AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

[shueaddict]

Good glorious morning, affies,

The sun is up on this super clear day, sadly I cannot go up the mountain too far, need to pick up kids for playdates and make them lunch ...

Coffee is out on the terrace ( I actually took a pic but cannot post as photobucket is not cooperating). Decaf for Sugar with a slice of fresh banana carrot cake; that might persuade her to make an appearance. Pap's tea is strong flavor Earl Grey to distract her a bit from Eau du Wet Chien ...:H

Sending you all oodles of positive vibes.

[Turnagain]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

You are just too cute, Shue! It's not yet Sunday for me...but I saw your post before going to bed Saturday night and just had to pipe up. I am enjoying a cup of sleepytime and trying to catch up with the goings on in AFLAND!

I'm hanging out on a mini Alaska Vacation with the hubby and his brother and wife. My husband changes quite a bit when he gets together with this brother. I describe it as the TOFU-effect. DH takes on the flavor of whoever he's around.

The alcohol consumption is just staggering when the two brothers get together. While I don't use the label 'alcoholic' anymore.... their parents were deeply and unapologetically addicted to alcohol and their sons are drinking just like they did.

The brother is also a heavy chain smoker and while younger than my husband... has twice the wrinkles. All from the smoking. The parents were also chainers...

What's heartbreaking is that he doesn't see the connection between the smoking and drinking and the their consequences like a 90% blocked artery and the fact that he can't walk more than 20 feet without resting because of the poor circulation in his legs.

Geez...am I getting to be a insufferable sanctimonious sober anit-smoking snob? I hope not. I just really hate seeing what addiction does to people and I am absolutely relieved I am no longer stuck in the muck.

AFLAND!

[shueaddict]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Au contraire, ma cher anti smoking snob.

I am extremely happy to anounce that as of June 1st, my country of residence, Bulgaria is smoke free indoors. Hooray !!!! Smoke free cafes and resturants. Baby steps to civilisation.

[Almostfamous]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Good morning,

Shue- thanks for the coffee on this quiet Sunday morning.
Hopefully Sugar will pop in.

Turn-I hope you can enjoy your vacation. Is the wife at least nice? I'm SO glad I never started smoking. I've heard it's a nightmare trying to quit. One addiction is (was) bad enough. Well, if you count coffee....

Kas- every pic. you post I say to myself "oh that's my favorite" then you out do it!!!!

Det- I would have loved to see those bears. Cubs are so darn cute.

Lav- hope you got some good sleep after your Grandsons!

Off to buy a few groceries. I should have gone yesterday but I just didn't feel like it.
Should I confess that last week while I cut through the wine aisle I uttered some nasty words( in my head) at those bottles. It made me feel good! Maybe this week I'll flip them off in a sneaky way as I saunter past.

[Lavande]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Good morning Abbers,

Nothing wrong with flipping off the bottles in the wine aisle Almost :H
I feel fortunate that the grocery stores around here do not sell wine or beer. I slept like a dead person last night, thanks

Good morning Shue!
I heard on the radio that New Zealand is about to raise the cost of a pack of cogs to $25. They are hoping to soon have a smoke free country!!!!!

Turn, I watched my Dad suffer through severe PVD largely due to smoking, poor diet & genetics. My two older brothers are in the same boat Those guys won't even consider quitting smoking even though the oldest is now in the process of having bypass grafts done ~ just stupid.....

I have a trash bag full of broccoli, harvested yesterday stored in my refrig. Anyone interested in broccoli muffins for breakfast? :H

OK, time to blanch some broccoli - that should keep me out of trouble for a while
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Sunday.

Lav

[Lavande]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Kaslo - I just saw what you wrote last night about YB being 'such a burden to himself'.
WOW, that is such a perfect description!!!!!!
How do you get someone like that to step back, acknowledge their weirdness & make some changes?? That is the million dollar question!

[FlyAway]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Good morning my luvvies!

Just getting home from work at 7:40am and I'll be heading off to bed soon.

Kaslo!!! I am in love with your photo of the dust storm! That might be my favorite yet. I love the muted coloring; reminded me of an old sepia print. Bee-u-tee-ful!

Shue--Thanks for getting us started and hooray for going smoke-free Bulgaria! I love that most states around where I live are smoke-free. It's always jarring when I'm traveling and go some place where you can still smoke in public.

Turn--Sad about your brother-in-law. I wonder if he really doesn't make the connection or if he's just sticking his head in the sand. My father died from smoking at the age of 54. Way too young.

Almost--Had to laugh at the idea of you flipping off the booze bottles! :H

Lav--I loved Kas' description about being a burden to yourself as well. True about many people! And the most frustrating thing is that you can't make him do or see anything. I might have said this to you before, but when you mentioned him having Lyme Disease it reminded me of a friend of my sister who had Lyme for years before being diagnosed. She is now schizophrenic and her doctors believe it was caused by the Lyme.

[Kaslo]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Good morning Fabbonos, Thanks Shue for the Bulgarian opener. Thats a big step for eastern Europe to be smoke free, when I travelled there in the early 80s smoke was everywhere. We were all pretty happy about smoke free public areas in BC almost 20 years ago. It IS rude to encounter it now. Turn, I sympathise about the BIL and the HUB. What does the SIL have to say about it or is she in like Flyn? It sounds as though some smokers are as bad as some drinkers, in denial about it right to the end. And the thing about smokers is of course they dont smoke in a closed system. My mother chain smoked 2 packs a day all over us as kids, in the house at the table in the car, it was brutal. Right up to the age of 75. Then she quit, when they finally made it too expensive for her. So Im with New Zealand on the 25 bucks a pack thing. Never mind the rest of us begged her to stop, and my brothers heart condition with two bypass surgeries when he was quite young, she still fired up around him, even though he pleaded with her not to. It made it impossible to visit with her for longer than a few hours, and very hard to stay with her. She would smoke IN my house, even when both of us AND the kids said please dont. Would blow smoke at us and make a naughty face. What a pain in the ass she was. Lived to be 90 too. Just to spite us all. Lol!

She did come armed with a few pithy sayings though, including the one about being a burden, and I dont know who said it upslope here, but yeah, no one can convince a burdensome person not to be that way, they have to figure it out for themselves. And they seldom do, but go to their graves after constantly ruining everyones fun for miles around. Well feck that. Lifes too short. Lav, darlin, I dont suppose you might want to find another gentleman friend, then? I would in your case. Not so easy to find when all you have is corn and cows for miles though. But that might smarten him up.

Thanks to all for the kind words re photography. I would just do that along with all my little fitness and fun projects if I was independantly wealthy. Ha ha.

Det, when you are that close to a treed cub, you are very close to a mother black bear, and they can do zero to sixty in seconds. Just sayin. They are an occupational hazard for me in my work, and after 33 years I dont spend a lot of time around cubs if I see them. Unless its from the truck. I have lost friends and coworkers to black bears, and there are mauling here in BC on a reg basis, so be careful.

Im off to Little Slocan Lake for a paddle this morning. Then planting some seedlings Ive reared in the garden, some sunflowers, and delphiniums. Love early June, its so fresh and full of promise, green and bright and flowers everywhere. Have a wonderful AF day everyone.

Love to all

Kaslo.

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

hidy ho ABeroooos!

Turn great chatting last night as always. hang in there with your challenging company....your doing super.

Kas thank you for the bear advice. I'll do my best to avoid being garlic pate'

regarding the draconian smoking tax I have serious mixed feelings. it's a well known axiom that the power to tax is the power to destroy and a gov can therefor destroy any industry it feels like so long as it has cart blanche to get away with it. I happen to despise smoking and would love to see it banished but once this pandoras box is opened I don't trust our obviously corruptible politicians to be making decisions of morality or ethics on the general population as they are the worst Hippocrates to have ever tread this Earth. Additionally, what about the next cause celeb? they will then pick on the next politically incorrect habit or occupation and it may be private gun ownership, motorcycle racing, scuba diving.....who knows.... the motivation of greed combined with the myopic nature of top-down government makes for a mighty bad taste in my mouth. my two cents.

thinking about a matinee viewing of 'snow white and the huntsman'......

enjoy your AF Sunday everyone

be well

[Turnagain]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

Okay....well I'm here again and it's MORNING! Whoo! A bit of a chilly, gray and damp one it is after a lot of rain last night. I am not complaining - I am grateful it wasn't SN*# !

Despite the weather, dear BIL is outside beating yet another weed. Smokes now cost $9.99 in Alaska. This money is supposed to go directly into a fund that:

A: Reimburses the state share of monies spent on what smokers cost the state in health care services

B: The Smoking Cessation Program - There are 'free' services to help folks stop...i.e. counseling...gum...patches...etc.

In essence...the taxes are really what I consider a "user-fee" and that's fine.

Is the money being spent as presented and are the cessation programs having a measurable impact? This would be something that should interest a decent journalist. Unfortunately, there aren't many left in these parts.

There are periodic efforts to tax the alcohol industry. But few changes go through because of the well-financed push back from the powerful interests that control the booze biz and, of course, the resistance of the politicians the booze lobby buys. Booze costs this state more than tobacco ever could. And... Booze costs people their lives.

Well...it's off to wild-harvest with my daughter for the breakfast greens...we will be looking for tender nettles and young fireweed shoots. The shoots are really good....taste a bit like asparagus. I like this foraging thing.

[Turnagain]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

oh...Almost! I ALMOST trashed out my laptop this morning because of the modified Spit-take I did when I read about your wine-aisle mutterings!!!!

omg. My stomach hurts from laughing at that vision. You go, girl and let me add my muttering....@#$@#$(@#$*@# Wine!!!!!

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

There are periodic efforts to tax the alcohol industry. But few changes go through because of the well-financed push back from the powerful interests that control the booze biz and, of course, the resistance of the politicians the booze lobby buys. Booze costs this state more than tobacco ever could. And... Booze costs people their lives.

Turn, you are so very right. this is a subject close to me because my previous boss retired as a lobbyist of the liquor/beer/wine industry as a filthy rich millionaire. they have the game rigged really nicely and also make a sh*tload of money on the regulatory side of the game by selling the alcohol warning signs etc. those warning signs are not paid for by tax money, they are paid for in what is essentially an extortion of the smaller independently owned manufacturers. it's an odd balancing act that is only possible because of huge bribes and kickback that our congress receives.

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

I spent a lovely few hours hanging out at a friend's pool today. AND.. I started out with coffee and the newspaper by the firepit at sunrise. It is a gorgeous day - I share your sentiments, Kas. Then when I was hanging out the laundry (oh man, I LURRRVE my clothesline!) I could hear the baby bluebirds cheeping in the birdhouse. Sweet! Heading to the river shortly to walk with the dog. Love the AF life! And nic-free too. Although I could go for the independently wealthy part too.

[Kaslo]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

What a great day, out on the water, loons, peeps, osprey, flickers, a rail, and a picnic up against the rocks. Finding a missing sausage in my lap on the paddle back to the launch site. BONUS. The Little Slocan was flooded up over a large wetland (lots of snow this year) so there were birds EVERYWHERE.

Ive switched out the photo of the day, this too was shot at Little Slocan Lake. Hope y all like it. (PS I say tax the living shit out of the tobacco companies, for all they have cost us, no love lost there. And Im not worried about my government getting too bossy about guns and scuba diving. If they come for my gun, well they can have the stupid thing, and if they come for the scuba divers, well Im ready for that too. Glub glub).

Love, peace ....Kaslo

[papmom3]

AF Daily - Sunday, June 3rd

OMG Kas-yet another "this is my most Fav pic"!! You have some talent there with composition girl!

No comment on taxes period. I'm a wimp. I have to battle Lowe's tomorrow and that is all the fighting I want to do. they are charging me for a tune up on a 5 week old machine!!! How dare they! My Lavanitude is coming with me tomorrow that's for sure!!

Turn-you hang in there with the visitors. What is it about occassions like this that make people think it's OK to drink to excess? We all did it and I just don't get it now that I'm AF. How much did we miss when the focus was on AL instead of the company? Insidious it is. Bah.

Greenie-your day sounded just lurvely!! Perfect actuallly!

Shue-thanks for the Earl Grey this morning. The subtle floral aroma did help with the wet dog smell!!

Deter-stop making friends with bears!! :H Glad you had a nice hike. Did you go see Snow White? heard it was good and very dark.

Almost-you are too funny!! I've done the same thing as I drove by my old liquor store in the early days!!

Fly-migraine gone?? Hope so!!

Where is Sugar and Dizzy??

Lav-how'd your day go?


Nice weekend of working. Still wish I didn't have to but at least this is fun and low stress. Too bad my bank balance is making the stress levels rise right now. I guess I kind of went overboard last month and didn't stick to my budget. Lesson learned. Won't get paid for 3 weeks as it's the beginning of the pay period I think. Maybe not. I do get my regular pay check on Friday. Just have to hang in there until then and start anew.

my wonderful day of crocheting by a pond at a friend's house tomorrow with 3 friends from work has been postponed due to a death in her family so the day is wide open. Will make the Lowe's trip first thing and then if the weather cooperates I will FINALLY start painting the Paphut's cabinets!! Tuesday horder friend and I will make the cushion covers and then it's clean up time, paint the stripe time, figure out a new countertop for dirt cheap time, order a spare tire time and she'll be ready to roll!!
I do want to fit in a visit to the NH at some point and also clean out my shed. My new dryer arrives Tuesday so there will be loads of laundry to do. If there is time leftover I may start peeling the border off my bedroom wall (Lav, I didn't know the name of your bedroom paint color but I think I came close when I bought LAST YEAR :H). Sounds like a lot to get done in 5 days but if I get half done I'll be happy.