This little girl has been hanging around my place.

Don't even bother giving me advice. I know about cats and strays. But I have been feeding her.

(Did you notice how I didn't say "stray cats"? Cats and strays are what I do well.)

I had a pretty social week full of weird little events -- and I never even talked about most of it. And who cares, other than me, what I have done and seen the
past few days? It has just been pretty interesting all around.

In other news, is it wrong for me to like Keith Urban music?

I hope he is cute, I've no idea. I like his voice. Let me see... hmmm. Yes, he is cute. Damnation. Suddenly, country music is looking pretty good.

In other news, there is nothing else to see here except maybe Flight of the Conchords. Look it up, you lazy so-and-sos. I don't know why I always feel obligated to find the links for you. Right now, I am tired and just thinking about Tuesday when I have to call Bell to try and sort out all that bullshit is making me want to cry.

Seriously? I have been wanting to let loose for about the past half-hour. I really, really wish I had someone to cry on right about now.

Well, tomorrow's another day.

Brit TeeVee

I'm a bit late in laying claim to a new favourite British sketch comedy show. I have at least 2 friends who've mentioned it before. But I have been watching assiduously for several weeks.

I actually stay up 'til midnight to catch Little Britain on weeknights (and Sunday mornings, if I recall correctly). I think the show is in season three (or perhaps just finishing up 3, not sure.)

I call this the British equivalent of Kids in the Hall. I hope you agree. It is fucking hilarious.

It is generally followed on BBC-K by another sketch series, Swinging.

This comedy sketch show celebrates sex and relationships in all their many forms via a cast of regular returning characters including middle class swingers, ignorant sex counsellors, psychotic boyfriends, embarrassing parents and many more.

The ignorant sex cousellor who cannot bring himself to say the word "sex" had me and the Teen giggling. "Well... you know."

And then there's the Young Ones, which I have only seen once but love already after a single episode.

I am so happy to find new comedy in the barren land allegedly forged by Comedy Central. BBC rocks.

New shoes

I won a pair of sandals yesterday! This picture doesn't do them justice -- the straps across the front of the foot are sparkly. The heel is an interesting shape, too.

Family members will see them up close live in person next weekend when I'm in the Toronto area for a very important birthday party!

Go vote!

Fellow blogger Christine would like to win a soda maker in a contest over here. Take just one minute of your time and go vote for her. Hell, I barely know her and I've voted three times (you can vote once per day).

If you wanted to win something, and it was just a matter of getting a few more complete strangers to vote for you, wouldn't you be happy they took the time? So go ahead.

Plumbing in working order

At-freaking-last, my toilet runs quietly. It only took 66 days and six people hemming and hawing over it, but it's fixed. It used to merely run and gurgle all the time, which was bad enough - especially at night - but after the last "repair" by the landlord, it started making the pipes (and the walls) vibrate with a very tuneful groaning engine noise. I kept having to pluck the top off the tank and either raise or nudge the ball into a different position. Like, six-eight times a day. Or depending on how often we flushed.

Yesterday, heartily sick of it, I cornered the landlady (her husband is away on a fishing trip). She promised to send a plumber, and indeed one did arrive around dinnertime.

Long story short, he fixed it.

Then I pointed out the capricious kitchen faucet, which leaks randomly all over the kitchen counters. (At least the counters are always clean.) He removed the faucet, examined it, and said the O-ring was quite the wrong size.

"The landlord is a nice guy, but..." he said.
"Cheap?" I offered.
"Yep. He just does a patch job on things and hopes they'll work."

So now we have blessed silence from the bathroom. If only I could get my fridge to cease shuddering violently whenever it stops.

Speaking of bodily functions, I have vowed, for the final time, to never eat McDonald's again. I thought I'd learned my lesson after that stomach flu/food poisoning thing a few weeks ago, but last Monday I was feeling lazy and didn't want to cook. So the Teen and I got some food at Mickey D's, which is approximately a two-minute walk from my door.

As I ate, I thought, "This really isn't very good."
Later in the evening, I thought, "Hey! Did we eat dinner at all tonight? Oh! Right. McDonald's."
A few minutes before bed, whilst in the bathroom: "Gah. That really wasn't very good."
Next morning, in the bathroom: "Gah."

NEVER AGAIN. NEVER.

Down to the wire

Because I'm almost broke (only until Tuesday, I hope), I can't do a real grocery order, so I'm just using everything in the freezer. We're almost down to nothing. I seem to be making good meals out of odds and ends and leftover sauces that've been in the freezer for a month or more.

But we're definitely running low now. As I told the Teen, we'll probably be eating popcorn and chick peas in a day or two.

It's Father's Day

Kiss a Father today.

Even if he doesn't look like a young Pacino. Even if he wears a clerical collar.

Let me see if I can find other kissable dudes in my Pictures file. MMmm yes... and I could keep going. The guy in the yellow shirt? French actor, very funny. The guy with eyeliner needs no intro. The guy at the right is a lot older nowadays... sad how time goes, eh? Look how cute he was.

And lastly, the guy who walks on water?