Melting Pots ...

Today was have a shower and do running around day, but I woke up to snow.
No problem!
I figured that instead of adding to the mayhem on the roads, I'd stay home and do laundry. I put a load in and went out to shovel.
When I came in and turned on the tap, nothing came out.
No problem!
I phoned Epcor and they told me there was a water main break and that the water should be back on by tonight or tomorrow morning.
No problem!
Sure, I could go to the store and buy water, go to the pool to shower, find the water tanker (that Epcor says will be somewhere in the neighbourhood) to get enough water to flush toilets.
Or I could have an adventure!
I'm feelin' all rustic, melting snow for water (on a gas stove in an electrically lit kitchen in a centrally heated house, and blogging about it).
I've been at it for five hours and have enough water to flush the toilet (twice if I have to), a gallon of filtred, boiled drinking water, and a tub full of snow and a little bit of water, to which I'll add some hot water when I have enough.
I'm spending the day thinking of the lunatics who settled this country and the people who live on the streets here or in places where they must haul water to live.

Lions and Lambs ...

If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. Everyone knows that! Apparently, most everyone also knows that in like a lion means fierce and with a roar ... and that out like a lamb means quietly and gently. Seems reasonable, eh?

This, obviously (to me), is completely backwards. When I was very small, I pictured March coming like a lamb, all white and fluffy, and going out like a lion, all golden and warm. While I may talk about it in conventional terms, in my head, I know how it really works.

Unconscionable Perusal ...

Network issues not fixed, but more-than-passable bandaid solution found.
Another glorious sunny day on the prairies and it's not even that cold out.
Washed a load of laundry and hung it up to dry, carefully blocking the woolens, then noticed that it smelled funny.
And what's that on the floor?
Spiffy, a wet, eroded vitamin.
Laundry is rewashed, rehung and reblocked.
Now off to bake cake in jars because I'm curious.

title brought to you by Two Word-Of-The-Day Calendar Widgets

On Skis from Santa and Microwave Peas ...

Much more visually appealing than a picture of microwave peas

If one cooks peas on the stovetop, one may avoid finding them in the microwave after the meal is finished. However, this is only a bandaid solution. You see, microwavepeasness can neither be created nor destroyed and if not applied to the peas, it will attach itself to something else. It will not bind with the desserts for which one is generally really too full anyway, nor on the bean salad which is not a festive dinner icon. No, its nature is such that it must bind with something iconic like ... oh, I don't know ... Christmas crackers?
They're in the pantry, Mom.

$11 House in Edmonton ...

Really.
Okay, it's a contest, but it's so cool!

I read about it on Twitter this morning and now I'm all in love with the idea.

An neat old (nearly 100 years) prairie box style house, once owned by Grant Notley that became a rooming house during a housing crunch eventually got so run down it was condemned.

A local man, bitten by the renovation and real estate bugs, and his family bought it to fix up and sell.

Sparked by a funny daughter-comment, an idea was born to run a contest. If enough people buy an $11 entry, someone will have a mortgage-free fully renovated and updated home with appliances and a great story to tell, a family will have done something tremendously cool, and a house that might have been torn down will get a second chance.

So ... if you can think of any reason at all that you might be interested in living in Edmonton (rule stuff), please, oh please, read the article, go to the official website, think about buying in.

Don't need or want a house in Edmonton? Perhaps a friend does. You could get them a chance to dream for Christmas. Maybe you could enter for a favourite charity. You could enter just so this thing will work for someone else.


It's not a draw. The finalist entries will be put up for vote on Facebook.
One may enter only once ... but one knows others who may enter, too!
Please tell people about this.
The deadline is Dec. 31.