Who knew grocery shopping could be so entertaining?

November 21, 2006

So yesterday Tom and I are at the grocery store walking cozily together through the aisles and choosing the fixings for the weeks dinner..ok who am I fooling, I wanted to steamroll through there as fast as possible, what kind of idiot likes grocery shopping?

In order to speed up the process (and because I decided half way through the store I wanted to make fajitas on Thursday) I sent Tom on a mission to pick up some of the produce necessary. We had already hit the produce aisle by this time picking up some b-a-n-a-n-a-s and green onions but for fajitas I needed a Spanish onion and a green pepper.

I asked him to go get a spanish onion and a green pepper. I clarified by saying ‘Red onion’ and a green pepper.

Now in my mind I’m picturing him walking saying “Green pepper, red onion, green pepper, red onion, red pepper, green onion, red pepper, green onion… hmm wait a minute we already got green onions?! *tick tick tick, does not compute*”

He asks the produce guy to help him out to see if there was some onion shaped onion that was green and he told him no, maybe she meant yellow onion? Ok…. then he then walks over and picks up the red pepper.

We meet up with me a few more aisle down and I look at what was in his hand and burst out laughing. “Noooo!! Green pepper, red onion, you know Spanish onion!”

“What do I know of spanish onions” he says “No, you said red pepper and green onion!”

“Ah but no!” I said between fits of giggles ” I said, green pepper, red onion I swear!!”

He then says “I’m not going back there alone!! You’re coming with me!!” not wanting to do the walk of shame back to where the produce guy would be standing there in his apron all judgemental and surely going to whisper to all his grocery friends (heehee).

Tom still insists I said it wrong, I insist his mind pulled a trick on him like Bugs Bunny on Daffy Duck (Duck Season!! Rabbit Season!! Duck Season, Rabbit Season! Rabbit Season!! I say DUCK SEASON and I say FIRE (BLAM!! *twist beak back into position*) of course no actual firearms were involved.

After we finished going through the remaining aisles we walked back to the produce aisle where we put the yellow onion back and I picked up the red onion and the green pepper.. the red pepper came home with us. I say it’s probably because the produce guy was too close to where the peppers were, Tom says it’s cos it would be a good addition to his salad.

Mmmhmmm

Of course I’ve filed this away in my tease jar for all eternity. It’s already pretty full but I’m gonna make room.

I’m disssthhhpicable ;)


Emergency preparedness

November 19, 2006

If this is an example of how well Vancouverites can handle a small natural disaster we are completely fucked come the big one.

When fist-fights and hording are the results of a boil water advisory? When people are trampled and women with small children too afraid to enter the fray and leave their little ones unprotected? Over water? Sickening, totally sickening. I don’t know why it still surprises me how low people can go and how selfish people can become. It shouldn’t.

CTV had a story last night which basically said that this little incident should be a wake-up call for those living in the Greater Vancouver area to smarten the hell up and gather supplies to last for at least 72 hours UNASSISTED cos come a large scale disaster? You’re on your own baby.

It sure as hell woke me back up. I used to be preparedness girl and I got lazy. I had all the emergency supplies put together after my workplace put on a program and basically scared the shit out of me years ago. I left the big kit behind when I moved out from my ex’s and never got my supplies back up to the scale they were. I got complacent. Not smart.

I don’t want to turn into paranoia girl but there is nothing wrong with being prepared. I’m going to start putting together my kit. Thanks stormy weather, I needed that kick in the pants.

Emergency Supplies and Equipment:

It is recommended that your home be equipped with the following emergency supplies and equipment. Try to store the items in a place that will be accessible even if there should be structural damage to the home (e.g., in an outside storage shed, garage, etc.).

  • Bottled Water (two to four litres per person per day - 2 litres for drinking, 2 litres for food preparation/sanitation)
  • Food (canned or dehydrated, with current expiration dates)
  • Supplies for Infants and Children (formula, bottles, powdered milk, baby food, diapers, etc.)
  • Flashlight (with spare batteries and bulb)
  • Utensils (knives and forks, can opener, pots, etc.)
  • Paper Plates and Towels
  • Small Camp Stove or “Canned Heat” like Sterno
  • Paper and Pencil
  • First Aid Kit (with instructions)
  • Household Liquid Bleach (unscented) and Medicine Dropper
  • Blankets or Sleeping Bags
  • Portable Radio (with spare batteries)
  • Critical Medication (7-10 days of any prescription medications)
  • Spare Eye Glasses/Contact Lenses (and supplies)
  • Denture Needs
  • Spare Batteries for Hearing Aid
  • Fire Extinguisher (dry chemical)
  • Watch or Clock (battery or spring wound)
  • Resealable Plastic Bags
  • Plastic Garbage Bags to Store Waste
  • Sanitation Supplies (soap, paper towels, tissues, pre-moistened towelettes, waste containers, feminine hygiene products, etc.)
  • Small Shovel
  • Crescent Wrench (for turning off gas)
  • Other Tools (axe, hammer, screw driver, pliers, nails, etc.)
  • Rope and Plastic Tape
  • Warm Cap and Gloves
  • Candles and Matches (preferably waterproof)
  • Duct tape
  • Whistle
  • Large Tarp/Tent
  • Rain Poncho
  • Pet Food
  • Games, Books, Other Entertainment
  • Insurance policy numbers - Insurance Agent Contact Numbers
  • Numbers of People You Want to Contact
  • One Complete Change of Clothing
  • Extra Car Keys

How to make your water safe:

Use a container with a secure lid. You should clean it before you store water in it, by filling it with hot boiling water. You then add two (2) ounces of household bleach per gallon of boiled water. Let this mixture sit for five (5) minutes, throw away the mixture, and let the container air dry.

If you are making water from snow or taking water from a stream or lake, heat it to a rolling boil for ten (10) minutes to kill all parasites.

Water can also be treated in batches by using household bleach (5.25% available chlorine on the bottle). Add two (2) drops of household bleach for every liter of water and let sit for 15 minutes. There should be a faint chlorine odor after 15 minutes, otherwise repeat the process. If you want to reduce the taste of chlorine, let the water sit for a few hours before you drink it. Please note that the use of household bleach to kill parasites in water is not as efficient as the first method.


EEK

November 19, 2006


EEK

Originally uploaded by Americanuck.
Cinny found this on our bedroom floor!!! Luckily her chattering and meowing alerted me to her prize before she could eat it or something!

Ugh, now I feel all crawly. I hate bugs


“The bells!! The bells!!

November 18, 2006

The view OUTSIDE my condo after the fricking firebell went off yet AGAIN

Can you guess where I was? Yep, outside our building again. Why? Not to admire the scenery… but well because the fire alarm went off yet again.

It turned into quite the scene too because they gossip was outside yelling at the dude that has been dealing with the problem that she’s fed up and that there are people with medical problems (oxygen mask guy) that has to walk down from the third floor. Now I can understand that’s difficult because I’ve seen how long it takes the guy to walk from his car to the door in the parkade. He has to stop I dunno how many times on the way. But yelling ain’t gonna do squat here. This guy is on council it’s not his fault.

So it got kind of ugly because then he started yelling back at her that there may be something wrong with a line up in the attic and it sounds like nobody has access? Hmm. They need someone with keys to get in.

Key guy turned the alarm off and gossip lady said “He can’t do that!! The fire Dept has to!!”

So then then gossip said that she was going to go in and call the fire dept and the key dude said “No! They will charge us” and someone spoke up and said they were coming and sure enough we heard sirens. Another lady who knows gossip lady called the fire dept (and gossip lady thanked her openly) and so key guy yelled at gossip lady that now we were going to have to pay yet again for a false alarm. He then ran off saying “Great now I will have to go deal with those guys”.

Another lady who’s on council muttered something as she walked by me and I said “Ah there is always one” She said ohhh there’s more than one… it’s all working people on council and nobody who is ‘retired’ volunteered to be on it so people who are home all day can deal with these problems how everyone complains but isn’t willing to step up”. She said “maybe it may come to having to replace the system or parts of it and of course that would mean people having to put up money and they will complain about that too. Nobody wants to put out extra money but really what are ya gonna do? Listen to alarms going off at all hours?”

Just another quiet Saturday night at home.

Nutmeg has yet to emerge from his hiding place poor guy.


And not a drop to drink

November 17, 2006

Despite certain members of our household’s preference for fresh dispensed (ack) toilet water…there will be no more of this for a while..

Ohhhh what a bad night!
Due to the stormy weather we’ve been having; a boil water advisory has been issued for the Greater Vancouver regional district. Apparently the storm stirred up all kinds of crap in the water than the treatment system can deal with so all kinds of microbes and fecal coliform levels are elevated. Ew!

The news has been showing people pouring all kinds of brown and frothy looking water, out here it’s still clear but maybe that’s because it has further to travel out our way. As far as I know we are served by the same set of reservoirs. I’ve been boiling it anyway just in case.

There was a run on water at the stores yesterday but Tom’s going to try to see if he can pick up some bottled water on the way home from his shift this morning before the rush. They said this could last for days especially as we have another storm due to hit us come Sunday. Geez.

The worst of it is because on the ‘unsafe’ water supply NOBODY is serving coffee! This is Vancouver people!! That is unheard of! I’m sure there are all kinds of grumpy people this morning going through coffee withdrawals (hubby included minus the grumpy part because that’s so not him). I feel almost guilty sitting here sipping my coffee made with last nights cold boiled water and our home supply of Timmy Ho’s (Tim Horton’s) coffee. Almost…

So in any case because of all this strubble and trife the water fountain is closed my furry friends.

img_9678.jpg

I can feel the rebellion already.