Monday AMuse

It is time for everybody to hang up their vuvuzelas and go home.

SundayStills - shadows

With all the bright sunshine we've had this past week, there was lots of opportunity to get some interesting shadows.
Had I bothered to venture outside.
Now that it is a bit cooler, I could have gone out today (Saturday)..... but I was watching the World Cup. Then I watched the Tour de France.
Then the sun began to set a little lower in the sky.
I don't have trees to create shade, but I do love the way the blinds make lines on the wall when the sun is at a certain level.


On the balcony, I have an old plant stand that creates an interesting pattern

and these tendrils from a passion flower are quickly creeping up the wall and attaching themselves to anything they can grab hold of

so I try to guide them towards the trellis and wait for the blooms

here is one now!


see other shadowy figures at SundayStills

now.......

Go, Netherlands, go!

Hup, Holland, hup!

a fine day out

There is a lovely little touristy town not far away that offers up the Shaw Festival. A friend I wander down that way twice a year for a play - once in the spring and again in the fall.



It is a day full of rituals that never seem to tire.
We grab a coffee for the drive into Niagara-on-the-Lake because the wonderful bakery we always stop at serves exquisite pies but crap coffee.
She pays for the parking and I pay for the pies (which co-incidentally will likely come to almost the same price!)
When we start to see the signs for the various wineries one of us will say: we must spend a day and do a wine tour.

In eight years we have never done a wine tour.
The shame of it all.

After pie we feel a need to walk a bit and head for our favourite antique place. Going to an antique place right after an auction is never a good plan. Still, there was something a bit ... spiritless this time. The barn seemed smaller and was certainly almost empty, but here was nothing that caused either of us to seek out the other and grab her arm and drag her over to see something wonderful that we would never buy. We will need to replace this part of the tradition, I think.

The weather people had promised lots of rain with some thunder and lightning thrown in for added drama, but when we got on the highway, the car said it was 25C and it was humid enough to require the A/C, it was windy with blue sky and lots of white puffy clouds skating across it.

We decided to save the walk on the waterfront trail until after the play due to the humidity and instead spent a few minutes window shopping (I later had to go back and purchase those earrings I saw in the window even if they were at inflated NOTL prices).


Apparently we missed the massive rainfall and dramatic thunderstorm while sitting comfortably inside the theatre.

Because that seems to be the other ritual: it always rains when we go to NOTL.

When we came out of the theatre, the streets were wet, the grass was glistening. There were deep puddles everywhere. We decided against going for a walk along the water afterall, though I had to make a quick stop to take more photos of the sky.

And found these entertaining guys.
(click on the image for full effect - for some reason it gets very big!)

You can see the transistion to looking like a real Canada Goose.

They are so funny at this awkward stage.

Probably the only teenagers in town that afternoon!

Later, we have dinner at our favourite restaurant that is near a shipwreck. I would have taken photos for you, but as soon as we got off the highway, the skies opened up for a brief but intense downpour. By the time we were seated, it had cleared up again and we ate our meal while watching the gulls soaring over the waves of the lake.

I was waiting for my friend at the bar as we were leaving, watching the television screen with the soccer match repeat and chatting to a fellow once-every-four-years-fan. In the course of our chat, his wife accidentally let slip the final score. Poor thing, she must have apologized 15 times, but really I wasn't bothered. Though when I got home and turned on the tv for the news and caught the last 10 minutes, I admit to feeling a teeny bit of smugness knowing the outcome while listening to the announcer getting all excited and unbelieving about the prospect that Switzerland - Switzerland! - might win this match.

end zone

My work schedule has been rearranged. The snacks and beer have been bought. Remember when I got my new tv, the slim version? Well, I realize one other advantage to having a flat screen with no big ass back end is being able to bring it outside. I can set it up on the balcony and not lose any of the beautiful weather while I watch SOCCER for the next month.

I still haven't decided which team to support (since we are not in it, quel surprise!), but I see that as an advantage: since I don't really care who wins, no matter what, I should be happy!

Now, I realize a good number of you don't give a rat's ass about this event...

so, I'll leave you with these amusing asses just so you don't think you've wasted your time reading this post.

I've got you covered

cheeky wee bissum

Something in the crisper, autumnal night air makes the stars shine that much brighter.

And in Iceland, this little feature was on the tv. I found this link on Alda's blog and just had to share it with you all.

Don't tell me you haven't always wondered...

http://dagskra.ruv.is/streaming/sjonvarpid/?file=4431207/1

The accent and translation are a little baffling (unless you are Scots or Icelandic).
Commercials follow the display ...

BTW Scotland won 2-1.

Monday AMuse

Egg Timer For (German) Football Fan

Put in pot with egg and it will play a melody when desired firmness of egg is reached:
National Anthem for soft boiled
Stadium Clap for medium boiled
Triumph March for hard boiled

A Big Shout Out to Spain

Espana 1 - Deutschland 0

44 year wait

(and 23 million euros for team)

a long weekend (of sorts)

You know how sometimes, when you finally get to bed and you know you are really only going to have a nap because you don't have more than 4 hours to sleep before you have to get up again, and you set your alarm, but mysteriously wake up an hour before the alarm goes off? And how you've really only been asleep for a short while, yet somehow feel so very refreshed, as if you actually had slept for 8 hours?

You lie in bed, thinking, my God, but that was a good sleep.

Then immediately think, my God, but it is too early to get up.

Then ... COFFEE.

Then you immediately fall back to sleep.

And wake up with the alarm a few minutes later.

And feel like shit, as if you've overslept by 4 hours.

Yeah. That's how my day began.

p b $ Q E w I P H J K B

And has anyone wondered about how the stat holiday [weekends] have become so generically referred to as simply The Long Weekend?

Even this weekend. Which is Canada Day. On TUESDAY.

So, the holiday weekend is Saturday, Sunday ... and Tuesday?

Does that mean a lot of people are taking Monday off as well?

Or having a Long Weekend Interruptus?

I'm now heading to the generically named Beer Store. Haven't decided what beer to get, probably some Lowenbrau to celebrate Germany on Sunday. And then search for umlauts.

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND EVERYBODY

Saturday Afternoon

Am off to have a weep into my Heineken.

Russia 3 Netherlands 1

there's a reason for everything

Normal Service Will Resume .....

For anyone seriously interested,

here is the link to the official Euro2008 website.