G IS FOR GESTURE

 

Give me a minute....
 I want to tell you how I really feel!
TAKEN: APRIL 8th, 2022

It's hard to believe that the picture I am sharing was taken two years ago today.

Firstly,  I should say that you can tell by the expression on my husband's face that my very specific gesture wasn't directed at him. He knew it was directed at the Rainbow Bend Resort in Marathon (Grassy Key), Florida. 

Now, if you tend to read here about my travel adventures, you'd know that my travel buddy hubby and I love to check out new destinations. So, when the VID ended, we decided to fly to Miami and drive to Key West for a four day long weekend.

Though our round trip Air Canada flights were a steal, the road to Key West proved to be very overpriced and lackluster. I am disappointed to report that we felt it was NOT money very well spent. 

That said, we honestly thought we had a pretty good plan. We flew into Miami, landed before noon, then swiftly grabbed our airport rental car.  We hit Islamorada for that first night (expensive but fun). Downtown Key West for the next (crowded, crazy expensive but fun). Then hit the Rain-Blow RearEnd Resort for a night (insert the sound of a cat puking up a hairball here).

I knew as soon as we arrived in Marathon, the more than $800 Canadian I had spent to be on the ocean was a terrible mistake.

We checked, in then when we were unloading our things, we immediately noticed a lingering odor in the air. 

Next to our 2nd floor room, was a large bay of shallow water, filled with garbage and smelly seaweed, and the odor was almost stomach turning. As a result, we stayed in our room and watch the Masters golf tourney and ate an early dinner we had bought at the local grocery store. 

Not to throw baby out with the bath water, after dinner we decided to check out the pool. It was full of algae with visible garbage floating in it. Back to the room for more TV time we went. 

The next morning we walked out of the restaurant (where our  breakfast was to be free) because it was so dirty we didn't want to trust the food would be safely prepared.

There is more... 

As I checked the drawers in the morning to make sure I husband didn't leave anything behind, I was startled as a bunch of cockroaches scurried to quickly to get out of sight. I physically felt sick knowing they'd comfortably shared our very expensive accommodation; to which we were officially out of pocket for.

I did write about it two years ago. The photo I attached and description said it all; and how I left it until now.

(Click: K IS FOR KEY to read).

On a final note, I wanted my A word this challenge to be for appendage, but I didn't want to start off with a rant. 

So, after careful consideration, and my strong desire to share this specific experience, my thesaurus had me arrive at the word gesture for my letter G.

#yagottalaughaboutit

MY MARRIAGE COIN

 I read somewhere that marriage is an institution designed to let you annoy one special person for the rest of your life. Yet, I’m sure when you flip my blog and bitch about marriage coin really high into the air it would read: The perfect marriage is between a blind wife and a deaf husband.

I know you’ll probably find this hard to believe, but since opening my own business in 2004, as an entrepreneur I quickly learned to hone two very specific social skills. 

1. ALWAYS take a 24-48 hour cooling down period before speaking to whom you’re truly aggravated with, because words can never be taken back.

2. AND...Smile and be thankful for every piece of shit pie eaten that generated revenue. 

As you can see from my last couple of electronic offerings, this Covid crap has me crazy cranky.

The cherry on top of that statement is our first official summer vacation together since 2012 was received worse than Bob Dylan going electric and sadder than Levon Helm leaving The Band because of it.

We may have only been at our cottage, but it rained six out of ten days and by this past Saturday morning (when our water pump failed yet again) we both hit the ‘this fecking sucks’ wall. It was clear in our Sunday morning volume alone, we both really needed to take a break. 

I moved home with the dogs. He did not.

Now, I should share, we rarely fight nor even disagree.

The two of us at my company Christmas Party
TAKEN: DECEMBER 2000

In our many decades together we have learned to skillfully navigate each other for continued success. In this instance, our small cottage space, two wet dogs, and a thrice mis-installed water pump got the best of us.

How bad was it? If a successful marriage requires you to fall in love many times with the same person… I’m thinking by Labour Day weekend we might be ready for a lunch date.

That said, I can assure you that it was so bad, my best girlfriend will be making one of those famous ‘escape a really bad date’ phone calls; fifteen minutes in.

#yagottalaughaboutit

I IS FOR IDIOT

When I was away, I posted a photo of my friend Darin and I to my Instagram with a caption that read, 'a good heart is always rewarded during a trying time.' Sounds simple enough but the other side of that proverbial coin is: don't be an idiot and you'll arrive at where you're meant to be relatively unscathed.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wanted to be heard, yet in the grand scheme of things you just walked away and moved on? I find myself doing that more and more as I transition in mid life. Not because I've lost my edge, more that I've consciously decided that I no longer wish to associate with people that aren't meant to be in my wheel-house.

Heading home from Dallas to Toronto this morning, I couldn't help but stare out the window on the tarmac and reflect on the plethora of bad behaviors I witnessed yesterday, as a few hundred of us got delayed in New Orleans due to extreme weather and a mechanical failure to our plane.

Almost midnight & still in line.
TAKEN: APRIL 10th, 2017

 Twelve hours later and finally in Dallas, I had to shake my head as a gentleman was verbally abusive to the nice lady trying to help him out of the unfortunate situation we found ourselves in. If I had to describe how I felt in the moment, it was general sadness.

I know full well that everyone reacts to stress differently, I get that. Hell, no one knows that better than yours truly; but bullying the one person there to unconditionally help you is just plain asinine.

As we greet Spring and welcome Easter next weekend, it feels great to have finally made it through another long Canadian winter. As we soar home at 32,000 feet (and type on my tablet and listen to Don Henley croon through my Blackberry)  I'll leave you with another of my simple life observations.

When you feel you're arguing with an idiot... Be sure they aren't doing the same! 

Thanks again for reading.

O IS FOR OVERFLOW

For the last few years, my sleepy little Ontario town  has suffered terribly as a result higher than normal water levels and an unorganized Ministry of Natural Resources. 

I snapped this 2 weeks after the worst flooding ever to hit us.
TAKEN: APRIL 2013 

An act of God isn't covered by insurance. Proving that is wasn't, has been an even bigger task for home/cottage owners, with a government entity being accused of wrong doing.

I'm not looking to blame for the 2016 overflow, just trying to understand so that it doesn't keep happening. 

CLICK HERE 

to view a CTV news clip on this years flooding.

Oh, that's my buddy Dan being interviewed. A long standing Muskoka resident & builder.

NOW SCREENING ~ TOTALLY BITCHY!

Okay, so as you know, I blogged last night about my all day junk food marathon this past Saturday and the fact that I definitely paid for that sin yesterday. Well, it seems that not enough penance had been paid forward, because 'big fat hairy bitch Rhondi' boiled over the sides of that thar cauldron and seeped out of my pores yet again today.

My private backyard 'screening' yesterday.....
TAKEN: OCTOBER 25th, 2015

Relax, I wasn't unbearable or rude; simply a just a tad cheerful and extremely quiet. I was so bitchy today that even a bright spark of light (as captured through my my screen door yesterday) didn't help my disposition this eve.

The hard truth is that I knew last night what kind of a day I was going to have today based on a brief conversation I had late yesterday afternoon. That shitty conversation, combined with our blinding full moon last night's, turned me into a totally bitchy bitchin' blogger!

Trust me, I hate feeling this way more than you reading about it; but I seem to be stuck.

As a result, I am feeling so friggin' miserable, that I fear that even if you tied pork chops around my ears, the dogs wouldn't play with me. Hell. I was so short with Twos this morn that I never heard back from him and I had to send an apology email this afternoon. Yup, I had to apologize to my BEB (best email buddy) because I hadn't emailed all weekend. I had to email and explain it was because I am a HUGE bitch and I'd been chewing on a large bag of spiral nails the last 48 hours.

His email response was perfect. "No wonder you had a bad weekend," he wrote. 

"Those nails didn't have enough bite to satisfy you. They clearly weren't galvanized!" 

Do I have the best friends or what?!

IS FAIRNESS TOO MUCH TO ASK?

I had a couple of meetings this morning. In my second, a colleague and I were chatting about a High School friend that dropped dead of a massive heart attack on Hallowe'en night.  After reminiscing about how amazing he was, we realized that it had been almost fifteen years since we’d lost him. After that realization, she and I just sat there speechless. Even today, I remember his laugh like I heard it yesterday.

Why so glum, chum? In less than a week I have received enough personal bad news to last me the rest of my life. Three people that I love with all of my heart have fallen unexpectedly ill; and, an indescribable tragedy claimed the life of our thirteen year old nephew. All of it, simply sad and so terribly unfair.

With Taylor laid to rest, instinct has me wanting to help all the others but I'm not entirely sure how I can. It's hard to explain, each of them are so close, yet so far. I'm sitting here typing feeling a little helpless. Yes, you've read that right, the consummate problem solver doesn't have a solution. It's painfully heartbreaking.

Every single one of the three I am speaking of have contributed to who I am today and ALL have provided life lessons. Admittedly, some of their lessons took a little longer to resonate than others, but none of them ever stopped teaching, nor ever gave up on me. I love them all very much and in a nutshell my life would suck without them in it!

As I quietly type and reflect, I can't help but be reminded of one very obvious fact. That life as we know it isn't always fair. 

...Doesn't mean a wouldn't gladly beg borrow or steal a little fairness tonight if I could.

Once again, thanks for listening.

What A Hump Day… Doggie Style!

What a dog with fleas today has been. Tell me something… Have you ever gone to bed (the night before having a really bad day) knowing exactly what'll be waiting for you in the morning? I know. Sucks doesn't it?! 

Well, as planned, I got up with the sun and was greeted by my long list of things to do with gumption. Choosing what gets crossed off the list first usually comes to me in the middle of the night via a hot flash. Today, first up, was decided before I went to bed last night. In preparation to start, I poured myself a cup of coffee; only to discover, after the fact, that the milk had soured. Sadly, a high point.

By late morning I was a mess. My glass washboard bit me. Ripped a two inch piece of skin off my thumb. No worries, the bleach in the wash water took care of any infection risk! Barely able to ring out the clothes, when I finally did get them on the line, it started to rain.

Once the sun resurfaced, Puddin’ felt the need to help me rehang the already too wet laundry. Because my clothesline is simply a rope tied to a tree that I attach to the storm door handle, the weight of the wet clothes make it sag. So, I prop the clothesline up with a long stick.

No sooner had I settled back to work at my desk, I see the dog on the deck chewing my clothesline proper-upper-thingy in front of the patio door. I discover ALL of the clothes on the ground and full of sand. Knowing I couldn't rewash them, I reattached the line, repossessed my prop, and proceeded to fetched the hose. Let me tell ya… with large quantities of smoke rolling out of my ears, I rinsed the snot out of 'em. Surprisingly enough, doing that felt really good. Almost as exhilarating as the relief one feels after a total melt down!

My cottage doormat. They may wipe their PAWS
... But they know squat about doing the laundry!
TAKEN: August 27th, 2014

Because I honestly do refuse to let the glass half empty win. No matter when one may strike, I always try and take some good from any bad day. 

Did you know that today is National Dog Day here in Canada?

As a result, I am pleased to report... 

That Puddin’ gets to LIVE... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Oh, and thanks for listening.

It Just Ain’t Adding Up

Today’s the first day of Spring and I walked to work in a raging blizzard. I really didn't mind. I was bundled up and the music flowing through my headphones was perfect. As I stared out my office window all day, I couldn't help but pray for it to be over. Not the snow per say but the excessive bills that follow this crap and seem to be never ending.

Nothing like a great BIG screw
to get you through the winter!

Like every single family in Ontario, hydro has been that expense that has always been deemed the evil wicked step monster running the mafia for years.

Why so bitter? My last bill was 25% higher than any other bill I have ever received in this home (which was purchased in 2002).

I've never contested a hydro bill ever before. I've just let the hydro company screw me without even buying me a drink first. I’m not sure if I have any rights but I suspect I don’t.

My son updated his status today about how he envisioned someone giving his eulogy. "He always paid his bills on time... You gave this guy a bill he paid it! He was a bill-paying Son of a B!”

As I paid some bills online tonight, it was he I truly felt bad for. Young and hardworking, he was screwed far worse than I by Hydro this last month. By my calculation, Lakeland doesn't need to buy him a drink: they need to buy him some solid shares in Seagram's!!

...And THAT's I gotta say about that!!!

CRAP-A-DOODLE-DOO

Let The Melting Begin
Taken: March 14th, 2013

What a week. Reporting that it was genuinely in the toilet only scratches the surface. I felt like crap, there was bullshit everywhere I turned, and the driveway officially looks like a giant skid mark!

You may laugh but not only is the driveway comment the high point in that last paragraph, I have no qualms about how it appears. Truth is, it’s the only thing this week that helped remind me Spring is just around the corner. 

I didn't break for lunch until 2pm today, yet when I did, I forced myself to go outside with the pups. The sun was amazing and I could literally hear the snow melting. That in itself makes any and all other points moot.

Days like today always make me see and appreciate things more clearly. You know, with the road down to the bare pavement and the snow melting on the roof. Not to mention, that by using the back of the axe I could chip away some emotion as well as some ice to finally expose sections of the front deck I haven't seen since since last November.

What can I say? I am hard-wired to always look forward and never back. Guess that's why this time of year we are all meant to get the hell outside and  Spring Forward!

Believe ME... Today, I did exactly that.

Orange You Going To Ask…?

You probably assessed from my post Friday night that I did NOT have a banner day. Pretty sure it wasn't the heat wave that did it, but rather the wave of heat (meaning my temper) that obliterated a couple of not so innocent bystanders.

What can I say? In the industry I work in, you either function at my pace or get the hell outta dodge. I wasn’t mean, I was assertive. I always try to give solid direction but once or twice a year I need to add a little volume for effect. Friday was ACDC opening for Led Zeppelin kinda loud. 

Bright side is that home is my haven. Knowing my frame of mind, my husband and daughter met me right after work so we could enjoy a nice dinner together. Instead I arrived home to an expensive dog buffet and some serious shock. Shit day at work, crap mess at home. There were tears.

I didn’t yell at the dog, nor say anything to anyone in the house. I just sat on the crapper in the ensuite and quietly wept. Great big tears. The kind that flow from disappointment. Disappointment in myself for yelling. Disappointment in myself for not locking up my fecking shoe cupboard.

Orange has always been my favourite flavour &
it's definitely one of my very favourite colours.
Taken: July 21st, 2013

As I quietly melted down my husband let me do just that and headed to town to run a couple of errands. 

Half an hour later I was in the kitchen with a jumbo straw in a 750ml bottle of Pinot Grigio when Tony walked in with a beautiful bouquet of roses.

Three years ago he would have simply asked “are we still going out for dinner?” 

Friday, he went and picked up dinner, and bought me these wonderful flowers.

What can I say? I started to cry again. “I know you had a really bad week” he said. 

Through my second wave of tears I put my arms around him, my head on his shoulder, and thanked him. I could only muster a handful of words which were…. I love you.

I AM a very lucky lady.

Walk A Mile In Peter's Shoes? Never!

I can easily admit that I can walk into a room of 500 strangers and be comfortable. Not only am I very comfortable, but I can openly be myself. For whatever reason, I am at ease around people, and I have been from a very young age. Then there was today.

I’ve had something personal hanging over my head for a long time. I have wanted to deal with it, yet for various reasons, ended up dragging my feet with its closure. It goes back to the height of my large land development phase, so let’s run with the fall of 2006 for all intense “time frame” purposes. Needing it dealt with, I looked outside my inner circle for help. 

I'd met someone a number of years ago, and I unexpectedly bumped into him again this summer. It’s not like we really ever knew each other; heck when I approached him for help, he had no idea who the hell I was. What’s that saying “you never get a second chance at a first impression"? Details aside; I reminded him who I was, told him what I needed, and he agreed to help. Again, we arrive at today.

Peter, how fitting is it that you were with me at the start of my journey and standing beside me at the very end of it? This afternoon you called my writing “eloquent” yet my flair for the written word pale in comparison to what you have accomplished. I am truly in awe (and equally amazed) at how you treat every single person around you. 

My Cottage Walk In w/ Puddin' (front) & Dot (rear)
Taken: January 6th, 2013

I mean it when I say you are a remarkable person. Always willing to help as well as unconditionally willing to go that extra mile. Respect is earned, and you most definitely have mine. 

Thank you so very much. 

OH, before I forget, all my best to you on your journey with Chester!

I have attached a pic of Puddin’ and Dot. You know what they say? Always nice to put a face (I mean fur coat) to a name !!!

Take Care My Friend.

I Am Blessed To Have A Doug!

Thank goodness this work week is over! I’m never one to wish my time away but this week was absolutely brutal. I had a big problem. Everywhere I turned I hit a roadblock. Every roadblock I faced I hit a dead end. If another week like this comes around before the next Halley’s Comet, it’ll be far too soon.

For every difficult person I have in my life...
I know I have a Doug!

I don’t think I am alone when I say that I have people in my work life that just grind the friggin’ crap right out of me. 

Not the “Oh my God, that's totally HOT” kinda grind; rather they tend to be the “totally unreasonable and I stopped listening to you at hello” kinda grind. Yup, the '80's Patrick Swayze vibe is definitely not the grind I feel when it comes to these folks!

Glass half full? I am elated how my work week ended and I am pleased to report that I can take something positive away from today. I am an extremely grateful gal.

Rhondi's Coles Note Version:

I have to get to a boathouse on an island this weekend. It's January. In Muskoka. The water is dangerously open and must be respected.

When I started to call in my markers, I made my obvious phone calls. So many people tried to help but I was shocked to find that the people I thought would unconditionally help did not. It was those that had no vested interest in my plight that moved mountains (or ice) for me today. Not because they had something to gain, but because they knew if the table were turned, I would do the very same for them.

Short story long? A perfect stranger came to my rescue today. Someone I have never met before, and they are transporting me with their Airboat this coming Sunday afternoon. The most amazing part of my story is that this stranger is an acquaintance (four layers removed) from the original call I made for help. 

Chris is helping me (not because I wasn't above begging but) because my original loop was created by a specific person within an unbelievable network. Seriously, because of that person, everyone just kept paying it forward to help him, which in turn was helping me. That statement right there honestly illustrates just how well respected my friend is.

With my eyes wide open (and a much better feel for the people I have surrounded myself with) I want to shout out a personal thank you. Thank you Doug. Thank you for being you. Most of all, thank you for being my friend.

I love ya Bud! 

Stop Talking and Keep Pouring….

Today was an interesting day for me; so before you start telling me about your day, I need you to stop talking and keep pouring!  It’s my blog so I’ll go first.

Well, it seems I went to bed on the wrong side last night and got up this morning on the very same side. I`ll give props to my morning wake up text which had me smiling, but when I arrived at work it was like the entire property had a storm cloud over it like the hearse belonging to the Addams Family.

Question: Why is it on the days you want to blend in with the wallpaper challenges arise making it impossible? From the time I started this morning`s meeting; no matter what I did or where I turned, I was frustrated and agitated.

I know it’s the compilation of ‘a lot of nothing’. But one has to admit sometimes we ignore the nothings until they amount to something. I think today was a toxic combination of months of nothing.

For my own reasons, I choose to rarely talk about what I do for a living. I am pleased to report that 99% of the time I can say “I am one of the lucky few that love what I do for a living” today just wasn’t one of those days. Suffice is to say, tomorrow should be interesting.

I’ll get off my soapbox now, give you a great big hug, and nicely ask… “How was your day?”

Always Look To Yourself To Find The Answers...

I'm not gonna lie. I had a total crap day. My husband picked me up at work, took one look and me, and he knew it wasn't good. 

It wasn't a crazy bad day per say, just a crazy busy one, with some unexpected road bumps. I want to go on the record with the fact that I hate road bumps. No matter why or how they arrive - they just downright suck. 

So how does an exhausted, road bump rider like myself, take her glass from half empty to half full? As I soaked in my tub, I closed my eyes, looked inward and reflected then listed 25 things I know and understand about myself:

1. My life is complete because I am loved.

2. I have the most amazing and talented children.

3. I am one of the very fortunate in life that love what I do for a living.

4. I know that a hot tub & singing out loud, to my favorite song, will cure my woes at anytime.

5. I believe in God.

6.  I am a leader and I think that my skill set for business is genetic.

7. I feel a smile with my eyes is more important than words.

8. I know that theatre is far more rewarding for me than figure skating ever was.

9.  I have let certain people go & I miss them every single day.

10. I've had people use me and let them.

11. I've had people talk behind my back and let them. (Some I will never speak to again and some I have forgiven because I know they couldn't help themselves.)

12. I know that nursing both my parents to their death has changed my entire outlook on life.

13. I know I make mistakes and I try to learn from every single one of them.

14. I make an effort not to judge someone that hasn't "walked a mile in my shoes"...

15. I honestly feel Canadians need to pay more attention to politics.

16. I’ll take a "little great" in lieu of a "whole lot of nothing" any day.

17. I’ll pick Jane Austen over chocolate in a heart beat.

18. I hear circus music in my head on a regular basis.

19. I know stress shows itself in different ways.

20. I miss my mentors.

21. I know I'm strong on the outside. Fragile on the inside.

22. I love golf. My pitching wedge is my friend.

23. What you see is what you get.
24. I love fun... it's how I roll!

25. I am afraid of the dark. Always have been... always will be.