Simplify

Our weekend has been simplified by the weather.

Whatever plans we had to leave the town of Seaforth after 4pm yesterday or today have been stopped by old man winter. Almost all the roads in Southwestern Ontario are closed. We kind of saw it coming on our way home from Goderich yesterday afternoon... but were a little astounded since it hasn't really snowed all weekend... apparently cold + 60km/h winds = whiteouts.

So before settling in for the night we went out to take video of the weather for our audience (insert standard joke about how audience = 4 people here)



Don't feel bad for us though, because soon we will be much, much, warmer. Here's hoping that Jamaica doesn't have a freak snowstorm.

"Lawyer-speak" for Don't Drive on the Wrong Side of the Road

A little excerpt from the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.0. 1990, c.H.8.

Overtaking and passing rules

Passing meeting vehicles

148. (1) Every person in charge of a vehicle on a highway meeting another vehicle shall turn out to the right from the centre of the roadway, allowing the other vehicle one-half of the roadway free.


... because "Thou shalt not drive head-on into oncoming traffic" was way too simple.

Kittens: The Only Thing Tastier than Babies!

Excerpts from Saturday Morning

It's 9:15 am. Both Scott and I have been up for awhile, not being huge on the sleeping in thing. We're still lazing around in our jammies, contemplating breakfast. The phone rings, which is unusual given how early it is on a weekend.

Sara: Hello?

Telephone: (Pause)

Sara: Hello? (To Scott) It can't be a telemarketer, it's way too early for that. Hello?

Telephone: "Click"

Guy on phone: Hello. Can I speak to S. Wisking?

Sara: Uh yeah, that's me.

Guy on Phone: Hi! I'm calling from Capital One to inform you that you've been pre-selected for a credit card! We would love to have you as a Capital One customer! Our card has lots of great....

Sara: (interrupting) Umm. It's 9am on a Saturday and you're calling to talk to me about credit cards? 9am on a Saturday? Seriously?

Guy on Phone: Ummm... yes..

Sara: (laughing) Great way to sell credit cards.

Guy on Phone: I'm sorry, but really I don't want to be here either.

Sara: (Feeling bad for the guy with the crappy job) Yeah, I get that. Totally not your fault. But maybe you could pass a message along to your boss over there at Capital One? Calling me at 9am on the weekend is NOT a good marketing strategy. Seriously. SO not a good thing.

Guy on Phone: Yeah. I'll pass that on.

Sara: Alright, well good luck and have a good day.

Guy on Phone: Thanks, you too.

Shoplifting is a Victimless Crime... Like Punching Someone in the Dark

So a pet peeve of mine: Signs that give BAD legal advice.

In Walmart, the little signs in the ladies room warn against shoplifting.

They say something to the effect of:

"Shoplifting is not a game, or a thrill. It is a crime, and even for a first offence you could get a criminal record that will haunt you for life, and even a lengthy jail term!"

This sign makes me mad every time.

Two things, first.

1. I am not pro shoplifting.
2. This is not legal advice.

I guess the sign is fairly well placed, and I'm sure it deters people... but what bugs me is that the sign is pretty much WRONG!

If you shoplift, for a first offence, will you get a criminal record? That's hit or miss. Definitely there is a possibility. It'd depend on the value of what the person stole, their age, their character, how they presented to the court.... and so on... but the reality is a whole lot of shoplifters probably end up with records and a whole lot don't.

But... the odds of someone going to jail on a first offence for shoplifting? Remote, at best. I'm not saying that shoplifting isn't a crime... or isn't wrong... all I'm saying is that here in Canada anyway, we don't typically throw first-time shoplifters in jail. No matter what Walmart has to say on the matter.

Again, I don't agree that stealing is right.... but if you're going to make signs about the topic make sure they're factually correct... but I guess a sign that says:

"Shoplifting is a crime. It is not a thrill, or a game. For a first offence, you may have to pay a fine to charity to have the charges withdrawn, or end up getting an absolute or conditional discharge with no criminal record, or maybe end up with a criminal record, for which you can be pardoned in 3 years. And if this is about your 6th offence or more? And you aren't under 18? There might be a likelihood you could end up in jail for a little while."

Guess that doesn't have the same ring to it, now does it?

Another Cop-Out

A Meme from Stacey. I've been up since 4am, for no reason, and it feels wrong to go in to work so early... so since I've been tagged... here it is.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate for sure. Raw eggs do not make good juice. Egg nog= gross.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa most certainly wraps presents.

3. Coloured lights on the tree and house, or white?
Coloured everywhere. Blue LED outside, and multicoloured on the tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
The first or second week of December. Anything before my birthday is way too early for Christmas decorations.

6. What is your favourite holiday dish?
Every Christmas Eve we have fondue. I think that wins, but my Uncle Danny's Green Beans are a close runner up.

7. Favourite holiday memories from childhood?
Oh I have a ton...
- Playing on Christmas Eve with Terri to keep the excitement in check. One year we made a snowduck, one year a 6 hour Domino Rally marathon. Most years we ended up kicked out of our houses due to our hyperness.
- Talking to Terri on Christmas morning to tell each other about presents.
- Going to my grandparents house (I especially loved the Christmas Bear they had, and the bowl of Hershey's Miniatures and chocolate mint patties they had on their dining room hutch).
- The year that my aunt Jane got me a Pogo Ball AND a Groove Tube (both the toys I wanted. I was sure I was the luckiest kid ever)
- Christmas Eve with my Aunt Heather and Larry, having a fondue.
- Volunteering for Christmas dinner at the Salvation Army. I was always the one who served the gravy.
- The year we had an ice storm on Christmas, and we cooked breakfast on the wood stove downstairs cause we had no power.
- High School Christmas parties where we went toboganning and then ended up watching Muppets Christmas Carols, and then of course later on, Jon parties which were a little less wholesome.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I agree with Stacey on this one... really Santa just kind of faded out of the picture for me. There was no "big shocking moment".

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, every year we open up a present from my Aunt Heather and Larry.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
KFC is the required tree decorating meal. I have a strong, unwavering belief that a Christmas tree should play host to as many tacky decorations as possible.

11. Snow... love it or dread it?
Mostly dread it, but if I've got no place to go... Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

12. Can you ice skate or ski?
I can skate, and if you call skiing right into the parking lot without the ability to stop skiing, then I'm your man.

13. Do you remember your favourite gift?
It'd have to be a tie between the Animator and the Atari... both in about Grade 5

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Spending time with family and friends.

15. What is your favourite holiday dessert?
Ice Cream Yule Log

16. What is your favourite holiday tradition?
Christmas Eve having a fondue with Heather, Larry and the kids, while Heather and I quote the Grinch at every opportunity and we all wear Christmas cracker paper hats.

17. What tops your tree?
The tackiest star Zellers had for sale.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving

19. What is your favourite Christmas Song?
The 80's Band-Aid song "Do they know its Christmas"

20. Do you go to church on Christmas eve?
Nope.

I tag Heather, Alley and Leslie

God Bless us, every one!

See how many you can identify.

"Roast Beast is a feast I can't stand in the least"

"Nobody wants a CHARLIE in the Box"

"Happy Birthday!"

"I am a bank robber! I have come to rob your bank!"

"That's TWO! TWO worried Frogs!"

"It came without packages, boxes or bags."

"Don't forget the chocolate pot roast with smishmashio... With smiminish... With yogurt."

"It's not a bad little tree. All it needs is a little love!"

"Fog's as thick as peanut butter!"

-- "Santa doesn't leave presents under the bodhi tree!"
--"Do you think we can bribe her back with Christmas?"
-- "You can save more souls with roller skates and Easy Bake Ovens than you can with this 2000 page sleeping pill!"

"We evil magicians have to make a living too!"

"I heard there is no Christmas. In the silly Middle East. No trees, no snow, no Santa Claus. They have different religious beliefs..."

"Me I want a Hula Hoop!"

"Every Christmas it's all the same! I always end up playing a shepherd."

"Haven't I ever told you anything about Bumbles? BUMBLES Bounce!"

"Christmas. It's not the getting. It's not giving. It's the loving. There. I said it. Now get outta here!"

Christmas at the McWisking House

Shamus lives in the tree for most of December.










The tree (note extra tacky Zellers star on top. Also, we have the only tree that wishes you Merry Christmas from Allison!)


















Christmas is clearly for cats.

30 Days

I must say that after 30 straight days of blogging, I feel nothing but bored.

Maybe this is an experience I will look back upon with fondness, but for right now it will be nice to have a Friday night where I don't have to worry about blogging early or coming home in time to write something, stealing internet access while out of town in order to blog, or coming up with something to say when really I would much rather spend my time on just about anything else but the computer.

Really, in retrospect, I probably should have blogged less from home and more from work (on my lunchbreak, of course. Hi FAC!)... instead of taking time away from my freetime.. of which there is never quite enough.

I've often said that anyone who says they don't have time/money for something just doesn't value the thing they aren't doing/buying... really saying "Oh I don't have time to go to the gym" or "I don't have money to buy " doesn't mean there isn't a free minute in your day to go work off the pudge, or that you don't really have a dollar to spend on that random luxury item, it is really just an excuse. A fancy way of saying "I don't place value on ". If the thing was REALLY valued, people make time or save/reallocate money (within reason, of course). So all of that being said, please clearly understand what I mean when I say:

I might not have time to blog in the next little while.

I'm not sure if my blogs in the future will be more frequent or more lacking, as a result of this exercise. Who knows, maybe it'll be about the same as before. On the positive side, I do feel a sense of accomplishment... having stuck to something for a whole 30 days. They say rehab is only 28!!!

End of NaBloPoMo

We're nearing the end of this whole month.

I've noticed that every day, people stroll in through the randomizer. I've been getting hits from all kinds of fascinating places.

So, for lack of anything better to do.... I'd love to hear from anyone who's new. Anyone here who strolled in through the randomizer? Anyone here who has been lurking? Today is the day... unveil yourselves please! It'd really make my day.

Let's Talk Politics

A Federal By-Election took place last night, in my old London riding of London North-Centre. Not much of a surprise that the Liberals won, having a strong candidate (after the retirement of Joe Fontana, former Liberal MP). The true shock, however, is that the Conservatives, who parachuted in what they must have felt was a strong candidate, a former London mayor who had moved to Washington, came in third. Still not the really shocking thing, as although the NDP will probably not form a government in the near future, their popularity is growing and it would make sense for the Tories to come in third to the NDP... but the real shock is that the NDP came in FOURTH... with third place going to... THE GREEN PARTY!

With 26% of the popular vote!

A small victory for the Green Party... despite not winning the election.

So, in two by-elections the Conservatives are 0 for 2. Is this a litmus test for Canada?

My non asked for advice: The Liberals need to get themselves a leader and move on with an election. Maybe the time is right.

Impending Doom

This was exactly one year ago...

We were snowed in for a couple of days as all of the highways were closed. (link)

Now it is 10 degrees outside and the grass is still green. But not for long...

There must be a price to pay for such a nice November.

Better Late than Never...

Since I'm running out of things to talk about on here, I'm taking this opportunity to post pictures from our honeymoon.

After thinking long and hard about what to do for our honeymoon, we decided that a local trip would be the way to go. We were fairly short on cash, we were planning to take a more international trip during the winter, we didn't want to waste the last few days of summer going somewhere tropical, and only had 4 or 5 days. Given all of this, and after it coming highly recommended, we decided to check out Montreal and Quebec City.

If anyone is thinking of going to Quebec City, let me tell you that I highly recommend it. Seriously, it is probably the most romantic place you can go without going to Europe. It far surpassed our expectations (although we're still pretty psyched about our trip somewhere warm). So... without further adieu, find pictures of the trip.

We arrived in town in the early afternoon, and after a tour of the aquarium we decided to check out the walled city and find something french to eat. We weren't disappointed when we found fondue for dinner, at a lovely little french restaurant on the patio.

We explored the city, which was absolutely breathtaking. We quickly realised that our trip was not long enough, and we cancelled our whitewater rafting and whalewatching plans, as we both were totally in love with the city and wanted to take in all of the history. I'd been to Quebec City in Grade 7, for a school trip, but apparently you can't appreciate Quebec City at age 12.

We took a ghost tour, a boat tour, a self guided walking tour, checked out the little boutiques, walked the Plains of Abraham, checked out local churches, and a horse drawn carriage tour around the town. We rode the furnicular, walked the Casse Cou staircase, ooohed and ahhed at the Chateau Frotenac, and generally checked out the sights.

We totally regretted spending a whole day in Montreal instead of coming straight to Quebec City.

Our last day was spent at the Montmency Falls, which are taller than Niagara Falls. Always a fan of falls, we had a great time. On the way up the Cable Car it rained, and it rained, and it rained. It was the first and only rain of the honeymoon, and lasted about 30 minutes. As we reached the top, the skies cleared and the sun came out again.

The outcome? A cable car to ourselves, very few tourists, and a lunch table overlooking the falls. After our wedding being rained on, we were graced with awesome weather karma. Definitely a fair trade off, although great weather for both would have certainly been better.

Because I like Bandwagons

... and savage norsemen.




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* Henly. Don't show this video to Jade. You might encourage a belief in Santa, as well as talking cucumbers and a sense of childlike wonder. Be warned.