Thursday, July 31, 2008

We're Gonna Turn You On, We're Gonna Give You the Power...

The other day I asked Mossy if he remembered the Electric Company. He had a very vague memory of the name, but that was about it. As a side note, that's the price you pay for growing up so isolated that you had two TV channels.

Anyway, I loved The Electric Company. I don't think my sister and I missed a show. Does this tweak anyone's memory?


What do you think Morgan Freeman says when reminded that he started his incredible and admirable career singing songs like this:



I don't think any of us watching the show as children realized the incredible list of writers/guest stars/narrators that were on the show. Check it out, here.

I'm excited that they're bringing the show back for the 2009 season, but how can it possibly can it adapt things like Easy Reader for the new millenium?



Will he be Gangsta Reader now?

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Bring on the Rain

It seems I'm the only person in the Greater Toronto Area that is not complaining about the weather.

I LOVE this rainy summer. The usual stifling humidity of late July/early August in Toronto has been kept pretty much at bay because of the almost daily rainshowers or thunderstorms. Being pregnant and overheated anyway, the last thing i need is to live in a sauna.

A lot of our American friends don't really understand the extremes in weather we can get here. Yeah, with windchill it can get to -40F in January...but this time of year, we're usually looking at 95F plus humidity of 80-110% which can bump it up to 111F.

For the first time since forever, we haven't had the air conditioning on non-stop since June. It's been on the past week, but I'm hoping to shut it off and open the windows after the weekend (when it's supposed to get warmer).

August is our grossest month for heat and humidity, so once we get past that, I will feel MUCH better. Until then, bring on the rain!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

No Shit, Sherlock

I can't believe they had to do a study to come up with this. All you needed to do was ask a woman.

Men's Judgement Affected by Presence of Pretty Women

A couple of things made me snicker:

""One interpretation of these studies is that men are unable to ward off temptation. We do not subscribe to this,"

[...]

Indeed, the researchers found that when men were made to believe the presence of an attractive female was a threat to their relationship, they could successfully use skills they learned to keep themselves from flirting in a social situation."

They've learned? LEARNED?

So really what the guy doing the research is saying is that men can be taught to avoid doing something stupid that will jeopardize their existing relationship.

I can only surmise that this is the "if you touch the stove, you'll burn your hand" style of learning (Mossy could tell you the real scientific name for it), which makes me think of the Simpsons episode where Lisa investigates which one is smarter: her brother or her hamster...and the hamster wins.

I know it depends on the man, but I'm wondering how many relationships the average guy has to fuck up before he learns how to "ward off temptation"?

Some, like Henry VIII, just don't seem to get it at all.

Nooooooooo!

This can't be happening.

Seriously!

I have to admit I did a dance of joy when Sara's character left, greatly mourned the death of Warrick. But I cannot bear to think of a CSI show without Grissom.

It. Just. Won't. Work.

Why are all the good ones leaving?

Why can't Horatio from CSI: Miami take a long walk off a short pier instead? Then I might actually WATCH that show.

There are three shows that I try to catch on a regular basis: CSI: LV, House and Corner Gas*.

Well, Wilson is leaving House, this is Corner Gas' last season and now Grissom is leaving?

What the hell am I going to watch now?


*Corner Gas is a Canadian show that has been playing here for several years, but just started playing in the States. It's a simple, funny and very inoffensive show that is one of the few I can watch with my kids and not have to worry about awkward scenes or language...and it just cracks me up. If you get a chance, watch it!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Hi, My Name Is Penny

...and I'm a hormonal mess.

I don't remember being this weepy when pregnant with the Wondertwins, but then again that was a long time ago.

However, I am now crying at commercials. The one below gets me every time...



Want to know what else makes me weepy? My babies are all grown up. Here are pictures from their Grade 8 Graduations (school here goes JK - Gr 8 and then high school to Gr. 12).

Here's my gorgeous baby girl:



Here's my handsome little boy - look all grown up with his hair straightened*:


As my babies head towards high school, the same thought keeps going through my head: thank God I'm having one more. I need a baby in the house.

I will always need something to baby. I guess when Chip grows up and moves out, I'll have to get a dog or something....cuz God knows Mossy won't let me have any more kids!

*When The Boy described how the stylist had straightened his hair, he said, "Mom, it looks just like Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi!" Heinous Geekery from my boy!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

How Truly UNCanadian

This kind of fucked up self-righteous, holier-than-thou thinking drives me around the fucking bend!

You may not agree with everything Morgentaler did and represented, but he saved a lot of women from the coathanger and quacks.

I don't agree with abortion as a form of birth control, but I do know that Dr. Morgentaler fought for better health care for women. He also stood up and did these things at time when it was very controversial and put his life in grave danger to do it.

If you don't believe in abortion at all, fine...that's YOUR right. But I cannot stand these people who line the sidewalks on major corners holding up signs with pictures of a hacked up fetus and "ABORTION IS MURDER" signs. How DARE you preach your self-righteous bullshit?

I often wonder how the beliefs of those people would change if one of their young daughters was violently r.aped and became pregnant at 12 or 13. Would they still insist their child have a child?

I'm sure they're mostly wonderful people but truly I cannot stand those who try to shove their religious or ethical beliefs down my throat. I truly wish the Religious Right would jut disappear at let people live in peace.

As for that priest that was 'pardoned' for his 'incidents' in his group home? I'm sure he's heard that wonderful old saying...

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone..."

Monday, July 7, 2008

Glad it's Monday

What a weekend. Mossy's post just doesn't sum up exactly how much work the damn front walk was...and I didn't even do a lot of it. But watching him made me glad Monday was coming up and he could get a break at work.

The poor guy worked his ass off while I spent a lot of time sitting in a chaise lounge in the shade watching.

Sometimes this pregnancy thing is great - other times, not so much.

I love helping with projects around the house. I have no problem with getting my hands dirty (guess I'm just a dirty girl at heart) and pitching in to do my share. It's awful being stuck on teh sidelines against your will.

There have been a couple of...complications during this pregnant and they have sidelined me for the near future. Everything seems to be okay now: Chip is very happily making my belly bigger by the day and squirming up a storm in there (which I'm *just* beginning to feel), but I'm limited in my abilities until the midwife says otherwise.

Can't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, can't raise my arms above my head for two long, can't exert myself or exercise, can't really houseclean (though I'm planning on some tomorrow because I can't stand the floor anymore) unless I take it really easy. The list is long.

Yeah, yeah, I know that it's for the right reasons and I follow doctor's orders. This baby is too important to take any chances, but gah!!!! It's so FRUSTRATING not to help.

Anyway, to get back on track, poor Mossy did 98% of the work this weekend and it was a long, hot and dirty job.

Though as he said (and I agreed), I'm doing something a bit more important right now.


However, I'm not sure I'm the superpower type. I hate the secrets and the fact that so much goes on where no one can see or appreciate. If I had a superhero style superpower, I think I'd be more of an Ironman admitting that he is a superhero than a Batman hiding behind a suit. I'm not exactly the surreptitious kind.

But I think you knew that.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Starting Over

Okay, I have to admit, seeing as my DH is blogging again, I feel the compulsion to do the same. I have been blogging over the past couple of years (under a different name) but it was more of a "real life" blog than the Penny stuff. I've realized I missed Penny. Hell, I think I even missed Kal (but apparently he didn't miss me since he locked me out of his blog, the dirty bastard).

Bringing Penny back is very much akin to slipping back into a favourite pair of worn slippers.

I have absolutely bubkis to write about, but hey, that never stopped me before.

This blog should be a pretty good outlet for those pregnancy related rants and whines that are always bubbling under the surface.

Not sure how much I'll write, but I'll give it a try for a while and see how it goes.