Tricia's Musings

Random Thoughts about life in general, living in the big city of Toronto



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Enough of the cold weather – hurry up summer!

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Wordless Wednesday

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You know … I just realized that today is Thursday. I’ve been so busy with my puppy lately and so tired as a result that I seem to have lost track of the days!

I’m already longing for summer. It’s been so cold here in the last week! Lots of snow, ice and rain and temperatures below freezing most of the time. Yuck.

I can’t wait for Spring and then Summer … especially now that we have a dog. The beach will become one of our regular destinations to take the dog I’m sure. It will be fun to walk along the boardwalk and the sandy beach with Midnight.

Being a Labrador Retriever I’m certain she’ll love the beach too, and I won’t be the least bit surprised if she does some swimming in the lake either.





Infomercials – Do you buy the products you see advertised?

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As usual I’m up late watching TV and trying to dodge the infomercials.

Do you watch infomercials late at night?

I remember telling my niece that the one time I watched a whole infomercial I ended up buying the product! Not that I normally would do that, but it was the Magic Bullet blender and obviously it was a good infomercial – it got me to buy the blender didn’t it?

I do love my Magic Bullet. I use it mainly to make fantastic fruit smoothies. I don’t make them often but when I do they are fantastic … especially with a little rum or vodka in them.

I often wonder about the ginsu knives that I see advertised. Are they really as sharp and as good as advertised? I think those commercials have been on TV my whole life! Why don’t I already have some Ginsu knives?

I really enjoy cooking and baking and yes, I do have a nice set of knives, but when you do a lot of work in the kitchen you often realize that you could use a special knife or another item to help you get things done faster or better.

Do you ever buy products that you see advertised in infomercials or perhaps on the shopping channels? Have you been happy with your purchases?

Putting aside my hopes of travel

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I was hoping now that I got Chris to go on a trip, and since he did ok with flying this time, that we’d be able to start traveling more.

Then we got a puppy.

I can’t seem to get much of anything done now that we have this energetic ball of fur running around!

I’m so tired and my Crohns is starting to act up bad – probably from the lack of sleep and increased activity.

Well, I guess we can still go on trips to places that we can drive to at least.

I had been hoping to get out to Vancouver sometime in the New Year – perhaps in the Spring or early Summer, but driving there takes four or five days so we’d have to take at least three weeks to make a proper trip of it. Might as well plan on going to one of those Hawaii bed and breakfast. It’s just not going to happen right now.

The puppy won’t even be a year old until the end of August and that seems like forever to me right now. The way she chews things and goes into what I call parana mode (all mouth!) I don’t think we’d even bother to ask any of our friends to look after her until she calms down some.

Do I sound like a new mom or what?

We have to replace the DLP TV light again!

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I know I’ve mentioned before that we have a large DLP television set. Well, approximately every two years or so you need to replace the light bulb in the TV.

Last summer our first light went out with little warning at all. Just poof and no more TV picture.

Now it seems that the light we currently have in the TV is failing. Yes it’s only be a bit more than a year since we bought the last one, but this light’s fan makes the worst humming and buzzing sound! We still have a picture and it looks good but the noise from the lights fan is just awful.

Lately it’s been sounding like we have a workshop in our living room when we first turn on the TV. It’s sort of a ringing, buzzing saw kind of sound. Then once the TV warms up the sound is quieter but still irritating.

I blame myself for the TV’s light beginning to fail so early. I stay up late at night because of my Crohn’s pain and I keep the TV on for company. So the poor TV is on for 12+ hours each day.

Considering that the light is so important to the TV they should be made to be kept on for extended periods of time but I guess they aren’t.

So Chris went to a special electronics supplier earlier today to pick up a new bulb for our TV. We’re waiting for the light to reach normal indoor temps before we put it in the TV … it was a long cool car ride.

At least the light was a little cheaper this time … only about $250. Last year it cost us closer to $400!

When we get a new TV we will not be getting another DLP. It has a great picture but there’s just too many problems. A TV should work well for at least 10 years without having to replace parts. Geesh!

Puppies and hot kitchen stoves don’t mix!

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Trying to cook is very difficult with a puppy following you around everywhere you go! Well, attempting to do anything is a little harder than it used to be.

I don’t know how many times she’s sat down right in front of me as I was walking from one room to another or cut in front of me causing me to trip in an effort to avoid trampling her! Silly dawg!

We’re having meat lasagna tonight and I’m heating it up in the oven. I just went to check on the food. Pup was lying on Chris and she was looking mighty sleepy so I thought I’d have a moment to myself in the kitchen.

No such luck. She’s very motivated by food since we’ve been giving her treats when she does something good. Basically saying the word good makes her think a treat is coming her way! Good pee, Good poop, Good sit and even Good walkie to get her to walk beside us when we go for walks (it works!).

Anyway, she followed me in to the kitchen. I got the oven mitts out and tried to block Midnight with my body and legs as I attempted to open our gas stoves door. Of course she thought it was a game and tried to leap towards the slowly opening door of the stove. It doesn’t help that the stove door squeaks.

I tried to open the stove three times without luck before Chris came to my rescue and held her back so that I could check on our food.

Yes, we have a crate and I could have put her in the crate, but to do that just for a moment doesn’t seem all that fair. On the other hand, if she got badly burned by the hot stove I’d feel terrible and I’d wish that I had put her in the crate.

I’m so glad that everyone suggested we get a training crate when I was talking about getting Midnight and shortly after we brought her home. She loves her crate – it’s filled with toys, and sometimes I hide a treat or two in her bedding – so what’s not to love?

The crate has helped me have some much needed time to myself for an hour or two each day, and it’s given her a safe place to sleep at night.

So how do you protect your pets when you are doing things in the kitchen or around the house that might be dangerous for them? Like keeping them from hot stoves?

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