanks Sébastien.
Love the name of the band by the way.
Enjoy.
Here`s AC/DC official website :
http://www.acdc.com/home.php
I`ll have pics this week to post so swing by later .
No rest for the wicked.
Tata darlings
Annie
PS : Sec.4 : November 27th
Muséee d`Art Contemporain de Montréal
Exhibition: Sympathy For The Devil
We leave at 8:30 and come back for the buses 3: 45.
My helpers : Katherine Bourgeois, Paul Lachance and Pierre Bergeron.
Can`t wait.
jeudi 16 octobre 2008
40 going on 17
There !!!
I said it !
I `m 40 !!!!
40 !
Forty !
30 + 10
25 + 15
After years of lying about my age ( only Pierre and my doctor knew),
deceiving my students, avoiding the question, I`m coming clean.
I even threatened Pierre NOT to organize ANY surprise party for the big 40 this summer.
After many threats, Pierre and Caroline, my sister , cancelled all the plans they had going since the previous November.
I had no intention of celebrating such a number.
You celebrate 18, 21, 30 but anything after that you simply want to drink a lot of Jack Daniels or tequila and get it over and forget about it.
I had dreaded the birthday in question when I turned 39, last July.
I tried to forget about it as much as I could .
Only when I had trouble getting up in the morning, or getting up period would it cross my mind.
Last June, Caroline tells me many teachers were asking if she was the oldest or me.
That my friends pleased my ego !!
And this summer, my thyroid gland was working overtime so I had tons of energy, jogged every day,sometimes twice a day, cleaned the whole house EVERY DAY, moved the furniture around in the house, went to bed at 1 o`clock in the morning and woke up at 7:00 a.m fresh as a rose.
40 ?
I can`t wait for 60 !!
But lately, I `m telling you, I feel like I`m 70.
My back is killing me despite treatments, my thyroid gland is too slow despite medication, I could sleep like a newborn baby and need so much more make up in the morning !!!
I need WD40 in my joints and plastic wood to fill up the cracks .
How much is Jigaloo again ?
But that`s physically.
Mentally, I feel like I`m 18 with the wisdom of a wiser woman.
Would I go back to 18 ?
No way.
I was soooo naive and earned minimum salary at the time !!!
I truly beleive we make more money when we`re older only to pay the facial creams and the more expensive make up you need to use.
They don`t call it Clinique make up for nothing. Call the doctor.
This summer, I took a small holiday with my sister and gal pals and told them :
Me : I `m turning 40 in a few weeks, I should start acting my age and not like a 15 year old !
The girls : why ?
Me : because I should act my age NOT my shoe size .
The girls : you couldn`t last an hour even if you tried.
Me : I know, I tried a few days ago and didn`t last a day.
The girls : don`t do that, we love you like that.
And THAT ladies and germs was the best birthday gift ever ( besides giving birth to my healthy kids ) !!!
So besides the fact that the mechanic reminds you of your age once in a while, it`s really not the end of the world.
I `m having more fun than when I was a teen , my twenties and thirties altogether.
I`m dead serious.
I sometimes look like an idiot but I learned a long time ago that ridicule does not kill.
If it did, I`d been dead a loooooooong time ago.
My siblings can vouch for that.
So my kids are more mature than me sometimes.
So I embarrass them at the store whenever I can, ( " Mommy, stop doing that ! " ), hey, it`s payback time.
They `ve embarrassed me in public when they were younger more times than I can remember.
How immature am I ?
I had to renew both my driver`s license and my medic card.
Had to have my picture taken.
Go to the government office to get the official picture taken, just 2 days before my birthday.
Now, I hate having my picture taken.
Before I go in, I figured, let`s make it a picture to remember.
Let`s freeze this darn 40 in time.
Let`s make a stupid picture.
So I stand there, ready to have my picture taken.
When the lady isn`t looking, I give it my best supermodel pose, my Zoolander look like I like to call it.
But at the last minute, I choke when I see the lady looking at me with this awed look on her face.
Too late.
Flash, click, I `m an idiot.
You should see the picture on my id cards !
Paris Hilton, step aside honey.
The only downside to this is that I `m stuck with that picture for 2 years.
Last thing I want now is getting pulled over by the cops and show them proof of my insanity.
Next time though, I `m getting my hair and make up done, wear a new sweater and won`t choke.
I `ll go all the way , life is too short.
If you want to see the picture in question , just ask, I have no shame.
Ask me to show you the one on my Costco card, even funnier.
For your information, AC/DcC have a new album coming out next Monday : Black Ice
If the album is as good as their single, I`ll be deaf by the end of October.
I am no longer allowed to play Rock N Roll Train at my house.
My kids`eyes roll over inside their heads and make strange noises.I must admit I did go a bit overboard and loud with it.
Less is more sometimes.
Want to listen :
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/08/28/listen-to-acdcs-rock-n-roll-train/
Crank it up .
Warning : content highly addictive when listened to loudly.
So I`m off on the runaway train, looking for some Black Ice.........
No rest for the wicked .
Here`s a pic Pat Bernier took during the race.
I was at first aid helping out .
Looks more like I needed the first aid.
Paris Hilton pose: school version .
I said it !
I `m 40 !!!!
40 !
Forty !
30 + 10
25 + 15
After years of lying about my age ( only Pierre and my doctor knew),
deceiving my students, avoiding the question, I`m coming clean.
I even threatened Pierre NOT to organize ANY surprise party for the big 40 this summer.
After many threats, Pierre and Caroline, my sister , cancelled all the plans they had going since the previous November.
I had no intention of celebrating such a number.
You celebrate 18, 21, 30 but anything after that you simply want to drink a lot of Jack Daniels or tequila and get it over and forget about it.
I had dreaded the birthday in question when I turned 39, last July.
I tried to forget about it as much as I could .
Only when I had trouble getting up in the morning, or getting up period would it cross my mind.
Last June, Caroline tells me many teachers were asking if she was the oldest or me.
That my friends pleased my ego !!
And this summer, my thyroid gland was working overtime so I had tons of energy, jogged every day,sometimes twice a day, cleaned the whole house EVERY DAY, moved the furniture around in the house, went to bed at 1 o`clock in the morning and woke up at 7:00 a.m fresh as a rose.
40 ?
I can`t wait for 60 !!
But lately, I `m telling you, I feel like I`m 70.
My back is killing me despite treatments, my thyroid gland is too slow despite medication, I could sleep like a newborn baby and need so much more make up in the morning !!!
I need WD40 in my joints and plastic wood to fill up the cracks .
How much is Jigaloo again ?
But that`s physically.
Mentally, I feel like I`m 18 with the wisdom of a wiser woman.
Would I go back to 18 ?
No way.
I was soooo naive and earned minimum salary at the time !!!
I truly beleive we make more money when we`re older only to pay the facial creams and the more expensive make up you need to use.
They don`t call it Clinique make up for nothing. Call the doctor.
This summer, I took a small holiday with my sister and gal pals and told them :
Me : I `m turning 40 in a few weeks, I should start acting my age and not like a 15 year old !
The girls : why ?
Me : because I should act my age NOT my shoe size .
The girls : you couldn`t last an hour even if you tried.
Me : I know, I tried a few days ago and didn`t last a day.
The girls : don`t do that, we love you like that.
And THAT ladies and germs was the best birthday gift ever ( besides giving birth to my healthy kids ) !!!
So besides the fact that the mechanic reminds you of your age once in a while, it`s really not the end of the world.
I `m having more fun than when I was a teen , my twenties and thirties altogether.
I`m dead serious.
I sometimes look like an idiot but I learned a long time ago that ridicule does not kill.
If it did, I`d been dead a loooooooong time ago.
My siblings can vouch for that.
So my kids are more mature than me sometimes.
So I embarrass them at the store whenever I can, ( " Mommy, stop doing that ! " ), hey, it`s payback time.
They `ve embarrassed me in public when they were younger more times than I can remember.
How immature am I ?
I had to renew both my driver`s license and my medic card.
Had to have my picture taken.
Go to the government office to get the official picture taken, just 2 days before my birthday.
Now, I hate having my picture taken.
Before I go in, I figured, let`s make it a picture to remember.
Let`s freeze this darn 40 in time.
Let`s make a stupid picture.
So I stand there, ready to have my picture taken.
When the lady isn`t looking, I give it my best supermodel pose, my Zoolander look like I like to call it.
But at the last minute, I choke when I see the lady looking at me with this awed look on her face.
Too late.
Flash, click, I `m an idiot.
You should see the picture on my id cards !
Paris Hilton, step aside honey.
The only downside to this is that I `m stuck with that picture for 2 years.
Last thing I want now is getting pulled over by the cops and show them proof of my insanity.
Next time though, I `m getting my hair and make up done, wear a new sweater and won`t choke.
I `ll go all the way , life is too short.
If you want to see the picture in question , just ask, I have no shame.
Ask me to show you the one on my Costco card, even funnier.
For your information, AC/DcC have a new album coming out next Monday : Black Ice
If the album is as good as their single, I`ll be deaf by the end of October.
I am no longer allowed to play Rock N Roll Train at my house.
My kids`eyes roll over inside their heads and make strange noises.I must admit I did go a bit overboard and loud with it.
Less is more sometimes.
Want to listen :
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/08/28/listen-to-acdcs-rock-n-roll-train/
Crank it up .
Warning : content highly addictive when listened to loudly.
So I`m off on the runaway train, looking for some Black Ice.........
No rest for the wicked .
Here`s a pic Pat Bernier took during the race.
I was at first aid helping out .
Looks more like I needed the first aid.
Paris Hilton pose: school version .
samedi 20 septembre 2008
Do Not Feed The Animal !
I`ve been gaining a few pounds since the beginning of the year and it`s all your fault !
Friday night : Rosie`s ballet night ...........and for the other two obviously.
Look, a totem pole.
Sweet Rosie, my eye- candy.
Mommy, being an idiot and setting the right example. I `m surprised my kids haven`t fired me yet. ***** Rosie is showing the PEACE sign over my head......********
While Rosie is taking a picture, Pierre does a very idiotic thing in the kitchen. Félix-Antoine thinks his daddy is hilarious, evidently, I don`t.
Mom and Filou. See mom pinching filou`s ear to have him do a straight face.
You know who you are .
And when I least expect it, you creep up on me and display your trap under my nose.
You know my weak points: anything sweet.
Besides being tight around the waist, some of you have seen, live, the results of my sugar rushes.
Here`s how it goes down.
Before I begin, I gotta say, some of you are sneaky.
I walk down the corridor and there you are : the predator.
You spot me : the prey.
I see the bag, the Tupperware and even though I haven`t seen the merchandise yet, I `m almost drooling.
It`s not pretty.
You walk slowly towards me, you`re going in for the kill.
" Hi Annie, want some ? "
You open the recipient and display the goods.
"Oh my that looks delicious !"
As quickly as you hand me the sample, I`ve had a taste of it.
I smile, already enjoying the instant sugar rush .
And so do you : mission accomplished !
Some od you are more direct and bold.
You stand in my doorway while I`m teaching and offer the goods right then and there.
It`s not the interruption I mind, I never dislike a moment I get to see you, it`s your motive.
You KNOW I can`t run.
If only what you gave me was terrible, awful or salty.
You know I`m a sucker for sweets.
But it`s not the being trapped by your sweets that get me.
No, It`s the effects of it, but by then , you`re loooooong goooooone !
"Sugar rush : the temporary effects of sugar on the brain and body.
Example : bouncing off the walls. "
Annie Webster Fröhlich - science test subject #25 489
So, let me inform you of the results of the sugar rushes.
I usually have a list of things to do once you`ve vanished.
Usually it`s teaching a class or go to my office ( correct, plan my classes, organize stuff etc.)
If I`m in class, my students can tell right away.
Is it my eyes going in all directions, my hands shaking, my mouth twitching, my body which can not stay still one second ?
Probably.
And the brave ones ask me " You had chocolate didn`t you ?"
" Could you repeat the question " I say.
I can NOT focus .
There`s a baseball, soccer and football game happenning in my brain and there are no time outs.
Then when I speak, I talk 100 miles per hour.
I go from one idea to another while the rest of you squint at me wondering what the heck I`m saying.
Some of you are even wondering : Is she on crack ?
It`s a sugar fix, that`s what it is.
The worst part is you think I`m hilarious on a sugar rush.
Heck, I think I`m funny too.
Well my co-workers and my family surely don`t .
They can`t wait for the sugar level to drop.
In the meantime they have to endure my singing and dancing in the office, my trash music on the computer, my getting up from my chair every 2 seconds and all the stupid jokes and remarks imaginable.
Don`t believe me ?
Ask : Katherine, Paul Lachance, Luc Leblanc etc.
And there`s a new student-teacher coming next week ( Paul`s ) who`ll sit just across my desk !
I MUST WARN HIM BEFORE THE NEXT FIX !
And when school is over, it`s not over.
I dance in the truck ( Pierre is driving ) and his secret wish is to open my car door and push me out.
My kids constantly saying : Mommy stop ( stop repeating a crazy sentence over and over - my favorite : parler plus fort je n`vous vois pas from Le Coeur A Ses raisons ) or because I decided to speak French with a French accent while they`re watching their favorite t.v program or dancing in front of the t.v WHILE they are watching it.
They actually want to send ME to my room.
Sounds funny ?
It`s crazy and not pretty.
I turn into a 5-year-old !
My point is :
thank you every one for the cookies, muffins, caramel in a cone ( man, that was divine! ), jams, cakes, chocolate and candy but I gotta stop or consume in moderation.
You offerings just warms my heart, I`ll still accept but eat it slowly and spread it out during the day, so if I don`t eat it right away, don`t be offended.
Otherwise, I`ll have a divorce or lose my job, get a feuille de route ( I `ve been threatened before ) or all of the above.
As you can see, I don`t need drugs, never had to, I get high on life......and sugar.
Speaking of sweet and crazy, here are a few pics of my sweet treats.
Friday night : Rosie`s ballet night ...........and for the other two obviously. Look, a totem pole. Sweet Rosie, my eye- candy. Mommy, being an idiot and setting the right example. I `m surprised my kids haven`t fired me yet. ***** Rosie is showing the PEACE sign over my head......******** While Rosie is taking a picture, Pierre does a very idiotic thing in the kitchen. Félix-Antoine thinks his daddy is hilarious, evidently, I don`t.Mom and Filou. See mom pinching filou`s ear to have him do a straight face.No animals or children were injured during this picture.
Gotta go make some cookies.....kidding.
See y`all at school.
To my kids in Sec.4:
I`m so thrilled that you totally enjoy your new novel.
Some teachers heard you talk about it in their classes.
Ther`s proof right there.
Welcome to S.E Hinton`s world.
May it be the first of many.
For those who haven`t completed it yet : happy reading.
I told you it was that good.
No rest for the wicked,
Annie
mardi 9 septembre 2008
ODE TO SPECIAL LADIES
Told you it wouldn`t take so long.
Actually, I hadn`t plan on posting so soon.
This is therapeutic posting.
I need to post this before I implose.
I `ve just come back from my second parent-teacher meeting at Curé Brassard.
I met my daughter`s teacher Monday night and my son`s teacher this evening .
What a show tonight !
Now I remember why I quit teaching elementary school.
Yes ladies and germs, I once taught elelmentary , I have a group picture to prove it.
The evening started very nicely.
Let it be clear my son has a wonderful teacher ( AGAIN ) this year and has my outmost respect and collaboration.
The show started at the end of the evening when the teacher explained that she would bring her GRADE 4 class ( they are 9 years old ! ) to the Lac en Coeur at the end of the year.
You should of heard the parents complaining how bad the idea was.
"Going to the Lac en Coeur is way too boring, there could be so many things better, my kid won`t want to go, couldn`t you do better ? and why don`t you bring them somewhere and sleep over like at Valcartier ?" and so on , and so on.
I was sitting at the back , at my son`s desk, almost eating my son`s pencil on his desk.
So I `m sitting in the back, biting my tongue, almost hitting the roof, doing my breathing exercises my doctor taught me so well when I wanna harm someone for their stupidity.
Who the HECK ( that`s not quite the exact word I had in my head ) do they think they are these parents ?
I have 2 bachelors degree in teaching and would NEVER, EVER tell my kids`teacher HOW to do her job !
After 6 minutes of this nonesense ( I timed it ), I had to speak.
" Your son is blasé already at 9 years old ? "
Total silence in the classroom.
" Do you have any notion how much work it is to ORGANIZE and COORDINATE this whole shingding with 24 9 year-old kids ? "
" She is a TEACHER, not a G.O at Club Med ! "
And finally to the teacher : " I`d rather you be a G.E - A GENTILLE ENSEIGNANTE than a G.O ( Gentille Organisatrice at Club Med ). If you don`t bring my kid out of town for a sleepover , I will appreciate you anyway. "
My son`s teacher laughed, but,needless to say, I didn`t make friends with SOME of the parents there.
The teacher did respond that it was NOT in her job description to do any trips whatsoever.
AMEN.
Because she is right.
Bottom line, a teacher is paid to TEACH.
You want your daughter or son to go to VALCARTIER for a sleepover ?
Bring him/her yourself.
Bring the rest of the class while you`re at it since, according to you, sounds so simple.
Why not reserve it now ?
And if your only priority is your kid`s minimum choice of activities, you got your priorities all screwed up lady.
Like fractions, French verbs, history,reading, you know what I mean ?
And my point also is : I`m so sick of parents telling teachers HOW to do their job !
I have no right to tell any parent how to do their job, why should they ?
How about I show up my a parent`s workplace and tell them how to do their job more productively?
I`d get a kick in the behind, let me tell ya.
Well that`s exactly what I wanted to do to SOME of the parents tonight.
I don`t tell them HOW to parent their kids either, and seriously, some are in dire need of advice in the domain.
My son`s teacher is near retirement.
She has lots more experience than me.
That would explain why she kept her cool, stayed open, and respectful.
She was a professional.
I`ve been in the same position not too long ago.
But to see a fellow colleague being under the axe like this was too much for me.
Especailly to elementary teachers who do so much.
They practically give their students a bath and put them in their pyjamas before they get on the bus now !!!!!
Give them a break will ya ?
It is YOUR job as a parent to take your kids to activities, museums etc.
Not the teacher`s.
Teachers TEACH, the rest is extra.
Oh my God, I feel so much better !
Better I vent here than in my son`s classroom a few hours ago.
I really would have been in the orbituary.
On that, I`m off planning my next activity for my students.
Just kidding.
That`s later next week.
Peace out before I hit someone.
( that was meant to be funny too )
Enough,
Tata
Actually, I hadn`t plan on posting so soon.
This is therapeutic posting.
I need to post this before I implose.
I `ve just come back from my second parent-teacher meeting at Curé Brassard.
I met my daughter`s teacher Monday night and my son`s teacher this evening .
What a show tonight !
Now I remember why I quit teaching elementary school.
Yes ladies and germs, I once taught elelmentary , I have a group picture to prove it.
The evening started very nicely.
Let it be clear my son has a wonderful teacher ( AGAIN ) this year and has my outmost respect and collaboration.
The show started at the end of the evening when the teacher explained that she would bring her GRADE 4 class ( they are 9 years old ! ) to the Lac en Coeur at the end of the year.
You should of heard the parents complaining how bad the idea was.
"Going to the Lac en Coeur is way too boring, there could be so many things better, my kid won`t want to go, couldn`t you do better ? and why don`t you bring them somewhere and sleep over like at Valcartier ?" and so on , and so on.
I was sitting at the back , at my son`s desk, almost eating my son`s pencil on his desk.
So I `m sitting in the back, biting my tongue, almost hitting the roof, doing my breathing exercises my doctor taught me so well when I wanna harm someone for their stupidity.
Who the HECK ( that`s not quite the exact word I had in my head ) do they think they are these parents ?
I have 2 bachelors degree in teaching and would NEVER, EVER tell my kids`teacher HOW to do her job !
After 6 minutes of this nonesense ( I timed it ), I had to speak.
" Your son is blasé already at 9 years old ? "
Total silence in the classroom.
" Do you have any notion how much work it is to ORGANIZE and COORDINATE this whole shingding with 24 9 year-old kids ? "
" She is a TEACHER, not a G.O at Club Med ! "
And finally to the teacher : " I`d rather you be a G.E - A GENTILLE ENSEIGNANTE than a G.O ( Gentille Organisatrice at Club Med ). If you don`t bring my kid out of town for a sleepover , I will appreciate you anyway. "
My son`s teacher laughed, but,needless to say, I didn`t make friends with SOME of the parents there.
The teacher did respond that it was NOT in her job description to do any trips whatsoever.
AMEN.
Because she is right.
Bottom line, a teacher is paid to TEACH.
You want your daughter or son to go to VALCARTIER for a sleepover ?
Bring him/her yourself.
Bring the rest of the class while you`re at it since, according to you, sounds so simple.
Why not reserve it now ?
And if your only priority is your kid`s minimum choice of activities, you got your priorities all screwed up lady.
Like fractions, French verbs, history,reading, you know what I mean ?
And my point also is : I`m so sick of parents telling teachers HOW to do their job !
I have no right to tell any parent how to do their job, why should they ?
How about I show up my a parent`s workplace and tell them how to do their job more productively?
I`d get a kick in the behind, let me tell ya.
Well that`s exactly what I wanted to do to SOME of the parents tonight.
I don`t tell them HOW to parent their kids either, and seriously, some are in dire need of advice in the domain.
My son`s teacher is near retirement.
She has lots more experience than me.
That would explain why she kept her cool, stayed open, and respectful.
She was a professional.
I`ve been in the same position not too long ago.
But to see a fellow colleague being under the axe like this was too much for me.
Especailly to elementary teachers who do so much.
They practically give their students a bath and put them in their pyjamas before they get on the bus now !!!!!
Give them a break will ya ?
It is YOUR job as a parent to take your kids to activities, museums etc.
Not the teacher`s.
Teachers TEACH, the rest is extra.
Oh my God, I feel so much better !
Better I vent here than in my son`s classroom a few hours ago.
I really would have been in the orbituary.
On that, I`m off planning my next activity for my students.
Just kidding.
That`s later next week.
Peace out before I hit someone.
( that was meant to be funny too )
Enough,
Tata
lundi 8 septembre 2008
Annie `s Got Her Groove Back !
It`s been a month today.
Some of you were checking the orbituary in the newspaper to see if I had kicked the bucket ( died ).
Then you saw me in the school corridors.
" It`s been a while Annie ! "
" I know, I don`t have much time lately ( back to school and all ) and I really don`t have anything to write about, when I do , I will promise."
I figure, although most of you are loyal readers and commentors, if I bore you once, you won`t come back, right ?
Who would puposely want to bore their reader ?
Speaking of, let`s move along shall we .
I`m having a ball since I came back to school.
Seriously, my 2 groups of Sec.2 and both groups of Sec.4 are grrrreat .
I have nothing to complain about : they are eager, respectful, perfectionists, polite and cute.
I wanna bring them all home.
I have new material ( réforme style ) and am a bit nervous since I`m used to doing my own thing .
I`ll just have to take the new material and do it à la Annie.
Big year.
My kids in 4 chose a new novel.
From the 4 I proposed and exposed, they chose : That Was Then , This Is Now by S.E Hinton.
The other group is reading the also classic The Outsiders from the same author and by the looks on their faces, they`re really liking it.
So as you can see, life is grand.
Today, Paul Lachance and I got some special visitors :
Intensive graduates from last year.
My babies ( although 18 now ) , my darlings, my sweethearts.
Now obviously the 64 of them weren`t ALL there but 3.
Hey 3 is better than nothing AND besides it wasn`t JUST any 3.
Félix Mailly (I promised to hand deliver a jar of caramel on the job at IGA ), Joël -Jean Coutu Chassé and Etienne- Petite Vallée-I`m a great musician-Thibeault.
I seriously thought my mind was playing tricks on me again.
I sometimes see them in the corridors while I stand at my class door to welcome my kids before class, the only thing, it`s NOT them !
IT WAS TODAY !
THEY WERE MY AFTER LUNCH DESSERT.
We hugged, kissed, spoke very fast because we had a class coming up, smiled, told them I missed them, told me their plans at Cégep and off they went.
They`ll be back for sure they said. And they will.
What a great job I have.
How many of my students from last year ( sec.2 and 4 ) come in my doorway while I teach or at the break to say HELLO ?
Lots.
How many smile in the corridor on their way to their English class with ANOTHER teacher ?
Lots.
But you know what ?
You`ll be mine next year.
And to my Sec. 4 :`s I say : I`ll savor every second I have with you this year and will visit you as much as possible next year, and that`s a promise.
Am I lucky to teach English Concentration ?
Darn straight I am .
Do I appreciate it ?
Every day I teach you and every time you stop by and say " HELLO "
Do I miss you at the end of the year and when you graduate ?
You bet.
And I got proof again today .
When you come back, it`s like family you haven`t seen since last Christmas, a family reunion.
Maybe just to us the teachers, but then again, it`s them that come back to visit, that come back home.
Is it a compliment ?
Probably, what matters is seeing them in THEIR new ventures and starting a new life and somehow sown a seed somewhere.
In other words, there`s a little, little , little bit of your heritage somewhere in that person.
You helped them grow as they helped YOU grow as a teacher, and as a human .
Name me a job that does that ?
You don`t do that by working at Wal-Mart !
Do my students EVER get on my nerves ?
Sometimes, like my own kids get on my nerves, we all have our limits.
So if that`s not loving your students, I don`t know what it is.
Some of my darlings from last year have told me they`d visit during their Fall break.
Bring it on, the door is always open.
On that,
I promise my next post won`t take so long.
I`ll have pics to show you too.
Give me till the weekend.
Peace out !
Groove is in the heart baby !
Annie xx
Some of you were checking the orbituary in the newspaper to see if I had kicked the bucket ( died ).
Then you saw me in the school corridors.
" It`s been a while Annie ! "
" I know, I don`t have much time lately ( back to school and all ) and I really don`t have anything to write about, when I do , I will promise."
I figure, although most of you are loyal readers and commentors, if I bore you once, you won`t come back, right ?
Who would puposely want to bore their reader ?
Speaking of, let`s move along shall we .
I`m having a ball since I came back to school.
Seriously, my 2 groups of Sec.2 and both groups of Sec.4 are grrrreat .
I have nothing to complain about : they are eager, respectful, perfectionists, polite and cute.
I wanna bring them all home.
I have new material ( réforme style ) and am a bit nervous since I`m used to doing my own thing .
I`ll just have to take the new material and do it à la Annie.
Big year.
My kids in 4 chose a new novel.
From the 4 I proposed and exposed, they chose : That Was Then , This Is Now by S.E Hinton.
The other group is reading the also classic The Outsiders from the same author and by the looks on their faces, they`re really liking it.
So as you can see, life is grand.
Today, Paul Lachance and I got some special visitors :
Intensive graduates from last year.
My babies ( although 18 now ) , my darlings, my sweethearts.
Now obviously the 64 of them weren`t ALL there but 3.
Hey 3 is better than nothing AND besides it wasn`t JUST any 3.
Félix Mailly (I promised to hand deliver a jar of caramel on the job at IGA ), Joël -Jean Coutu Chassé and Etienne- Petite Vallée-I`m a great musician-Thibeault.
I seriously thought my mind was playing tricks on me again.
I sometimes see them in the corridors while I stand at my class door to welcome my kids before class, the only thing, it`s NOT them !
IT WAS TODAY !
THEY WERE MY AFTER LUNCH DESSERT.
We hugged, kissed, spoke very fast because we had a class coming up, smiled, told them I missed them, told me their plans at Cégep and off they went.
They`ll be back for sure they said. And they will.
What a great job I have.
How many of my students from last year ( sec.2 and 4 ) come in my doorway while I teach or at the break to say HELLO ?
Lots.
How many smile in the corridor on their way to their English class with ANOTHER teacher ?
Lots.
But you know what ?
You`ll be mine next year.
And to my Sec. 4 :`s I say : I`ll savor every second I have with you this year and will visit you as much as possible next year, and that`s a promise.
Am I lucky to teach English Concentration ?
Darn straight I am .
Do I appreciate it ?
Every day I teach you and every time you stop by and say " HELLO "
Do I miss you at the end of the year and when you graduate ?
You bet.
And I got proof again today .
When you come back, it`s like family you haven`t seen since last Christmas, a family reunion.
Maybe just to us the teachers, but then again, it`s them that come back to visit, that come back home.
Is it a compliment ?
Probably, what matters is seeing them in THEIR new ventures and starting a new life and somehow sown a seed somewhere.
In other words, there`s a little, little , little bit of your heritage somewhere in that person.
You helped them grow as they helped YOU grow as a teacher, and as a human .
Name me a job that does that ?
You don`t do that by working at Wal-Mart !
Do my students EVER get on my nerves ?
Sometimes, like my own kids get on my nerves, we all have our limits.
So if that`s not loving your students, I don`t know what it is.
Some of my darlings from last year have told me they`d visit during their Fall break.
Bring it on, the door is always open.
On that,
I promise my next post won`t take so long.
I`ll have pics to show you too.
Give me till the weekend.
Peace out !
Groove is in the heart baby !
Annie xx
mardi 5 août 2008
SUN WHERE ART THOU ? TAKE TWO
Like the rest of the province can see, this summer is reallly turning out to be crappy, to say the least and keeping it polite.....
Rosie and my godchild Andréa.
This Cardinal was in my backyard . I was baking when I heard him. I run out and there he was. I run inside for the camera and he was gone! He had me run in and out of the house 3 times before I could take this pic. My kids thought it was hilarious.
You know you`re bored when you catch yourself taking a picture of an ant on your kitchen floor.
Dan`s 1972 Plymouth Duster, a 1981 MG and my 1973 Mustang baby.
Pierre at Katherine`s house working with her husband Dan on their cars. Dan is helping Pierre out.
I`m concluding with one of my favorites quotes by Jack Kerouac:
If I stay one more day indoors, I swear you`ll see me on the front page of Le Journal De Montréal because I`l have cleaned the house to death.
There isn`t a spot I haven`t cleaned in the house.
Boring boring boring.
I need to get out of the house YESTERDAY !!!!
I no longer ask myself in the morning IF and WHAT TIME I will run today but CAN I run today ?
I hate being at the mercy of Mother Nature.
But what the hay, what doesn`t kill ya makes you stronger they say.
I`m one heck of a strong Momma.
Not to mention the kids are getting bored and lately, I wish I could exchange them for a case of beer ........for about 5 seconds.
So what do you do when it`s raining out and you`re ouot of ideas of what to wash next ?
You get addicted to Facebook ( thanks Pat B )
You bake cookies and muffins with the kids like there`s no tomorrow.
You take stupid pictures ( just scroll down , you`ll see....)
You unwillingly listen to your kids argue ( they`re actually doing this at the moment.....gotta go stop World War 3).
I`m back.
No one was injured. Yet
Did I mention my son who`s turning 10 in 6 months is giving a glimplse of how he`ll really be like when he`s a teen ?
It`s not pretty.
How pretty is it ?
He reminds me a lot of myself when I was a teen.
Let`s not go there shall we.
I still have 2 years before he hits puberty and I- hit the ceiling.
Let`s just say my claws are pretty much out these days and it`s not just because of this crappy weather.
I need a road trip.
Far far far away.
On a brighter note.
Marie-Luce St.Onge and Emmanuelle came over to visit.
Pierre and Kat`s husband are working on their cars : Daniel has a 1972 Duster .
They also went for a test drive to Québec together and from Pierre`s grin when he got back, really enjoyed it. Pics below.
I`m falling in love all over again with Jack Kerouac.
Thank God he`s dead because I would propose to this man and beg him to marry me and have his children.
I`m going to bed sooooooo late because of him.
Cannot stop reading.
Next road trip : the ultimate one : ROUTE 66, Jack`s famous road tripS for" On The Road ".
The more I research on this dude, the more I adore him.
On an even brighter note: WE ARE LEAVING FOR THE WOODS !
Yep, rain or no rain, we`re leaving, taking a hike, hitting the road, we are outta here baby !
Where ?
To the famouse log cabin in the mountains.
The one we go to every year ( twice a year ) with Nadia, Tonton Sébest but with the kids this time around.
We`re bringing the new tent we bought last week so the kids can try it.
By the looks of things, with this weather, it`ll be the only occasion to try it.
I`ll take lots of pics also to post.
Speaking of here are a few:
Rosie and my godchild Andréa.This Cardinal was in my backyard . I was baking when I heard him. I run out and there he was. I run inside for the camera and he was gone! He had me run in and out of the house 3 times before I could take this pic. My kids thought it was hilarious.You know you`re bored when you catch yourself taking a picture of an ant on your kitchen floor.
Dan`s 1972 Plymouth Duster, a 1981 MG and my 1973 Mustang baby.Pit stop on the way to Québec city.
Now that`s what I call a grrrrrrreat view !
Pierre at Katherine`s house working with her husband Dan on their cars. Dan is helping Pierre out.I`m concluding with one of my favorites quotes by Jack Kerouac:
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars, and in the middle, you see the blue center-light pop, and everybody goes ahh..."from On the Road
Speaking of, we`re off on the road to the chalet way up in the mountains.
I`ll be taking lots of pics.
Take care every one,
Groove is in the heart !
Annie
mercredi 30 juillet 2008
IT`S MY BIRTHDAY : I NEED A DUFF !
Yep, it`s my birthday.
I hate my birthday, always have and unfortunately I haven`t dealt on the subject with my psychiatrist .......yet.
My husband and sister had reserved Le Camp Notre-Dame de la Joie to celebrate it ( behind my back ) and had to cancel when I casually but firmly insisted on : No surprise birthday parties !
I like organizing them for others but don`t like having one myself.
Thing is, I don`t like surprises.
I like planned and organized stuff ( except for a nowhere roadtrip à la Jack Kérouac ).
Usally planned and organized by ME.
I know it`s the teacher part of me, but it`s also the insecure one.
I just don`t like surprises,good or bad.
Don`t lilke my birrthday so I don`t want 100 people under one roof reminding me that I`m getting older either.
My back and muscles remind me enough thank you.
However, I sincerely believe I`m getting YOUNGER and simply the age number I collect every July 30th plainly doesn`t match with how I feel.
Every year I do a BILAN, because that`s my thing : ASSESSMENT in English.
I like to do those, heck I do bilans of my bilans, it`s totally neurotic,I know.
I figure, if you wanna move forward, you gonna know where and what you`re coming from.
And that`s exactly what I`ve been doing lately, in my flowerbeds.
You should see my flowers, they are SPECTACULAR.
Alot of thought went into them let me tell ya.
It`s really the only place ( and while walking ) that I get to to alot of nonesense thinking and dreaming and of course, bilans.
They go together.
You could say my flowers are the fruits of all that thinking and at the end of the season I could show you which flowers helped me make decisions or had me thinking about subject X.
It`s literally my secret garden, nothing of that ever shows up here.
And by the looks of things in the flowerbeds, I`ve been doing ALOT of thinking.
99.9 % of it is all good.
And when a .1 % of regrets creeps up, literally bury it or take it out like the weeds.
Assessing, assessing, what does that do anyway.
Well for me, it has to have a purpose, an objective, a goal and especially : ACTION.
It`s not always good.
Example, I was thinking while Iwas weeding by the glasshouse: You know , you`re getting older, maybe it`s time you start ACTING YOUR AGE,NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE.
Tried it, didn`t enjoy it, didn`t last a week and started taking myself waaaaay too seriously.
Well I stopped that pretty quickly, let me tell ya.
Then I thought about my main motto in life .
It`s actually not mine, it`s Alexandre Jardin`s ( like in flowers......) an author, French author actually: From his novel Le Petit Sauvage , play the adult, but live and feel like a kid.
My favorite poet : Robert Frost wrote a poem called STAY GOLD about the subject which was picked up and included in my favorite author`s novel The Outsiders by S.E Hnton.
Coincidence, there`s no such thing.
So what are the actions coming about this year ?
SORRY GOTTA GO.
MY HUSBAND AND THE KIDS ARE THROWING ME OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR AN HOUR.
TIME FOR A QUICK JOG.
I`LL BE BACK LATER WITH FANTASTIC PICS AND THE REST.
ANNIE
PS: GROOVE IS IN THE HEART BABY !
I`m back.
Went for a jog, with my son trying to keep up.
Went for a ride in my Mustang and stopped at Mcd`S for a Ice coffee ( new addiction ) and came back.
Found out later my daughter made my cake with the help of daddy.
She did it so well, it was one of the best I`ve had.
Who would of though tone of my own kids would make MY birthday cake.
It`s usually th opposite.
Starting to lke the whole birthday idea all of a sudden.
Went over my sister`s house where we were received as kings for dinner.
My 2 godchildren were there, it was simply perfect.
My hubby tells me not to book my weekend.......hmmmmm, I hate the unknown.
Not that I don`t trust him.
Pierre got me the best gift ever : Jack kerouac`s On The Road and other novels and his poetry in ONE book.
It is HUGE.
On The Road changed my life at 16.
I`m doing my master`s around Jack Kerouac and his buddies and the Beat generation.
I love Jack Kerouac period.
I have to tell you all about him in a future blog, you won`t be able to resist this man.
And he was soooo darn cute.
Read the novel,then thank me.
Allright, let`s go back to the subject I was developping when I was kicked out of the house.
What are the actions I will take this year ?
This year is the FIRST year of the rest of my life.
Ths is the stepping stone year for me.
My future lies in this year.
I`m going back to school.
After years of encouragement from family and friends, I`m going not only for the Master`s but visualizing the Doctor`s degree in the future.
I`ve been researching on my Master`s subject for a year now and decided to plunge.
Everyone around me was convinced it was time to do it except me.
I have done so much research on my Master`s Memoir that I am at the moment not sure if I will do it in English Literature or in Anthropology.
Both look good at the moment.
I`m officially starting in January.
Just getting in the Master`s program is no small task.
I met the head of the Master in Education program ( very nice French woman ) and it clicked right away.
She showed me around the department and told her I was very familiar with it having done 2 B.A`s in education already. God, that just sounded very snobby now doesn`t it.
She congratulated me on my joining the program to which I answered : you haven`t even received my application form yet.
She smiled and shook my hand as I was leaving.
I`m in, it`s just not official yet.
So I will be busy from September to December.
Once I`m oficially in, I will celebrate.
New English material in Sec.2
New challenges, new stuff.
Can`t wait.
I need new challenges YESTERDAY.
I was getting bored and that is not good.
I am also preparing my future teaching career.
I`m aiming College and university level in the future.
That`s right folks, I will not retire at Jean Nicolet.
My goal is to start teaching college or university before I can teach my own kids at Jean Nicolet.
Félix-Antoine will be in Sec.2 in 5 years.
I will be out of there before if things work out like I want.
Don`t get me wrong, I loooove teaching at Jean Nicolet, I just don`t see myself doing it till I retire.
I need new challenges.
It`s time.
And who says teaching university can NOT be fun and just be serious.
Pierre`s aunt has been teaching university for 20 years now and loves it.
She was and still is a model for me.
20 years ago I wanted to be like her: career first, teach university, write bookos, no kids etc.
Somehow, my goals have changed over the years but some I still hunger for.
Besides, I went to the eye doctor last week.
Another sign I`m getting old, I need reading glasses.
I call them Professor glasses.
I figure, if I`m going to have the glasses, I might as well do the rest.
If you`re going to look the part, act the part as the old saying goes.
I`m going to look so smart with those reading glasses, I can`t wait to get them.
What is a Duff ?
A Duff is the beer on the Simpson`s right?
Homer`s beer.
Well not here.
I`m talking about a wonderful family here.
Our buddies of 15 years.
Like us : a momma bear, a poppa bear and their 2 baby bears.
Have been married for 18 years ( Duff, correct me if I`m wrong ) are are still very much in love with each other.
They are sweet, funny, the greatest, the simplest, the smartest and most caring people I know .
I love them.
There`s only one problem with the Duff family : they are thousands of miles away since December.
They are in New Cadelonia ( near New Zealand ) and a plane ticket is one the most expensive one on the market.
The Duff family is very missed by Pierre, myself and my kids.
You`d know them, you`d miss them too.
I think of them a lot while playing in the flowerbed.
They are there for 5 years !
It hasn`t been a year yet and it seems like forever.
So if I could have one wish granted today, I wish there were here.
If you want to see who these great people are and see them in their new environment here`s Duff`s blog :
http://alaindufresne-duff.blogspot.com/
I started blogging thanks to Duff.
If you`re wondering who is the sexy woman in the red bikini, that`s SoSo ( Sonia ) , his wife and my gal pal.
This family is our model and we totally look up to them.
I have never laughed so much as when I am with them.
No one has made me laugh as Duff has- No one.
I have never felt so much love among 4 people as them.
So , to the Duff family : SoSo, Duff, JuJu, Sam : 4 years and 1/2 to go.......
I promised pictures ( trust me they are friggin` fantastic )but I`ll have to post them later.
It`s really late and I need my Jack Kerouac dose before I go to sleep.
Groove is in the heart,
Annie
I hate my birthday, always have and unfortunately I haven`t dealt on the subject with my psychiatrist .......yet.
My husband and sister had reserved Le Camp Notre-Dame de la Joie to celebrate it ( behind my back ) and had to cancel when I casually but firmly insisted on : No surprise birthday parties !
I like organizing them for others but don`t like having one myself.
Thing is, I don`t like surprises.
I like planned and organized stuff ( except for a nowhere roadtrip à la Jack Kérouac ).
Usally planned and organized by ME.
I know it`s the teacher part of me, but it`s also the insecure one.
I just don`t like surprises,good or bad.
Don`t lilke my birrthday so I don`t want 100 people under one roof reminding me that I`m getting older either.
My back and muscles remind me enough thank you.
However, I sincerely believe I`m getting YOUNGER and simply the age number I collect every July 30th plainly doesn`t match with how I feel.
Every year I do a BILAN, because that`s my thing : ASSESSMENT in English.
I like to do those, heck I do bilans of my bilans, it`s totally neurotic,I know.
I figure, if you wanna move forward, you gonna know where and what you`re coming from.
And that`s exactly what I`ve been doing lately, in my flowerbeds.
You should see my flowers, they are SPECTACULAR.
Alot of thought went into them let me tell ya.
It`s really the only place ( and while walking ) that I get to to alot of nonesense thinking and dreaming and of course, bilans.
They go together.
You could say my flowers are the fruits of all that thinking and at the end of the season I could show you which flowers helped me make decisions or had me thinking about subject X.
It`s literally my secret garden, nothing of that ever shows up here.
And by the looks of things in the flowerbeds, I`ve been doing ALOT of thinking.
99.9 % of it is all good.
And when a .1 % of regrets creeps up, literally bury it or take it out like the weeds.
Assessing, assessing, what does that do anyway.
Well for me, it has to have a purpose, an objective, a goal and especially : ACTION.
It`s not always good.
Example, I was thinking while Iwas weeding by the glasshouse: You know , you`re getting older, maybe it`s time you start ACTING YOUR AGE,NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE.
Tried it, didn`t enjoy it, didn`t last a week and started taking myself waaaaay too seriously.
Well I stopped that pretty quickly, let me tell ya.
Then I thought about my main motto in life .
It`s actually not mine, it`s Alexandre Jardin`s ( like in flowers......) an author, French author actually: From his novel Le Petit Sauvage , play the adult, but live and feel like a kid.
My favorite poet : Robert Frost wrote a poem called STAY GOLD about the subject which was picked up and included in my favorite author`s novel The Outsiders by S.E Hnton.
Coincidence, there`s no such thing.
So what are the actions coming about this year ?
SORRY GOTTA GO.
MY HUSBAND AND THE KIDS ARE THROWING ME OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR AN HOUR.
TIME FOR A QUICK JOG.
I`LL BE BACK LATER WITH FANTASTIC PICS AND THE REST.
ANNIE
PS: GROOVE IS IN THE HEART BABY !
I`m back.
Went for a jog, with my son trying to keep up.
Went for a ride in my Mustang and stopped at Mcd`S for a Ice coffee ( new addiction ) and came back.
Found out later my daughter made my cake with the help of daddy.
She did it so well, it was one of the best I`ve had.
Who would of though tone of my own kids would make MY birthday cake.
It`s usually th opposite.
Starting to lke the whole birthday idea all of a sudden.
Went over my sister`s house where we were received as kings for dinner.
My 2 godchildren were there, it was simply perfect.
My hubby tells me not to book my weekend.......hmmmmm, I hate the unknown.
Not that I don`t trust him.
Pierre got me the best gift ever : Jack kerouac`s On The Road and other novels and his poetry in ONE book.
It is HUGE.
On The Road changed my life at 16.
I`m doing my master`s around Jack Kerouac and his buddies and the Beat generation.
I love Jack Kerouac period.
I have to tell you all about him in a future blog, you won`t be able to resist this man.
And he was soooo darn cute.
Read the novel,then thank me.
Allright, let`s go back to the subject I was developping when I was kicked out of the house.
What are the actions I will take this year ?
This year is the FIRST year of the rest of my life.
Ths is the stepping stone year for me.
My future lies in this year.
I`m going back to school.
After years of encouragement from family and friends, I`m going not only for the Master`s but visualizing the Doctor`s degree in the future.
I`ve been researching on my Master`s subject for a year now and decided to plunge.
Everyone around me was convinced it was time to do it except me.
I have done so much research on my Master`s Memoir that I am at the moment not sure if I will do it in English Literature or in Anthropology.
Both look good at the moment.
I`m officially starting in January.
Just getting in the Master`s program is no small task.
I met the head of the Master in Education program ( very nice French woman ) and it clicked right away.
She showed me around the department and told her I was very familiar with it having done 2 B.A`s in education already. God, that just sounded very snobby now doesn`t it.
She congratulated me on my joining the program to which I answered : you haven`t even received my application form yet.
She smiled and shook my hand as I was leaving.
I`m in, it`s just not official yet.
So I will be busy from September to December.
Once I`m oficially in, I will celebrate.
New English material in Sec.2
New challenges, new stuff.
Can`t wait.
I need new challenges YESTERDAY.
I was getting bored and that is not good.
I am also preparing my future teaching career.
I`m aiming College and university level in the future.
That`s right folks, I will not retire at Jean Nicolet.
My goal is to start teaching college or university before I can teach my own kids at Jean Nicolet.
Félix-Antoine will be in Sec.2 in 5 years.
I will be out of there before if things work out like I want.
Don`t get me wrong, I loooove teaching at Jean Nicolet, I just don`t see myself doing it till I retire.
I need new challenges.
It`s time.
And who says teaching university can NOT be fun and just be serious.
Pierre`s aunt has been teaching university for 20 years now and loves it.
She was and still is a model for me.
20 years ago I wanted to be like her: career first, teach university, write bookos, no kids etc.
Somehow, my goals have changed over the years but some I still hunger for.
Besides, I went to the eye doctor last week.
Another sign I`m getting old, I need reading glasses.
I call them Professor glasses.
I figure, if I`m going to have the glasses, I might as well do the rest.
If you`re going to look the part, act the part as the old saying goes.
I`m going to look so smart with those reading glasses, I can`t wait to get them.
What is a Duff ?
A Duff is the beer on the Simpson`s right?
Homer`s beer.
Well not here.
I`m talking about a wonderful family here.
Our buddies of 15 years.
Like us : a momma bear, a poppa bear and their 2 baby bears.
Have been married for 18 years ( Duff, correct me if I`m wrong ) are are still very much in love with each other.
They are sweet, funny, the greatest, the simplest, the smartest and most caring people I know .
I love them.
There`s only one problem with the Duff family : they are thousands of miles away since December.
They are in New Cadelonia ( near New Zealand ) and a plane ticket is one the most expensive one on the market.
The Duff family is very missed by Pierre, myself and my kids.
You`d know them, you`d miss them too.
I think of them a lot while playing in the flowerbed.
They are there for 5 years !
It hasn`t been a year yet and it seems like forever.
So if I could have one wish granted today, I wish there were here.
If you want to see who these great people are and see them in their new environment here`s Duff`s blog :
http://alaindufresne-duff.blogspot.com/
I started blogging thanks to Duff.
If you`re wondering who is the sexy woman in the red bikini, that`s SoSo ( Sonia ) , his wife and my gal pal.
This family is our model and we totally look up to them.
I have never laughed so much as when I am with them.
No one has made me laugh as Duff has- No one.
I have never felt so much love among 4 people as them.
So , to the Duff family : SoSo, Duff, JuJu, Sam : 4 years and 1/2 to go.......
I promised pictures ( trust me they are friggin` fantastic )but I`ll have to post them later.
It`s really late and I need my Jack Kerouac dose before I go to sleep.
Groove is in the heart,
Annie
A day at the lake with my pal Lyne from Gatineau.
Kat had brought a HUGE bag of jujubes ( another addiction ) and every time she`s hand them over she`d say : " here, don`t forget your daily fruit portion " Spoken like a true mom ! We`d eat those befrore breakfast. That` s what happens when there is no adult supervision.
Isn`t that on my my medical insurance card ? Postcard from the edge.
When we arrived at the gate Friday afternoon, here`s what was there: a Jeep with really great wheels. Had to have a pic to show Pierre our future wheels on the truck. Love at first sight !
Ok, so I don`t have a great Jeep with fat tires but I have 3 wonderful friends with me. That explains the big smile on my face and the fact that Kat is about to hand over the big bag of jujubes again.....
The view awaiting us..... And they say camping is roughing it. I like it rough baby !!!!!
Early Saturday morning ......waiting for the coffee. Best coffee in the world.
Friday night, Tonton Sébas`ribs on the grill. Best, no BEST ribs in the world. I ate so much I needed a crane to get away from the table.
Actual view from the table while we were eating. The bucket was NOT the W.C`s......
This was the official photo to put on the milk carton if ever we decided not to return home.
It was also a photo for Tonton Sébas for preparing us the best ribs on a certain 40 degree evening back in Gatineau.
I now call Tonton Sébas : Tonton SéBest.
I swear I have Katherine`s blessing to post this pic.
This is Kat, ready to use the W.c`s in back of the camp.
We thought her system to be quite hilarious until we tried it.
Works wonders.
Poster child of : " Miss Nature 2008 ".
For a first time in the woods, she was literally a happy camper, we were impressed.
She still hasn`t confirmed her return next year yet though........
Well that`s all for now folks.
And now, you know why the groove IS in this heart.
Tata darling,
Annie xx
jeudi 24 juillet 2008
WITH EYES WIDE OPEN
It`s 2:08 A.M.
Which is not helping when you`re trying to doze off AND YOU`RE JUST LYING THERE GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR....
I gotta show you some of the pictures from my last escapade in the woods with my gals.
Thanks to my husband, we were able to fit everything in one car.
What you see in our expression on the picture is the following question : " Now, will we be able to all that again before we come back ? We`re not taking any chances, let`s take a pic of the final product. "
The Colibris : Réserve Mastigouche - The LOVE SHACK
View we had.
View inside : reading with flashlights before snoozing.
The Love Shack : no electricity, no running water and yes folks, no WC`s but a backhouse.
For some girls, it was quite an experience and I`m NOT talking about the blogger here.
THE VIEW AKA : my new wallpaper.
Bottom: took a stroll in the woods with Kat : NEVER told me she was terrified of coming across a BEAR.
Can not sleep.
Why ?
Had dinner over at friends`house and SURPRISE- drank too much coffee.
And to make matters worse, I gotta leave early tomorrow morning with Pierrre and the kids .
We`re going in the woods.
Can`t get enough of it.
Gotta sleep, gotta sleep.
Darn, I shouldn`t have read that friggin`good book of mine.
It`s not helping.
I keep thinking about it over and over in my head while I toss and turn.
I`d give you the title but it`s sooo long and I`m just too lazy to write it.
It`s Marc Levy`s latest one and yes I do read French books .
Only in the summer though.
Then I keep thinking of my quitting smoking date which is coming up and am panicking( it`ll be so hard ).
I`m thinking of my birthday that`s just around the corner ( did I say I hate my birthday?-always have ).
I`m thinking about my blood donation ( I have the rare bloodtype so it`s important that I give) and think ofall the people I saved today by doing so. And yes I have patted myself on the back for doing it.
I`m not just cute, I care too.
I`m thinking of my Master`s degree at university and that makes me soooo happy.
Which is not helping when you`re trying to doze off AND YOU`RE JUST LYING THERE GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR....
I`m thinking of all my flowers outside - they are so fantastic this year.
Do you think the rain has anything to do with it ?
Don`t answer, it was a rhetorical question.
2:17 A.M
Still not sleeping, but still typing.
I gotta show you some of the pictures from my last escapade in the woods with my gals.
I say SOME because my sister has NOT sent me hers YET.
Neither has Lyne hmmmmm.
But Kat has and they are FAB-YOU-LOUS darling.
Here they are.
Thanks to my husband, we were able to fit everything in one car.What you see in our expression on the picture is the following question : " Now, will we be able to all that again before we come back ? We`re not taking any chances, let`s take a pic of the final product. "
The Colibris : Réserve Mastigouche - The LOVE SHACK
View we had.View inside : reading with flashlights before snoozing. The Love Shack : no electricity, no running water and yes folks, no WC`s but a backhouse.For some girls, it was quite an experience and I`m NOT talking about the blogger here.
THE VIEW AKA : my new wallpaper. I used to have a jigsaw puzzle of this when I was a kid, I swear.....
Bottom: took a stroll in the woods with Kat : NEVER told me she was terrified of coming across a BEAR.
Never even crosssed my mind.
If I were a bear, I`d be afraid of crossing MY path singing and sweating like an idiot with NO make-up on!
Never told me she was taking pictures of me jogging and singing to Fergie either.
AAAAAAH, Kat is still wondering how she survived this nature adventure so far........
Alright, it`s 2:49 AM.
I`m heading downstairs to warm up a glass of milk.
Always works.
I`ll be back shortly with more pics and anecdotes when I can think straight.
My kids went to bed very late because of that dinner, so did I .
It`ll be very nice tomorrow in the woods : 2 cranky kids and one even crankier Mom.
Pierre is gonna loooove his nature day.
Tata,
Annie xx
PS : I have so not proofread this entry ,so any mistakes , sue me.
I`ll correct tomorrow promise.
jeudi 10 juillet 2008
I`M OFF : DEEP WOODS
I have packed, the Off Deep Woods because that`s exactly where I`ll be going tomorrow, Friday.
The lake, the woods, the food, the drinks, the super duper company : my sister Nadia, Line from Ottawa, Katherine Bourgeois and myself.
It wouldn`t be summer without this outdoor activity.
I love the woods and the woods loves me, hence, always a pleasure to go back.
So I`ll be back next week.
Take care everyone,
Annie xx
PS : I should have some anecdotes for you because our annual shingding, although brief ( 3 days ), is always eventful.
Trouble or should I say,fun, always seems to find us....
The lake, the woods, the food, the drinks, the super duper company : my sister Nadia, Line from Ottawa, Katherine Bourgeois and myself.
It wouldn`t be summer without this outdoor activity.
I love the woods and the woods loves me, hence, always a pleasure to go back.
So I`ll be back next week.
Take care everyone,
Annie xx
PS : I should have some anecdotes for you because our annual shingding, although brief ( 3 days ), is always eventful.
Trouble or should I say,fun, always seems to find us....
mercredi 2 juillet 2008
SUN, WHERE ART THOU ?
If it`s not out there, it`s in our hearts right ?
So what if the weather is crappy.
This is delicious !
Aaaaaaaaah!
Strawberry picking in Gatineau : every time Félix saw a bunch of strawberries, he`d yell :"Jackpot ". Too funny.
As you can see, Rosie had tested a few strawberries to make sure they were ripe.
What a great way to spend an afternoon.
Strawberry fields forever.
This is the view from the terrace where you can eat fantastic ice cream as a reward for a grreat harvest. It`s right next to the strawbwerry field.
Ice cream and strawberries MMMMMMM.
Thank you Matante Guidi for the ice cream and the coffee !
Our 2 bitches sharing lunch : Baileys and Maggie.
No, that is not a beer can in Rosie`s hand. They`re just 2 kids waiting for mom to give the green light to play guitar hero. " Can we play now mom ? Can we play now ? "
Give this girl a guitar and she`s thrilled to the gills.
My guitar heroes.
It may not look like it, but we are having a wonderful time ! We take our fun seriously.
Next step, I`m getting a tattoo.
So what if the weather is crappy.
The question these days is not if it`s going to rain today but WHEN is it going to rain today .
But hey, the summer is young.
Does it prevent us from going with the regular summer programming? Heck no.
As I am writing this our beloved Maryna, is in Trois-Rivieres and will soon be leaving our Belle Province to return home.
Before she left, she came over for a last German meal .
It was delicious , to say the least.
Fortunately, she taught Pierre and me how to do it .
She even gave us the special cooking equipment to do it again.
We shall, trust me.
Maryna, bless her heart, made sure that Pierre knew exactly how to do it, since she knows that cooking and me don`t get along.
Ask my kids.
Félix once said in front of a lot of people : " When mommy cooks, the smoke detector always go off ! "
He was dead serious.
But Pierre is there right ?
And when he`s not there ?
293-6900 : Théo Pizza
or left-overs.
And that is why I have initiated Rosie to the fine art of cooking since she was 3 years old.
We make dessert together all the time.
What a great way to learn.
In a few years, Pierre will teach her the rest.
She ain`t gonna be handicapped like Momma this one !
Anyway, back to Maryna.
The meal was friggin`delicious and as usual , we ate too much.
Maryna had the hiccups for about an hour.
There are two mottos at my house:
#1- After 5 minutes at my house, you are no longer a guest, you want something, go get it.
#2- You ain`t leaving this house hungry!
Marie-Luce showed up at around 8:30 and my kids were ecstatic!
We had coffee and talked for hours when Félix Mailly showed up too.
He was returning Marie-Luce`s stuff he " stole " from her car.
" That`ll teach her not to leave her car windows open " he says.
Thing is, Marie-Luce never noticed stuff was gone until he had to tell her at the prom.
In the stuff he brought back, was a genuine pink sheep wool blanket from New Zealand.
I didn`t know there were pink sheep in New Zealand ?
Seriously, the cutest and softest thing ever .
A gift from her grandma, Marie-Luce said.
We had coffee and herbal tea while Pierre ( to Félix, Marie and Maryna`s request ), came up with HIS yearbook from 1984 !
Pierre attended Le Séminaire St.Josephe in Trois-Rivieres at the time.
I attended St.Patrick School a few streets away and we would meet for lunch at the Parc Des Pins.
Sooooo romantic .
Don`t know why the kids thought it was funny.
I was quick to tell them that Pierre had flushed me the year after, a month BEFORE my prom !
And look closely at Pierre `s pedigree, he had MY name under LOVE of his life that he eventually scratched off with a pen ( after one of our numerous break-ups ) !!
Suffice to say, we laughed a little.
I tearfully drove Maryna home since it would be the last time we would see each other.
I was leaving for Ottawa the next day for 4 days.
By that time, she`d be gone.
I gave her a matching ring.
I have the same one so it would remind me of her.
She gave me my favorite : Marzipan chocolate ( I LOOOOOOVE Marzipan ! )
and the sweetest, nicest letter anyone has ever written me.
I already miss her.
And so the next day, we wake up early and at 9:00 a.m, we`re set to go.
First, we need to go to Steve Lacerte`s house, Maryna forgot some stuff at my place .
I was hoping to see her one last time but she was gone at the hairdresser`s with Josée.
We talk with Steve, then we stop at my sister`s house which is just a few houses away.
A quick stop we say, we`re an hour late already!
I ask Caro to feed my cat, give her my key, last bathroom pitstop and off we go .
It`s 11:00 a.m !
Ottawa, here we go !
And what a stay it was.
Strawberry picking, cuddling, Sex And The City movie in English ( again )for Nadia and me.
And GUITAR HERO !
My sister and my brother-in-law ( TonTon Sébas ) initiated us to the game and we were ALL instantly addicted to it .
My sister and I played 8 hours straight one night with the guys : girls against the guys.
We had 2 guitars so it was perfect.
I want this game !
It`s an addiction!
We also bought the usual German sausages and cold cuts we find at the Ottawa market : a German deli with the best food and dessert imaginable.
I got my Marzipan too, of course.
And next thing you now, it`s time to go.
Boohoo.
I `ll see my sister in 10 days since we`re going to our traditional 3 days in the cabin far in the woods annual trip.
It wouldn`t be summer without that.
We`re usually just the 3 sisters but since Caro is doing major reno`s on her house, we`ll be 4 : Nad, Line( her best bud), Katherine Bourgeois ( ma grande noir ) and me.
It shouldn`t be boring, to say the least.
I`ll get to see Nadia start a fire in the pouring rain.
I call her the Fire Guruof the night.
She can start a fire under ANY weather conditions.
It`s like snapping her fingers , it`s that easy.
I swear , I`m filming it this year !
Aaaah, the woods, :the lake,the food,the magazines to read without any interruption, no phone, no electricity, no t.v, no music, no kids, no men.......pure bliss.
Every year, I tell Pierre to put my face on the milk carton just in case I don`t wanna come home.
In conclusion, here are pics of our vacation so far :
This is delicious !
Aaaaaaaaah!Strawberry picking in Gatineau : every time Félix saw a bunch of strawberries, he`d yell :"Jackpot ". Too funny.
As you can see, Rosie had tested a few strawberries to make sure they were ripe.What a great way to spend an afternoon.
Strawberry fields forever.This is the view from the terrace where you can eat fantastic ice cream as a reward for a grreat harvest. It`s right next to the strawbwerry field.
Ice cream and strawberries MMMMMMM.
Thank you Matante Guidi for the ice cream and the coffee !
Our 2 bitches sharing lunch : Baileys and Maggie.No, that is not a beer can in Rosie`s hand. They`re just 2 kids waiting for mom to give the green light to play guitar hero. " Can we play now mom ? Can we play now ? "Give this girl a guitar and she`s thrilled to the gills.My guitar heroes.It may not look like it, but we are having a wonderful time ! We take our fun seriously.
Next step, I`m getting a tattoo.¸Tata
Annie xx
vendredi 20 juin 2008
MAMAN, C`EST FI NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !
It`s 1:15 a.m, early Saturday morning.
Most of you are probably drunk by now at the after prom.....
As promised, here are the pictures of you guys all dolled up, bright eyed and looking delicious.
I was supposed to do this tomorrow afternoon, but I drank too much coffee and added a diet Pepsi on top of that so I can`t sleep so what the hay, why postpone a goood thing right ?
First of all , my feet are a bit pissed of at you at the moment. They feel like they are going to explode. My kids are going to laugh their heads off tomorrow when they see me walking like a duck, an agonizing one.
It was with great pleasure that I got to see you all dressed up and looking MARVELOUSSSSSSSS darling. ESJN one, Haute Couture zero ( Reitman`s commercial I loooove so much )
Gorgeous with a capital " G ".
Some of you I would have put you on top of a wedding cake.
Seriously.
I must admit I am quite pleased with myself : # 1- I served a 3 course meal without spilling anything on anyone.
#2- I survived.
The cake was wonderful wasn`t it ?
I ate 2 pieces . Actually, I inhaled them ( neeeded the energy boost right ? ).
Now before I go to bed, I just want to tell ya that I have filmed some of you arriving at school : Dany California and Josiane Mustang for example and if you want a copy on DVD, leave me a note in the comments. You do not have to register to leave me a comment by the way.
I should be able to give you a list of who I have on film soon, when I get beauty sleep and watch them thoroughly.
I have one last favor, if you took some really good pics with your camera, could you please send them to my e-mail address :
anniecoonie15@yahoo.ca
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you for letting me take the pics, I very well know I can be a real pain in the as?%$(*&? when I have the camera in hand.
Final last words :
thank you for 5 fantastic Intensive years, you`ve made me proud, I will cherish you in my heart not forever, but forevA.
You`ve made on a mark on me and you`re leaving with a piece of my heart.
Come and visit me, you know where to find me, room 219 ( now that sounds dirty now doesn`t it ? ).
I love you mes p`tits cocos,
Tata,
Annie xxx
PS : I think I got everyone on camera, but if I did forget someone, please forgive me, I`m an idiot.
Some of the men of the Intensive program .
Jean-Minou
Sunshine pic.
I don`t just LOOK proud.
Beautilicious
Germany 1, Sweden 1, Canada 2.
If you listen well, these kids are so hot, they sizzle like bacon in a pan.
Francis ( on the left ) with dumb and dumber........It`s just a joke Dany.
Am I lucky or what ?
Some of the Ladies of the Intensive program.
Look! Mermaids. Just beautiful.
Some of my girls
We`re not just cute, we serve one mean meal.
My guardian angel and sister. See how she glows.
I feel small all of a sudden ....... 
The Bold and the Beautiful
Caro IS wearing something underneath that apron.......that day anyway.
Can we go home now Caro, my feet are friggin killing me ?
Most of you are probably drunk by now at the after prom.....
As promised, here are the pictures of you guys all dolled up, bright eyed and looking delicious.
I was supposed to do this tomorrow afternoon, but I drank too much coffee and added a diet Pepsi on top of that so I can`t sleep so what the hay, why postpone a goood thing right ?
First of all , my feet are a bit pissed of at you at the moment. They feel like they are going to explode. My kids are going to laugh their heads off tomorrow when they see me walking like a duck, an agonizing one.
It was with great pleasure that I got to see you all dressed up and looking MARVELOUSSSSSSSS darling. ESJN one, Haute Couture zero ( Reitman`s commercial I loooove so much )
Gorgeous with a capital " G ".
Some of you I would have put you on top of a wedding cake.
Seriously.
I must admit I am quite pleased with myself : # 1- I served a 3 course meal without spilling anything on anyone.
#2- I survived.
The cake was wonderful wasn`t it ?
I ate 2 pieces . Actually, I inhaled them ( neeeded the energy boost right ? ).
Now before I go to bed, I just want to tell ya that I have filmed some of you arriving at school : Dany California and Josiane Mustang for example and if you want a copy on DVD, leave me a note in the comments. You do not have to register to leave me a comment by the way.
I should be able to give you a list of who I have on film soon, when I get beauty sleep and watch them thoroughly.
I have one last favor, if you took some really good pics with your camera, could you please send them to my e-mail address :
anniecoonie15@yahoo.ca
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you for letting me take the pics, I very well know I can be a real pain in the as?%$(*&? when I have the camera in hand.
Final last words :
thank you for 5 fantastic Intensive years, you`ve made me proud, I will cherish you in my heart not forever, but forevA.
You`ve made on a mark on me and you`re leaving with a piece of my heart.
Come and visit me, you know where to find me, room 219 ( now that sounds dirty now doesn`t it ? ).
I love you mes p`tits cocos,
Tata,
Annie xxx
PS : I think I got everyone on camera, but if I did forget someone, please forgive me, I`m an idiot.
Some of the men of the Intensive program .
Jean-Minou
Sunshine pic.
I don`t just LOOK proud.
Beautilicious
Germany 1, Sweden 1, Canada 2.
If you listen well, these kids are so hot, they sizzle like bacon in a pan.
Francis ( on the left ) with dumb and dumber........It`s just a joke Dany.
Am I lucky or what ?Some of the Ladies of the Intensive program.Look! Mermaids. Just beautiful.Some of my girlsWe`re not just cute, we serve one mean meal.My guardian angel and sister. See how she glows.
I feel small all of a sudden ....... The Bold and the BeautifulCaro IS wearing something underneath that apron.......that day anyway.Can we go home now Caro, my feet are friggin killing me ? Besides, at midnight, I turn into a pumpkin.
June 22:
Here is the list of those I caught on video arriving at school:
Roxanne Tremblay: white Rolls Royce, no less.
Josiane: baby blue 1968 Pony convertible Mustang
André Bouvet Morrissette with his sweetheart Chloé.
Jessica Pépin Turgeon : Red Mustang
Audray Roy
John-Michael ( Jean-Minou ) Leblanc
Karine Breton
Fanny Bourdages
Amélie Lemire Champagne welcoming the last duo ( priceless ).
It sure was MustangPalooza that day. Eye candy.
If you want a copy, an extra copy, a different angle of your arrival, send me an e-mail.
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