ROBBLOG #610

A pox on my Christmas?

Say it ain't so. If I were counting- and I am, this season was been wrought with electrical problems. No less than four strings of white mini-lights have burnt out. The last set- last evening, on a wreath that hangs above our "shed-mahal" door.
That's our garden shed.
We call it the "shed-mahal" because we got carried away with the design many years ago and from the street it looks like a small house, hence the "shed-mahal". The wreath made of grapevine requires a 14 foot ladder to reach it. So, last evening when the lights came on, a string of white lights on the huge wreath were dark.

A year ago I had also wrapped the wreath in a set of red LED lights. The red/white combination looked brilliant! Last night was a warm evening and it sure didn't feel like mid-November as I dragged the wooden ladder from the "shed" and propped it up against the door. As usual, I had to stand a couple of steps from the top on the ladder to grab the wreath from its hook and take it down. Luckily, I had found another set of white LED lights in the garage loft so I set about replacing the one that had turned black. I wonder if there had been a brown-out? I have noticed the lights dim during the evening a couple of times in the past week.
I dunno...

I set about removing the offending lights but the wire was entwined around the red light string and an artificial garland of green fir I had wrapped around the wreath, so, I got the pliers out and cut the wires! A "Tim-the-Tool-Man-Taylor tip"!  I mean that Tim Taylor knows everything about Christmas decorating and yes- I unplugged the set first before I cut! After removing the bits of severed light string, I wrapped the new LED set  around the wreath an  climbed up the ladder to hang the wreath in its place. At least I would be using less energy with the new lights but I still wonder why I have had so many sets go dark this season. The wreath looks great once more.

Now, I have to tell you there is a  fine line between classic decorating for Christmas and "tacky".
Tacky, as an example, would be those plastic, blow up figures once sees in some neighbourhoods- not ours thank goodness, around the city.

Now, don't judge me but I am a little hesitant to tell you this. You see, the past couple of holiday seasons, I have seen an Eiffel Tower up at the Home Depot that lights up and sparkles. Now, keeping in mind that not only have I seen the "real" Eiffel Tower "sparkle" on the hour a couple of times at Christmas and climbed to its very top, I had been tempted to buy this 7 foot replica in previous years. Well now, earlier this week when I was at what my husband and I refer to as "The Homo Depot" buying paint, I saw the replica tower again.
What can I say?
I had a weak moment and shelled out a hundred and thirty-nine bucks for this sparkling white version. I mean the lady at the cash said it would look beautiful with a bit of snow falling.
"Maybe so."- I said, "I just hope it doesn't look tacky."
"No. No. Not at all!"- she replied scanning the bar code on the box.
I noticed she couldn't look me in the eye.

Hennaway, last evening as well as dealing with the light string outage, I also put my "EffelTower" together and plugged her in. She looks good and to tell you the truth, her lights sparkle in the same manner as the lights on the "real" tower there on the right bank in Paris.

Here's a pic of the "real" Eiffel Tower sparkling a couple of years back

Now, this tower is treading the fine line between "classy" and "tacky" but I think I can handle it. My husband Tom's reaction was simply-
"Oh, Honey..." so, that's good- isn't it?
A neighbour from France saw the tower twinkling away last night and said it looked nice.
No, he's not from Nice.

Now, onwards and upwards and here's hoping my seasonal lighting problems will end and I'll "sparkle" through the season.

ROBBLOG #609

Ohm, Boo Hoo Hoo.

America got "trumped".

I figured it would happen. I watched it happen here in Canada when Harper won big.

Grow up America!

You've got muscle.

You've got power.

You've got Hollywood.

You've got our "Will"- Eric MCormack I mean...and

You've got a plethora of memorials to sob over from Pearl Harbour to The Trade Centre.

This is just one more disaster.

So what if your country is being lead by a right-wing, racist, bimbo millionaire. At least, that's what I hear and believe me I don't read or watch that much associated with your magnificent country, so there must be some credence there from what I say because I pay such little attention. Besides, you people have gotten rid of Presidents before- haven't you? Or in some cases- attempted to. It right there in your history books.

I say "your" because you all tend to paint the world's history with your own brush. Give it an American spin if you will.

Now, I am not suggesting that something might happen but you have to be the first to admit with all the guns in your country it's not exactly off the list of improbabilities now- is it?

Up here in Canada...

Now, I have to laugh here. If you take the time to look at a map you'll soon see that a great bit of our beloved Canada is actually south of your Un-unified States.

Go ahead.

Look.

I'll wait..............................................................................................................................

.......................Oh, you're back.

A Typical American Family at Christmas

As I was saying, up here in Canada we had his royal dictatorship Mr. Harper for 10 years before our "Saviour" Justin Trudeau came along- handsome devil that he is. Fortunately for us he has a brain as well. You didn't hear us whining and crying and saying "Oh woe is us!" when we had to endure Harper's right-wing kingdom.

Okay, we did whine a bit but we still have a Queen to pledge our allegiance to so hah-hah to that one.

My advice kids?

Pull up your big boy panties and get on with it already.

I don't know Ms. Clinton or really anything about her except for the fact her husband in his "randy" elected years spewed sperm on an office gal.

Who knows?

Maybe sperm is thicker than water and people just can't forget about that tainted, painted rose and the painted and tainted "Mrs."

I mean honestly? Are you like me?

Every time I see a photo of Mr.s Clinton I think of that sperm stain- and it wasn't even her little dark dress. It was some strumpet's-wasn't it?

Maybe you'll all feel better about "Thumper" once he's hosted Saturday Night Live a few times or sends all the blacks back to Africa or the Mexicans to Canada. I mean really, the Mexicans don't want to go home to Mexico. That'll all happen before he builds the walls of course.

Did you know we have Mexicans in our area? They work the huge produce farms just east of Orillia  along Lake Simcoe's shoreline. They also work the fields of Holland Marsh to the south of us too. These hard-working folks can be seen strolling along Mississaga Street- our main street, on summer nights. A chance to leave the fields behind and come into town to have some fun.

So, that's about all I got for you. I don't really pay much attention to US Politics that would allow me to expand on what I've written here.

WTF you say?

"Yes", I say, I can still live in Canada and ignore your news and sports and political goings-on, if I choose to. Any Canadian can but some of us just get caught up in all your nonsense, just like the rest of the world.

Honestly, I can't wait for our PM Justin Trudeau to send an invite to Trump for a State Visit. By that time her Royal Maj- Liz, will probably get around to doing it too. I think she's just waiting for Justin to go first!