Bits and Bites

And so another work week draws to a close. This one seems to have gone by quite fast. We’re not really busy, having just enough work to keep us occupied without being overly taxed. And it’s been another week of mostly overcast skies, with scattered showers and a few sunny breaks. I biked a couple of times and went for a swim on Tuesday. Got by mostly this week on a Swiss chard dal and pesto. Last night we had boiled new potatoes, some other veggies, and a can of tuna we had bought in Italy. So much better that the canned tuna were get here. The Italians pack theirs in oil, whereas our is packed in brine or just water.

And Russia continues to occupy large chunks of Georgia. Flush with petro roubles and the swagger that usually accompanies a heavy wallet, Dimitry and Vlad can’t resist flexing some muscle. It makes for a dangerous situation, however, especially with the idiot manning the Whitehouse. Dubya has pledged to protect Atlanta at all costs!

This Georgian soldier should be making lobio, not war


We’re having our good friends George and Barb down for dinner tomorrow. They moved into their new house yesterday and the renovations are not quite complete (read: their kitchen won’t be finished until late next week). So I figured they could used a good home-cooked meal away from the chaos of the move and the renos. I’ll make a shrimp curry as a main, but that’s all I’m sure of so far. Don’t know what I’ll serve as an app or for dessert.

My sister who’s currently living in Alberta called last night to say that she will be coming for 3 or 4 days next week. Will be good to see her and she’ll use our place as a base when she’s visiting mom. It will mean another big clean up, though, which is probably a good thing as we’ve let stuff slide again after Brad’s sister left. Brad is still doing shifts at the hospital with his mother. Hopefully, she’ll be able to go home in a week and a half or so.

And China continues to be a powerhouse at the Olympics. Not a surprise, I guess. What I am wondering is why no one has recorded the little girl who really sang Ode to the Motherland at the Opening Ceremonies and posted it on YouTube. That vid would go viral for sure, but I suppose YouTube is a banned site in China.



On my way home from work, I usually take a short-cut through a park/playground. The other day, there were a large group of kids being supervised by young adults – no doubt a daycare outing, the kids were probably 5 or 6 years old and the supervisors maybe 19 or 20. As I was walking past, they were just getting ready to leave and I overheard the gal telling one of the little girls to get down off a piece of equipment. The little girl replied that she was trying to. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to, *Jessica*, just get down. Now! Man, you’re so annoying!” I felt badly for *Jessica*. I’m sure dealing with a large bunch of pre-schoolers all day is a trying task, but still… Negative pre-conceptions about ourselves are drilled in from a very young age…

On a more positive note, while making my way through the same park another day last week, I walked past a young father and his two small children who were playing on the monkey bars.… It was, unsurprisingly, starting to spit rain. Daddy burst into a gentle song to the tune of “Do you See What I See?”: “Do you feel what I feel,” he sang. “Raindrops on your head, falling down.” I had to smile. Tenderness and improvisation can be taught at an early age, too.

Have a good weekend all.