I dug up this old picture of my brother and I dressed up for Halloween (I think it's 1977 or so). Gotta love the old school costumes and the homemade ones (which my dad often did and did an awesome job of, I might add!). Perhaps being Batgirl at such a young age is what began my journey as a comic book geek. These things start so young (case in point, check out this picture of what my friend put his baby in...and it wasn't even for Halloween!!)

Last night my friend and I went and saw the movie "Saw" (pretty good, gripping and twisted) and tonight my friends and I are heading to an old movie theatre to catch Evil Dead 2. I love that movie, and I love going to see old movies on Halloween that have been brought back to the big screen. Last Halloween my friends and I went and saw Alien, and the year before that it was Friday the 13th, Part 3 (in 3D!! it was awesome!!).

Anyway, I won't be dressing up this year. I never thought up a costume and it seems silly to dress up just to sit in a dark theatre anyway. lol. So I am meeting my friends downtown at the Cinema Royal for a scary late night movie and likely, some coffee afterwards.
For those celebrating the occasion, I wish you a Happy Halloween full of candy and fun. Go scare the pants off someone tonight! It's the only time of the year in which it's perfectly acceptable!

 
Well, just as I figured, speculation has it that Arafat has leukemia. Awwww. Having watched firsthand as someone close to me died of it, I can assure you...he has a long miserable road to death ahead of him. At one point in my life I would have said that I would never wish that death on my worst enemy; seems I have become cynical and bitter as I age, for I think this demise befits a man who has sought the destruction of the Jewish people. I have said it before and I will say it again... karma is a mean and unforgiving mistress. You never know when she will pay you a visit. And always remember the age old lesson: You reap what you sow.

Of course, people are already jockeying for power, readying to take Arafat's place. According to CNN, Palestinian officials are admitting that the Arafat era is over. Altogether now: hallelujah! What will happen next remains to be seen. This is a golden opportunity...I hope the Palestinians don't fuck it up.

As for me, I am enjoying a quiet Saturday morning. It's strange and foggy outside, but the temperature is supposed to get unseasonably warm later. I have spent the week in the company of a variety of friends, some staying over Wednesday night, and one staying over Thursday night. Last night I was with Princess Blondie and her fiance Bruno, having dinner at their place and watching Survivor (that I taped the night before). It's been a nice week. In an hour or so I am going with my mom to see the controversial movie Birth, with Nicole Kidman. I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about (might have something to do with her being naked in a tub with a ten year old boy, but that's just a guess). After that...we'll see. And I've been invited to a Halloween party tonight, but I don't have a costume. Anybody got any ideas for me? I need would need a quick and easy last minute idea, which I quite obviously lack. Let me know if you have an idea for me.... help the creatively impaired, won't you??

Oh and one more thing..... had my visit from my nurse this morning and she has decided I've healed enough now that she's gonna come every other day now instead of daily (just to check on how it's healing, no more dressing changes). So by this time next week I should be finished with the nurse visits and feeling as good as new! YAY!!!!

 
Well, Meryl had the right idea when she said she wasn't getting too excited about the possibility of Arafat dying just yet, saying: "that mass-murdering bastard disappoints me every time and manages to survive". LOL! Tell us how you *really* feel, Meryl!

I for one cannot BELIEVE the mass coverage this is getting all over the news! It's on the front page of the Toronto Star (the main newspaper here), including a huge picture of that Rat boarding a plane. (I'd offer a link but I see now that The Star has decided to make people register to read the online paper. Morons! here's an article from yesterday that doesn't seem to require a log-in). The front page article has comments like "he may die without ever realizing his dream of a Palestinian state". Oh Please. Don't even get me started, the man has been offered a state many times. He just happens to want a bigger piece of the pie.

The stir over his impending death has been interesting. And yes, I believe the man is going to die, given what little info we know. I have personally seen people die of "platelet deficiencies" (aka: cancer. and cancer of the blood is called leukemia. they ain't foolin' anyone by calling it a blood disorder), and I know what it looks like. And if it's not that, then it's clearly something just as bad, and 75-year-olds tend to have a hard time fighting off such serious conditions. I favour this article that goes so far as to say Arafat's "aides say he is incoherent and unable to recognize familiar people". I said it before, and I'll say it again.... I will not shed a tear for the man. And I hope to God that this can be the start of something positive. For Israel and for the Palestinians.
Shabat Shalom

 
Is it wrong of me to get excited about the fact that it looks like Arafat will be dead by morning?

Hey, as Meryl pointed out, he "is responsible for the deaths of more Jews than any man since Hitler". And I might also remind that he has been the worst thing that has ever happened to the Palestinian people. If he dies there might actually be a glimmer of hope for them.

I look forward to the morning news (*fingers crossed*)...and I hope lightning doesn't strike me down if I dance on a man's grave.

 
Now...maybe I just see things differently, but doesn't it appear as if Bush and his wife are looking in a funhouse mirror?? LOOK at their freakishly long arms and jumbo hands!! Bush reminds me of Mr. Fantastic, of the comic book "The Fantastic Four". Can't see it? Don't know what I'm talking about? Look at this picture and tell me you don't see a resemblance. Oh yeah.

Am I the only one who couldn't get onto Blogger today? Not my own blog, not other blogs hosted by Blogger, not any of Bloggers pages and certainly not to sign in and post. Grrr. Sometimes Blogger makes me crazy. If only I had enough html smarts to set up my own domain and page and blog and such.

Anyway, I have been in a mad cleaning frenzy to clean up my apartment as two of my childhood friends are going to be here any minute. I have known these girls for 21 years, and though our lives are very different now (I grew up in the city, they stayed in the country, up north) we still have a great time when we get together. I can't wait. :-)

And can someone tell me why I am getting several hits a day from people looking for some variation on the serach for "Home Depot girls pictures"??? What's that all about??

Also, I had a dream I was David Arquette and I was trying to sabotage a Nazi supply train (which looked surprisingly modern considering it would in the 1940's. it shoulda looked more like this). *shrug* I have wacky dreams, what can I tell ya?

 
So I bought a new mouse. It's a sexy blue Logitech MX 510. It also came in red but, duh, of course I got blue. I stood in the store a very long time reading everything and playing with all the demo models on the shelf, feeling the grip and pretending to surf the net. That was the one I finally settled on, and as always I am loyal to Logitech wherever possible. Screw you, Microsoft! And I must confess....I think I'm loving this mouse already. I opted out of another cordless, though this new one with a cord is bugging me a bit. But the rest of it is very nice... I am happy with all the buttons (I'm all about the thumb buttons! that's why I loved the last one) and I will even admit...the optical aspect is nice. They have come a long way from when they first came out. And it was only $60, which was pretty reasonable, considering how much I was willing to spend. Whew.

I even told myself I could go ahead and buy a game to play but I couldn't find one that (a) my 3 year old computer can run, and (b) one that I wanted to play. I'm in a grumpy mood today and I couldn't even muster the energy to perform some retail therapy to get out of the mood. Now THAT'S a bad mood!

I don't know what's gotten into me, but this mood is weird. I have had trouble getting back into blogging since it has been sporadic over the last few weeks. I used to have little trouble writing everyday, but now I seem to have difficulty some days. Heck, I'm not even READING other blogs as much as I used to! My passion for talking about Israel has quieted, though I don't think that will stay that way. I figure I'm just burned out from all the debates about it. And I'm not feeling like going to my Hebrew class anymore. I figure the reason for that is because I am so far behind (I only made it to the first class before I had my surgery, and there have been 3-4 classes since) in my work that now it's just feels overwhelming. It feels like I'll never catch up, and the stress of that is taking the fun out of it. Now I just can't seem to get motivated to sit down and do some homework. Where has all my motivation gone??
Maybe they removed it in that surgery. ha!

I dunno. I hate to whine because I really have no right. Life is good, and I have nothing to really complain about. My incisions from the surgery are healing, although they are very sore the last few days. I think my frustration over the slow healing process is starting to take a toll on my mood. I just want to be better already. And I'm getting yet ANOTHER friggin' cold. I just had one!! When I was in the hospital for my surgery!! I can't believe I'm getting a second cold in a month. Argh!!

Ok, I see that I am whining again. Bitch bitch bitch.
It's out of my system now. I'm gonna eat some dinner, take some cold meds, and watch Oprah. :-)
Meantime, go visit Celti's blog if you haven't before. She's a funny monkey.

 
Well....I have officially declared it. Time of Death: 10:02pm
My mouse, that has served me and my computer so well for over three years, has ceased to function. It will be greatly missed by my keyboard, for they were a pair. A matching set. Companions, even! They even shared the same cordless receiver. Now it will be a receiver for one. It is a sad day indeed.

I came to this conclusion only after careful testing. I took my mouse over to my parents house and hooked it up to their computer. No response. I took my parents mouse (well, they're vacationing in England! they don't need it right now) and brought it over to my house..... it worked on my computer just fine. So I did what any reational girl would; I took the mouse apart. I don't know what I was looking for exactly, but I figured I had nothing to lose. I unscrewed the back plate and had a look. Then I cleaned it thoroughly with my can of compressed air (ew. we won't even discuss the amount of hair that was in there). However all this was still not enough... I got no response from my mouse. The truth was painfully clear. The mouse was dead.

So I guess tomorrow I will go shopping for a new mouse. Truth be told, I took a quick look at them at Office Depot today thinking this might be the inevitable conclusion. What I did learn is that I have expensive taste when it comes to the mouse I want. And it looks like I'll have to get over my dislike for optical mice because that's all the high-end ones are now (and really, most of the low-end ones too). Ugh. I feel so old, stubborn by wanting to keep it "old school" (with the 'ball'). And this is money I *so* don't have to spend, but I consider this a need, not a want so I don't skimp. :-/

I'll let you guys know what I choose, and thanks for all your input. God willing, I won't walk out of the store with a whole new computer. *fingers crossed*

 
So it goes like this..... I was on a really cool website for a scary new movie coming out called "Saw". It's a very media intensive (ie: Flash) website with all kinds of clever art and interactive menus. Oh, and it's scary. Anyway, at some point while plenty of flashy things are going on, my mouse froze. Annoying, but hey, shit like this happens. I figured my cordless mouse was begging for new batteries (it doesn't always give me a lot of notice when it decides it does). So I stole the batteries out of a brand new remote control, but it didn't help. Very odd. I went out and bought batteries. No help. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the mouse, with no luck (and anyone who has navigated a computer with only keystrokes and no mouse knows what a slow and frustrating experience this is).

But the strangest thing about all this is that for the 10 times or so that I have rebooted, the little arrow cursor has remained frozen in the middle of the screen!!!!!!!! I kid you not, the little bastard is there even when I uninstall the mouse and reboot with NO mouse connected!! WTF?? Somebody please tell me if you have had this happen before and how it was fixed (for the record I'm using WinMe and a Logitech Cordless Mouse). I can't keep navigating like this!!! ARRGGHHHHH!!

UPDATE: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've tried a different mouse now and it's still fucked. I am very very grumpy. However, I will not give in to my grumpiness and spend money on a new computer when I cannot possibly afford one. I will calm down and troubleshoot until I fix it. Oh yes I will. *grrr*

UPDATE 2: siduhgisutnguyp;owenmbprjtuhe!!!!!!!!!!!!**%$@!
Yeah well, my computer is being a complete bastard now, and I can't seem to run a system restore. Everytime I try it chokes and I have to do the ole "ctrl+alt+del" to get it to stop since it's not responding anyway. Very nice. And can I tell ya? Navigating my computer by keyboard is REALLY starting to get on my nerves.

 
So I have rented (the first part) of a long documentary called "Israel: A Nation Is Born". The first disc alone is 120 minutes long, and the total documentary is 3 discs. The first disc is divided into two parts; Program One: From the Rise of Zionism to 1948 and Program Two: The Creation of the State. I look forward to watching this over the weekend, when I can really devote some serious time to watching it since it's really a "meaty" topic and requires my full attention. I rented it from a mail-rental site online that mails you movies and you mail them back when you're done. It's been kinda cool, I've enjoyed it. You can check it out here: Zip.ca.

Oh! All this reminds me...if you are unsure about what's really going on in Israel and what all the fuss is about and want to learn more, may I direct you to a recent post over at Smooth Stone: "The Top Ten Facts you need to know about Israel". It's a great starting point if you are just learning about the situation, and touches on the most frequent questions. Smooth has always been very good for info about Israel.

Can I tell you how sick I am of hearing about (a) the Boston Red Sox vs. the NY Yankees, and (b) the freakin' American election?!?! God, I will be SO happy when the World Series and the election is over. Specifically, I can't stand the mud-slinging going on between Kerry and Bush, and it makes me really happy that Canadian politics are boring in comparison. Yes Kerry may have lied, but I got news for ya.....so did Bush. So everybody shut the hell up already! Both candidates frighten me to be perfectly honest, but what can ya do.....I guess just try for the lesser of two evils.

So I have been going to work in little spurts, easing my way back into work. It's going ok I guess, but now I think I'm just feeling lazy and I'm dreaming of the lottery again. lol I went to a follow up appointment to see my surgeon today for the first time since the surgery 2 weeks ago. He said everything is healing amazingly fast and that I should be all good....in two weeks!!! *groan* If it's going so fast why is still taking so long?? *pout*

Anyway, today the cat that I was "catsitting" for the last two weeks, Pumpkin, has gone back to her home. This makes me sad....she has been wonderful company to me for the last couple of weeks while I have been stuck at home. I got really attached to her (I had time on my hands so....118 pictures later....lol) and giving her back was tough. *sigh* If you are interested you can see a few pictures of her over on my photoblog. She's a cutie pie.

To add to my new loneliness my parents left today for a vacation in England. I can't believe I'm 30 years old and missing my parents!! Yikes, I think I got a little dependent on them over the last few weeks when they were taking care of me. Oh well, there are worse things to feel for your parents. :-D

Ok, now I'm probably boring you all, so I'm gonna go. But before I do...do I have any readers who speak Portuguese? I need some help. Drop me a line. Please and thank you!

 
So I think we all know by now that I've been watching far too much daytime television, right? If nothing else it's given me a glimpse into the life of a stay-at-home mom and that glimpse has told me I would never make it as stay-at-home mom. (I think there is a more politically correct term for that now, but I can't recall it, and I've never been all that concerned with being politically correct)

Anyway, the other day I was watching my favourite talkshow, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I have said it before and I'll say it again. That girl can dance, and it makes me jealous. At the start of every show she gives her little opening monologue and then her DJ man kicks out the jams for a minute or two and Ellen gets her groove on and dances around the set and through the audience and eventually to her chair to start the show. And I only wish I could dance like Ellen. And I'll take her wardrobe while we're at it, coz I like her clothes. I love Ellen, and if you don't watch her show you should, she's hilarious.
But I digress.

Last week she had Robin Williams on. And let me tell you how I feel about him....I think he's a talented actor, and I enjoy his films. I think he's a pretty diverse actor and has done a great job of turning out consistently fantastic performances. That being said, I simply canNOT stand to watch the man in an interview of any sort. Why? Because the man *always* needs to be "on". He seems to be wholly incapable of carrying on an actual conversation like any other reasonable person. He can't talk like a normal human being, he has to constantly be making jokes. It never stops. And it is tiring and grates on me within 5 minutes of watching him. (btw, this all holds true for Jim Carrey too. Love the guy, I'm proud that he's Canadian, I think his films are hilarious, but he can't shut it off long enough to have a normal conversation either). I enjoyed that Ellen is the first person I have seen interview Robin that managed to get a few zingers back at him too, and held her own quite well against him. But Robin Williams behaviour reeks of someone who is desperate for attention and/or the spotlight, and I can't stand that in people. It screams "watch me! WATCH ME!!", with a level of neediness usually reserved for 3 year olds.

Then something else caught my attention....Robin Williams hairy hands. If you have ever seen the guy in a short sleeved shirt you know he's as hairy as an ape, it's no secret. His furry arms and chest make it look like he's wearing a hair shirt. But I had never noticed just how hairy the back of his hands were. I mean, just LOOK at this picture....and even that doesn't do them justice. I think his hair has become thicker since that shot was taken; and look..see how the hair on the back of his hands covers the *entire* back of his hand??? That just ain't right!! (omigod, it's on his knuckles too!!) We all know that men get hairier as they get older, and often in places they weren't sprouting hair earlier in life (thus the use of ear and nose hair trimmers after the age of 50, sometimes earlier). I think Robin Williams could be a full-on ape by the time he hits 65. I swear it.

Anyway, enough about Robin Williams, I did eventually managed to break away from staring at his hands, though it wasn't easy. But next time you see him being interviewed...go ahead..have a gander at his hands. I promise that your eyes will lock onto them too, unable to look away. Staring just can't be helped.

So anyway, on Friday I went to work for the first time in nearly 3 weeks. It went about like this... I drove to work (about a 20-30 min drive)...walked around the office and said hi to everyone and got all kinds of "we missed you" hugs.... did some work in the showroom, by setting up a display and taking pictures of it for the marketing department.....laid down on the showroom floor because I was exhausted...and then was sent home by the boss. My total time at work: about 1.5 hours. Driving: about 50 mins. This resulted in utter exhaustion so that when I got home I crawled right back to bed and slept for 3 hours straight. What the hell is that about?? How can one little surgery two weeks ago (and I swear it wasn't THAT major) take such a long term toll on my energy level and vitality??? It's really quite ridiculous, and extremely frustrating to say the least.

I had similar luck today. I went to my parents for breakfast after the nurse came in the morning to change my dressings, and after eating with them and hanging out a bit.....I came home for a three hour nap. 3 seems to be the magic number. After the nap I got up and went back for dinner. I'm all about mooching meals from the parents whenever possible. I don't much feel like cooking. Now I'm home and ready for bed again.

So I'm gonna take another crack at working again tomorrow. Gotta keep trying, right? One day I may even be able to work a full day again. Ooo, dare to dream!
Hope everyone had a great weekend and are well rested and ready for a new week. A new week a new adventure! :-P

Oh and hey....I can't say this enough times: thank you everyone for your very kind words with regard to my well being and recovery. You have all been very sweet and supportive. It's much appreciated. xoxo

 
I just noticed the other day that I missed my own 1 year anniversary for this blog. I guess it's because I was busy in the hospital, writhing in pain. Or maybe it's because I don't see the big deal...I know a lot of people are excited to acknowledge their blogiversaries, but not me. Kinda like I never really keep track of exactly how many people have visited my site, mostly coz I know it's just not that accurate so why get excited? For instance, I just checked my counter and it says I've had 20,000 visitors, but does that count the people who visit several times a day? *shrug* I don't know and don't particularly care. I mostly use my counter to see how people find my site, I think it's always interesting.

When I first started my blog I obsessed for days setting it up because I wanted it absolutely perfect, but didn't know the first thing about html. I leaned heavily on fellow blogger Lorien to help me out, as I pestered her with all kinds of questions. And I also remember thinking I had just SO many things to say and so many opinions to share, but when it came time for me to write I found it took me a few days (maybe even weeks) to really get into a comfortable groove. As well, I was concerned with my focus on talking about Israel and it's issues; as anyone who reads my blog knows, I am very passionate about Israel, but I was afraid, initially, of coming off as too political and that maybe I would scare of any non-Jewish readers. I quickly got over that as I struck a balance between rants about Israel and personal ramblings about my life. I think I have found my groove now and I thank everyone who has stuck around (especially si who has been with me since the very beginning. thanks for your support!). If you are interested you can read my first post from October 2, 2003 .....I think you'll find it amusing. Clearly I was excited, yet terrified, all at the same time. Good thing I kept the first entry short and sweet.

And now I am getting ready to go to work for the first time in nearly 3 weeks. My nurse has come and gone, and I am preparing for my commute into work. I won't be putting in a full day by any means, I just want to make an appearance and deal with any problems that require immediate attention. And I want to show that I'm making an effort. I have been trying to do a few outings throughout the week to sort of build up my endurance, and yesterday I went with a girlfriend to a makeup sale (nothing like a girl outing!) and then last night I went to Princess Blondie's house for our usual viewing of Survivor. I was *exhausted* going to bed last night. Two outings in one day proved to be a bit much for me. I think a few hours at work today will be sufficient. It's Friday, afterall! :-)
Shabat Shalom.

 
I'm not sure what's worse....yet another presidential debate destroying a potentially good night of tv viewing, or getting all teary eyed with every tv show that talks about and remembers Christopher Reeve. I can't take either of these anymore!! I can't listen to Bush and Kerry say they don't think gays should be married and I can't be sad anymore that the world has lost such a wonderful and inspiring man as Christopher Reeve.
*sigh*

Truth be told I'm just in a grumpy mood today and these things therefore irritate me that much more. The last two days have had me filled with frustration at being stuck at home, forced to allow my body the time it needs to heal. I am sick and tired of having a nurse come everyday to change my dressings (though I adore my nurse, she's wonderful), I'm sick and tired of having my friends and family take care of me by bringing me everything I need (I mean it's nice to a point, but I miss and crave my independence) and I'm sick and tired of just plain feeling unwell. My bedroom looks like a hospital room (check out all the medical supplies I have) and I feel like my home has become a ward. The novelty of spending the day in your pajamas wears off eventually and in time you want to look and feel good again, ya know?

Today my friend Princess Blondie took me out for a "supervised outing" (as she amusingly put it). It was a big trip to Costco. Frankly, I didn't care where we went, I was just happy to get out. This was only the second time in 9 days that I have done so. I was worried because I had gone for a brief outing with my mom on Monday, and despite a 3.5 hour nap just prior, a short car ride exhausted me and I had to have a nap before dinner with my parents. My energy and overall vitality is at an all time low (as it my appetite and weight). But I digress.

So Princess Blondie came to pick me up after lunch, and when I went outside..... wow!... I couldn't believe how wonderful the weather was. It was warm and the air smelled fabulous. I almost didn't want to get in the car, I just wanted to stand there and feel the sun on my face and suck in the fresh autumn air. I was giddy just being outside, let alone getting to GO somewhere. I'm easily amused at this point, what can I tell ya?
At Costco I warned her that it doesn't take much to tire me out. By the time we had walked around, done our shopping, and stood in line....I was getting sleepy. As we waited in line I felt my eyes fluttering open and close... I was nodding off. lol (and once again, I had a nap just before the outing)

After Costco we had one last stop to make before she dropped me off at home. We had to go to the jeweler's to pick her new ring that had to be sized. Her engagement ring. YAY!!! That's right, Princess Blondie and her darling Bruno, my Survivor buddies and old neighbours from across the hall, are getting married. Not a real surprise since they just bought a home together, but I am thrilled. They are the most beautiful couple and deserve every happiness. Congrats to them.

Anyway! After she dropped me off at home, I did the sensible thing and..... had another nap, that's right. lol Are you noticing a theme to my routine? It's very exciting. I know, you wish you could be me. Everyone does. :-P And now I am wide awake and looking to watch something on tv. Which brings it all back to this friggin' debate. I guess I'll put another movie in the ole dvd player....

 
I am so very upset that I could cry. To wake up and hear that Christopher Reeve has died at the age of 52 has well and truly broken my heart. He had struggled to over come so many difficult odds, and had become a shining example of hope to so many people. He had even made a trip to Israel because of it's advanced research in the field of spinal injury treatment. Israel too feels the loss of a great man.

I remember when the Superman movies first came out. I was about 9 years old by the time the 3rd one came out, and there were Superman posters in the cereal boxes. I had collected them all and put them up on my bedroom walls thinking Superman was sooooooo handsome. He, along with Han Solo, was my first crush.

My heart goes out to Christopher's wife and children today.... we all mourn the loss with you.

 
You know you've been watching too much daytime television when..... you dream you are trying to kill Dr. Phil. Actually, according to what I said in my dream, I wasn't trying to kill him so much as just render him unconscious. I had my arm wrapped around his neck in a total headlock and I was telling him to stop struggling, that I wasn't going to kill him I was just going to knock him out. Only, the guy didn't especially want to be squeezed into unconsciousness and his neck was as thick as a damn tree trunk, so I finally gave up and let him go. *shrug* I think I need to get out of the house soon. Two weeks is too long and it's starting to show.

I think my dreams will begin showing me what's really driving me crazy while holed up in my apartment for weeks on end with my tv. The next in line to be strangled will be any of the four American Presidential candidates. Like many, I am quite sick and tired of this friggin' election, and as a Canadian I am that much more annoyed that my regular television programming has been interrupted by the damn debates. My tv shows ARE my life at the moment so I thought I was going to go into a homicidal rage when my favourite show, Third Watch, wasn't on this Friday because of the televised debate. Damn you Bush and Kerry!!!!!!!!!! I was looking forward to watching that ALL week. Grrrrrrrrrrr

So my nurse has already come and gone today. Nothing like Percocet, a shower and a dressing change to really start a girl's day. I'm trying to remain cheerful today despite the fact that I am missing Thanksgiving dinner with my whole family. *crycry* It's always held at my grandmother's place, which is a two hour drive north of here. I just decided it would be too uncomfortable to drive 2 hours there and 2 hours back in a day, even with someone else doing the driving (I can't really drive yet). On top of that I love going up for Thanksgiving because the trees are all in their full colour this weekend and it's the best time of year to take pictures. *pout* I could cry.

Anyway! As a parting gift for those who are still bothering to stop by (thanks for your patience everyone) I will include one of my favourite segments of this blog..... strange search engine results that brought people to MY blog. These are all actual search results.....I can't make this shit up.
Skipping over the frequent searches I get (often some combination of "Toronto" Israeli" "girls" and "webcams", or the ever imaginative "looking totally free naked pics") we move right into the gems......

• via the MSN/Sympatico search engine we have "iraq spiders leno". I think it's the addition of Leno that gives that one such an amusing twist.


• The same search engine also brought someone to my blog when s/he typed in "love letter to say that i am sorry". Hey I got an idea! If you want to come across as being genuinely sorry, how about you WRITE YOUR OWN love letter outlining why you're sorry. Dumbass.


• Again from the MSN/Sympatico search engine (Canadians are so weird, EH?): "dirty rotten mothers.com". You wanna see WHAT?? Your mama would be SO proud to know you look up stuff like that.


• This one is my personal favourite because I was the ONLY result for this search!!!!! This person was so specific in his/her search that the entire phrase was in quotes, and glory be, I used those exact words in my blog once. Yahoo results for "thanks for pretending like you care". Looking back on that I can see where I might have come across as maybe just a tad bitter. lol! Glad to see I wasn't alone.


• Google brought someone to my blog who looked up "stop being messy". Um. lol. There are so many questions I have about this one. Was the computer being messy? (coz it sounds like the person is commanding the computer to stop being messy) Were you hoping to find some answers on how to stop someone else from being messy? Were YOU the messy one?? wtf??


• Here's a dandy that just reeks of desperation, brought to you by Yahoo: "I am a man and I need a female friend who lives in Canada". Evidently I was not "friend" material because I never heard from this mysterious man and I was ranked number 10 for those results! Drat.


• Another individual asked this important question of Google: "Does robaxacet relax your heart muscle?". Now, I'm trying not to laugh here....but don't you think that would be a somewhat unsafe product to have on the market if it relaxed someone's HEART??


• Someone else Yahooed "percentage of israelis who are alcoholics". Now this one is interesting.. why Israelis? Was this person Israeli? I don't think so...so what was going on in this person's life to make them wonder this? Wish I knew.


• And with that in mind, Google pointed to me when somebody typed in "stephen baldwin alcholics anonymous", which made me ask.....is Stephen Baldwin an alcoholic?? I suppose that's what this person was wondering too. And the answer is.... well, unless the person has come right out and said it, these things can be hard to pin down. Thus the "anonymous" in the name Alcholics Anonymous. Anyway, I think this search result was because of a post I recently wrote about Stephen Baldwin and his love for Jesus.


• Back to MSN/Sympatico: "healthy juicer receipts". This one nearly had me falling out of my tree I laughed so hard. RECEIPTS??? I'm willing to bet you were looking for RECIPES.


• This one from Google is a bit disturbing..."revenge "empire of dirt" psychological". An odd mix of wording, to be sure. Seems one of the blogs in my blogroll (My Empire of Dirt) lead this person to me, though I'm hoping this person eventually found HELP instead. lol


• A search engine I have never heard of (rediff.com??) made me smile with this search engine result: "i wish i am the princess of the world". Who? ME?? I'd like to take credit and say it's my princessly ways that lead that result to me, but I think it's my frequent referral to my bestest friend Princess Blondie (though that should NEVER stop you from treating me like a princess anyway. :-)


• How about this? Are you looking "nice nurse girls"? Yahoo says I am number 11 for this search, obviously because of my recent surgery and talk of the lovely nurses I have had taking care of me. But somehow I am betting that's NOT what this person was looking for...


• The ever popular MSN/Sympatico search engine somehow thought my blog would be just the place for finding "last words in punjabi for dead person" . That's it, I'm never using that search engine, it's clearly run by monkeys on crack.


• Now, it's dumb of me to type out the words to this search because it will no doubt lead other idiots to my blog looking for the same thing, but it's too funny not to. Tell me...how much of a sexual misfit do you need to be to look up "Pictures showing various techniques for jerking off"??? You have to be SHOWN how to masturbate??? Oh lord, I should just shut up...I hate to think of the hits I'm going to get for this one.

Waitaminute.
How did that search come up with ME???
I don't even wanna know.

• And last but not least, Google felt I was a good candidate for the "blue alien insanity test". Dude. What were you looking for?? Are the blue aliens insane or are you insane for seeing blue aliens? yikes either way.

Anyway, I'm off to watch movie # 3, 268 for the week. have a good week everyone.

 
Well, even though I'm not at my computer much I am still getting the news (the old fashioned way...the tv). Yes, I know about the bombing attack in Egypt against Israelis. No, I am not impressed.

More on it here. So far reports say 30 dead, 114 wounded (though the numbers are constantly rising). The attack was intended to target Israelis vacationing in Egypt (a very common practice over the holidays). I guess if you can't get to the Israelis on their own soil you get them elsewhere. Makes me sick.

UPDATE: Colour me surprised...CNN actually acknowledges what the target was. "Triple blasts rock Israeli vacation spots". The count is up to 37 dead, 160 wounded.

 
Well I must say...the outpouring of kind words has been most generous. Thank everyone, you all made me feel better as I read your comments and felt your good wishes. :-) A special thanks to Harry, Rat, and Oren who e-mailed me personal wishes, it was very sweet. And thanks to Dave for going out of his way to put in a prayer for me (and to you, si) and to my good friend Melra for calling me everyday to keep tabs on me. Even my Hebrew teacher called to see why I hadn't been in class! How can I not feel better when surrounded by folks like these?? :-) And I am extra excited about the people who have come out of lurking to wish me well; didn't know it took me getting sick for you to finally say hi, but it almost makes it worth it! :-D

I am getting better, slowly slowly. My parents stop by everyday with anything I need, including a huge stack of movies to keep me entertained. My brother even made a surprise visit yesterday which is nice, I don't get to see him as much as I'd like.
Upon hearing what's going on with me my old neighbour and bestest friend Princess Blondie came by to visit me today. She came in with her arms full of groceries (and flowers!) and a list in her hand. "Now then.." she began "..did the doctor tell you what you should and shouldn't be eating in order to get better?" I kinda muttered 'no', so she read from her list, outlining what would be good and bad for me and went over the groceries she brought for me. Can you believe this girl?? Such an total sweetheart, everybody should have a friend like her. And good timing too coz I noticed this morning that I'm starting to lose weight, and I don't have that much to lose to begin with.

Other than that I guess there's not that much to say since I haven't left my house much over the last week and a half. And I'm not on my computer much either, so I haven't been able to keep up with everyone else's blogs. For shame! I am, however, far more acquainted with daytime television than I care to be. Such a sea of crappy talk shows and soaps, I think my brain may rot. I think I may have to switch to reading or stick with the movies.

I hope everyone else is well and that you're having a good week. And thanks again for your warm wishes.

 
Ok, I'm gonna make this short, it's uncomfortable to be at my computer (in fact, I stand while typing).

I got home from the hospital yesterday morning, I had surgery around midnight Sunday night. Looks like I have another week at home ahead of me, and I have a nurse who comes once a day to change my dressings. It's a *most* unpleasant experience, so I thank the blue heavens for Percocet. Otherwise the nurse might end up with a black eye. }:-)

I was somewhat amused that when I met my surgeon for the consultation on Sunday that he had in fact done surgery on me before (he repaired a hernia in my belly button). It's like we were old friends! Er... sort of. Anyway, he's the nice guy who carved the infection out of my intestines. Sounds like fun doesn't it?? Boy is it ever!

And I'm a lucky girl because I have someone to keep me company this week. My sister-in-law's sister has dropped her cat (Pumpkin) off for a week of catsitting. At first I thought the timing of it all couldn't be worse, but now it's kinda nice having a kitty to keep me company. :-)

Ok, gotta run, getting tired standing here. Take care folks, and I really appreciate all your kind comments. You make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :-*

 
I went to the hospital yesterday. Three cheers for the Canadian healthcare system, I was actually in and out in 40 minutes (usually the wait alone is at least 2 - 3 hours. For my appendix I sat in the E.R. for 8 hours until they determined I needed surgery).

However, after a long feverish night I am going back to the hospital this morning. I suspect I will be admitted for surgery. What a joy. If that's the case I will be recovering at my parents. I'll write when I get back on my feet.
If I am not admitted, I'll drop an update here later to let y'all know I'm ok.
Thanks once again for all your kind and supportive words. You guys are good to me. :-)

 
Firstly, thank you to all those who have wished me well. You are all very sweet, and you remind me of why I write.

My absence started out because of a feeling of needing some space to sort out stuff that was going on with me in my life. I needed time to reflect on my past and decide on a few things.
However, that was quickly overshadowed by my not feeling well. And in fact, my feeling sick has only been getting worse, and after two separate trips to the doctor this week I may just head up to the hospital today. What can I say....I'm not feeling so good.
Anyway, please don't get all mushy on me, I'll be fine. I'm just letting you know coz it could be another few days before I write anything meaningful again.

In the meantime, why don't you pick a new blog to try from my blogroll?
Try something new. It's good for ya. :-)