Somewhat Busy Today

We made stuffed lasagna for dinner yesterday and the recipe called for broccoli, but as you know Rob can't stand it. So I substituted asparagus (just as good for you) and it turned out well. Got the recipe from that Fat Free cookbook I was showing you yesterday. M'mmm calls for Ricotta cheese which is kind of like cottage cheese only with a bit more bite to it. They didn't have French loaf that the Parmesan garlic bread so we got Italian instead. Instead of buying lasagna noodles, Rob made some using his pasta machine. Turned out good and there's leftovers they are very filling.

But we spent over an hour in Zehr's and the tally came to $60 I think but we redeemed the remainder of our free grocery points to start fresh and the total we paid was $3 LOL I got a water bottle that I can carry around that holds 22 oz. Drink 3 of those and that's my 8 glasses of water that they recommend. Checked my weight this morning and down to 157, so total lost is 6 pounds. I didn't get much exercise yesterday and the day before kind of relapsed and made two sandwiches for lunch instead of one and yogurt and water and had more chocolate than I probably should have the day before that. I was feeling a little sluggish too having only had 4 cups of tea all day so I was probably a little dehydrated.

We priced the little mini cuisinarts and they are $49 at Crappy Tire... so going to see if they come on sale again. Rob suggested getting a new cuisinart because of the bowl on mine. I said NO! It still works and I'm probably holding on to it more for sentimental value - it's about 30 years old and my Mom bought it when I was a baby. He said most people want new so if one part goes the whole thing goes in the garage sale. I must be a dying breed because I'd rather pay $30 for a part than pay $200 for brand new when the old one still works just as good. He admitted that he'd be one of those that would buy new and toss old one. I was surprised LOL He saw a Hamilton Beach one at Zeller's website for $39 but I don't like the look of it plus it only has one speed: puree. The cuisinarts have two speeds puree & chop and I just think they are generally a better brand and stand the test of time: this one 30 years old and still ticking. Zeller's doesn't carry them. And when we checked Zeller's inventory - they didn't have any of their food processors in stock. The store here in town is such a joke. Even for buying clothes. Nothing for the 30something crowd. Either high school kids into skin tight whatever, or 80-90 year old granny panties (that I'm sure the 80-90 year old crowd can't stand)

I'm thinking of turning my website into a photography store and sell some of my prints. I set up an online shopping cart and will have to overhaul my site (but leave the HLC portion intact) I am watching the mail for this year's fall fair program and thinking of showing one of my photos. Every year they have a theme and you take a picture with that theme in mind. The program will have that theme in it but it probably won't show up until spring. I looked at the one last year to see what the prizes were. They are pretty dismal but it's more of the honour of winning in a competition. The photos have to be matted and framed and 1st prize is $7 LOL They have competitions for everything you'd be amazed. Best tart, best bread, best pie, best short story, best this best that. Everything under the sun. And everything is judged. I was talking with Rob about it and he said go for it I bet you'd win. So will think about it when I get that flyer to see what the theme is.

I went to Conestoga College's website to see what they offered for web design and nothing was open. Will try again later maybe closer to spring. I think University of Waterloo has an online edition of it but have to confirm. If people are going to be referred to me for websites I may as well become fully trained. That way I can charge more and feel more comfortable when people say "what would this look like?" and it would take me a day to figure out how to do it with google searches, plus I want to get into flash. I have the program to do it, but when I open it I'm in a daze and get dizzy. The guy I'm doing this website for is giving me $200 to do a page and put up his online shopping cart.

Can't wait to get that camera stuff I ordered. My friend Julie suggested I wait two weeks from the time of shipment as that's the typical wait with customs and such.

Well, the dishes are a-callin' and I best get my counter cleaned off. Rob is at work this morning because of a meeting but should be home this afternoon. Not sure what the plan is. I still have yet to eat breakfast.

Jenn

Poem

The Kind Of House

The kind of house that I grew up in
Was the one you could chase a scraggy pup in
And let old Tabby sleep on your bed
This house had the smell of baking bread
And linen fresh from the wind-blown line
And a potbellied stove burning pitchy pine.
The rugs were worn on the creaky floors
Of the many rooms. But the roms had doors
And the doors would shut so a child could lie
With the cat by a wonderful sky
And read or dream or stare at a bird.
For here was a house where nobody'd heard
Of being adjusted: you yelled and fought
And worked and loved. And you sang a lot.
And growing up in this house was such
That you rarely noticed the process much.

~Georgie Starbuck Galbraith~

Home Renovation Tax Credit

Harper Government's new Home Renovation Tax Credit to take effect today

Prime Minister Harper visits Ottawa home renovation site and meets workers who will benefit under tax credit plan.

28 January 2009

Ottawa, Ontario

Effective today, any Canadian who spends money on home renovations will be eligible to receive up to $1,350 in tax relief thanks to the new Home Renovation Tax Credit proposed in the Harper Government’s Economic Action Plan.

“Every time Canadians invest in home renovations, they are helping to create construction and building-supplies jobs in their own communities,” said the Prime Minister. “By providing an incentive for Canadians to invest in their homes, we are also encouraging them to invest in local jobs.”

To highlight the kind of projects that will be eligible under this plan, the Prime Minister visited an Ottawa-area home renovation site and met with a local contractor who will be better able to protect and create jobs thanks to the additional home renovation projects that will be encouraged through this tax credit.

The Home Renovation Tax Credit will provide a one-year, temporary 15% income tax credit on eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired between January 27, 2009 and February 1, 2010. The credit may be claimed on eligible expenditures exceeding $1,000 but no more than $10,000.

The Home Renovation Tax Credit is one of several initiatives to help homeowners and homebuyers that is contained within the Harper Government’s Economic Action Plan. Before homeowners, homebuyers, and local construction and building supply workers can benefit from these new initiatives, Parliament must pass the 2009-2010 Federal Budget.

Source: http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=2403

Boy this will come in handy when we start working on the house this summer!!!!

**Ironman**

Read this incredible story and then watch the video...

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.
They went on to complete the marathon together.
Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.
One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.'
To which, his father said 'Yes' too.

For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever.
The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this race at.....

Cleaning

Got fed up with the coffee spray on the kitchen wall (that defies logic to be honest....) so went on a cleaning spree in the kitchen. Scrubbed down the floor, walls and scraped down the fridge door (which was ripe with nicotine stains) so most everything is shiny. Still more to do so might do that today. Rob is off work.

I've also been doing website updates for a local disc jockey, he wanted his site banner updated and some grammer errors done that his friend did when he initialized the site for him. He has more changes so will get paid when he brings the next batch of changes around.

Also got a call from a gentlemen yesterday about web design he said he'll pay me anything just wants it done LOL He'd been fiddling with it for 6 months and can't get it going. I told him I charge $100 for the first page and $50 for each subsequent page. I think he was expecting a higher price LOL Both these websites the DJ's and this gentleman's site were referrals from Paul. I'll have to thank him for the business. He advertises that the business offers web design but they outsource it, so guess he decided to outsource it to me for awhile to spread the business LOL I'll have to call that guy today and setup a meeting date to discuss his site. He's from Teeswater that's a good trek from here so maybe he can come here or we can meet at a halfway point in a Tim Horton's :)

34ºF out there right now actually above freezing w00t!

Camera stuff I ordered hasn't come in yet. It was shipped from Oregon on Monday by regular Int'l mail. Hope it doesn't take too long, I always worry when expecting a parcel hoping it gets here in one piece and not one million. I hate relying on Postal Service and as such has no tracking number. Don't think I'll order from this guy again the worry isn't worth it and he didn't provide insurance.

Jenn :D

Quote

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
~Alfred Lloyd Tennyson~

Politics.

I imagine the internet is going to be quiet today as people will probably be glued to the television watching the Inauguration.

As a Right Wing Canadian, I have mixed emotions about what the next four years will bring. Up here, our experience with Left Wing politicians have been less than favourable in my opinion. Throwing the country further into debt with their socialized spending and raising taxes to the point that unless you're in the Upper Middle Class/Low High Class tax bracket (and even they were suffering) both parents had to work and stick the children in daycare, which was subsidized by the government for single moms on welfare. I don't get it.

Call me old fashioned but I do believe the Mother should stay at home with the children. It will be a cold day in Hell before I let some stranger with a college diploma look after my children. They push too much adult education (girls are learning at age 8 what their menstrual cycle is and both boys and girls are learning how to have sex at age 9) that should be taught by either Mom or Dad when the child is ready (because we all know each child is different) to learn or starts asking questions. This is NOT for the state to decide.

The current federal government cut taxes so that there is more money in the pockets of Canadians. He even lowered (gradually) the federal sales tax from 7% to 5% which might not sound like a lot, but it adds up. Joe Blow with zero credit can't just walk in off the street and get a $500,000 mortgage with no down payment. I had to jump through hoops to get my $12,000 car loan and that's a good thing. I earned my good credit. I have had zero handouts. When I was laid off from work, I dipped into my unemployment. I didn't go on welfare. I worked and I got a job that was right for our circumstance. I got my car paid off and now I do volunteer work since we are one of the few that can afford to have me at home tending to the house and cooking meals.

Another thing is that we have 5 banks nationally. We don't have independent banks or Provincial banks like there is State banks that I saw while travelling in the US. And all our deposits are protected by banking insurance that is required by LAW.

While I love the beautiful US of A, and will continue to visit my many friends that live in the beautiful country, I will continue to be PROUD as a Canadian that we don't screw up too bad!

Just my 2¢ (more like $2 worth - here's a toonie or as some of us like to say "the queen's bear bottom") worth, eh!

Jenn