"About three things I was absolutely positive...
first - Edward was a vampire;
second - there was a part of him, and I didn't know how dominant that part might be that thirsted for my blood;
and third - I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."
...Bella, from Twilight

I gotta tell you, last year when it became apparent my hatchling was obsessed with this trendy vampire dude, a particular series of books and the first movie Twilight, I was like, wha?? huh?? duh??

This is the kid who doesn't share my love of horror movies and all things vampirey/werewolfy/monstery.

"But that's not what it's about mom. It's a love story! And Edward is so hot and gorgeous and so so so cool"
Omg. I can only hope that pale-skinned goth types are not going to be her taste in men. lol

But I have to admit I've now read my hatchling's 4 books and I loved them. The first movie was great, and I can definitely see the appeal to the teenage fans.

Kudos to Stephanie Meyer for helping my 13 year old make the transition into reading novel length books.

So tonight is the opening of New Moon, and my hatchling is so excited. I am excited to see the somewhat cult following of teens this movie is attracting.

peace & vampires (& werewolves I hear!)

When your life is spilling out around you from unpacked cardboard boxes...

When you're so tired you think that maybe it is possible to fall asleep while standing up...

When the weather has suddenly changed from bright blue skies and a warm sun on your face to frosty dawns and being able to see your breath in the air...

When you've given yourself a possible hernia with all the moving and lifting of furniture, and you still can't quite arrange your living room the way you envision it...

When you have multitudes of winter bedding waiting to go to the laundry mat...

When you realize you're late for this...

When you finally have internet again and a ton of blogs to catch up on...

and curtains and blinds to be hung...
a kitchen to be organized...
your hatchling's 3 garbage bags full of stuffed animals waiting to be placed....somewhere?...

You make a pot of this...

and call it a day...a day for slacking off...

snuggle in somewhere that feels like this...



and read this...(again).

peace & happy slacking!

Hello peeps! Thanks so much for all your well wishes!

I have moved and am feeling a bit disconnected from the world, which no doubt comes from moving so freakin often. I think I'm over this gypsy thing for awhile.

I've completed the tedious unpacking of a zillion boxes, the hanging up of pictures, etc. and all that other fun stuff that goes with a move. I am exhausted. We like our new home (apartment), and unless I move to a different city for a better job, I'd prefer to stay in this place for awhile.

The whole court battle thing with the "slumlord from hell" is progressing in my favour... and as I can track IP addresses of those who visit my blog, I've noticed that the whack-job actually reads my blog. Hmmm... I won't be writing openly too much about that anymore. (you can always email me for specifics).

My hatchling is all better from the swine flu, poor kid - she rarely gets sick and this flu knocked the sh*t out of her. And I must have a kick-ass immune system, because I thought for sure I'd catch it too, but thankfully, I am only tired. Exhausted from moving again, broke from moving again, and feeling a bit disconnected from the world, (my phone & internet hook up will have to wait another week or so).

I am currently at a friends house, feeding her kitty & bunny and treating myself to cable TV and internet access! woo-hoo!
My friend K. has had major knee surgery (ouch!), and I would love it if you all could keep her in mind with get-well wishes and healing vibes.

That's all for now. No creative juices flowing here....but I'll be back soon.

~ they come to your rescue when you are (again) being threatened by nut-job landlord while moving out.

~ they create diversions so the landlord from hell can't follow your moving truck to your new home.

~ they bring you a Timmie's large double-double because you can't find your coffee machine amongst all the boxes and you have to be in court in a half-hour.

~ they help you get your kidnapped cat back from your nut-job landlord (I'm serious).

~ they let you come to their house to hang out and get away from the maze of boxes and use their Internet because yours isn't getting hooked up until Friday.

~ they give you a ride even though your hatchling has been diagnosed with Swine Flu.

~ they make her little treat bags because she was too sick to go trick or treating and missed out on Halloween, our favourite time of the year.



Hatchling is recovering nicely, and we're gonna be fine, although I'm beginning to feel symptomatic. (I'm definitely having one of those "wish I was married" weeks).
Sometimes it's so hard to do it all alone and for this reason, I am so very grateful for all my wonderful and supportive friends....(You know who you are).

***The landlord/tenant hearing went very well - in my favour. Slumlord showed his true colours...he truly is an idiot. More of that to come. It isn't over.


P.S. We all know people who have horror stories about...
1.- Childbirth
2.- the H1N1 virus.

As my daughter has seen her pediatrician and is on the antiviral drug Tamiflu, and is thankfully recovering nicely, I ask that you guys please do not scare me anymore than I've already been, with knowledge about this flu....thanks.
I have ONE NERVE left and my former slumlord is on it!!

peace & prayers please for a healthy hatchling
xo

Do you ever wonder about those people who just seem to breeze through life?
Who seem to never have the problems you do, the responsibilities you do? The challenges you're up against, and the struggles you face?

I have accepted the fact that I am just not one of those people who leads a charmed life. My life has been much about struggles and lessons learned.

That said, I've never been dealt anything horrible or that I couldn't handle. I am grateful every day for my beautiful, healthy daughter and our life together.

I would just like to relax and enjoy life. I would like a car. I would like to be able to take my daughter places that aren't on the city bus. I would like a good job. I would like to not have to wait until payday to buy milk. And I would like to not move again for awhile.

Nuff said.
I'm signing off now, as I'm moving the next couple of days, also attending the landlord/tenant hearing, (which is just the beginning).

I am standing my ground. I'm going to do everything in my power to make the slumlord be accountable for the hell he's put me & my hatchling through.

Be back soon with happy pics of yet another new apartment.

wish me luck!!!
peace out

Never let anyone tell you that you can't...

~ be whatever you want when you grow up
~ make wise choices
~ do what's best for you
~ remain true to yourself
~ support yourself
~ defend yourself
~ wear ripped jeans
~ think outside the box
~ eat tofu on Thanksgiving
~ change your hairstyle
~ walk around barefoot
~ pick your own friends
~ fall in love with that guy
~ get married
~ not get married
~ have babies
~ not have babies
~ travel the world
~ live in the woods
~ sleep on the beach
~ wish on a star
~ believe in a god (or not)
~ adopt a stray cat
~ dip your fries in your chocolate milkshake
~ wear blue eyeshadow
~ watch your favourite movie 100 times
~ reach your goals
~ live your dream
...and kick some ass when necessary

peace & happy weekend

Since pumpkins are a common sight this time of year, it might behoove you to know that the early Americans believed that if half a pumpkin is left open or exposed in the kitchen, then negative energies are thought to arrive soon afterward. This dovetails with the idea of carving a face into pumpkin and leaving it to guard the outside of the home in order to frighten evil away on All Hallow's Eve.
Pumpkins are also considered a symbol of the fruitfulness of the earth as some cultures believe that they represent the womb of the Great Mother.
The meat of the pumpkin is said by many to attract money, so if you want to stay in the flow with the season's energies by making a pumpkin cheesecake, then be sure to add some ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in order to get all the prosperity this tasty pumpkin dish can offer!


CHEESECAKE FACTORY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
If you've ever been lucky enough to eat cheesecake from THE Cheesecake Factory, you know you've tasted the best cheesecake in the world. Myself & my hatchling were recently treated to this scrumptious dessert by friends. After a yummy dinner, they brought out a $60 cheesecake they bought at the Cheesecake Factory - omgomgomg!!!!
I was lucky enough to find the following recipe on line.



Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
5 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Cup Sugar, plus
1 Tablespoon sugar
3 (8oz) Packages of Cream Cheese
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
3 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
Whipped Cream

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees .
2. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 Tablespoon sugar in a melted bowl.
3. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so much as to turn the mixture into paste.
4. Keep it Crumbly.
5. Put foil partway up the outside of an 8-inch springform pan.
6. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about 2/3rds of the way up the sides of a springform pan.
7. You DON'T want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake.
8. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside until you are ready to fill it.
9. In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 Cup Sugar, and Vanilla.
10. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
11. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue beating until smooth and creamy.
12. Pour the filling into the pan.
13. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.
14. The top will turn a bit darker at this point.
15. Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool.
16. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it in the refrigerator.
17. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the cake from the springform pan and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces.
18. Serve with whipped cream on top!

peace

Woo-hoo!!! I am loving Jamie's question today for our wishcasting Wednesday.

What do you wish to say yes to?
Well...ummmm....I wish to say yes to success in my upcoming hearing date with my slumlord.

I'm so used to struggling and going without things that this is quite a non-bohemian wish.....oh well....show me the money!!!
Yeah baby!! My crooked landlord owes me money for paying hydro unknowingly in a second apartment here. (his attempt at McGyver wiring). And for all the expenses and hassles of living here and moving again and putting my daughter through his crap. What a d-bag! When I think of the cops having to be called on him over a dozen times in the past 3 weeks, it makes me sooo angry. I have done everything, including staying out of the "dating pool", so that my hatchling could grow up without dysfunction and this kind of drama. And that criminal of a landlord has put a kink in our lives - screw him. It costs alot of money to move and I don't want to struggle through it financially. I want my money back and compensation for what we've been through here.
So there!!!

lol
peace & happy wishing!!!