Continental Breakfast served from 7am-9am

Hello Pawpets - how are ya'll doin?

So - Scrubbie's relaxin again on a Saturday night. The out-laws were all here doing second round Thanksgiving. Dispensed with the traditional Turkey dinner though - opted for Roast Beef with all the fixin's. MMMMM - was pretty good. Although Scrubbie kinda failed on the roast beef portion. Was just a bit on the tough side. Oh well - c'est la vie.

The out-law bro - JR - went fishin' yesterday and caught himself what looks like a decent sized fish. He's sending a pic by email - so I'll have to share it once it is on here.

The wife is leavin' tomorrow for the day - headin' to the Creative Festival in Toronto. She and gal-pal and business partner Judy will be flogging their wares while there too. (NO - not THAT. sheesh - once again Scrubs - ya'll gots dirty minds. IN A PINCH DESIGNS stuff. That's what their flogging - IN A PINCH DESIGNS.) So - Scrubbie and the Kid will be on their own tomorrow. Actually - I gotta take the kid out to get shin pads for soccer which starts on Monday. So - little shoppin' and I think we might try and get in a Geocache or two. Have to make the most of it all now. Scrubbie's not really a winter geocacher. Nope - not at all really.

Think the kid and are goin' to hit a hockey game next Friday - that should be kewl.

Oh - and the kid turns 12 on Thursday. So the plans are underway for a bit of a house party to celebrate the occasion. The wife, as usual, will be disappearing for the event. She doesn't really like kids much. LOL. So for the past few years - she always hides during the kid's birthday parties. Prefers to hear about it later.

Oh - and I know you are wondering... and the answer is YES. Bing and Bong are sleeping over AGAIN tonight.

Hey - you have plans for a night out? No problem - as you can see - sleepovers at our place is NOT a big deal at all. Just drop 'em off and be sure to pick 'em up by 10 am the next morning. Breakfast is included. *grin

Cheers!

Dude, where's my pictures?

*snicker snicker.... Who is that good lookin' kid?!? Oh wait - it's Scrubbie!

Mornin' boys & girls! Howz everyone doin' today?

Yes - that's Scrubbie there at the tender age of 9. In one of my many "Sears catelogue" poses. Ya... geez, eh.

Oh - disappointment kids. Big disappointment. I did NOT get any snaps of little children freaking out, crying, passing out - generally dying yesterday during their immunization shots at school. I gave the camera to the kid yesterday to grab a few shots. But alas - the boy was freakin' out himself and did not accomplish his mission. Oh well....

Gonna take off here kids - I have to get ready for work. Anyone wanna call in sick for me?

X marks the spot.

Lets see:

Yesterday - I had about 40 bucks in the 'ol bank account.
Today - Yep - it's still there.

Yesterday - that dang pimple on the chin.
Today - yep - the wee bugger's still there.

Yesterday - lunatic dog.
Today - lunatic dog.

Yesterday - minority Conservative Government
Today - Yep - still the same.

Ahhh - I love a democracy! hehehe.

Hey boys & girls - Scrubbie here (in case you weren't sure). So - for all you non-Canucks takin' a boo at Scrubbie's blatherings - yesterday, we up here in the Great White went to the election polls to pick ourselves a new government. Sounds quite official doesn't it? Well - don't forget... us Canucks are pretty laid back most of the time and don't take ourselves too seriously. So with that in mind... the official NATIONAL ELECTION being spoken of was, for Scrubbie and the wife, a trip to the Baptist Church just down the road where we strolled through the fallen leaves into the gymnasium where we were greeted by a number of older ladies who were taking their job of making sure we were who we said we were pretty darn seriously. We got a little slip of paper with a bunch of candidate names on them. We marked an X in the little circle of the person we thought would do a pretty good job representing our community in the capital of the country - Ottawa, and then we came home and had tea. Put this way - pretty much just another day.

But - I do have to say a couple things here. First - Thank Goodness (or God, Gods, Higher Beings, Cheese - whatever applies to you) that we at least have the Opportunity to take part in a democratic election. To all you Grandfathers and Great Grandpappies that took to the oceans, beaches and shores to defend the right to do so - Thanks a whole Scrubbie-bunch!

Second - only 59% of the country's population got off their arses to go out and vote. 59%. Sheesh. I'll only say this once kids - that's pathetic. Accoring to the little blog tracker thingy I got down there somewhere - there are folks havin' a peek at Scrubbie here from places where you don't get to take a leisurly stroll through the fallen leaves to the local Baptist Church where you are greeted by old ladies and you get to put a little X in your choice of representative and then go home and have tea - all without the fear of being shot. Hey - just somethin' to think about.

So boys & girls - there ya go. My tirade for the day.

Excuse me Scrubs - just for a second. Mr. Stephen Harper is once again the Prime Minister of Canada and I am sure he's reading this. Gotta do an ASIDE moment:

Mr. Prime Minister: Congratulations on securing the role in Ottawa for another couple 'a years. Please, Please, Please - do a good job for us! Thank-you sir. If you have any questions that I can help you out with - just leave a comment here and I'd be happy to reply. Oh - don't forget to sign yourself up as a follower! Once again Mr. Prime Minister - Congratulations!

Ok Scrubs - I'm back. Thanks.

In spite of complaining; in spite of whining; in spite of everything - I am VERY, VERY, VERY... well - check out this SCRUBBIE SURPRISE. It pretty much says it all.

Later kids!

'Da Rules.

Good morning.

Ladies - grab a beverage and sit back for a few moments. You are about to enter the inner sanctum: an Off-Limits topic of conversation that not even we chaps get into. But, Scrubbie needs to bring you along for the ride today. Just between us though, ok?

STEVE - back me up here, ok bud?

I don't know about you ladies - and, frankly, I don't want to know. I don't need to know. But - us guys have a certain... ummmm... etiquette when it comes to public restrooms.

You see... when us fellas gotta go pee - or do anything else for that matter - and we head into a public restroom or locker room - it's "hands-off". Yes, of course you can take that literally... but that's not what I mean here. In such a place, the rule is - "don't talk to the next guy". It's pretty simple really. We don't wanna have a chat about the federal election, weather, the merits of one brand of driveway sealer over another or anything else while we are doin' what we gotta do.

The ONLY exception MIGHT be if there happens to be something REALLY significant going on in the sports world that absolutely demands comment like the Dolphins actually take a game or something like that. And - it would have to be very relevant - i.e. you'd have to be doing this during a break in the game or immediately post-game. But, even then - it's a passing comment. Like "can you believe the 'Phins won?" An acceptable response would be along the lines of "Ya". One syllable, MAYBE two. Three syllable responses - too much.

As Scrubs and Scrubettes 'round the world may already know, Scrubbie here goes to his local work-out facility on a regular basis. Scrubbie's gotta stay in shape and look good or the wife will leave him. Yes, we're both THAT shallow. hehehe Nah - just kiddin'.

Anyway - this morning, I went to the gym and ran a little, lifted a little, pushed a little - ya know, the usual. Then, as usual, went into the Men's Locker Room to get squeaky clean. Can't come home with a stink on. That just ain't right.

So Scrubbie got down to his skivvies, then peeled the rest. (Now - don't go all gettin' hot and bothered here. Just relax....)

Went off to his shower - and thanks to the manly scent of Irish Spring - Scrubbie emerges feelin' gooood.

Returned to my locker where I donned a fresh pair of skiv's and begin sorting the post-workout clothing.

What's this? Hello?

"Did you have a good Thanksgiving weekend?" I am asked.

Who is this person?

"Ya, thanks" Scrubbie replies.

"Lots of family over?" I am asked.

What the hell is goin on here? Who is this person? I don't know him. I don't want to know him. And... he's naked. Naked I say!

Wee Willy Winkie hangin out and flappin in the breeze.

"Yes" I say. I DO NOT pose any questions in return. It's 'da rules.

And, Naked Guy continues to try for some conversation and I continue the primal male grunting-style response of Yeah or Nay. Finally, Naked Guy takes his full moon and the rest of him over to his own side of the locker room where he starts up conversation with another poor sap stuck in his skiv's.

Dude - you have a towel. Don't wave it in the air like you are surrendering to the enemy - USE THE DAMND THING and cover up!

Geez Louise.

Gotta go wash my eyeballs now. Later kids.

Did someone order WordArt?

Hey boys & girls! Scrubbie is reeeeeelaxin'! Phew! My parents yesterday. The wife's parents today. Good times hosting the family all around.

The fam went for a stroll today to grab a few snaps. The wife is doing some paper layouts featuring the colours of Fall. So - we all went out and did our best to make it look like we were enjoying ourselves. LOL. Nah - just kiddin'. We had a blast. It was remarkable outside in SW Ontario today. Temp was way up. Sun was just a'blazing. And the colours of autumn were in full glory today. I'll have to start some digiscrappin' of these pics to show 'em off to you.

OOO - I did promise the other day to get the WordArt from that black & white layout I did of the kid staring off into the distance. There's the preview. Saved as a PNG file. At the bottom of this posting is the link. Snag away m'lovlies.

So the long weekend is a wrap. And, back to the grind 8 hours from now. Oh - it aint so bad. I actually LOVE my 9-5.

Here's a little something for ya. Today, I learned that "some people" rub fabric softner dryer sheets on their dogs and cats. Not only does this take care of all that static on their fur and hair, but leaves them smelling laundry fresh as well. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I dunno why - but I just find that so freakin' hysterical.

WELCOME WELCOME! Scrubbie's gots a couple new followers!
Welcome CactusFreek http://thoughtvortex.blogspot.com/
Welcome Heidi http://scrappinbratsplace.blogspot.com/
Welcome So-Inkin-Cute http://soinkincute.blogspot.com/
Good to have ya'll on board!

Alright, Alright. Enough of the yabberin' on - here's the link for the WordArt!

Get the download giggles HERE!

Bde-Bde-Bde - That's all folks!

And that's a wrap.

Hey boys & girls. So - the fam was here. They ate. We visited. They left.

For those of you who know me - you will be familiar with my 4 hour guideline. What's that you ask? Oh - well, I totally believe that any and all visits by family, friends - whatever - should never go beyond 4 hours. In fact, I tend to aim for 3. Simply put - if you arrive at 3 - you should be well on your way by 7.

I know, I know - you are thinking "Scrubbie - that's so harsh." Ya, I know. BUT - I sorta think that after 4 hours - it's really nuthin' but filler. The chat.... filler chat. The news... anything important would have come out in the first half hour. The food... well, you sure as heck had better be done after 4 hours. If you are still eating after that - you are being gluttonish. THAT is a sin. One of the 7 deadly, in fact.

No - after 4 hours - all the fun has peaked and anything left should be saved for the next visit.

So - there ya go. Hmmmm? Oh - the fam? No - they are totally on board with it. They agree. And, they are all in too. We don't get on each other's nerves. All the fun stuff is done up front. We all don't have to come up with odd excuses to get outa there. No, no - it's all good. You should try it.

The truth is you probably already do - but everyone is all "under the table about it". No - I think it's much better to be OUT IN THE OPEN and UP FRONT about it. As a family - just put it out there. Trust Scrubbie. There'll be a sigh and sense of relief around the table immediately.

We had a wonderful dinner tonight. And, the kid took the initative to propose the toast. God love'im.

Now that post dinner coma is setting in. Scrubbie's pullin off his socks. The wife and I have our tea. The most loved member of the family - the TV - is warming up and soon we'll be basking in it's soft glow and transported to fantasy land. Wahoo! (Amazing Race on tonight. BIG GRIN)

The layout - ya - nice eh? The one pic on it is the one that I did for the "Imagination" page I posted up earlier. Just wanted to take it a wee bit further with a couple other pics from the day.

So kids - that's a wrap for Thanksgiving with the Scrubbie family. Next weekend - it's the Out-Laws' turn. Arrival time 3:30. Chat. Drinks. Dinner promptly at 5. Eat till 5:48 (including dessert). Coffee at 5:51. Post dinner festivities 6-7pm. Visit wrap up 7-7:30.

Mama Lou hates me for the schedule and loves to cross her arms and say "I ain't leavin'!" Hehehe - I'll get a pic of it. It's soooo cute.

Also thankful for...

Hey kids - While I LOVED being all deep and thoughtful - I also have to say there is one more thing I am thankful for and that is Scrubbie Mommie's Apple Crisp. And, that's all I gotta say about that.



Copy it down and give it a whirl or you can download another of Scrubbie's 4x6 recipe cards for your very own!

Get the download giggles here!

Happy Thanksgiving eh.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!

Yes - us folks here in the Great White North are enjoying a long Holiday Weekend. So - the question is asked - "What are you thankful for?" Holy crap - how on earth do you create a list like that!?

The wife, the kid, the lunatic dog, Hurricane Rona, Geek buddy Jim, parents, in-laws, family, Knight Rider, a really kewl gmail address, - yes, the list is long. But - each year you have to sort of nail down something that you can grab hold of and run with, right?

Scrubbie readers may recall Scrubbie being roped into going with the kid on his school trip the other week. Yes - the one where I got really soaking wet and had to endure the wild bunch that is his class of Grade 7's. Well... while hangin' out there and snapping a few pics - I was watching the gang all have a bit of playtime after lunch. The whole class was outside, throwing frisbee's (whoops - that's a trademark. shoulda' said "flying discs"), throwing footballs, running around playing TAG etc etc etc. You know what it's like when a pack of punks are turned loose in a field for 20 minutes. Then, we played this survival game. The kids are given cards that describe them as a squirrel or a bird or some other kinda creature in the forest. Each animal is a herbivore, carnivore or omnivore and the point is that for 45 minutes in a forest, the kids all run around being their respective class of species - trying to survive. Predators running after prey. Prey hiding from predators. You get the idea, right? The point of the game is to teach the kids what sort of 'behaviours' animals might use to ensure they survive. Gettin food, water, working with others or better being on your own, etc.

Long winded eh?

So - while I, as the SUPER POWERFUL parent supervisor, was charged with simply walking through the forest ensuring children were'nt killing themselves, and while I was strolling getting rained on, stepping through mud puddles 25 feet deep and battling mosquitoes that were all screaming "BUFFET" when they saw me coming - I had a few moments to consider something.

I was watching these children running amok and couldn't help a rather bizarre thought pop into my head.

I was thinking that somewhere on the planet earth, at the exact same moment in time that I was in, there was another group of children running amok in a forest or some other arena. They were all about the same age - say 11, 12, 13 years of age. But... that group of kids were carrying semi-automatic weapons. And rather than playing a game of survival in the forest where the penalty for being just a little too noisy was losing a popsicle stick that represented your life - their stakes are just a little higher.

Ya - I'm thankful.