Swingin' into Swingtown

"We're STAYING! And I'm having a pot brownie!"

For some reason, this one line had me laughing out loud hysterically, all by myself, in my recroom on Thursday night.

It was a statement made during a new show called Swingtown that's recently started on CBS. Thursday nights, 11pm (that's 10pm for my American friends).

Have you seen this show yet? No? OMIGOD!!!! WHY NOT?!?!?

Go over to CBS and watch the first 4 episodes. NOW!

Pic courtesy of CBS.com

"After moving to an upscale lakeside Chicago suburb in July of 1976, Susan and Bruce Miller must confront temptation in the form of their provocative new neighbors, Tom and Trina Decker, while not abandoning their old friends Janet and Roger Thompson."

Just so everyone's clear on who's who ... In the pic above, Susan and Bruce are in the middle, Tom and Trina are on the left and Janet and Roger are on the right. MY left and right, not theirs ... clear? Good.

Tom and Trina are the 'experimental' new neighbours, Janet and Roger are ... well ... more or less The Cleavers :-) And Susan and Bruce are finding themselves somewhere in the middle, wanting to experiment with the temptations their new friends offer, while trying to hang on to their relationship with their old, more 'straight-laced' ones.

OK, let's discuss for a minute what specifically those temptations are...

Wife swapping ... orgy's ... and pot brownies!!! LOL

I've always said I was born in the wrong decade. I was born in 1971, so yes, I saw 'The 70's', but as a child, not as a young adult, experiencing all the world-change of the social and sexual revolution that the 70's brought. THAT should have been MY decade.

Although I'm sure it's probably a good thing I missed it. I might not have made it to 26 before having my first child. I most likely would have been arrested at some sort of rally or peace movement, and I undoubtedly would have been arrested by the fashion police too ... since I've always HATED bell bottoms and refused to wear them even when they came back in style a few years ago LOL.

This show is sort of like The Wonder Years - for grown ups :-)

It brings you back to a time when things seemed ... simpler. Yes, I believe consentual wife swapping, pot brownies, and kids selling their dad's Playboys for $1 a piece, seem like 'nothing' compared to the crap that has infested our latest generation.

Peace and love have been overtaken by hate and violence.

I blame the music of the 80's.

Kidding :-)

This show isn't for everyone though. That's always the case when strong moral values come into play, and of course, orgy's and qualudes aren't for everyone.

Not saying they're for me either (although pot brownies DO stand the test of time, generation after generation LOL), but I have thoroughly enjoyed the time travel this show takes me through. And the music!!! AWESOME!!! After each episode, they provide a list of songs that were played during the show, and you can listen to them on the CBS website.

I skipped the whole Soprano's thing, skipped Sex & the City (didn't see ONE episode), haven't watched any of House, Grey's Anatomy ... none of the really 'hot' shows that have premiered in the last 10 yrs. Other than the CSI's of course :-)

But this one ... the trailers caught my attention and the pilot episode had me hooked!

The tension between Susan and Bruce's straight old friends, and experimental new ones is high, especially with Trina continually poking at Janet, and it keeps you wondering if Janet will 'cross that line' (or several lines!) to stay in her best friend Susan's new world. Sure this show is about sex, but I think it's evolving to be more about the importance of strong friendships also.

Straight Janet was the one who said "We're STAYING! And I'm having a pot brownie!" She then led the group on a skinny dipping adventure once the browinies had kicked in LOL. She doesn't want to lose Susan's friendship, and she's SO June Cleaver ... but will she take the plunge and be swingin' & swappin' by the end of the season? Will she and Trina EVER be 'friends'? Will Susan sleep with Janet's husband Roger?!?!?!??! Cause ya KNOW she curious ..... and so is he!

Guess we'll just have to watch to find out!

Swing on over Thurs night, 11pm and watch with me. I'll make the brownies ;-p
(kidding Mom!)

PEACE!

K.

Still Waiting? Good! Wait Some More!

We've already covered the fact I have no patience.

Remember those MRI results my family member has been waiting for? Yeah. Still waiting.

I know I really shouldn't complain about our health care system. We actually have it pretty good, compared to the options available to our American friends. Not to mention the lack of health care services in general around the globe.

I can walk into any hospital and know I'm going to be taken care of. Regardless if I hold a little card that says 'insurance' or not. Sure, I may not get the private room, but I WILL be helped.

We do have 'Health' cards here. But I don't pay for it. I receive it because I'm a resident of this province. You are supposed to show your card anytime you go to the hospital, however, I've been there for myself and both boys and whatever is wrong gets fixed even if I don't happen to have the cards on me. I like that part of the system. And yes, I do have insurance for the private room ;-)

But our system still isn't perfect. Far from it! And sometimes, I'm simply left shaking my head.

My family member expected to have their results back this week. When they called the office, the receptionist told them the Dr was out all week, booked all next week, and will be packing up his practice and moving it to Montreal the week after that.

Um ... ok ... so what about those results?

With a very distinct 'not my problem, I'm outta here in two weeks' attitude, the receptionist stated 'He has a stack of results 6-8in thick sitting on his desk. He'll get to it when he gets to it, and I couldn't tell you when he'll get to it. That's if he gets to it before he goes.'

In the end, the option presented was to be placed on a waiting list, pay $10 and have all the medical files transferred to whichever docs servicing 'the list' are willing to take on a new patient. No guarantees.

OK, I understand the part about waiting to find a new GP, But. Um ... those results?

Results of MRI's and CAT scans, in my opinion, aren't like waiting to hear if the toe you stubbed on the end of the bed is broken, or simply badly bruised, and the most you'll suffer is the loss of a toenail, extreme foot pain if you decide to wear shoes, and a really ugly toe for awhile.

MRI results can have a bit more of a lifetime impact. Not always. Not necessarily in this particular case either. But I'm just sayin'.

This is where our health care system fails us. After having to wait months for the initial appointment, people are then reduced to 6+in piles of paperwork on a desk, then someone else's desk. All the while, the people in those piles are potentially getting worse, and should already be undergoing some form treatment.

Early detection makes a difference!

But what can ya do? Except wait some more.

Wait for the phone call that either says 'here's what you have, here's what you take to get rid of it.' or 'here's what you have, here's how you live with it.' or 'here's what you have, here's what we're going to do, we'll see what happens next ...'

What my family member has decided to do, is to go there first thing on Mon, in person, and ask for the results, again. Then they're going to start looking for a new doctor, now that this one is Montreal bound lol.

Geeze Doc ... when I said Green Means Go, I didn't mean it LITERALLY!!!

Have a great weekend all!

K.

You Want Chicken With Those Fries?

One night last week, I was making burgers and fries.

I cook 4/5 work/week nights, so I like to alternate the 'side dishes' a bit. Some nights pasta, some nights rice, some nights potato, some nights it's other stuff, and some nights plain 'ol fries.

That particular night it was burgers and plain 'ol fries. Or so I thought.

I recently started buying a new 'type' of fries from a reputable distributor. I've always bought this brand, just never this crispy type in their new packaging. Alec really liked them, so I picked it up again this past grocery trip.

Burgers were on, I grabbed the fries out of the freezer, tore open the corner of the bag and spread the edges only wide enough to shake out what was needed, when something caught my eye.

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!?!?

Feel free to click on images to enlarge.

I looked at the front of the bag again... just to make sure I hadn't picked up some new type of 'Chicken & Fries in a Bag' type of meal.

Nope.

I did pick up the wrong bag of fries. I grabbed Spicy, instead of Crispy. Innocent mistake, they were in the same colour bag.

But that was definitely a piece of chicken... sitting in my bag of fries.

It looked like a big piece of Spicy Southern Fried chicken actually. In my bag of fries.

Again a quick glance at the front of the bag. Nope. Not losing it, there is no mention of chicken on the front of the bag. Nowhere did it say in big bold letters - "Look for the prize inside!"

There just happened to be a piece of chicken sitting in my bag of Spicy fries.

I didn't cook them. Or the chicken. I didn't even continue to open the bag. Simply stored it back in the freezer until I find the time to take it back to the store. I'm going to send the pic above - and most likely a link to this post lol - to the company. If nothing else than to share, cause it WAS kinda funny :-)

Conveyor belt mishap ... or the REAL secret of how the xxxx Fry Company seasons their Spicy fries?!?!?!?!

Wonder what I'll find in the mixed frozen veggies tomorrow night?!?!?!? ;-)

Have a good night all!

K.

Random Acts of Kindness

Last night, after Adam's Baseball Practice (yes, Baseball season has started and we're not even finished with Gymnastics yet!), we stopped to get a treat.

MY treat was stopping at Tim's for my coffee! MMMM Coffee ... XL Triple Triple!

Pic courtesy of TimHortons.com

So we're in the drive-thru, I order, pull ahead a bit and wait for the car in front of me to move and then see someone pull up behind me, giving them no more than a glance in the rear view.

When I reach the window to pay for my order, the girl says, 'The guy behind you paid for your coffee.'

HUH? WHAT? REALLY WHY??? ?

I was told this guy is a regular at that particular Tim's and that's something he does occasionally ... pays for the order in front of him.

WOW! With all the crap and insanity in our world today, there are STILL people out there who do random acts of kindness!

Who knew?!?!?!?

I thought about the stranger a few times last night. I hope someone does something nice for him someday.

Have a great day all. Be kind to strangers!
K

Oh ... and to the gentleman at the Tim's on Beaverbank Rd. last night around 7:30pm ... THANK YOU!!!!! :-)

Hurry Up and Wait!

Patience. Whoever said it was a virtue wasn't waiting for test results from the Doctor!

I'm not a good 'waiter'. For some things, (like little people and old people) I have patience.

Other things, not so much.

I'm the one who's grumbling, through gritted teeth at the driver in front of me, "Move Buddy! Green means GO!".

I'm the one who hits the end of a traffic jam, and is frantically looking for an alternate route, because I can't stand sitting in traffic.

I'm the one who knows all the 'secret' checkouts at the 'box stores' so I won't have to wait in the lines from hell.

I'm a 'if we're going to do it, let's do it NOW' sort of person.

I don't do waiting well.

Earlier this week, a family member went for an MRI. Yeah, scary stuff. Now we're waiting on the results.

Did I mention I don't wait well?

This is driving me insane!

What has me worried and stressed, is that prior to the exam, the tech said "We may need to inject you with dye afterwards, we may not". After the exam, the tech said "We don't need to do the dye injection, the doctor saw what he needed to see without it".

My family member left it at that. Ok, no dye needed. Great! One less procedure to go through today. WooHoo!

MY brain on the other hand, is screaming... WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!?!??!?!?!

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Does that mean that because he was able to see 'what he needed' that it means there was nothing there to see at all... or that the something was so big that it didn't require the dye process to reveal itself?

And what is that something?

I'm guessing the next step will be a biopsy. And then we'll have to wait for THOSE results.

Sigh. Did I mention I don't do waiting well?

Come on Doc ... Green means GO!!!!!

Have a great weekend all!
K

Out of the Mouths of 8yr Olds

Hey Everyone!

Two posts in two days! Scary, I know. But this one just had to be told. And it's a short one ;-)

This morning, the boys and I were on our way to school. Alec noticed a sign in the back window of the car ahead of us.

Pic courtesy of http://www.twinsclub.co.uk/

'Holy!' he said. 'Triplets!'

'What's a triplet?' asked Adam.

I guess we've never had a 'multiple-birth' conversation.

'It's when you have three kids at the same time.' replied Alec. Then he re-thought that answer. 'Well, not really at the SAME time, they usually come a minute or so after each other. Right Mom?'

I told him that was about right. They will usually be a couple/few minutes apart.

Adam got really quiet. Thinking. All of a sudden, just when I thought the conversation was over and forgotten, he says in all seriousness...

'Wow... she must have a REALLY big Vagina!'

For a split second, I had no reply to that. It was another one of those 'mouthful of coffee - meet my windshield' moments.

Apparently he missed the part of the conversation where we said, 'One at a time!!!'

K

Canon Rocks!

Hey everyone!

This one's a Good News Story!

Two months before we separated, my ex gave me a Canon Powershot S1 IS for Mothers Day.

FEATURES

It was a GREAT camera and has been WELL USED the past four years. I love taking pictures, and do so at every opportunity.Shortly after this Christmas past , my camera died. I was very sad. I really loved my camera :-(

I debated what I should do. Take it in to be repaired, or simply buy a new one. Problem was, I knew my camera was a 'good' camera, I couldn't afford to get another one of the same quality on my Single Mom Budget.

So, a week before the Wrestlemania Event, I finally got off my butt and took it to the camera shop, hoping I'd be able to get it back by the end of the week, to have for that night.

No such luck :-(

The Repair Guy told me he could definitely fix my camera. It would cost $110, but he'd have to order the part(s).

I knew I wouldn't be able to afford another digital camera, of the quality I had, for $110, so I told him to go ahead and order the part, and let me know when it was ready. He said it would be a couple of weeks.

Two weeks ago, he called.

He said "I have good news and bad news.'

I was already having a REALLY crappy day, so I replied, 'OK, give me the bad news first.' May as well get it over with I thought.

He said 'The parts that we need to fix your camera, are on back order in Japan, and they don't have an ETA on when they can get them here.'

GREAT! LOVELY!

'OK.' I answered. 'What's the good news?'

I could hear a smile in his voice when he replied, 'The good news is, I have a box sitting in front of me ... from Canon. They would like to give you a Canon Powershot S5 IS, to replace your camera.'

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I thought about this for a second... 'A brand NEW camera? Or a refurbished one?'

'Brand new.' he said. 'Still in the box.'

'How much?' I asked.

He paused for a second, and said "$110... same price we were going to charge you to fix your camera'.

HOLY CRAP!!!! A brand new camera, three levels up from my original one, for the price of the repair costs. Holy crap! That was a $400+ camera, depending on where you bought it. Even if I found one on sale, it would still be $300 or more.

"OK!!!" I said. 'SOLD!!!!'

He said, 'I didn't think you'd argue with me on the bad news LOL'

Wow! A brand new Canon PowerShot S5 IS!!! I'm very pleased with my new baby, and VERY pleased with Canon! Most excellent customer service!!! THANK YOU!

I finally picked it up on Friday. I tried it out on Belle this afternoon :-) She didn't seem to mind posing lol.

Yeah yeah yeah, I know, my back yard needs to be mowed!

Hmmmm - Now what did I do with that video camera I bought at the yard sale a couple of years ago... I wonder if it's a Canon... ;-)

Night all,
K