Yeah, you know it

The I've got nothing that you're about to see, I mean.

I've got nothing.

And now you've seen it.

I sure wish I'd seen the spider that was hiding in these High Bush-cranberry flowers when I took the picture, though. I would have worked harder to get it into focus. It's there, at any rate. Even a mostly not visible spider is better than no spider at all.



And as for me? Back to work. Happy Canada Day tomorrow, everyone.

Sigh

The post you see below was actually yesterday's, not today. Apparently it didn't publish. Ah well, read it as though it was Sunday, and read this as though I'm extremely busy right now because I am.

Later...

Oh for Whomever's sake

I ordered tea.

No, I didn't order tea for Whomever, I ordered it for me. But for Pete's sake (and I really don't know how Pete gets into this at all), I ordered tea.

I should explain this for those new to the program. I used to like a tea place called Teaopia (ah, Teaopia), but it was bought out by a more expensive and far more pretentious outfit called Teavana (argh, Teavana). My sister-in-law, probably tired of hearing me grump about Teavana, very kindly brought me some rooibos chai from David's Tea (sorry, DAVIDsTEA) when they were out to visit last summer. It was good, so I checked out their website and decided to order a few more teas. Yes, there are Davids stores in Calgary and Edmonton, but that would involve driving to Calgary or Edmonton. Plus, free shipping on orders over $50. Anyway, I liked the teas, likely mentioned the teas here more than I really needed to (I occasionally lack in topic for the blather, in case you hadn't noticed), and in return received A LOT of tea for Christmas. Which was very nice, and which became a regular feature on the blog for a while whether anyone really wanted it to or not. Including me. At any rate, between my own purchases and the gifts, there was an awful lot of tea around.

I've gone through the tea.

Well,  not entirely. I couldn't help but notice, though, that many of the teas in my little containers (I'll explain the containers in a moment) only have one or two cups' worth left of tea in them.

I seriously went through all of that tea. And I don't know how. I occasionally drink tea on the weekend, but other than that I generally only make up one travel mug a day at work. And yes, travel mugs are about twice what I'd drink in a ceramic mug sitting, but that lasts me all day. Or until 2 pm, at least. And I don't make more after that, usually. Where on earth did all that tea go?

Ok, yeah, we all know where it went. But it's still incredible to me that I managed it, because I don't think you'd consider me a heavy drinker. Of tea. Or of... oh, never mind. You know what I meant.

And now, an explanation of containers. Years ago a friend gave me a tin containing nine smaller sampler tins from Teaopia (ah, Teaopia). When I went in to check out the store for myself I bought a four-tea set in a stacking canister. Each level holds about 50g of tea, which is handy because that's often the minimum order at loose leaf tea shops. As my stacker gets emptier, I'll transfer those teas to the smaller tins so... well obviously so that I can buy more tea. The Teaopia tins are ugly and orange (maybe that's why they got bought out?), but they're handy and don't take up much space. My Christmas gift also contained three individual and slightly larger sampler tins, which I've been using to take teas to work because they don't take up room in the desk. So yeah, I have a tin system. And shut up, world. It works.

So what did I order? None of your business at this point. That's blog fodder for later, naturally.

Bet you can't wait.

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It just occurred to me that if there actually is anyone new to the program they're probably wondering why the photos so rarely have anything to do with the topic (if any). It's simple.

They're pointless.

On purpose.

That's a nice little butterfly on the last of the lilacs, though. Lunch for me, now. See you later in the week, possibly.

Hi there... and also, rocks.

Well, I did warn you that the past couple of weeks would be very busy, and they were. Good busy, but busy enough that personal computer stuff didn't happen (much) at work, and since that's the only place I do personal computer stuff other than here at Dad's, well... you saw the result. Or lack of result, as it were. In honour of making it through these past weeks -- and to give myself a little boost to get through end-of-school week coming up -- I stopped in at my favourite rock store (yes, I have a favourite rock store) on my way into town and bought myself a treat. Here's the new rocks:

Um, yeah. I was tired enough last night to forget to turn on the flash. Didn't realise it until the shutter didn't. seem. to. want. to. close. Ah well.

See below for what the rocks actually look like. That's lapis in the middle (I've always wanted a piece of lapis. At least, for as long as I've known what lapis was, I've wanted a piece of lapis. No particular reason), and then going clockwise from the left there's an amethyst turtle (turtle? Again, no reason. I like amethyst, and the turtle was cute), a wire cage for putting rocks in when you want to wear them (very handy, by the way), leopard skin jasper (which I was going to give you a link to, but holy Whomever do you get some weird pages come up when you google rocks. Apparently every bloody stone in the world can cure something), and a fossil shark's tooth (why? Because).

My two fans probably already know that I like wearing neat-looking rocks, but in the past month I've really been noticing that the kids I work with are interested in the rocks as well. One of the things that I've been busy with in the past while involved being with the same group of students every day for a school week, and some of them checked daily to see what I had on.

One day I was running a little late and very nearly didn't put anything on (meaning no rocks, of course. I did manage to put on clothes). Good thing for me that I remembered, because you'd better believe that they wanted to see what the stone of the day was.

That's cool. One of the reasons I've stayed in this job so long is that I like helping to make kids interested in things, whether it's by actively teaching them, or just by wearing intriguing rocks and encouraging them to find out more on their own.

Sigh. They've probably found more than their share of the weirdness of rock beliefs that way, I suppose.

Anyway. There's a post, and it's time -- past time, really -- for lunch. I have plenty of new pictures as of yesterday, so if nothing else I should have time to post photos in the coming week. Probably some words, too, but as anyone who's come here lately knows that's not always likely.

In other words, no promises.

Pointless photos of the day:

 Fern study? Yeah, or something.

That's all you're getting, by the way.

Again.



The week's going pretty good, though. Just busy.





Bye now.

Quick pointless photo of the day:

Well, I did warn you about this week.

Frustrating

 Not the anemones, no. I think that they're rather nice, actually, and it amuses me that they contain secret porn.

Look below if you don't believe me. You might have to click on the photo to see it full-sized. And of course I didn't mean human porn; just copulating beetles.

What's frustrating at the moment is my father's computer. It's served him well over the years but it's definitely showing its age, especially to someone who works on something so much faster during the week. To boot this thing up on a Saturday morning, for example (and I promise that I'm not exaggerating), I come down, turn on the computer, sort the laundry, start the first load, go back upstairs and make some breakfast, and then come back here... and eat my breakfast while I'm waiting for the computer to be ready to do anything.

Yes, seriously. And then, of course, there's those random moments where you'll be working on something and the computer will decide to go all hourglass for you never know how long. Sometimes a minute; sometimes you're better off finding something else to do for a while.

I was going to say that it's practically an abacus, but that would be wrong since people who really know their abacuses (abaci?) can get stuff done amazingly quickly.

Incidentally, I have an abacus. It's mostly meant as an ornament, but it's fully usable. My speed on the abacus? Comparable to this computer. As I said, it's been chugging along doing its jobs for years, but since I've had three different computers at work in the time he's had this one -- and I work for a non-profit, so it's not like we replace things quickly -- I'd say that it's time to retire the old hamster wheel, Dad. Besides which, XP isn't supported anymore. Isn't that excuse enough?

----------

Another frustrating thing that I meant to talk type about ages ago is perfume. I read a "must have" cosmetics list a while ago that honestly kind of ticked me off a bit with the stupid things it suggested. Ok, maybe the list didn't tick me off so much as the stupid women who wrote it and the stupid people that I know would follow it. In the first place there is no such thing as a must-have cosmetic. Hey, I wear make-up. Of course I do. I've also been known to go out without it without being totally horrified. Or, I hope, horrifying. Frankly, I think that the amount of money some women spend on make-up is more horrifying than being seen without cosmetics.

Same goes for shoes, by the way. I completely don't get the shoe thing.

Anyway, one of the worst must-haves on the whole stupid list (and believe me, there were some really stupid things on the stupid list. Do stupid people really live like that?) was fragrance. Fragrance to put on in the morning, fragrance to freshen up with during the day, fragrance to top up with if you're going out right after work... it goes on and on and I hate it.

Yes, really.

I'm just wondering if a) people actually do that, and b) have they ever been around another human being? From what I've seen, the usual reaction to a perfumed person is what is that smell, and not generally in a positive way. Perfumed people advertise their arrivals, don't "leave" until some time after they've gone, and cause even those of us who don't have scent allergies to want to back away when speaking to them.

And let's talk about scent allergies. I work with kids. I wish some of those scented people could see the slight look of panic on some of those kids' faces when they enter the room. Does everyone have their inhalers, boys and girls?

No one should have to put up with that. The perfume industry is huge, and I don't understand why it's even necessary. You want to smell nice? Be clean. Yep, that's it. That's all that's necessary. There are enough scents in our soaps and shampoos that bathing is really all it takes to have a... let's say signature scent. Of course, not bathing gives you a signature scent, too. Your choice which suits you.





So, considering that blogging may or may not happen over the next couple of weeks, is this enough words to satisfy? I hope so, because I tried. If the order of the words doesn't do it for you, you could always cut them out magnetic poetry style and rearrange them. Send me your poems, even. It'd make for a few posts.

Lunch, now. See you when I can.

Well...

It turns out that I don't really have that much to say today, for whatever reason. I did, however, get out and take a few photos. Not great ones since it's a bit breezy, but photos nonetheless. So, since I haven't given you much reading material, here's something to look at. I like to call it: Apple Blossoms.

Yep. They look like apple blossoms to me. I have plenty of new photos today, but Whomever knows when the internet will see them. This next week's going to be busy. And the next week's going to be busy. No quality internet time for me.

Quality internet time. Ha. I make me laugh. Anyway, I'll try to have something to say tomorrow and then? Who knows? You may get an indifferent picture or two, but I wouldn't expect much.

Quick post of the morning but I'll try to do a better one later:

Sorry, I really was intending to post, but then I got caught in internet hell.

Or at least semi-heck. Or something.

Anyway, the plan this afternoon is to take some new pictures out in the yard and then sit down and actually post for the first time in holycraphasitreallybeenthatlong.

That's the plan, yes.

Plans don't always work out, of course...