The beer can chicken holder

I picked up my big-box flyer from the mailbox today, and noticed that they were selling holders to do a beer can chicken on. It's apparently close to summer in Canada, and therefore BBQ season, and I guess there's then a need for the holders.

From the flyer, beer can chicken holders are apparently sold in packs of two. To be honest, I've only had beer can chicken once, and I didn't make it - it was at a friends BBQ. It was lovely - the beer steams the chicken, and makes it moist - but I'm still at a loss for why one needs a pack of two of the things. I guess I'll just have to wonder about some things....

A couple of new beads - I still can't get a good picture of the purple set from the weekend, but I thought the ladybug and the butterfly were cute! I've seen some fantastic pictures of spring bracelets lately - butterflies, flowers and bugs, and I have a couple of other ideas that I thought I might try.

I did eventually get DVD player #3 to work - and did finish the movie. I really liked it - it was a great story in the book, and I thought it translated to film well.

I'm off to dance class shortly (and to return the non-working DVD player, so I'll have to keep this short....

More from the bead files

I'd hoped to share pictures of new beads, but they turned out to be really hard to photograph, so I might have to wait for some better (natural) light. It's been raining here all weekend, and mostly grey and overcast, and my attempts to photograph them didn't really work well. They're a new purple colour made by the lovely people at Bullseye in the States. There are a couple of colours that are notoriously hard to get in italian made glass, and pink and purple are two of them. Bullseye has some amazing colours, and I just got a little more in, so it will be interesting to play around.

I will share a picture of some twisties I made. These twisties will eventually find their way into beads, but at the moment are just little glass rods that are kind of pretty!

I must have the strangest luck

So... I join up at an online video rental thingie - as mentioned in my last post.

I pop DVD #1 into the player, and it plays well. It was Jim Sheridan's "In America" - highly recommended. So I pop the second rental (Memoirs of a Geisha) into the player, start watching, and then stop it to take a phone call. When I try and restart, it makes strange noises, and declares there's no disc. I pop another DVD in from my collection, same thing. I try a CD - which it has played before, and same thing happens.

I now decide the DVD player is kaput, and go out and purchase a second one - these days it's not worth anyone actually looking at the thing. I pop the same rental DVD in, and the *same* thing happens. Same with one of my own DVD - it makes funky noises, and then declares there is no disc. Just for kicks, I repeat with the CD.

So now I have 2 DVD players that won't read discs after having the same DVD in them. (One of which will be returned shortly....) I'm wondering if this is the strangest fluke of nature, or if a DVD can "break" a DVD player.

I *was* really enjoying the DVD - this is the strangest thing I've had happen.

It's the Thursday report....

Not a lot interesting going on - I signed up for a DVD rental service through the mail, and got the first couple DVD's yesterday and today. I didn't realize that I was getting the second disc from the "Memoir of a Geisha" DVD, and apparently the movie is still on it's way, so I might have to wait until the actual DVD arrives. I signed up because I love artsy or independent movies, especially good ones, and I never seem to make it to those movies in the theatres or rent them in the video stores, so I thought this would be a good way to catch some of those movies.

Welcome to Tuesday

It's Tuesday here, and the day after the Victoria Day long weekend. I didn't really do much over the weekend, but I did managed to get some torch time in, so I thought I'd share another picture with everyone. They're a lentil (flat round) shape, and some of the beads look a little wonky in the picture, but they're all the same shape in real life.

The Zoo was fantastic, but very busy! Wow! The line up when we left stretched out at least half a kilometer from the front gates, so I'm glad that we got there early. Most of the animals decided to take an afternoon nap (and who can blame them) so there wasn't a lot going on when we got there.

She sells sea shells.....

I was by the glass studio yesterday, and made the following. I think they turned out rather nicely, and I'm definitley getting the hang of the seashell thing. (The first few attempts were not much to look at!)



I'm off to the zoo today - it's really nice, and getting warm already. Last May and June it did nothing but rain (so much so that the dam which protects the reservoir overflowed), but this year we've had nothing but gorgeous weather! We could use a *little* rain, as the river is quickly turning into a sand bar.....

DaVinci Code and the week that was

I managed to get into a sneak peek of DaVinci Code on Thursday. Before I'd even got in, the theatre people confiscated my cell phone for the duration of the movie because it has a small (and not very good) camera attached to it. I know it was before the *official* release, but somehow I suspect that the still pictures taken on a poor quality camera without flash would have been less than useful. But it was easier to have them hold on to the phone so I could see the movie.

The rest of the week was busy! I had a cooking class this week, which I'd had scheduled for ages, and it finally came about. I learned quite a few things, and the food was excellent. Besides, any class that starts with "Do you want both red and white wine?" has to be pretty good! I discovered that I like tilapia fish, especially with the fruit salsa that they have the fish with. Another great weeknight dinner!

Thinking back.....

I've tried on and off to keep a blog for a while, and I keep restarting each time. I went back into one of my old bogs - it was interesting to see what I'd posted, and what I'd changed.

I posted an entry at the end of 2004 that seemed strangely prophetic - I'd chosen a song lyric from U2 to sum up the year. It was "It's just a moment - this time will pass". Little did I know at the time how true that lyric was and would be - the next year was filled with job changes, relationships that broke, relationships that were changed, people moved into and out of my life, and I spent the better part of 2005 travelling somewhere. Just about a year and a half later, it's looking like a lot of the instability has changed - I have a job that I really like, and have a better sense of when to work out a relationship and when to just let things go.

From the same blog, I thought it might be fun to revisit the following:

Accent: Um...... depending on who you ask, Canadian, British, Irish or Texan. And I've lived in the same place for 24 years, and continually for the last 5 years......
Bra size: 36D.... Really....
Chore I hate: cleaning the toilets - who doesn't?
Dad's name: Ken
Essential make-up: Mascara / Lipstick
Favorite perfume: I don't really have one at the moment.
Gold or Silver: Silver - I think. I own more of it than gold anyways.
Hometown: Calgary - Always has been, always will be....
Interesting fact: Parents are named Barbie and Ken - gets them everytime.....
Job title: Risk Analyst
Kids: 2 furbabies, no human children
Living arrangements: condo.
Mom's Birthplace: somewhere in upstate PA, USA
Number of apples eaten in last week: 1
Overnight hospital stays: 0
Phobia: Heights
Question you ask yourself a lot: How can I get out of this....
Religious affiliation: Agnostic
Siblings: One younger brother.
Time I wake up: 6:45
Unnatural hair color: blonde
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Brussel Sprouts
Worst habit: chewing my inner lips
X-rays: finger (brother threw something at it), lungs (medical for work permit), dental, spine (chiropractor)
Yummy food I make: Roast chicken, cinammon buns
Zodiac sign: Cancer.

Ta Da! The new necklace

Thanks so much for the kind comments! I appreciate everyone having a look!

To answer Christine's question about the dancing, I take a beginner Ballet class, a Bellydance class and an Irish step class. I seem to be pretty good about the Step and the Ballet class, but Thursday nights, when my Bellydance class is held, seem to have several other activities. I volunteer as well, and it seems like there are several committee meetings that night, so I seem to be an off and on attendee there. It's not a class that's heavy on the choreography, which is probably a good thing, as I seem to be the most un-coordinated person ever.

I finished the commission for my friends mom, and it's above. I'm actually pretty happy with the way that it turned out. I got an additional batch of the green glass in, which was fantastic. It's an odd-lot glass, which means that it's not consistent throughout, and they're only making a limited quantity, so I'm glad I got a bit more of the glass.

Almost new beadies......

A friend of mine asked me to make her a necklace like a green one I have. The new beadies aren't quite ready for their reveal yet, but I thought I'd share the original necklace with everyone. The bead in the middle (which is hollow, or it would be terribly heavy) is mine, along with the two in the middle on either side. They're pressed flat into a lentil shape so that they lay flat against the neckline.

Cheers,
Karin

Wow - what a week!

It's been a long week - and I have absolutely no idea where it went! I take a couple of different dance classes, and this has been the first week in several weeks that I have been able to go to all of them. I forgot what trying to schedule all three in was like.

It was also the last week that the Flames will be in the playoffs. I am sad, as it would have been nice to repeat the 2004 Stanley Cup run, but on the other hand, I kind of appreciate the break between the end of hockey and the start of Stampede. I live near the Stampede grounds, and it's was a bit full on when one ran into the other - it meant I didn't get a lot of sleep, as the noise around my place was a little much to keep me up.

Cheers,
Karin