Happy election to you...

Sigh.

Election, yes. Anyone surprised? It's not like we've heard enough about elections from our neighbours to the south or anything. Just had to get in on the act, I guess.

Now, before anyone thinks that this post is going to offer an opinion on the actual campaign, let me state outright that I hate politics. Hate. Almost as much as pick-up trucks. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not apathetic. I do try to educate myself about the issues, and I do vote. Unfortunately, to do both of those things means you have to, inevitably, listen to politicians tell you what to think. That's the part I have no use for.

The only saving grace about a Canadian-style election for me is that I'll only have to deal with the rhetoric, whining, and finger-pointing for just over a month. I don't know how you folks in the States manage to put up with election campaigns going on for years, because I know that it would drive me bats and make me far less likely to care about any of it. I'd very quickly get to the point where I'd be wishing for everyone to just SHUT UP and get back to running the country already.

Yes, I know it's important to understand the different policies different parties intend to govern by. Yes, I know it's important to be given the chance to change direction if the country's direction needs changing (and does it? Hell, I'm not saying. My own personal politics are really none of your business). But here's the thing: elections aren't really about that. They're about politicians trying to make themselves the most popular kids in class. The sad fact is that in a modern, information-age election people are more likely to be swayed by whoever spins the best than by whose ideas might be best for the country.

Yeah, just try to figure out whose ideas might be best for the country when it's hard to even find the ideas in amongst the negative campaign ads and cults of personality.

Ok, maybe that last was a tiny bit extreme. Or maybe I was just thinking of those down south who seem to think that Obama is going to come forth and part the waters...

But hey. Let's talk about negative campaign ads for just a moment, on the off chance that anyone from the federal political machines stumbles upon today's blather. Would you like to know what negative campaigning does for me? It pretty much guarantees that I'm not going to listen to your message. Seriously. I want to know about your ideas. I want to know what you are going to do if I vote for you. I do NOT need to be told about how evil your opponent is. If I've been paying attention, I can figure how evil -- or not evil -- s/he is for myself. Having you telling me all about it just shows me that you haven't got anything to tell me about yourself.

Besides, it's all far too playground to be worth paying attention to.

Anyway.

This will likely be all you hear from me about the mercifully short election process here in the Great White North. If the Toronto office feels like talking about it she's welcome to, but I'm going back to being quiet and disgruntled now.

I'll let you know if I feel any more gruntled when the thing is over.

Honestly? I don't know.

Yep, it's my usual. Away from the computer for days, all by my lonesome (if you don't count the voices)... you'd think I would have had time to come up with some sort of blog post.

Time, I had. Inclination, not so much.

I didn't bother, in other words.

Thanks to the Toronto office for taking over, though. We all know that, just like the blog will turn into a pumpkin if it ever has a point, the world will turn into a pumpkin if there is no blog.

Or something like that.

Excuse me for a moment. I just need to put some clothes in the dryer.





Ok. Topic, which I don't have.

Well, how about a bit of personal info? A small bit, since you know how I feel about splashing myself all over the internet.

If I was going to put a bumper sticker on Dirty Moe (my car, for those new to the program. And yes, there is a reason for the name), which I wouldn't but let's just say I would for a moment, the bumper stick would read I hate your truck.

Pick-up truck, I mean. I have my moments of hating semis as well (like yesterday's drive here, for example. Would someone mind telling the truckers that when it's raining hard enough that people are pulling on to the shoulders to wait out the worst of the downpour it might not be the BEST IDEA to pass people at full speed, ignoring the fact that you're creating a helluva tsunami as you go?), but mostly I reserve my loathing for the unnecessary, chromed-up, fuel-wasting beasties that every second moron in this province thinks are essential to life.

I have a bit of an opinion about pick-ups, yes.

Don't get me wrong. I do realise that some people -- not as many as seem to believe that they do -- need pick-ups for work or things like that. I can almost live with that excuse. What I have a problem with is the many, many people who have big shiny trucks to have big shiny trucks. Call it the need to be the biggest thing on the road, call it a penis substitute, hell... call it a brain substitute if you like since so many pick-up drivers don't seem to use theirs while they're driving... but whatever you call it the whole thing is incredibly annoying to me.

And don't tell me that they need their big toys to haul things around. Ninety percent of the time the boxes of the trucks I see on city streets are empty.

Except for maybe an unrestrained dog.

Or a quad.

Oh god, don't get me started on the quads. The only thing worse than a big, shiny, completely unnecessary truck is a big, shiny, completely unnecessary truck carrying a vehicle that is only going to be used to thrash through some defenceless underbrush for no apparent reason. I swear, driving a truck that's hauling a quad is the quickest way to double your rating on the moronometer.

So why do trucks set me off? Oh, so many reasons. Seeing those vanity toys parked sideways in two parking spaces so that no one can touch the paint job is right up there. So's the environmental irresponsibility. How a person can justify a big bloody truck these days when much of the world is trying to figure out how we can get ourselves out of the ginormous hole we've been so mindlessly digging... gah.

It's selfish. I guess that's what it comes down to.





Ah well.

If today's gas prices haven't done much to change good ol' redneck selfishness, whining about it on a blog sure won't.

And hey. This almost turned into a post after all.

Yay me.

Pointless photo

Perhaps pointless but not actually point-less if you look at the leaves closely. In fact, quite point-ed. Many point-ed. Very ... oh you get the idea.

Wednesday was an interesting day which led to yesterday being an exciting day. Today was a spiffy day, indeed, also. And yes that's English - at least I meant it to be, in there somewhere.

I notice my posts have been lacking in any sort of personality or oomph and that is because things in my little comfort zone are shifting slightly with the appropriate amount of anxiety attached to it. I'll keep telling myself that it's from times like this that we stretch and grow ... and then slap myself upside the head as there's far too much over-thinking in the likes of that woman on t.v. and that doctor she encourages to be all down home and in your face. I can't be the only one on the planet who reads him as being marketed as "totally honest" and in your face but see his eyes shift for approval when he speaks.

Gee, when did I hit the on-ramp to Rant? I totally missed the highway sign.

Annnnnyway, it's the first time in a long time I've hit a pocket of oh m'lord, be careful what you wish for and I must say it's ... exhilarating. Sure, let's use that word for it. Terror-inducing is a bit strong.

Does any of this make sense to you? Probably not but here we are anyway, me typing, you reading.

I bet you miss Dee now, don't you. Her ramblings are much more orderly even for ramblings.

And now that you feel you've just been led through a very bad foreign-language essay on the mating habits of gnats, I'll stop typing.

Please note: I am not on anything for allergies, pain or any other ailment. My brain has just been sent out for steam-cleaning and this post is being prepared completely on reflex.

The credit is not mine

Smudgelette was camping this year and happened to snap away at the right time, wouldn't you say?





















As you can see, she captured the approach, the hit and the "I'll be back".

Cool pictures, I think.


And aren't you lucky: they're self-explanatory so I needn't blather on.

Also cool.

You can stuff those

... and in my imagination that title line just produced a great spit take in Alberta. And if it didn't, don't dash my vision.

These are really quite unusual to find as late in the season as they were. Oh, but I think I may have mentioned the cloudy and darkish days with rain and humidity. I could check back in the archives but I'm almost sure I mentioned those weathery-type things. Just to confirm (or recap - ha! I kill me!), though: have I mentioned the humidity?

Of course, the fungi were turned over on their backs; no, no - not so they couldn't get away, silly, but to show the OLF the - say it with me - patterns on their bellies.

Oh they do so have bellies. And there was a spit take.

And this is the end of the post.

As perspective is everything in most things (relax, I'm not going to get philosophical at this hour of the night), I had to come back to mention that the top one is/was the size of a softball so Uncle Ben would be very busy indeed.

Annnnnnnnnnnnd I got nothin'

This is really the only thing that was thriving in my backyard this year. I wonder if everything else took cover BECAUSE OF ALL THE RAIN AND HUMIDITY ... sorry. I got a bit tired of all the water falling from the sky, you see.

Just so you know - you know, in case you're in the area - it will be a lovely, sunny day today. Because I'll be in a car for several hours and the a/c is not functioning at all well.


Of course.

"Why?", you ask

Because if it doesn't get a lot less humid pretty darn soon, I'll be looking for sharp objects to fall against.


The far less dramatic thing to do, of course, is post a photo reminding me of how January looked. That is no illusion, that the snow was that deep next to the car.


You know the worst thing about this summer? Well how could you know what I consider to be the worst thing. Oh, hey - I could tell you my opinion. That would work.

The worst thing is that the humidity has been so high and constant that the mosquitoes - gee that looks funny spelled like that but I'm lazy tonight - have just kept on a-buzzin' and there is no respite from them. Die, little suckers! Die!

Um, yeh, not fond of them, I am... er, not.

Right. Going now. Enjoy the cool breeze from your monitor.