R.I.P. Owl & Puffy

Selena is devastated. This afternoon we were headed out when were heard a kufluffle in the hen house. She ran in and comes out screaming. I run in and see a dead hen, Owl the favorite. I turn the place upside down and find nothing predator like. We take Owl and put her in a safe place and after Selena calms down we go run errands.

When we get home I decide to check the hens "just in case". Yup, another dead hen, Puffy. This time blood everywhere. So Selena and I stuff the remaining 2 hens and 2 roosters into a cat carrier and ferry them into the house, they are not amused, but better ruffled feathers than be a midnight snack. Tonight we have 4 fowl in the dog crate and the rabbit spending the night in the cat carrier.

According to a friend who keeps chickens it is most likely a mink. They can get through teeny tiny holes. I don't know if our coop will ever be secure again. sigh. Fortunately Selena has calmed down and the "rescue" mission seemed to help her. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do next.

Why is it? #4 (I Think)

Why is it that people in government offices always phone on a Friday afternoon? They leave a cryptic message with their name and number, never why they are calling, so you have to wonder all weekend what they want.

Yep, EI called yesterday afternoon. Great. I hope nothing was wrong with my claim, that ended last January.

Update :
First of all I had to wait through a 5 minute long voicemail message before I could even enter the extention number, then the person I needed to talk to was not available. That was Monday. This morning he calls back and asks me to participate in a survey about my retraining experience. Arghh! Why could he not say that in his first message!? I've been worrying all weekend, although Chris at work reminded me that when the government wants something (like money) they send a letter.

My Son, "the Smart One"

When I got home from work last night Ryan told me that he was going to be going tubing at Mt Washington (the ski hill a few hours from here) with his cousins today. Great! What time was he getting picked up? Sometime around 4pm, he says. I thought that was bit odd but he was sure about it. Fast forward to the knocking on the door at 0630 this morning. Ahh, Ryan's cousins are here. Ryan is, of course, fast asleep. I wake him up and he gets moving but still isn't awake and thinks he has slept all day. While his cousin Nikki is waiting for him at the door his other cousin runs up to see what is taking so long. He says "Ryan is still in bed? He got the times wrong? I thought he was the smart one!"

I had to laugh! Ry is smart but not exactly what I'd call organized. //sigh// He's just a typical teenage boy. I'm so glad that even though he will be 17 soon that he isn't interested in driving yet (I already have enough grey hair). There does seem to be a conspiracy against me getting any sleep lately - between this morning's early rising, my noctural phone caller and the dogs deciding 4am is a good time to play. . .

Murphy's Law

Drives me crazy! I've been halfway expecting a phone call from overseas so have been keeping the phone nearby just in case. Well, I've had 2 calls on my cell from "unknown" which I suspect might be the one I'm waiting for - but the first one was at 0040 (1240am - and I didn't even hear the phone) and the second was during Valentine's dinner service when my phone was in the staff room. //sigh// So I wait some more.

Last night I missed it again! //aarggh// I know it was the one because this time caller id got a number (or most of it, anyway) but of course, it came at 0230. I actually had my cell nearby but I am a really sound sleeper and didn't hear it until the last ring. Please, if you ever need to call overseas, check the time zones first. //sigh//

Update: He called back! And it was evening and I was awake. Yay!

When it Rains it Pours

but I can't complain because in this case it means more work for me. Fatima had someone off sick the week before last so I went in to help with lunch for a few days, I guess I did a good job because she asked me to do Monday lunches. Cool! So I did my Friday & Saturday dinners and Sunday brunch at la Pommeraie (hereafter called "Merridale"), then Monday lunch at Bistro One Sixty One (hearafter called "Bistro"). Fatima has a horrible cold so I went in for Tuesday lunch as well, then back to Merridale for Valentine's Day dinner.

As I'm settling in for my 2 days off Fatima calls me back to Bistro for lunch yesterday and today. They are only 4 hour shifts but still work. I don't know yet if she'll want me for tomorrow as well, I'm also back to Merridale for 3 days starting tomorrow. In all I think it's 11 days/12 shifts in a row. //groan// However, it's 11 days in a row = halfway decent paycheque!! //happy dance//

One of Those Random Questions

I stopped at Burger King the other night on my way home from work (mmm, baked potato . . .) and it suddenly occurred to me - if people who work in fine dining eat at fast food restaurants, where do the people who work at fast food restaurants eat? I mean besides at home? Which is where we should all be eating because it's way cheaper but who wants to cook after a 12 hr double shift?

Got a Dog? Need a Collar?

I think a mentioned at some point in the past my scary Visa balance. I also have a huge fabric collection or perhaps "hoard" is a better description. In the interest of having more closet space and at the same time trying to make a dent in the Visa balance I have a creative solution. I'm making dog collars and coats. They were originally designed for sighthounds but I have given them (for Christmas) to a springer spaniel, a german shepherd, and a couple of shelties, so they are truly for all breeds.

Most of the things I'm making are limited edition or one of a kind. So far I have opened an Ebay store and am working on website. I have about 30 collar and leashes of different styles listed and have about 50 more in progress. The coats and sweaters will follow shortly - there are 3 in the works at the moment. I've been practising off and on for almost 3 years making these things and they are finally at a point when I am confident enough to "go public."

So visit my Ebay Store Eureka Creek Houndware and buy a collar or leash or both. Introductory pricing is on until 14 Feb 06.

Here are a few shots of the collars:

Eat Out in February

This month, on Friday and Saturday nights, la Pommeraie is offering a 3 course meal for $30 per person (plus tax and tip). The owners are trying very hard to get the word out about this restaurant, so check out the Three for Thirty and pass it on. The food is great (I know, I cook it!), the server is excellent, and the ambience is nice too.

I recommend the confit - the chicken is cooked in duck fat, which I admit sounds awful, but it tastes SO good. The soups are always good as well, and I have nothing against the spinach salad. All the mains are nice, and so are the desserts, although the cheesecake is particulary tasty.

These is also a nice menu for Valentine's Day. It's 6 courses and requires reservations. I'm not sure how much space is left but it has been booking fast.

Get Corked

As I mentioned below I am now on the odd job list at work to get extra hours, so I get a call yesterday to go in and help with bottling cider. The whole process is actually quite interesting, my part in the process, however, was not. I now have a whole new job to add to my list of bizarre and mostly useless skills not to put on my resume - bottle wiper and boxer. //laugh// I spent 3 hours wiping any leakage off the bottles after corking and putting them back in the box. We did about 1000 (give or take a dozen) bottles of Winter Apple. The get filled by machine, then corked by hand, which is why it takes so long.

How . . . Ironic?

I'm not sure if irony is the right term to use here and I'm too tired to go look it up. So there.

Irony at Work - I'm trying to get more than my current 18 or less hours a week, so my boss offers to call me if she needs any odd jobs done. Cool. I say, "no problem, I'll even clean bathrooms." So what is the first extra job I get - yup, cleaning the bathroom. //sigh//

Irony at Home - I had my cell in my pocket at work, crouch down to get something, hear a nice "crunch" sound. Ooops. Yeah, now my phone doesn't work. Of course, the warranty is expired, so I go online and for a few bucks (and a few more years on my contract //ouch//) I upgrade my phone. The next day the phone is working again.