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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Rewind? If only I could

Posted by Melanie at 20:12 2 comments

I’m still teetering on the edge of what happened yesterday, most of it is too horrifying to recount. I mean most of it didn’t happen. What actually happened is I wrecked the car or rather a tiny part of it. The mirror on the drivers side is pushed in and there is some not very noticeable scrapes on the fender.

I’m plagued by my stupidity of what one microsecond of inattention can do. I’m also bummed because I had plans for my extra money and now I have to use it to fix the car.

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Little Things: Christmas

Posted by Melanie at 19:15 0 comments

Family - Sharing Christmas with my youngest sister, my two smart independent children and loving husband, enjoying jokes, fun and laughter.

Games -playing board games, my sister and I have had since childhood and reminiscing.

Friends- Meeting up with children of friends, from Dawson Creek, at Powder King, most of them I’ve known since babyhood.

Weather- Loving the snow and the cold and being able to get out on my skis.

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

December Twenty Third

Posted by Melanie at 17:39 3 comments Reflections

Since I got back from Vancouver I’ve been in the kitchen making bread, a batch of short bread, mince meat pies, brandy butter, cranberry sauce, croissants, sausage rolls, more bread, stuffing, putting the turkey in the cold room to defrost, making more bread, washing dishes, making birthday cakes and birthday dinners, doing laundry, cleaning the house OR driving frantically around town, mailing last minute Christmas presents, buying more food which needs to be prepared, picking up books from the library ( my never ending hold list) taking kids to the doctor, helping them get their stuff done. Both of them are home for Christmas and carless. As usual they have left everything until the last minute. Both of them are out right now in my car. I’m sitting here alone on the couch waiting for everyone, including my sister whose flight from Vancouver is delayed, to arrive for dinner.

I’m worn out and Christmas hasn’t even started yet.

The nice thing, is that Callum made dinner for me before he went out and Environment Canada promises warmer weather starting tomorrow. At least ten degrees warmer. I’m going skiing. I know the kids will drive me there and pay for my lift ticket.

Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for reading my blog in 2008.

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Craaack!

Posted by Melanie at 08:27 0 comments

We noticed this crack in our big south facing windows on the weekend. Did it happen because of the minus 43 wind chills we've been having lately? or is it because of the logs shrinking or what?

crack
south

As you can see in the picture the frame around the glass is not made of logs. It's constructed in such a way that the whole thing should move down as the logs shrink. Even though, we are not going to replace the window until the house has stopped shrinking, in another year or two.

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

How to make icord

Posted by Melanie at 14:54 0 comments Teapot cosy

My teapot cosy is finished. I made icord for the ties. Making icord is simple once you figure it out however most of the instructions I found in books and on the web were not clear enough. I watched numerous videos, looked at lots of pictures with useless instructions and tried to do what they said. Eventually I did figure it out.

Below is a definitive primer on how to make icord

1) You will need two double pointed needles and some yarn.

2) Cast on some stitches, usually 3 4 5 6.

3) Knit the stitches. The knitting will be on the left and the yarn on the right

4) Push the stitches to the other end of the needle.

Turn the needle around so the stitches are now at the top of the needle, the knitting is on the right and the yarn is coming from the bottom on the left side.

Pull the yarn up behind the knitting and knit the stitches again. Pull it tight since this is what forms the icord.

Repeat until the icord is as long as you want it.

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Friday, December 19, 2008

Pout

Posted by Melanie at 17:44 0 comments

I'm beginning to wish I had splurged on a new battery for my MacBook. Before I took it too be fixed it had around ten minutes of battery life now it has none, zero. If it accidently comes unplugged it dies instantly.

The other thing to whine about is the weather and how it is too freaking cold for skiing, lift line or back country. Except, there is nothing to stop me from throwing on ten layers of clothes and doing a quick skate ski around the neigbourhood, tomorrow around noon when the sun is in full force. Sign me up.

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faux auto bailout ad

Posted by Melanie at 08:24 0 comments

Via Treehugger

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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

the coldest darkest time of the year

Posted by Melanie at 14:29 0 comments Hotel Vancouver

I picked my MacBook up yesterday. The very friendly technicians at the Apple Store fixed the trackpad button by replacing the keyboard. Now my MacBook looks and feels like a new computer except, I decided not to splurge on a new battery.

I also decided not to buy the new adjustable ski poles.

This morning I went up to King Edward and Main street. I was taking a down jacket to Outdoor Innovations. It needed a new zip. I would have fixed it myself except heavy duty, two way zips in the length and colour needed are not available in retail sewing stores. I think the manufactures of outdoor clothing have a monopoly on sewing notions and techy fabric.

I saw lots of interesting stores on Main street I have only read or heard about. Most of them were closed an Tuesdays. But, the coat will be fixed tomorrow so I can go back and look.

It is very chilly walking around down here. The cold wind makes it even worse. Although, we managed a walk around White Rock, in the snow with my Mum, on Sunday and yesterday we walked all over downtown looking for Christmas presents. It seems this cold front is going to last at least until Christmas. Skiing next weekend, when I get back home, may not be possible. Big Bummer

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Saturday, December 13, 2008

Winter Has Arrived

Posted by Melanie at 06:06 0 comments home

Minus 19 this AM. The windchill makes it minus 35, shiver. We're off to Vancouver, it's minus 3 there, colder than normal, for a few days. I have an appointment at the Apple store for my Macbook this afternoon. I hope they can fix it while I'm down there. I don't like the idea of being separated from it for even a day.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Why I had Children

Posted by Melanie at 07:59 1 comments

I’m still stressed about all the unfolding events of the week. Everyday another thing has happened straining my ability to cope. The biggest event One of the events was the realization I’m getting old, when my period came again after only thirteen days. Luckily I was at the doctors anyway. We both agreed its premature appearance was because I’m almost fifty. I’m not ready for this.

One of the bright spots was my daughter coming over yesterday to help decorate the house. She wrote down her Christmas list.

Daughters Christmas List

The other item on it was a pair of new boots. We went to the mall immediately because some things can’t wait for that big day.

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Monday, December 8, 2008

Skiing in the Pine Pass BC

Posted by Melanie at 19:19 0 comments

We managed to talk Jim into selling us a one trip lift ticket, yesterday at Powder King. The ridge we climbed up on the other side was crusty and windswept, the cornice was a mere shadow of the one we sawed off with a climbing rope, eight years ago, during an avalanche course.

Over The Top

Back then the cornice was the size of a couple of school buses and weighed even more. It broke into two pieces as it fell. Amazingly none of the snow on the slope pulled away. It was as stable as an eighteen wheeler on the highway. It is only in retrospect that I recognize the significance of what happened. I'm more experienced now and a better skier. The slope we skied down yesterday was disappointingly gentle.

Yesterday there was a minor worry about the slope sliding. We had seen evidence of two slides on our way over. However, we sussed out the safe spot and spent a few hours skiing in the soft but thick powder. Fog drifted in and out of the valley all day. Not sure how long daylight would last we left early. Giving us more than enough time to ski past the t-bar in search of more powder before traversing back, arriving at the vehicle just as darkness fell.

The willows are bad at the bottom otherwise right now the Pine Pass has the best, easily accessible snow anywhere

The photo was taken later in the season, a few years ago.

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Friday, December 5, 2008

The Sweet Spot

Posted by Melanie at 18:20 0 comments

This just in

Go to MEC right now to view the winners of the sweet spot video contest. Watching the second place winner about a ski traverse on the Garibaldi Neve made me just want to get out and do a similar ski trip.

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Oh Canada

Posted by Melanie at 06:37 1 comments

I’m still upset about the political shenanigans that went on yesterday. I’ve made a pact with myself to refrain from turning on the radio, avert my eyes from all news RSS feeds as well as avoid the website of the CBC, the Globe And Mail and any other news outlet, virtual or real. Despite all this I can’t stop thinking that Canada has become a Neo Fascist state run by a Tyrannical Dictator, Stephen Harper.

I’m trying to distract myself,

I have lots of wool left over from projects, not enough to make anything useful so I‘ve invented patterns, like the one for a stripy felted bag I made for my daughter (picture to follow) and a teapot cosy. I’m using this pattern from Knitty as inspiration. My wool is of different thickness so getting gauge is futile. I have to stop every so often to get out my teapot to see if it will be big enough. It is a lot more fun than knitting from a pattern.

I’m also using this lace weight mohair, that a fellow flickrite gave to me, to make the Granny Smith Cardigan. It’s a lot more tedious to knit this than it was to knit the swallow tail shawl. I noticed Jo Sharp has a whole line of new colours for her Silk Road aran weight tweed. I’m looking forward to getting some to finally knit Norah Gaughan’s Tweedy Aran Cardigan. None of my favourite knitting shops have it in stock yet. I’m going to phone Urban Yarns to find out when they will have it. Maybe I can pick it up when I’m in town.

I’m in between books. I tried reading David Adams Richards book, Mercy Among The Children but after wading through a quarter of it I decided it was much too depressing for these tying political times. The other books I have are Mary Lawson’s, The Other Side Of The Bridge and Camilla Ways Book, The Dead Of Summer. Neither are appealing to me just now.

We finally got that winning combination, snow and cold weather. I suppose I should go outside, skis strapped to my feet and lose myself in it. Except When I get back we will still be in this egregious political state.

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Delaying the inevitable

Posted by Melanie at 09:35 2 comments

It’s a sad day for Canada when Stephen Harper, with only 37% of the Popular vote, and no support from the opposition is able to successfully wield his influence with Michelle Jean, the Governor General, to prorogue Parliament until January 26.

I would be surprised if he gets any support from the opposition to help him bring in his budget in six weeks.

It's time for Harper to go. If you agree you should sign the petition for the progressive Coalition for Canada. Get your voice out there, write you own blog post, comment on other blogs, anything. We have to get rid of him.

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Outta There.

Posted by Melanie at 06:56 0 comments

Minus ten this AM. Winter has finally come for a few days except there is no snow.

A couple of diehard skiers woke early Sunday, drove in the dark along the highway east of town and parked by the side of the slushy icy road. They hadn't gone more than a few feet up the trail when they decided that lack of snow meant they should carry their skis. it began too rain, big fat drops splashing on their heads, they kept trudging upwards. They started talking about swimming and the nice hot steam room at the pool and then they decided, what the hell, almost ran back down to the car.

Next weekend they're going to the Pine Pass .

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