I would just like to say a BIG thank you to @Manton for facilitating my move onto Micro.One. Did anyone notice the packing boxes, what, no? Maybe that’s because Manton did all the heavy lifting and, as any good puppet master does, pulled all the right strings behind the scene.
So voila, no interruptions.
Friday, December 5, 2025 • 1 min read
So the wonderful and so very talented Andy Carolan has created a new avatar for my blogs, and social media. Unofficially names Alex Rocket Dog. An homage to the year I was born, and that amazing kick ass little dog that first went into space, aboard Sputnik; Laika, the original little rocket dog.
Please give a warm welcome to little Alex as she readies herself for lift off!
I want to update and change the avatar on my m.b. account but, micro blog doesn’t seem to want to comply. I’ve tried three different logo/avatars but, m.b. just keeps showing the same 8 year old version of me, even after I deleted this particular image. Am I missing something?
Do I need to update the avatar somewhere different from the Account page, @manton can you please advise?
Friday, November 21, 2025 • 1 min read
Today I am honoured to be featured in Manuel Morale’s online series: People & Blogs.
If you would like to read my interview, pop on over to Manu’s blog, HERE, and find out what I have to say.
I would like to say a big thank you to Manu at being asked to join such a prestiges alumni, I am truly honoured. I’d also like to say a big thank you to Robert Birming for suggesting me.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Yay, look what just arrived by courier and, on time too.
My monthly supply of Stash TEA!
Yes, that’s 16 boxes and 300 teabags. What can I say, we drink a lot of tea in this household.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Friday, November 14, 2025 • 2 min read
Time I woke up: 5:05 a.m.
First thing I did upon waking: Go for a pee … no, seriously. I have a bladder the size of a thimble.
Today’s weather: Overcast with light snow.
Something I spent money on today: Groceries.
An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I had to drink old Earl Gray teabags as I’ve run out of my usual Moroccan mint.
Last thing I read (not on the Internet): The back of a box of teabags (Twinnings).
Last thing I read (on the Internet): Posts on Mastodon.
Last text I sent: Hey, beef bourguignon for dinner tonight? (sent to the OH)
Last text I received: Yep, that’ll do, pig! (from the OH)
Last website I visited: Purplelime’s photo blog
Last show I watched: Chuck Cooks on Turtle Island.
Last podcast I listened to: None …
Last thing I said: Eh, I’m too polite to repeat it here, in public.
Last thing I ate: Raisin cinnamon toast & a banana.
What I was doing an hour ago: Making a brew.
What I will be doing an hour from now: Probably taking a nap.
Current whereabouts of other members of my household: In our home office next door to me.
One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: Reading a number of blog posts I’m subscribed to.
And you …
Thursday, November 13, 2025 • 3 min read
It’s funny how we find these kinds of topics sometimes the most fascinating. I mean, who doesn’t love the smell of a good soap? Well, I don’t. I find most soap overly perfumed. Some even make me gag, their scent so strong.
So, just what are my 5 top and bottom smells? Well, I thought you would never ask:
TOP FIVE
BOTTOM FIVE
And there you have it. My top and bottom 5 memorable smells. And you, what made it onto your list of good and bad smells?
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 →
You have to be careful screaming into the void once too often … it has a tendency to scream back. And believe me when I say, no one wants that!
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
When I need a humour boost there’s nowhere on the planet that delivers better than over on McSweeny’s. Today I discovered the veritable laugh out loud list: Oxymorons for 2025. A list that will have you wetting your pants or, at the very least, shedding a tear or two, or even, a dull snigger.
Go forth ye peasant and rejoice.
— em dashes forever!
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Saturday, November 8, 2025 • 3 min read
I casually mentioned online the other day to Scott that my alter ego, 8 year old Alex, loves to pull pranks on people. This particular, some would say, unsavoury trait started early on in my life. And for good reason. It was more about revenge on my older brothers who, themselves, love to prank me, their younger sweet innocent sister. Was I ever sweet and innocent? Who knows.
The thing is, when we lived abroad, which was pretty much all my young life, we lived in countries prone to hosting a lot of creepy crawly insects and really BIG bugs. Never mind lizards, snakes, spiders, scorpions, and a million weird ass looking beetles … no, silly, not those Beetle.
The things is, they loved to collect said bugs and beasties and, well, hide them in my bedroom and worse, in my bed especially. So much so, it got to the point I stopped screaming and started insisting that I would not go to bed till my dad had cleared the room as if sweeping for mines and other explosive ordinance. It became a nightly ritual.
As a result, of course, I slowly became desensitised to said creepy crawlies to the point I could even handle them myself and, took to boxing bugs for release into my brother’s beds and worse, into their clothes draws and wardrobe.
Well, of course both parents took exception to the mini war of attrition taking place under their roof every time my dad was posted somewhere exotic. We were, at one point, all lined up like the Von Trapp children, lectured by both parents, and threatened to be grounded till we were all thirty!
Needless to say, I think I secretly had the last word in that war as I moved from bugs and creepy crawlies, which I then collected and stuck pins in (don’t @ me) to more nefarious and devious tricks and pranks. Like adding salt to the sugar bowl, sticking dead ants into strawberry tarts, or swapping out the raisins in those mini raising boxes for rabbit droppings. A friend had taught me that one.
Of course, I took this approach with every bully I’ve ever encountered over the years, in finding a way to prank them. In the military this extended to putting boot polish on the black toilet seats so that when guys sat down they got booted as we called it. We also did cling film over the toilet bowl and urinals.
Some of the best fun was filling condoms and medical gloves with, eh, solutions, and then placing (balancing) them in strategic places to cause the most damage to peoples dignity and self respect, never mind, clothes.
We, meaning me and my cohorts, could be ruthless. So, be warned, don’t cross me as I will figure out a way to prank you good and proper, and usually, in public.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Community Echoes:
I have adulted this morning …
I just paid my credit card!
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • 2 min read
Just to let you know our flood of yesterday afternoon lasted about 15 minutes. However, it took maintenance over an hour to respond to our frantic call to the front desk. An hour! And then, when he knocked, he arrived with nothing. Not so much as a torch, helpful towel, or maintenance trolly.
He spent exactly a minute inspecting both bathrooms, pronounced he needed to go and … came back 30 minutes later with … his phone!
That was it. His phone. Which he then proceeded to use the flashlight feature to inspect the overhead fan in the guest bathroom. By this time all the dripping had stopped.
I should point out that this guy was happy to stand on all our wet towels and then, tramp big muddy footprints throughout on his way in and out.
To ask if I was furious is an understatement. I was nuclear.
The main reason? The flood was the supposed result of the person in the apartment above ours pouring a large bucket of dirty water into their toilet! Seriously? All bathrooms are tiled up to 3 inches up the wall. How did this idiot manage to cause so much trouble with a single bucket of water?
That aside. We got no apologies from the neighbour and, as far as the maintenance guy was concerned, it was our problem to clean up the mess never mind be left with peeling wallpaper.
Naturally the OH not only called the building manager’s office and left a message but also wrote an official complaint and emailed them. Not that I’m sure we’ll get any response.
As to the clean up? It took us over an hour dressed in our HazMat Suits — what? Oh, okay, in our masks and rubber gloves — to clean from the ceiling to floor. Thanks to the chemical gods for bleach and lysol.
We’re right in the middle of a flood happening right now in our guest bathroom. Water is literally cascading through the fan on the ceiling onto the toilet and floor below, pooling.
Oh, the OH just shouted through that it’s now coming into the main bathroom through the adjoining wall …
We phoned the front desk here, in the main building and, they told us the plumbing crew is on another job we’ll have to wait.
We’ll have to wait? Are they fucking kidding me? I’m sorely tempted to phone 911 and call the fire brigade in.
Jesus F. H. Christ …
Oh, look, my butt’s buzzing … it seems I forgot my phone was in my back pocket and, well, I sat on it.
No harm done, nothing seems to be broken or squished, including my butt.
You cannot become a Canadian Citizen unless you:
Sunday, June 1, 2025 • 1 min read
I’m delighted to see Robert back blogging on micro blog again. And not only that, he’s once again hosting Junited 2025 in which he’s encouraging us to share links to our favourite blogs and post.
Check it out, and join in.
Check out my Junited 2025 page for more.