Review and Giveaway: The Garfield Show
As a kid in school, we used to have the Scholastic book orders and there were two series I ordered every book from. The first was the Little House on the Prairie series. The second was the Garfield series. I really loved reading the little vignettes and they were a good escape for me. I think part of it was that I just loved cats, and Jim Davis had a knack for capturing the behaviour of cats in a way that explained it to very young readers.
I also loved the Garfield cartoon specials. I had them all (recorded on VHS, of course, from the TV), so when the opportunity came to share Garfield with the Poptart, I immediately said “yes”.
The other weekend (when I wasn’t feeling well), I popped The Garfield Show: Dinosaurs & Other Animal Adventures video in the DVD player. The menu screen shows a few scrolling scenes from the six episodes on the disc so she was able to pick one that interested her.
We started the episode and she was immediately entranced. Although the cartoons are no longer hand-drawn, and I don’t think Jim Davis has much to do with it, the antics of Garfield, Odie and their friends bring back a lot of fun memories. And the fact that I can share this with my daughter means a lot to me.
The best part is that she seems to love Garfield as much as I did. She’ll ask to see the video or part of it about once a day.
And for you, I have a copy of the video to give away. Just leave a comment by January 31 answering the question, “What’s the thing from your childhood you wish you could share with a small person in your life (or a big person, if you have no small people)?
Open to people with a Canadian or US mailing address. Winner will be picked at random with the “And the winner is” plugin.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of the DVD for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Overheard: Here’s an earful for you
Me: “So for years and years I’ve had ear pain and every time I go to a doctor, they look and tell me nothing’s wrong. My sinuses are draining into my throat today, and I had vertigo all weekend.”
Doctor: [getting ear/nose light thing] Mmm-hmmmm. [looks into my ear] [snickers]
Me: You’re going to tell me there’s nothing wrong, aren’t you?
Doctor: Well, looking at it, there isn’t anything wrong. [busts a gut laughing]
Then he gave me a requisition for sinus x-rays and a referral to an EENT*.
How was your Monday?
*Seriously, I have seen probably a dozen doctors over the years about this. He’s the first one who’s done anything beyond taking a took at my ear with the ear/nose light thing.
2012 Resolutions
I’m not usually one for making a lot of resolutions; I have a really bad track record of keeping them, for one, and especially with a toddler the whole resolutions thing has been difficult.
This year, I turn 36. Weightwise and clothing wise I am the largest I have ever been (aside from when I was pregnant). I need to dump some of this weight for a variety of reasons.
Resolution #1: Fit into a size 10-12 by September 2
I’m currently trending around a 14-16, depending on the manufacturer. Ultimately, I’d like to get down to an 8 to 10. I’m hoping I’ll feel better, generally when I lose the first 10 or so pounds.
To this end I am:
- making a big batch of bean soup (2 varieties)
- eating something (a carb and a protein) within an hour of getting up
- planning breakfasts and lunches, with a focus on greens and protein
- starting with soup or salad at dinner to fill up
- Not eating after 8pm
- limiting myself to alcohol one day per week
- limiting myself to one calorie free cola/soda drink per day (355ml)
I have a food diary loaded on my tablet with the necessary calculators. I’ll weigh in every Tuesday morning.
Resolution #2: Get off the zoloft
I’ve written before about how I am loathe to get off the zoloft. I feel better than I’ve felt in years on it. That said, I suspect it is a culprit in the weight gain or at least in my ability to lose the weight I’ve gained.
So before I refill my prescription, I’ll make an appointment with my doctor to talk about weaning off. I plan to wean off and see how I feel, then if needed see about a different antidepressant.
Of course, I’ll be doing other things to mitigate the side effects.
Resolution #3: Complete the Couch to 5K program by March 15
When I did the Run for the Cure, I started the Couch to 5K program and I basically completed enough of it to do the run without dying. This time, I bought the full app, and will be starting it January 3rd. The date of March 15 gives me 12 weeks to do a 10 week program. Hopefully the endorphins created with exercise will help with weaning off zoloft.
Do you have any resolutions? Would you like to join me in any of the ones here (obviously the zoloft thing may not be in the books for you)?
You know you’re a grown-up when…
1. Your mother asks you what you want for Christmas and you ask for store gift cards to shore up your wardrobe and a Bissell Carpet Cleaner
2. You get what you asked for and are totally excited about it, especially the carpet cleaner.
3. And when you have to leave the carpet cleaner at your parents’ because you don’t have room in the car due to all the new toddler toys, you are very, very disappointed.
:facepalm:
How was your Christmas? Did you get what you wanted – grown-up stuff or not?
Tomorrow: New Years’ Resolutions
Rollercoaster
I am a fan of amusement park rides. My first roller coaster was the Scream Machine at Expo ’86; it’s now operating as the Ninja at 6 Flags in St. Louis, Missouri.
I also like the swings. Oh and the tilt a whirl and the teacups. My daughter is pretty much the same – no matter how high we push her on the swing, she always wants, “More swing, Mommy!” You have no idea how much this makes my heart sing.
But it’s been a number of years since I’ve been on an amusement park ride. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been on a rollercoaster this year, mind you. This sort of rollercoaster managed to have highs and lows all at the same time.
My time with Very Large Charitable Organization has come to an end. Because I was loaned out, my employer covered my wages, benefits and some expenses in the form of a smartcar to buzz around to various clients.
Note to self: never buy a smartcar.
Around the same time I started, Darren was laid off. Ultimately the timing for this was great. First, he got to spend time with the Poptart – something he hasn’t been able to do since she was born. They’ve bonded, which for me means she’s becoming a daddy’s girl he can comfort her from time to time (except when she’s sick, of course).
Later in the fall, Darren’s mom had a Major Cardiac Event in the form of a ruptured aorta. She was sent to Vancouver General Hospital, where, deciding it wasn’t enough to have open heart surgery, it would be a good idea to develop pneumonia. And then I blackmailed her into getting better.
At the same time I had some really big wins on some accounts at work – they came in way above expectations.
Darren’s mom was sent back to Kelowna about 10 days after her surgery.
Then the Poptart developed croup. Fever, coughing, wheezing and on Saturday morning, I took her to the hospital for a breathing treatment. The purple-ish lips were a giveaway that she needed some help. That afternoon, she had a 4 hour nap. And spend three days glommed onto me.
Then we dropped $400 on getting some seals in our various sinks replaced. Oh and $600 on snow tires because, hey, Christmas plans changed and in order to drive around in the interior in the winter, you need snow tires.
I’m ready to go back to my regular job (which honestly, I really like). Darren’s ready to go back to work (he has an offer for starting January 9).
I’m ready to get off the rollercoaster.
Wherein I Blackmail My Mother In Law
So in the last post, I alluded to the fact that my mother in law had an aortic rupture.
Lesson number 1: when your blood pressure is normally low or normally and is all of a sudden fluctuating all over the place, demand tests until you can’t be tested any more.
Not satisfied with, you know, nearly dying and all, she decided to have a side of pneumonia.
Sidenote: as I type this, my father in law and Darren are in the kitchen taking my sink apart to figure out why we have no hot water pressure there.
On Saturday, after her surgery on Friday, she was sitting up, talking and joking with the nurses. Then sometime Saturday night, they had to intubate her because of the pneumonia thing. Sunday we went to visit her and she was still intubated. The Poptart was scared of the cardiac ICU and the tubes, but held up well, especially when the nurses gave her cookies.
Darren was…shaken.
The next day, my FIL flew in to Vancouver. I went by Vancouver General to pick him up and she was still intubated. After talking with the nurses, I formulated a Cunning Plan.
I blackmailed her.
I told her, in no uncertain terms, that if she worked hard, and listened to the nurses, and got rid of the breathing tube, Darren would bring the Poptart by for a visit the next day.
An hour later, they took the breathing tube out.
I could use a laugh
2007: mother in law diagnosed with cancer. Treatment successful.
2008: dad diagnosed with prostate cancer. Tratment successful.
2008: mother in law diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment successful.
2009: mother in law falls in deep hole, fractures her spine. Eventually gets help.
2011 spring: my mom diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment successful.
2011 fall: they find something growing in my dad’s bladder. It is removed, found to be cancer, but the kind they just remove and it eventually stops growing back. Then he gets an infection from the procedure and is put on 3 months of antibiotics. Also, some cancerous spots removed from his head.
Last night, my mother in law had an aortic aneurism. She is stable and being flown to Vancouver tomorrow for surgery.
I am a little tired of all of this. So!
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to leave me stupid or dirty jokes in the comments. I could use a laugh.
Cold November Rain
It’s no secret I hate November. It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s rainy. Within a couple of days of going back to standard time, I’m ready for spring or at the very least a week in some warm tropical climate. I turn into myself and prefer staying home rather than going out.
Because I’m home a lot more, I start cooking. I’m talking comfort food hereI’m talking about this weird spurt of domesticity I go through. I start cooking. I think a lot of is that I start craving hot lunches and just want to be able to warm something up at work rather than going out. So I tend to make a lot of soups, stews and other things that can be easily warmed up.
Today’s creation is Acorn Squash Soup. I had a couple of very large acorn squashes hanging around that Darren’s mom had given me and this seemed like the right thing to do with it. Tomorrow for lunch it’ll be paired with a multigrain roll and probably a salad.
How do you find comfort when it gets dark and cold?
The Saga of the Tablet: One Tablet to Rule them All
When I was at BlogHer in San Diego this year, Samsung had a section set up where they let you play with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 inch tablet. I was already in possession of the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate phone, courtesy of Raul and a contest he had run on his blog and quite liked it. The Tab was a bigger version: Android based and light (under a pound)
And I fell in love with it. I entered every chance to win one, but did not.
At the beginning of August or so, Hewlett Packard decided to dump their TouchPads. In a combination of bad marketing and it being overpriced for what it was, they lost money. So they dumped them (and why this was a really smart move is the subject for another post). We managed to get 2 of them for $150 each. The plan was that if I liked the tablet, I would get the Samsung for Christmas.
The HP Touchpads were decent. The Poptart really liked it and they had some awesome apps (and she learned how to play Angry Birds). I found it was a bit heavy to schlep around – they have a large copper coil in them which lets you use the Touchstone stand as a charger. There were a couple of quirks on it – like I couldn’t get the WordPress App to work properly (I could see and respond to comments, but any posts kept disappearing into the wilds of the internets).
At the end of August, the 3 year extended warranty on our Samsung television expired.
You can see where this is going, right?
A couple of weeks later, the television wouldn’t turn on any more – a power supply issue. I contacted Visions to see what they could do about the warranty and they said they couldn’t fix the television, but I could get the money on the warranty back as a store credit because we hadn’t used the warranty (seriously, if you’re local and buying electronics, go to Visions on Kingsway – they are 20 kinds of awesome and the extended warranty is totally worth it. They’ll price match too).
In the meantime, Darren was laid off and took the time to contact an Official Samsung Repair Agent, who suggested we contact Samsung since this was a known issue with their televisions.
About a week later, I was at Futureshop for a business event and talked to the manager about it because we hadn’t gotten an answer from Samsung. He said it usually takes them about a month.
A couple of days later, we got a call from the Official Samsung Repair Agent and they came out to look at the TV. The guy took one look at it and repaired it for free – apparently a couple of capacitors went and it was covered under the Samsung repair program.
And we were left with a $400 credit at Visions.
So last week, I went and got my new Preciousssss Samsung Galaxy Tab. As I suspected, I love it. It’s now outfitted with all the necessary apps (Angry Birds, of course) and plays well with word documents.
I like. And no, I have not been compensated by either HP or Samsung in any way, shape or form. This is merely my tale because I needed something to blog about.
And I really like my Samsung tablet.
Run for the Cure
