A few years ago I took a course in psychology.  I love human behaviour and I am an avid people watcher. I especially like to watch peoples body language and see how they interact with each other.   Hubby describes it less as people watching and more of a tendency to be nosey.  But we’ll ignore that for now.

Last evening, the two of us were in the line to get out of the parking lot at the Beer Store (it was a lovely evening and we were thirsty!).  Anyhoo, in front of us was a girl in a car (blonde 20 something) and next to her a guy on a motorcycle (also 20 something) clearly trying to get to know each other in the line up.  As we watched the girl was laughing up at the guy and fluffing her hair,  Oh look at that, I said to hubby, classic flirting behaviour.  Just then the lights changed and he roared off on his motorcycle and she followed.  We were still behind her.  He was weaving about on the road and showing off.  I turned to Hubby and said, I am surprised he hasn’t popped a wheelie.  With that, he not only popped one wheelie, he popped three.  We burst out laughing.  How did you know?  Hubs said.  People watching I replied, you learn alot by being nosey you know………………………………..

I am the clumsiest person I know.  If you want it dropped, spilled or tripped over then trust me, I’m your woman.  Take this morning for instance, I put my hand down to pet the dog and poked the poor thing right in the eye.  Hubby laughed (not cruelly you understand) and said, don’t worry I’m sure the cat warned him about you.

He reminded me of the incident when I came home from work for my lunch.  My elderly cat came running to greet me, as I stepped to greet him I tripped over him and managed to kick him all at the same time.  The cat, bless his furry little heart was very forgiving, and when I was sat out on the deck came to sit under my chair and keep me company.  I finished my sandwich and went to get up to take my plate inside.  As I moved the chair backwards I managed to squash the cats tail, feeling really terrible I bent down to pet him and say sorry and poked him in the eye.  See?  I am a complete liability.  All that in the space of 20 minutes.  I am sure the poor pussy cat was very pleased to see me return to work. 

I’m not intentionally cruel, I am just a complete clutz.  Needless to say friends don’t generally hand their newborn babies to me,  or indeed every ask me to babysit.  I wonder why?…………………………………..

I am sure that many of you have heard about the law of attraction.  But for those of you who haven’t this is how it works.  You think about what you would really like and visualise it, and then it manifests.  BUT you also have to be careful not to think about what you DON’T want because apparently the universe doesn’t know the difference and you might end up with exactly the opposite of what you are after.

My sister in law taught me all this (who else) and tries to practice it religiously, but doesn’t always get it right.

For instance, the house next door to her was recently for sale.  As soon as the board went up she was out planting conifer trees, and filling in the gaps in the fance with bushy plants.  What are you doing that for?  I asked.  Well she said, that house has a very long drive, and my worst nightmare is that someone will move in with a load of little kids who will be up and down the drive on tricycles and bikes whooping and hollering.  Oh, I said.  Well what else was there to say really.

Anyway, the house sold to a family, with 3 very small children.  Today we were working out of her home office and I heard some squeals and shouts.  What’s that?  I asked.  The new neighbours she replied glumly.  See?  I told you that would happen.

You’re right I said, you did!!  In fact you went on and on about it so much that it is almost as though you manifested the whole thing!!

She paused, and looked at me with complete horror on her face.  Oh Sugar Cookies, shs said.  She didn’t really, she said something far worse, but I am too much of a lady to repeat it.

So the moral of this story (for SIL anyhow) is not only be careful what you wish for, but for goodness sake practice what you preach……………………….

This morning I went into Timmies for my usual kick up the a** caffeine shot and coming out of the door I was met by a young man looking worried.  He was probably early 20’s, same age as No.1 son.   Excuse me maam he said.  Yup i said, what can I do for you.  I just hit your car coming into the parking lot he said.  Oh dear, says I, lets have a look.

Now my mini van is alot of things.  It is a great little runner, it is big enough for Hubs and I, copious amounts of groceries and one VERY large dog.  What it is not, is a show piece.

We walked around the back of the van,  boy and I and I surveyed the damage.  There was a large black scrape on the bumper, no dents or dings, just a bit of paint.  Ah, don’t worry about it hon I said.  Are you sure he said, looking amazed and quite relieved.  Yeah really, I said.  This isn’t a showroom model that gets taken out and titivated, its just a runabout.  No real damage done, and lets face it, we’ve all misjudged the distance at some time.  He shook my hand (bless), listen I said, if my Hubs were here, he would say the same, it’s no big deal.  Thanks so much he said again, and went off with a big beaming smile.

It was very sweet and brave of him for coming to me and admitting what he’d done, and you know what?  Like I said I have a son the same age, and I would like someone to give him a break in the same circumstances.  Kids eh?  gotta love em………………………………………………………………

If my Sister in law has her way she’ll live forever.  She does all the right things, she dosen’t drink or smoke, she exercises, and recently rode from Niagara on the Lake to the Quebec border on her bike (see previous post).  So she’s in the running for immortality healthwise, or at least she should be.  Sadly she suffers from the human factor too.  She occasionally does something stupid.  Take yesterday for instance.

All fired up from her bike trip which went without mishap, she is feeling strong, and healthy and confident.  Strike that. OVER confident is what is was feeling.  So, decides to go mountain biking  with a neighbour.  Neighbour and friends are 20 something SIL 50 something, but that didn’t stop her - Oh no.  She borrows a mountain bike off neighbour and off they go into a nearby forest.  The mountain bike has much keener brakes than her usual road bike, so the first time she brakes she goes over the handle bars, bashing her undercarriage badly on the front handle bar post and bruising her knee.  She layed there for a while whimpering and then decided the best thing to do was to get back on the bike (?)  I know!  So back on the bike she goes, brakes again, falls off again and breaks her elbow.   Yep that’s right, not one injury, not two, but three injuries.  Four if you count her hurt pride. 

I fear her mountainbiking days may be over.  She said to me, she couldn’t understand it.  She never hurts herself.  You are the clumsy one she said to me accusingly.  Mmm.  I said, that’s true, and THAT is why I don’t roller blade and I don’t ride a bike……………………………………..

Sister in law has just been on a weeks vacation.  Well I say vacation.  She took part in the Great Waterfront Adventure which involved cycling from Niagara on the Lake to the Quebec border.  I know!!!  To me a vacation usually involves a nice lie down with a good book and a cocktail.  But Kudos to her, she did it, and shes still smiling.  Bless.

Along the route they stayed in Belleville, and while they were there she entered into a prize draw.  The winner got an overnight stay at the Great Western Hotel and 2 tickets to Hippiefest.  She won.  Hippiefest conincides with the weekend she is invited to stay at her friends cottage in Muskoka.  So guess what?  Hubs and I are off to be hippies for the weekend.  Yeah man.

We are going to kit ourselves out in tye dye, wear bells around our necks.  He offered to grow his hair, but since it only grows in a hairy horseshoe around his head, I told him not to bother.  But it sounds like lots of laughs, and we are really looking forward to it!!  It is the weekend after next, so I will be sure to let you all know how it goes.

It’s so nice to get an unexpected weekend away, even if I do have to pretend to be a hippie.  Now, where did I put that kaftan……………………………………………..

Its been one of those mornings, and it started early. Even before my shower. I went into the bathroom, and adjusted the blind at the window. It fell off. Hubs hearing the crash came rushing in (the locks broken - don’t ask) and satisfied I wasn’t lying prostrate on the floor, fetched a screw driver and fixed it. Then, I tried to unscrew the top off Hubs coffee cup to fill it and cracked the handle. Do you see a pattern forming here? Then, I picked up my briefcase ready to leave the house, and one of the handles broke. YIKES. Walking out to the car I asked Hubs if he wanted to hold my hand. Hand, he said Hand? I don’t want you to hold anything of mine today……………………………………

We had sunshine yesterday Yey!  It confused me for a moment.  I had to bring Hubby out onto the deck to identify the big yellow glowing thing in the sky, it seems so long since we had seen it. 

By way of celebration we took the dawg down to the beach for a swim. We have to walk through a very wooded area to get to the beach, and as a precaution I gave myself a good spray with insect repellent.  The mosquitoes LOVE me.  I swear that when I step out of my front door, I hear a million tiny voices shouting “It’s Party Time”  Maybe I taste sweet, maybe it’s the alcohol content in my blood, just kidding (only just) So forewarned in forearmed as my Granny used to say. 

Dawg was in his element, by the lake.  Chasing other dogs, and fetching sticks.  He loves the water, the only problem is that when he fetches a stick, he drops the stick, pauses, then shakes and ALWAYS by me.  So this means that I am the one that is showered by freezing droplets and end up looking like the proverbial drowned rat!!   It’s not an attractive look.

Hubs finally took pity on me and coaxed dawg over towards him.  Being a guy, he can time it just right to jump out of the way of the shower.  It’s a talent, really, and we are not worthy.

So a good time was had by all.  We got back home and I settled down with my book, and something started to itch.  Yes, that’s right.  I have forgotten to spray the back of my neck with the repellant.  I touched the area gingerly, there were too many bites to count, I had been well and truly targeted once again.  I am thinking of getting one of those outfits that beekeepers wear, with the vieled hat, the suit and the rubber boots.  A little conspicuous maybe, but if it works, then I’m in.  You know what bugs me (pun intended) is that I am convinced that if I drew a line between all those itchy little bumps it would spell out BITE ME………………………………………