Do you smoke or drink?

There are apparently some situations that can arise for those who smoke or drink that are not likely to be visited upon those of us who don't. In case you misplace this link, it's been added to my Comic Relief section.

Thanks to my sister for this great find!

A beautiful Friday

The weather is starting to turn very beautiful in these parts. Temperatures yesterday reached 20C (68F) and today is just a smidge cooler. I got a call this morning from the guy who does our framing. The supplies have arrived at his studio, which means we should have the new paintings framed by the end of this weekend. I am looking forward to getting them done, since they will be the last ones we order for some time.

We're running out of wall space, and when we first started thinking about ordering paintings, we set a limit of five. We've reached our limit!

Edited to add

It seems my optimism was not well placed. I just got a call from the studio. Seems when the frames were ordered, they forgot to order the stretchers. So, I won't be hearing back until at least the middle of next week. Oh well...

Surprise, surprise, surprise

You'll never guess what arrived today. Paintings. Two of them. Four weeks earlier than I anticipated. I can't keep these canvasses rolled up for another four weeks until the date they were expected to arrive. Besides, what if they aren't up to snuff? I need to open the tubes and verify their quality within the next few days. Well, I guess my wife will get an early Mother's Day gift. I expect her home for lunch any minute...

Can you keep a secret?

You may remember that for Christmas, I ordered some artwork for my wife. Well... we loved the pieces, and ordered another one straightaway. It arrived in early February, and (here's the secret) I've ordered two more which should arrive in time for Mother's Day.

Here are the one's I'm waiting for now...











Now, don't tell anyone!

Bells are ringing

Have I told you that my daughter is getting married?

Well, she is.

I'm talking about my other daughter. That's right. They're both engaged. And it seems like only yesterday they were babies...










So much for boredom.

Storm Brewing

I need a change. Depression is not something I'm really familiar with from a first-hand perspective. Even when I had no job, I don't think I felt quite as blue as I do right now. While I enjoy the work I do, I am thoroughly disgusted with the notion that my boss doesn't appreciate me, and I'm making less now than I did 15 years ago. Something's got to change, and soon.

I'm still alive ... barely

I am so bored right now, I could just scream. There is so little variation day-to-day, I really can't remember sometimes just what day it is. Work is no longer satisfying, and I'm afraid it shows in my voice. Colleagues are beginning to ask whether I'm OK. I wish the economy would improve sufficiently to provide me more options. And I wish this damned US/Canadian border would lighten up. It really limits my mobility and ability to choose a more rewarding job.

Stressed out

I'm working too hard, and it's starting to take a toll. I'm not feeling as young as I once did, and I feel the stress having an adverse effect on my well-being. I need to relax a bit more, and start getting more sleep. I had been used to getting 4 hours per night since I was a university student. That's still the norm for me, although when I'm exhausted, I can drop off for many more... Lately, I've only been getting 2-3 hours a night, and that just isn't enough, even for me.