The internet sure is bringing everyone closer...but I'm starting to feel claustrophobic.
Recently there have been some discussions about creeps and pedophiles stealing people's kid pics and using them on their slimy sites. So now I am extremely neurotic and removing all attractive tags from my photos and removing them from groups about children that pedos like to frequent, so the chances of my boys or nieces ending up on some kiddie porn site are much lower. In addition to this, I am looking to see who is faving my kids' pictures, and looking to see what their other favourite pics are, and blocking them if they are all of children. There is a running list that someone on Flickr has compiled of suspicious users, and I am keeping record of them all!
I am also searching Technorati to see who else is linking to my photo site, and taking note of that as well. I am finding this to be vexing, however, because the search results are sometimes misleading. This blog is supposed to have a link to this photo on it somewhere, but I can't find where.
Here is a blog entry that features a photo of mine. They didn't ask for my permission first, however they did credit me appropriately with a link back to my site, so I'm not that upset about it.
Thus far I have found nothing that is linking to any of my children's pictures, so I guess we are all safe...for now.
Dec 30, 2006
Dec 24, 2006
Humbug to global warming
I have to say that I do not share in everyone else's delight that we are having such an unseasonably warm winter thus far. I find the whole climate change thing just a little unsettling.
Not that I don't love not having to clean off my car before I go to work every morning, or have to worry about shovelling the driveway. It is definitely a treat not having to be concerned about these things. However, the fact that we have had less than an inch of snow this year does worry me about what kind of legacy we are leaving for our children? We have damaged the planet to the extent that the ozone layer has been severely compromised, which has started a chain reaction that has led to the planet warming up to the point that we are soon not going to have winter at all!
I don't claim to be an expert on the subject at all, but I just find it all very upsetting and hope that my grandkids don't have to suffer for the environmental neglect of their predecessors.
Not that I don't love not having to clean off my car before I go to work every morning, or have to worry about shovelling the driveway. It is definitely a treat not having to be concerned about these things. However, the fact that we have had less than an inch of snow this year does worry me about what kind of legacy we are leaving for our children? We have damaged the planet to the extent that the ozone layer has been severely compromised, which has started a chain reaction that has led to the planet warming up to the point that we are soon not going to have winter at all!
I don't claim to be an expert on the subject at all, but I just find it all very upsetting and hope that my grandkids don't have to suffer for the environmental neglect of their predecessors.
Dec 22, 2006
Anne's Food Bank
My mother, Anne, horrified at the fact that I wasn't able to afford to go grocery shopping following having to put out all kinds of money for Magnus, graciously offered up groceries from her own cupboard yesterday. I should now be able to eat three square meals a day for a few days until Christmas, when I will be fed very well, and furnished with leftovers to see me through to the New Year, hopefully.One thing being broke has taught me, is how to be frugal. Although I do hate being a slave to money, it is unbelieveable how much I was wasting that I could have saved. I used to get a coffee at Tim's every morning, and would often buy a bagel or something to eat. I often didn't bother making myself lunch, so I would end up buying that as well. It all adds up, and I will definitely be more mindful of how much money I'm spending when I'm back on my feet financially, which should hopefully be in February if not sooner.
Dec 19, 2006
What's in a name?
| HowManyOfMe.com | ||
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Borrowed from Patrick's blog.
Dec 14, 2006
Today I am Grateful
Well, actually, I am grateful every day, but I just don't stop to take note of it often enough.
Today I feel I am due to give thanks to the Universe for my good fortune. Despite the fact that I am up to my boobs in debt at the time of this writing, I have much to be thankful for.
To begin with, I am infinitely grateful for the fact that because I have some very special people in my life right now, I am able to give my kids a decent Christmas. You know who you are, but in case you don't, I'm going to do some name-dropping...
My stepfather Mike has been part of our family for almost thirty years now, and there has never been a time when we needed something...anything...and he wasn't there for us. Whether we needed someone to come out on a cold night and give us a boost, or to come over and fix a leaky toilet, Mike was and is always ready and willing to help us out. Myself personally, being a single girl living on her own, I have called upon Mike to help me many a time recently. He will come over and watch the boys for me if I have to go out; he took my cat to the vet for me when I couldn't be there; he has picked my drunk ass up from the bar on occasion after a night out with the girls; and helped fix my roof when it was leaking uncontrollably and damaging the ceiling. However the most recent act of kindness that Mike has bestowed upon me was when he found out that I didn't have a Christmas tree to put up. He drove all over town going from store to store until he was able to get the last tree that Canadian Tire had for sale, and brought it by the house last weekend. The kids and I were delighted and we put it up right away. He knows I don't have the money to pay him back yet, but he knows I will eventually.
Another person whom I feel particularly indebted to right now is Ber. I met him online one night when I was checking my emails on a popular dating site. I was just about to log off when he IM'd me. We chatted amicably for a bit and then exchanged email addies. We met for a drink, then lost touch for about a month before reconnecting, and have been enjoying each other's company ever since. This man is incredibly generous, sensitive, loving and thoughtful. He loves to come over to my place and cook dinner for us. He buys all of the ingredients and leaves whatever is left in my fridge. He'll help me clean up afterwards so I don't have to wake up to a messy kitchen. He was very concerned when Magnus became ill and would call me every night for an update and to see how I was doing. His support during that time meant the world to me. However I am completely overwhelmed by his most recent gesture of surprising me with Toys R Us gift cards so that I can get presents for my kids. He knew I was working with a very fixed amount of money...most of which had been donated to me from other people who didn't know what the boys wanted, and asked me to buy things for them. I had told the kids that due to kitty's illness, Mummy wasn't going to be able to put much under the tree this year. My younger son even offered to give me money to help pay for kitty, which touched me deeply. I am completely in this wonderful man's debt, and I feel very lucky to have him in my life.
My bio father, Eric, who just came into my life about six years ago, has been an enthusiastic, loving and generous parent without whom I don't know where I'd be today. From the moment we were first reunited in November 2000, he has been an excited and eager father who gave of himself constantly. He brought me into his family and made me feel as though I truly belonged. He helped me get on my feet financially when my last relationship ended in 2003, and has always done what he could to make my life easier and more enjoyable. He bought me my first digital camera last Christmas, which spurred my current passion for photography and Flickr. He enjoys seeing me happy and getting the most out of life, and for that I am so grateful.
Others who have touched me recently are my mum, who knows I don't eat very well because I won't cook for myself, and saves a plate for me every now and then; my birth mother Joanne, who came to visit recently and bought my groceries that week; my new boss, Ciane, who paid for my dinner at the company Christmas party when the company announced that we wouldn't be getting any funding for holiday parties this year, and I was going to send my regrets because I didn't have to money for my meal; my coworker, Krista, who knew I was having a Christmas tree dilemma and brought over a tree stand for me when I thought of getting a cheap spruce from a roadside vendor to save money, but didn't have a stand to put it in.
Maybe it's that people are more generous this time of year, or maybe it's that I just seem to notice it more. What ever it is, I want to take a moment to give thanks to the powers that be for all of these wonderful people, and hope that soon I will be able to repay them for their wonderful acts of kindness.
Today I feel I am due to give thanks to the Universe for my good fortune. Despite the fact that I am up to my boobs in debt at the time of this writing, I have much to be thankful for.
To begin with, I am infinitely grateful for the fact that because I have some very special people in my life right now, I am able to give my kids a decent Christmas. You know who you are, but in case you don't, I'm going to do some name-dropping...
My stepfather Mike has been part of our family for almost thirty years now, and there has never been a time when we needed something...anything...and he wasn't there for us. Whether we needed someone to come out on a cold night and give us a boost, or to come over and fix a leaky toilet, Mike was and is always ready and willing to help us out. Myself personally, being a single girl living on her own, I have called upon Mike to help me many a time recently. He will come over and watch the boys for me if I have to go out; he took my cat to the vet for me when I couldn't be there; he has picked my drunk ass up from the bar on occasion after a night out with the girls; and helped fix my roof when it was leaking uncontrollably and damaging the ceiling. However the most recent act of kindness that Mike has bestowed upon me was when he found out that I didn't have a Christmas tree to put up. He drove all over town going from store to store until he was able to get the last tree that Canadian Tire had for sale, and brought it by the house last weekend. The kids and I were delighted and we put it up right away. He knows I don't have the money to pay him back yet, but he knows I will eventually.
Another person whom I feel particularly indebted to right now is Ber. I met him online one night when I was checking my emails on a popular dating site. I was just about to log off when he IM'd me. We chatted amicably for a bit and then exchanged email addies. We met for a drink, then lost touch for about a month before reconnecting, and have been enjoying each other's company ever since. This man is incredibly generous, sensitive, loving and thoughtful. He loves to come over to my place and cook dinner for us. He buys all of the ingredients and leaves whatever is left in my fridge. He'll help me clean up afterwards so I don't have to wake up to a messy kitchen. He was very concerned when Magnus became ill and would call me every night for an update and to see how I was doing. His support during that time meant the world to me. However I am completely overwhelmed by his most recent gesture of surprising me with Toys R Us gift cards so that I can get presents for my kids. He knew I was working with a very fixed amount of money...most of which had been donated to me from other people who didn't know what the boys wanted, and asked me to buy things for them. I had told the kids that due to kitty's illness, Mummy wasn't going to be able to put much under the tree this year. My younger son even offered to give me money to help pay for kitty, which touched me deeply. I am completely in this wonderful man's debt, and I feel very lucky to have him in my life.
My bio father, Eric, who just came into my life about six years ago, has been an enthusiastic, loving and generous parent without whom I don't know where I'd be today. From the moment we were first reunited in November 2000, he has been an excited and eager father who gave of himself constantly. He brought me into his family and made me feel as though I truly belonged. He helped me get on my feet financially when my last relationship ended in 2003, and has always done what he could to make my life easier and more enjoyable. He bought me my first digital camera last Christmas, which spurred my current passion for photography and Flickr. He enjoys seeing me happy and getting the most out of life, and for that I am so grateful.
Others who have touched me recently are my mum, who knows I don't eat very well because I won't cook for myself, and saves a plate for me every now and then; my birth mother Joanne, who came to visit recently and bought my groceries that week; my new boss, Ciane, who paid for my dinner at the company Christmas party when the company announced that we wouldn't be getting any funding for holiday parties this year, and I was going to send my regrets because I didn't have to money for my meal; my coworker, Krista, who knew I was having a Christmas tree dilemma and brought over a tree stand for me when I thought of getting a cheap spruce from a roadside vendor to save money, but didn't have a stand to put it in.
Maybe it's that people are more generous this time of year, or maybe it's that I just seem to notice it more. What ever it is, I want to take a moment to give thanks to the powers that be for all of these wonderful people, and hope that soon I will be able to repay them for their wonderful acts of kindness.
Dec 7, 2006
Disappearing Christmas tree
It's official: I am an idiot.
Last year, frustrated beyond belief with my old, hand-me-down artificial Christmas tree that didn't assemble properly and just looked like crap, I threw it out. My plan was to get a brand new pre-lit tree, so I wouldn't have to worry about stringing lights, which I always hated doing and could never get them looking quite right anyway.
Well that was my plan.
Fast forward one year. The first week of December is almost over, and I still have no replacement tree. Why, you ask? Well you see about a week ago I was desperately crunching numbers in my bank accounts, credit card and line of credit to figure out a way I could pay the vet the $2,800 I owed him for my kitty, who was deathly ill and facing euthanasia. I still owe the vet about $600, and I have absolutely NO money left over for groceries or Christmas presents...let alone a stupid Christmas tree.
Great. My kids are spending Christmas at my place this year, and they already know there won't be anything from Mummy under the tree, now they aren't going to even have a tree!!!
Can it get any worse?
Why oh why didn't I take advantage of the post-Christmas clearances at Walmart or Canadian Tire last year and buy a damn tree then??? Why didn't I set aside a few extra bucks so that I could at least buy a real tree and a stand to use this year? Why, why, why???
Because I'm an idiot...that's why.
Last year, frustrated beyond belief with my old, hand-me-down artificial Christmas tree that didn't assemble properly and just looked like crap, I threw it out. My plan was to get a brand new pre-lit tree, so I wouldn't have to worry about stringing lights, which I always hated doing and could never get them looking quite right anyway.
Well that was my plan.
Fast forward one year. The first week of December is almost over, and I still have no replacement tree. Why, you ask? Well you see about a week ago I was desperately crunching numbers in my bank accounts, credit card and line of credit to figure out a way I could pay the vet the $2,800 I owed him for my kitty, who was deathly ill and facing euthanasia. I still owe the vet about $600, and I have absolutely NO money left over for groceries or Christmas presents...let alone a stupid Christmas tree.
Great. My kids are spending Christmas at my place this year, and they already know there won't be anything from Mummy under the tree, now they aren't going to even have a tree!!!
Can it get any worse?
Why oh why didn't I take advantage of the post-Christmas clearances at Walmart or Canadian Tire last year and buy a damn tree then??? Why didn't I set aside a few extra bucks so that I could at least buy a real tree and a stand to use this year? Why, why, why???
Because I'm an idiot...that's why.
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