VACATION

I LOVE VACATIONS!!! Wilson and I are off for an entire week together and I love it. The rest of the world is working and we are a lovely combination of boating, being lazy, walking Arthur, drinking A LOT of wine and anything else that we can think of that people do on a vacation. IT IS FABULOUS!!!

Arthur is loving having his parents home for the week and I am afraid that he will never go in his crate again. He is over 20 pounds now and is growing so fast that I can' believe it. He loves vacations too - although any day that he gets to play with another puppy or run off leash is a vacation in his mind.

For those of you not on a vacation right this very minute - I feel for you. Get yourself on vacation as fast as you possibly can - it is just what needs to be done this last week of August.

Have a safe and happy Labour Day dear internet! Back at you in September!

Vacation kisses to all,
DiDi

ARTHUR UPDATE

Playing at Grandma's house - he is about to take flight!

Much has happened in the last week but before I can write about that - there is much to update on Arthur!

Week 3

15 inches high, 15 inches long and 15 pounds

Week 4

17.3 pounds - not sure of his measurements yet but he grows every time he takes a nap!

Arthur will be 12 weeks next Saturday and has brought so much love and laughter into our house. He is one crazy puppy and can frustrate the crap out of me but when he snuggles into his mommy - all is forgotten as my heart melts inside of me.

So tired from all of the playing! It is very hard being almost 11 weeks old!

So glad that Arthur got to meet his grandparents (both of them as my mother is now home from the hospital - YAY!!!) and he got to play with their dog. There is nothing funnier than watching your dog (who is small now but not for long) play with a really big dog. Arthur figured out the only way to have a fighting chance at being able to keep up with the playtime is to do so from a height advantage - from the couch! They would play for hours and then drop of exhaustion only to wake up and do it all over again!

Anyhoo - DiDi is tired but happy!

Kisses to all,

DiDi

CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!

Get ready dear internet - the whining is about to begin!

First - Wilson has been working up a storm - to make up for taking an extra long, long holiday last weekend and being a girl - I miss him and hate that he doesn't get home until 8:30 pm or later.

Second, I have to go to Calgary this weekend - leaving tomorrow - and miss a whole weekend with Wilson and Arthur. Because of this damn trip, we miss the annual friends weekend at Mellie and Jewemy's cottage (aka - The Compound) and it sounded like mucho fun!!!

Third and the worst of all - my mummy fell last Friday and cracked her pelvis and 2 ribs and is in the hospital! As I have to go out of town, I will not get to go to their house until next Wednesday morning (yes, that is the morning after I land from Calgary). This damn trip is making it so that I can't see her and help out other members of my family. I really, really, really hate business travel - especially when it totally interferes with my weekend and my life! However my boss is being a total rock star about letting me go home to help and not making me take vacation. Lizzie is really the best boss EVER!!!! Also, God bless the Brand for giving me a blackberry and air card to help me stay connected and on top of things! This way I can say that I am working remotely when really I am grocery shopping, housecleaning, getting a cleaning service organized, visiting, dog-walking and any thing else that is needed of me for 2 days.

There - that is my whine du jour! I am sure that the trip will be great and all will be fine. My mom is getting better everyday and has started rehab. Thank heavens that no surgery was needed at all or I would not be going on this trip AT ALL!

On the plus side - Arthur gets to go to Grandma and Grandpa's farm and play with a big dog and go for walks without his leash. This will make him so tired and that makes his mummy so happy! I promise that my next post will not be so whiny and my lovely cynical self will be back in action.

Whiny kisses to all,

DiDi

PS - just because I can - here are some of the latest pictures of Arthur! These were taken outside of Pembroke, ON - on Arthur's 9 week birthday. Smooshiness galore!!!!!

GOOD LORD - HE'S EXPLODING!

The story of Arthur...

ARTHUR ARRIVES AND IS 7 WEEKS
He is 10 Lbs and we forgot to measure everything else

WEEK 1 - 8 WEEKS OLD
Arthur is now 12 pounds, 12 inches high and 12 inches long. A gain of 2 pounds in 1 week!

WEEK 2 - 9 WEEKS OLD
15 pounds, 16 inches long, 14 inches high. Wilson averaged it out - he grew approximately 1/2 an inch each day of last week!

He is growing so fast - each time he wakes up from a nap I swear to God he is bigger! So friggen cute but holy is he going to be big!

Growing puppy kisses to all!
DiDi

HOW CAN SOMETHING SO SMALL CHANGE YOUR LIFE SO COMPLETELY?

Sitting pretty for mama!

It has been just over a week since our wee boy Arthur came to live with us - and what a week it has been! I have been run ragged by a 10 lb puppy who thinks that my boobs and ankles are chew toys. I have been woken up in the wee small hours by his crys and I have never been so sleep deprived in my life!

Story Sidebar

Seriously - I have learned that I do not function well on no or little sleep. Besides being so tired that I could hurl on the spot - I become very, very cranky. Mellie says this is all normal but I don't think she turned into a cranky old lady who yelled at neighbourhood kids. (However in my defense - they were shooting off cap guns for an extended period of time and I snapped and yelled out - "We are trying to have dinner here!" and silence reigned over the neighbourhood once more. Then Wilson came in 15 minutes later and he said I got the kids in trouble - I got a big smooch for that one! Ah the benefits of a loud-mouthed wife!) Our conclusion after just one week of a puppy - no babies for Wilson and DiDi!!!

Having now complained about all of the above - I wouldn't have it any other way! He is just such a delightful boy - full of love and fun. When he falls asleep on me - my heart just melts inside me. He loves his mummy so much because she was home with him for his first week. His daddy is equally enamoured of his smooshiness and Arthur loves his daddy sooo much!

For his first week it has been a busy one - even I don't have this kind of activity but here is a quick synopsis:

• 
  
  met his new best friend Ivey (fur baby of Mellie and Jewemy)
• 
  
  had his first walk in the neighbourhood
• 
  
  2 - yes 2 vet visits (there goes my shoe budget again!) - but he had a clean bill of health so all is good there
• 
  
  his first taste of peanut butter and cream cheese - Mmmm Mmmm Good!
• 
  
  played with many neighbourhood dogs
• 
  
  he discovered how much fun shoe laces are to play with - especially when they are attached to other peoples shoes (great for tug of war)
• 
  
  how much fun Auntie Terri's cottage is
• 
  
  his first boat ride
• 
  
  first excursion into a lake - did not like that one so much

Not bad for someone who is only 8 weeks old. While there is no replacement for our sweet Maggie and she will always be the best girl - Arthur is his own man and we love him so! He fills my heart in a different way - with his sweet puppy breath, chin kisses and so soft fur. Everything is an adventure to him and he has no fear - I think that there is a life lesson in there somewhere!

This weekend our wee family will be going to Wilson's parents for 4 days (4 adults and 1 puppy on a 34' boat - YIKES! Anyone who knows me knows that I will be drinking copiously to get through the weekend!) and he will play on a beach for the first time. Somehow I think he is going to love it!

Long weekend kisses to all!

DiDi

ARTHUR MEET THE INTERNET, INTERNET MEET ARTHUR

Well we did it - that is became parents again! We went to a breeder this morning and picked our our new baby boy. He is 4 weeks old, his name is Arthur and he is a German Shorthaired Pointer. This is both mine and Wilson's first time with a puppy in many, many years and also with a purebred dog. We are mutt people and more the rescue kind of family. However our Maggie was a rescue and I didn't want to do that so soon as she was practically perfect and no rescue dog is that and I didn't want him/her to suffer by comparison.

So we are a family of 3 again and it feels right.

This is Arthur being held by his dad!

It doesn't make me miss Maggie any less but it will be so amazing to have that face at the door (eventually) and all that wonderful dog love.

Puppy kisses to all!

DiDi

A Star Is Born

I can't believe this guy! He has bad British teeth, works at Cell Phone Warehouse and has the voice of an angel. Apparently he was sick for quite some time and has a lot of medical bills. My fave moment is how gobsmacked Simon is - that is not something you see every day! Also the 2 old ladies in the audience and how he gets a standing ovation way before he is finished.

I have no idea why I like this so much - perhaps it is the Cinderella aspect of it all. He went on to win the entire competition and hopefully he will have a long career some where other than Cell Phone World.

GOOD BYE SWEET GIRL

Maggie just after she came to live with me

On Friday afternoon, with much thought and consideration we said good bye to our sweet Maggie. It was the right thing to do for her even though it was the most difficult decision we have had to make as a couple.

She came into my life on October 31st, 1999 from the Toronto Humane Society and my life was never the same. It is amazing to me how a four-legged family member can change the course of a life so much. She was love wrapped in fur and was truly our girl. She always managed to make a bad day better just by being her sweet self.

Wilson and I miss her like crazy but just having had her with us for the time we did made our lives richer and more full. The beginning of her life was not so good but we did our best to make her time with us full of love and happiness. It was our way of giving back to her a fraction of what she gave to us.

Good bye sweet Maggie. You will always be our best girl!

On our boat, after a long walk - so happy!

MAGGIE

This is the saddest thing I have ever had to write but right now our beloved Maggie is at our wonderful vet's office after spending the night at the Emergency Hospital and she is not doing well at all.

Wilson and I are facing the toughest decision we will ever have to make about her and I am utterly and completely miserable about it. She really is the sweetest dog on the planet and a true lady (other than her love of eating shit, birds and dead things).

We love her so much and want her back with us healthy and happy but we are not sure that it is going to happen. We will know more this afternoon.

Sweet Maggie kisses to all...

DiDi

HOLY CRAP IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME...

Yowza it has been a long time since I have written anything here. Either my life is incredibly boring or incredibly busy....I will lean towards the latter as it has been crazy and hectic and BUSY!!!

Here is the summary of the last 2 months in a nutshell...

• still married to Wilson and he is still wonderful and the best husband in the whole world!
• still the mom to Maggie the Wonder Dog - and she is still the best dog in the whole world!
• planted our garden and it looks BEE-YOU-TI-FULL!
• our boat is in the water - YIPEEE!!!
• Wilson helped Mellie and Jewemy build their new deck
• Maggie had a vet appointment for her spring blood work and it came back GREAT! No more melamine complications from eating that damn Menu Foods stuff for 2 lousy weeks. I thought I was being an indulgent parent by giving her moist food so that she could have some extra calories but instead I almost killed her.
• I coloured my hair brown - so now have to amend the description of us at on the blog as we are no longer the blonde, brunette and redhead. It was not an easy adjustment let me tell you - I had been red for 10 or more years and I loved it. But I now like and am leaning towards loving the brun. I will stay with the brun for a bit I think. Besides Wilson really likes it and that is fun!
• am taking lots of pictures with the new camera. Have got some real winners this summer and all are tired of me with a camera to my face...
• Wilson's dad has fixed my tax-man problem and that beast of burden will soon be off my back and my paycheque. WHEW!!!! This will give Wilson and I a significant chunk of money every month that we have not had for all of our life together.
• was re-org'd again at the office. Not sure about this but at least I still have a job where many people in the company do not. For this, I (and of course Wilson and Maggie) are very grateful. (It would have been delightful to have the summer off though...)
• we have booked our winter vacation - we will be sailing around the Grenadines and Tobago Keys with Kacy, Ed, Kacy's mom and step-dad (whom I adore) and another pair of friends of Kacy's that I am sure will be fun. We can't wait!!!

So in a nutshell dear Internet, you are now up to date. I promise not to be so lax in posting from now on.
Updated kisses to all,
DiDi

EARTH DAY

Ever since I saw An Inconvenient Truth, I have been really working on the ways that Wilson and I can be more environmentally friendly. We have:

• wrapped our hot water heater in some sort of Al Gore approved wrap. It is supposed to make it so that heat stays trapped and we can lower the temperature of the water in the tank. I
• wrapped our pipes so that we don't lose heat there
• we recycle just about everything that we can
• we have a green bin and all other foodstuffs go in there
• we would have a composter but I really hate the bugs and racoons that come with one of those so that is where our green bin picks up that slack.
• when they finally move me to our downtown office, Wilson and I will carpool and I will be taking transit home. For those of you that know me, this is a HUGE sacrifice on my part
• I am trying to make sure that I don't buy products with wasteful packing
• I think I am going to take our produce organic so that I am buying locally and saving the carbon emissions from stuff that is trucked in from around North America
• My next car will be a hybrid - but that won't be for a few years as Wilson and I tend to keep our cars for a long time
• I know that I need to start taking cloth bags to the grocery store but when you have a dog, you need the damn plastic bags for picking up the refuse. Not pleasant but who wants to walk in a park that smells like poo.
• We changed our light bulbs to CFLs - even though they make it hard to read as I find them not as bright.
• I am going to check with our local butcher to see if his meats are procured locally as well - more of the not contributing to the carbon emissions
• We are going to phase out our household cleansers and begin using green prodcuts
• and our last and I think biggest sacrifice of all is using 'green' facial tissues and toilet paper. I am totally a Kleenex and Facelle Royal girl but when I read how many trees this would save, I realized that we had to start this as well. We use cloth napkins all the time except when we are serving canapes before a dinner party - so this helps save some trees.

I realize that this a good start but I believe that we all have to do more. If anyone has any other ideas for me - bring it on. As long as those ideas do not mean that I have to give up pretty shoes, chocolate or red wine - I will give it a whirl.

Green kisses to all,
DiDi

EASTER

Ah, Easter has come and gone and my waistline is ever expanding due to the vast quantities of food consumed over the entire weekend!


The best thing ever about Easter is Good Friday and that it is a holiday. Long weekends absolutely rule and ours was good. We drove 3 hours to my parents' farm and hung out until Sunday morning. Our entire weekend consisted of eating, standing to let the dogs out, eating some more, watching TV, eating and then going to bed. I think everyone now had a clearer picture of why I am ever increasing in size.


Dinners at my parents house were carb fests and I love that about them. Friday dinner was roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with all the appropriate trimmings. Saturday was turkey, stuffing and the appropriate trimmings. And my mom made pies for dessert - YUMMY!!!!! Wilson makes my mother so happy because he eats her food until he can no longer move.


We drove home, unpacked the car and thought - "hey, we have no food in the house, let's go grocery shopping." We are idiots as it was Easter Sunday and everything, and I mean everything was closed up tight. We scrounged ourselves a healthy dinner (salmon, quinoa and wilted spinach). Thank heavens for the pantry!


All in all, a lovely long weekend and I wish that we didn't have to go to work!


Easter bunny kisses to all,
DiDi

GOY PASSOVER

ReRe did it again! She cooked for 2 entire days and created a wonderful passover dinner for all. 7 goyim and 2 Jews celebrated Passover together again. In attendance were Wilson, DiDi, Mellie, Jewemy, ReRe, iPod man, Mary, Graham and their happy son Miles.

ReRe out did herself with all the fixin's of salad, gefilte fish, chicken soup, roasted turkey with matzoh stuffing, carrot tsimis (not sure if spelled correctly) and 3 kinds of dessert. Much wine and I mean MUCH wine was consumed. 8 bottles apparently - and thank God that Wilson was driving home as I drank more than my share.

So many laughs, so much fun and we have begun lobbying for ReRe to do Goy Hannukah. Wilson and I are joining in the fun this year and having the ReRe clan over for Jew Easter. There will be food, wine and everyone leaves with some chocolate.

Thank you ReRe for being the good Jewish mom that you are and giving us goyim our annual Passover experience.

Kosher kisses to all,
DiDi

A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT

Apparently yesterday was a day to blog about war - yesterday being the first day of spring. As with most things in my life, I am late but here are my thoughts...

As a Canadian citizen, I am proud that we did not jump on the US bandwagon to invade Iraq even though we faced a barrage of international pressure. Osama was in Afghanistan and that is where the focus should have stayed. We will never know if the US had kept their forces in Afghanistan, would Osama have been in custody by now.

I have never supported the invasion of Iraq as I thought giving the UN inspectors a bit more time would not have hurt anyone, let put soldiers lives in extreme danger. I have often wondered that with a bit more prudences, how would the outcome have changed. Many soldiers and their families have paid the ultimate sacrifice to be in this unjust war and those who are still fighing deserve to come home. I am tired of the death counts and the debate. Bring the troops home!

Unfortunately, if we leave now Iraq and Afghanistan would be left in ruins and the Taliban and other horrific forms of government would come back in the vacuum left behind. All of the countries that have troops over there, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, need to assist these countries and their citizens in setting up responsible government that provides a secure place for all to live and still respect their traditions and religion.

End the war! Help these countries live in peace! Bring our troops home!

Peaceful kisses to all,
DiDi

THUNK = EXPENSIVE!

Last week was an expensive week for DiDi - quite unintentionally I might add. No I did not go to Holts and purchase a pair absolutely gorgeous but ridiculously expensive Christian Louboutin shoes or a new Burberry or Kate Spade purse. What did I spend my hard earned bucks on you ask??? MY CAR!!!!!

I was working at our downtown office as I had a course that evening (and also needed to get my legs waxed and my esthetician's office is downtown) and at the end of the day, I go to the garage and drive my car out to the street. As I approach the stop sign, I hear a loud THUNK! I think to myself - What in the name of all that is holy did I just run over?

I get out of the car and see nothing so get back in and try to go forward. But my car won't let me go forward. I try to reverse but my car won't let me reverse. At this point - I realize that this is NOT GOOD and will undoubtably cost me a lot of money.

Thus begins the many calls and I realize how much I love my cell phone because of the vast number of calls I had to make after the THUNK made me sit in my car waiting for a tow truck.

Here is my call summary -
1. Wilson to give him the update and arrange for him to pick me up at the subway
2. CAA to get them to come and tow my car away
3. Our garage to let them know of the situation and that the car will be arriving and to fix her.
4. Henry's Camera where my class was being held and let them know that I won't be coming and that I need to reschedule.
5. ReRe to ask her to pick me up the next day on her way to work and also just to vent
6. Brian - just because I was close to his building and I was bored

Finally CAA arrives and they tow my car to the garage and I walk to the subway to go home. I get to the station and the escalator is broken and have to walk up 5 GODDAMNED FLIGHTS OF STAIRS! This would be nothing if I did not have 50lbs of crap that I am lugging around as it could not stay in the car. I get to the top of the stairs utterly exhausted and Wilson is across the street with Maggie getting gas in the car. He takes me home, pours me a large glass of wine and makes me dinner. God I love that man!

The next day I get the call from the garage that my brakes had come apart in the back and that is what is making my car not move. It also seems that it is about to happen with the front brakes as well. FUCKING HELL! Total cost of the THUNK = $735.00. I spent $735 and it wasn't on clothes, shoes, purses or accessories. WTF????

Sure, now I can drive my car and it has new brakes - blah, blah, blah. I would rather have spent the money on shoes - I am a girl after all!

Wish I bought expensive shoes kisses,
DiDi

I HEART NORDSTROMS!

On our recent trip to Denver, that my lovely husband gave me for Valentine's Day, I had some wonderful bonding time with my beloved friend Kacy. Where did we spend such time? Well dear internet, let me tell you. We spent it in Nordstroms! And may I say so that all may know - I LOVE NORDSTROMS AND NORDSTROMS LOVES ME!!!!

We stroll and look and look and stroll and then find ourselves in the happiest place on earth - the shoe department. So many pretty styles to choose from and lovely sales people who are a delight and bring you your size and any shoes that they think you might be interested in.

Of course I find many pairs that I love but am on the hunt for a pretty pair of red, patent leather slingbacks that are all the rage for spring. Bingo!!! There they are along with another delightful pair of pretty blue polka dotted shoes.

Aren't they just the prettiest shoes ever!

Pretty shoes!

Needless to say I can't wait for nice weather so I can wear them. I have outfits all prepared for their first outing.

Be gone with you damn winter so that these pretty shoes can be on my feet not in their box.

Wishing for spring kisses to all,

DiDi

VALENTINE'S DAY, THE WILSON WAY

My beloved husband continues to amaze me. He surprised me but good for Valentine's Day! He got me a trip to Denver, CO and it fit perfectly.

In years past, we used to go and visit my dear friend Kacy in Denver. It was on its way to becoming an annual tradition then Kacy and her husband split up and then Wilson and I split up as well.

Well it is a new year and Kacy is with a dee-lightful man named Ed who I adore and of course, Wilson and I are now married. Don't you just love happy endings! Anyhoo, Wilson knows how much I love Kacy and how I love to see her, visit with her and since she lives in Denver we don't get to hang out very much. So, he went and confirmed all the details with Kacy, arranged for tickets and then told me all about it. What a guy!

Well we went and it was amazing! Not the beginning part where our plane was delayed by 2 hours and the fact that Air Canada lost Wilson's luggage for more than 48hours BUT once we got there, it was outstanding. We went for Mexican, saw a movie, had a great dinner and that was just Saturday. Did I mention that it was 60+ degrees on Saturday? No, well it was and boy did it feel good. Sunday was even better as it was even warmer and we went shopping at Nordstroms and DiDi bought herself some VERY pretty shoes. I also bought Wilson some jeans and t-shirts at The Gap so everyone got something.

Kacy made a kick ass dinner of chicken enchiladas with a cream sauce and she and Ed through an amazing party. Lots of people came and enjoyed. We all drank waaaay to much but thankfully when the next morning dawned, Mr. Hangover was not hanging out with Wilson and I. He was, however, not being very nice to Kacy and Ed. In fact, Ed was not well at all. He kept repeating over and over again that he was never drinking again. And then he looked at my husband and realized that he was not hurting AT ALL from the shots of sambuca that they decided to have after all of us went to bed. His quote changed to "That fucker Wilson isn't even hungover at all!" Kacy was not doing well with her upset stomach and aching head but still managed to be cute and drive us to the airport. How she can be so hungover and still be so damn pretty is beyond me.

We get on the plane, arrive home and pick up our sweet Maggie. All in all, it was a fantastic Valentine's day weekend and I loved my present. However, I love my man more!

Valentine's Day kisses (albeit a little late) to all,

DiDi

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Normally I don't care too much for this, the most Hallmark of holidays but as this is my first married one - I am loving it! I will take any opportunity to tell Wilson how much I love him and today he will beg me to stop all the lurve!

However Internet, here is a very short list of why I love this man:
- he has a great shaped head and this is key because he has not a lot of hair
- he loves me lots
- he is the smartest guy I know
- he loves our dog so much and is very smoochy
- he walks said dog in the cold weather so that I can stay warm
- he is damn sexy
- he is an amazing friend
- he is calm in a crisis
- he makes me laugh
- just because he is him

I look forward to a lifetime of I love you's with you Wilson and with you every day is Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's day everyone and cinnamon heart kisses to all,

DiDi

SERIOUSLY...ENOUGH WITH THE DAMN COLD

It is so damn cold here and yes...I am bitching about it. I know that I live in a country that is cold for 6 months of the year. However, global warming was good to us until mid-January when it was almost balmy for us Canadians. Then it ended with a bloody vengenance and this is what it looks like here now.

We just got another dump of snow - 10 cms with another 10 cms coming today. ENOUGH I SAY!!! I need to feel some warmth and the sun on my face.

Seriously - this is what I look like when I walk the dog. You can't tell whether I am woman or a man. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!

I have to have a serious discussion with Wilson about moving somewhere warm - I can't take it anymore. And to top it off, Mellie is in very warm South Africa now. Bring back some warmth with you Mellie - The Sorority needs it badly.

Stay warm everyone and eskimo kisses to all,

DiDi

HOLY CRAP IT IS COLD!!!!!

I hope that anyone who reads this is not in the grip of the cold snap that we in Toronto are being tortured by right now and for the foreseeable future. It is so cold that when I go out to walk our beloved pooch that I have so many layers on that you cannot tell if I am a man or woman. That takes something people because there are some girly curves on this body. All of me is as hidden from the dratted wind as I can make it.

Our beloved Mellie leaves very soon for South Africa and it is not cold there. She takes with her a full selection of DiDi's summer wardrobe - shoes and all. Thank heavens we are close to the same size so that we can share pretty clothes and shoes. ReRe and I envy Mellie her glimpse of a tropical sun. My clothes are getting a better vacation than me. Bring some of that warmth home with you Miss Mellie - that is the best souvenier you could ever give us.

Stay warm and snuggled up to someone you love! It is the only way to get through this damn cold!

Cold snap kisses to all,

DiDi