this crossed my mind...

I was watching the movie "Twilight" with Chicklet the other evening and it dawned on me...

Edward Cullen is like a blue Prius.

Points for whoever can figure this out.

Heh, I amuse myself... and that's all that matters.

Hey Hope... how 'bout that drink, mama?!

for Gail

Who would have known that I would make precious friends from watching a reality show... but I have.

Sadly, one of my precious and darling friends has lost her grandfather. He passed yesterday and my friend grieves. I grieve with her.

He knows how much you love him, Twinny... and I love you.

For Gail's GranPa  - May he Rest in Peace




I know how much you love this song... you have a new Angel now.

argh

I recently saw a video making fun of the Canadian military for looking at their current mission in Afghanistan and re-evaluating their resources. Too many soldiers have been wounded and killed for us to think that we can just send people out there without giving them the right tools, experienced leaders and training. It's not respectful of the legacy they've joined, nor of their families.

So Fox News? A big FUCK YOU, eh! Thank God I know better than to think all Americans are such asshats.

Lest we forget...

Thank a soldier.

Edited: OOPS, in my moment of "ARGH" I forgot to send y'all to the newest member of the blogging community. A Marine no less! *heart swells* So go on, say hi... make him feel welcome and thank him, his is a tough job. Semper Fi, darlin'!

torn

I've been struggling with something for about a week now. It may not make any sense, I'll probably ramble... and I'm not going to re-read it and edit it to death like I do some other posts.

This is straight from the hip. Maybe if I just write it down... something will come to me.

I received a phone call a little while back from a friend. She was in tears. This always sets off my protective "I'm going to kick someone's arse" mode. Unfortunately, the more I listened, the more I came to the conclusion that my crying friend was the one deserving of a swift kick.

I've been put in the middle, between two people I care about, and in a most unfortunate way.

The crying caller had just been in a "fight" with my other friend, the heartbroken one. I was being sollicited as a referee (problem is, only one of them sollicited me).

You see, the cryer betrayed the heartbroken's trust, hence the fight. And now, by asking me to intervene and to side with her, she was betraying our mutual friend once more.

Cryer and Heartbroken have been through something together that they decided to put in the past so they could move on with their lives. It's a doozy. It was agreed by both of them that this "thing" wouldn't be revealed to anyone (have I lost you yet?).

Unfortunately, Cryer decided she needed to talk to someone about it. Which, I guess could have been ok... had she picked someone that didn't know Heartbroken, or at the very least, not identified her. But no...
I've been through this myself, and I understand Heartbroken.

What's worse is Cryer has not, in any of the conversations I've had with her or her accounts of "the confrontation", truly felt remorse. All I hear from her is "but I needed to get this off my chest, I couldn't deal with it alone". If only she recognized that it's not as much about seeking help in dealing as in revealing the other party involved. I know Heartbroken would have understood if only her involvement in this "thing" had been left out of it.
And on top of it all, I am now a second person to whom the secret has been revealed.

I know Heartbroken is hurting but since I don't want to damage this relationship that may never be salvaged any further, possibly obliterating it completely (maybe that wouldn't be all that bad... but I'm not going to do that), I can't go to her.

ARGH!

I've forgiven some serious shit in the past. Being cheated on, lied to and stolen from... and I've moved on. I leave it up to Karma. But this? This kind of betrayal, it's hard. A tough pill to swallow.

I don't feel better. This didn't help... Crap. Sorry I wasted your time.

My kingdom for a glass of water...

... for a glass of water is life.

I'm going to save the world... with the pocket change I gather doing the laundry.

Every night before going to bed, I set a glass of water on my night stand. Just in case I wake up thirsty in the middle of the night.

Every morning, I make a pot of coffee so I can become human again or at the very least, a little less bitchy (- yes, a pot of coffee can actually do that!).

Every day, I try and drink at least two liters (roughly 8 cups) of water and other fluids as recommended by "those in the know", you know, them...

Every day, I send my Chicklet to school with a water bottle in case she's thirsty in class so she won't need a hall pass.

Every day, I make sure my dogs have water to drink. 

And all I have to do is go to the tap in my kitchen and VOILÀ!  Free water! But you see, the thing is, it's not that easy for everyone.

Globally, an estimated 125 million children under the age of five live in households without access to a safe drinking-water source. Even more people – a total of more than 2.5 billion around the world – are living without proper sanitation. (source: UNICEF)

Today is World Water Day.

Do you know what UNICEF can do with ONE dollar?

For one dollar, they can help supply a child with safe drinking water for 40 DAYS! Remember Moses and the desert? 40 days seems like an eternity when you don't have water to drink...
The beauty of it is that children that have easy access to safe drinking water don't have to walk miles and miles to fetch some and that time can be better spent going to school. THIS is how we "save the world". You never know what one of those millions of children could bring to humanity if only they had the opportunity to go to school. To survive.

Have I got your attention now? Is your imagination kicking in?

"Yeah, but Anndi,  what am I supposed to do with that dollar? How do I donate it?"

Excellent question!

There are a few ways to do it. No matter what country you live in you can donate directly to UNICEF, HERE.

Or... If you're planning to go out to dinner some time this week, check out The Tap Project:

In Canada: The Tap Project's website
In the US: The Tap Project's website

and find out. The basic gist is, there are some restaurants all over the United States and Canada that have joined the cause and this week, they encourage their patrons to donate a dollar for the "free water" they normally have access to. This money is then handed over to UNICEF. Pretty cool, huh?

So today, I'll be making a donation for every free glass of water I drink.

Join me?

And, please remember to let your government know that the water we do have should be protected. Are you listening, Mr Harper?

If you are interested in other charities and learning more:

WaterAid

Charity:water



Hydraid

International Medical Corps

World Health Organization

The Red Cross

OPA!

Yesterday, I spent quite a few hours donating my time at Chicklet's school. It was Spring Carnival. 

Since the beginning of the school year, each class was assigned a country (a "we are the world" kind of thing). And this "people of the world" theme continued during Carnival. Country-themed activities were set up outside and classes went from one activity to the other with their "passports" (which we G.O's stamped with bingo stampers). Of course, they couldn't visit all the countries in one afternoon, so their teachers had each class' itinerary. The nice thing was: no customs, no security checkpoints, just open borders.

Just before it all began and after the "sugar house" (cabane à sucre in Quebec) themed lunch (during which I cleaned more lunch trays than I care to count) the volunteers gathered in the library with the principal (why is it I still stand up straight in the presence of a principal?) and received assignments. We had kangaroo (potato sack) races for Australia, recycling boxes on wheels/gondolas for Italy, nectar of the Gods (i.e. hot chocolate) for Mexico, etc...

Somehow, I ended up with Greece. My Papou was probably responsible for that somehow. *grin*


So, my assignment? Teach 5 classes how to dance the "sirtaki" (think Zorba the Greek). 


Ha! Not bad for a red-headed skinny lady!

I hadn't danced this since my own cousin's Big Fat Greek wedding, but you never forget. (I'm still stuffed from that day LOL). NOBODY puts on a wedding celebration like Greeks. If you haven't experienced it, I strongly recommend it. The ceremony is beautiful and the celebration afterwards is beyond compare. They have a way of making everyone feel welcome (and a little Ouzo doesn't hurt, either!) 





My thighs still hurt. But then, so do my cheeks from smiling.

We had fun.. and of all the kids I got? The first-graders ROCKED it!

wordless... is often better

Happy St Paddy's Grandma Mary

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.





And to my Irish Brethren... especially "Uncle Gumbo" *smooch*

"May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."



Happy 250th Anniversary to the fine folk at Guinness!

Sláinte!

I think I saw my picture

on a milk carton in the bloggosphere... So, I figured I'd pop my head in and just say hi. I'm still alive. Just not feeling the blogging thing. At all.

I apologize for not reading and commenting. Although I do think of you guys a lot. I'm not really hiding... It's just Facebook is probably the most I can muster at the moment.

Chicklet and I had a wonderful trip South the first week of March.
Problem is, every time I come back I'm just sad.

I'm trying to organize my life. In doing so, I'm leaving some baggage behind. 

Coming out of a fog that started during mom's battle with cancer and really opening my eyes to many, many things and the nature of people and relationships.

I have a lot to think about still and I may start to write some of it down again. I don't know.

I appreciate all the kind wishes and sweet words on the Chicklet's birthday post. I truly do.

Remember to wear green tomorrow... or I'll have to pinch you and swat your butts with a shillelagh.

Hugs and smooches and gropes...