Janet Says

that she is getting rid of all the f**king shit in our house if it's the last thing she does!  She started on the top floor and cleaned out a closet that has about 25 years of (again, we quote Janet ) f**king shit in it.

When it comes to getting rid of stuff, Janet has a scorched earth policy.  Sometimes she regrets it, but most often not.  Next up - the basement and now Janet has a partner in crime.  We need to have the remaining nob and tube wiring in our house removed and the electrician says he won't do it unless the basement is cleaned up.  High five, Lance!

Treasures from the upstairs closet:

Seriously, who doesn't have the box from their Betamax?  Janet says our children used this machine so much it was down to pennies a tape!

Never mind Betamax...how about the box for the Power Pad?

Janet found one of Phil's Olympic togs.  Apparently they someone might have packed on a little beef liked their windbreakers "snug" in1972!

This sucker has to be at least 50 years old, so why they dragged it to Victoria 33 years ago is anybody's guess.

Actually, it's not anyone's guess at all.  Phil can't stand to throw shit out.  Believe it or not, there is a label affixed that says "Made in Holland".  Who knew Holland had a huge tape player industry back in the day?

The aftermath:

There was some good stuff upstairs - old Lego and Playmobil that Janet says our children used to play with.

A "My Little Pony" peeking outside the box.

Then she moved downstairs.  A couple of weeks ago, Janet tackled the cabinet in the bathroom so moved onto the closet in the tv media room.

Look - batteries that expire in 1999!  NKOB board game!  Oak Bay News from 1999 with Bronwyn lining up outside the theatre for hours to buy tickets for Star Wars!

So, how does it look now?

This one might not look so impressive, but you had to know there was stuff from floor to ceiling and it was packed in tight.

Janet and I went to the grocery store.  I am such a good little puppy girl, I wait outside very patiently whilst she shops.

In any world but ours, this would not merit mention.  But over here, in Pashy-NoodiesVille, this is earth shattering!  Janet self served gas!  This is something she hasn't done for a least a decade and a half.  She carefully weighed out her options and decided her fear of running out of gas on a busy road overshadowed her fear of self serve.

She was shocked at how easy it was!

Well, that's it...we doggies are tuckered out from two blot posts in three day!

Janet Takes an Unneeded Break!

Janet has been more than remiss in doing our blog for us, but we're back baby!

Last Christmas, Bronwyn gave Janet the gift of "40 Years of Hello Kitty" tickets, fancy hotel room and outstanding steak dinner.

Janet flew over on Kenmore Air and spent the first day by herself as Bronwyn had to work and couldn't come until Saturday morning.

This is the view from the flight.  Janet thinks Kenmore Air is fabulous - downtown to downtown in 45 minutes!  Great views and really small aircraft.  Back in the day, you could get last minute internet specials for $59 each way, but that is no longer the case.

On the way from the float plane to the hotel, Janet passed this odd construction site.  She had no clue what it was, but Bronwyn looked it up later and it's new buildings for Google.

Janet also passed by this store and thinks of Toshio every time she sees it.  This is where, many years ago, Toshio came to purchase a tuxedo for Koji and Hitomi's wedding.

Hotel Monaco - great rooms in a really good location and the rate was super.  It included parking (which in Seattle is $40/night), a $10 gift card for the restaurant/bar and a $50 Visa gift card.  What's not to like?

Next day, a walk to Uwajimaya, lunch and Hello Kitty!  Janet thinks this Wagyu beef looks like it will melt in your mouth.

Also not cheap, as you can see on price labels!

They even have Hello Kitty transit in Seattle!

The steak!  They went to The Metropolitan Grill, where Phil and Janet had been a couple of times previous - once with Toshio and Phil says he can remember only two times where Toshio ate all his meal.  This was one of them.  Janet and Bronwyn shared an incredible 42oz long bone rib eye steak.  Yes, that is a lot of meat.  It is carved tableside and cost the earth (or however many patients Bronwyn needed to see to pay for it!

It was so good!

Look!  Stack 'o quilts back from LongArm Arlene along with Stack 'o binding.

Janet and Phil gave this quilt to Phil's clients, Liz and Jim.  They were thrilled.

Check out this beauty!  Janet would give anything to say she made this quilt, but she didn't.  Peggy, who goes to Quilting Class on Thursdays made it.  Janet thinks it's stunning.

See you again, real soon!

International Rockers Remembrance Day

Is it an official holiday?  We kind of doubt it, but are certain it should be so.  Today marks two years since Mr. Rockers passed away.

Janet finds it hard to believe that two years have passed by as there is rarely a day she doesn't think about him.

Back in the day, they used to be able to do this:

Janet says Noodles used to spend hours on the bed, looking out the window.  This bed is in the spare room as Rockers was too big to jump up on Janet and Phil's bed.

Rockers says, "Come on, Phil...we goin' for a walk or what?"

The one and only time Noodles ever slept at the end of the hallway was when Rockers was sick.  It was like she knew there was something wrong.  If only she could have conveyed it to Janet and Phil.  Janet took the photo as it was an unusual spot for Noodles to sleep.

This is the evening before Rockers passed away.  Neither Janet nor Phil had a clue he was so ill.

Lovely, lovely Mr. Rockers.

 

In the meantime, over in Idiotville, we are trooping it out.  The first day of Daylight Savings Time was a major learning curve for these two fools.  Janet adjusted all the clocks Saturday night and went to bed.  She woke up at 8AM on Sunday and was as refreshed as could possibly be.  She and Phil watched one of their favourite Brit shows and then Phil got ready for an 11AM appointment.

 Phil comes storming down the hallway and wants to know why Janet didn't tell him the clocks had been changed.  Janet gets on her high horse and lets him know in a very snippy fashion "I changed every clock in the house, with the exception of your wristwatch, so not quite sure how you could  have missed it!"  Turns out Mensa Club Janet turned the clocks back instead of forward!  Her 8AM wake up was really 10AM.  Watching the TV show until 10:30AM was really half past noon.  Needless to say, the morning was shot and Phil missed his 11AM appointment as now it's 1PM.

Then, just for fun, she dropped her iPhone in the toilet!  Turns out it's OK.  Sheesh!

We went for the big puppy dog walk today - that's the one where Noodles stays home.  I spotted a couple of tennis balls inside the court at Windsor Park so Janet opened up the gate for me.

Kill joy Phil refused to stand by whilst I shredded the ball.  Off we go again!

Janet loves the Dinner With Julie blog.  She often makes this Tortellini dish with spinach and Italian sausage.  Phil bought the tortellini and the spinach at Save On Foods.

Low and behold, when Phil took a bite, he came across this:

They think it was part of the processing equipment.  Phil went back the next day to  bitch and get something for free  let them know for the greater good of humanity, lest fellow consumers fall prey.  Turns out being a humanitarian pays off as they gave him a $50 gift card that he snatched before they changed their minds graciously accepted after declining several times.

Remember the self sorting peppers at Janet's volunteer job?  Last week it was colourful cauliflower!

We doggies really miss Rockers, but we still love each other.

A rare moment when Noodles is awake!  Good night all.

We Get A Staycation!

Phil went skiing.  He usually goes once or twice a year with his friend Dave, who has a house in Whistler and some other guys.  We doggies were sad that he was leaving.  Janet couldn't even be bothered to fake it!  It was two non cooking, non cleaning days of silence.  AKA - Heaven!  Here is what Janet didn't have to do while Phil was gone:

It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but everyday, without fail, Phil puts his fingerprints all over the microwave.  Janet cleans it every day, but the next day, they are back again.

Muddy shoes - this is also an everyday activity in Janet's life.  Phil sits on the bottom step going upstairs, puts on his muddy shoes and then Janet cleans them up.

Speaking of activities, Janet did the unthinkable.  She returned to yoga!  She knew she had been gone for awhile, but turns out it's been nearly two years!  The good news is she returned.  The bad news is she is more lame than ever and can give up the dream in her head that she still has some flexibility.  She was so lame, fellow students (who appeared to be way more advanced than beginner!) were giving her a hand.  Janet, by accident chose the front row.  Next weeks game plan - go early and snag the back row!

As painful as it was, she felt better after the class.

 Janet was rushing out of the house to get to yoga and quickly grabbed a bottle of water to drink in the car.  There were two in the frig - a sealed bottle and and unsealed bottle that Mr. Baby toted around for days and had been refilled.  Janet grabbed the unsealed bottle by accident.  It tasted awful and had all kinds of particles settling in the bottom!

Before Phil left, they had Karen over for dinner as Ken was out of town.  Jeremy's girlfriend, Heidi is a professional chef and kindly gave Janet her recipe for Butter Chicken.  She also made Tarka Dhal and Phil purchased some fresh made naan from the Indian grocery store.  It was still warm when it arrived home!

I'm back in the ball business!  Three this spring already.  Janet says they are from last years baseball games, so we aren't allowed to count them as part of this years tally.

I think I've found it Janet!

I'm on my way to get it!

Well done, if I do say so myself.

A few days ago, I had a very unfortunate incident whilst climbing up the front steps.  I still had my leash on and somehow managed to step on the leash midway to the next step.  I was very frightened and now won't walk up the steps if my leash is loose.

I'm trying to play hard to get, but in the end Janet shut the front door and I had to cave.

Noodles newest gig is watching for the front door to be left open.  With the speed of lightening, she is off the sofa and out the door.  Noodles other latest gig is to go outside and bark at the fresh air.

This falls into the "how stupid can you be" department.  There was a bake sale at Phil's office as a fundraiser for a realtor who goes to Honduras to build schools.  This year they are building a clinic.  Janet never got around to the baking all weekend long.  She could have waited until the bake sale was over and say to Phil "Golly, gee Phil!  I plum forgot!"  No - she is so dense she tells him that she feels guilty for not having done anything.  Fool!  Janet is hugely motivated by guilt, which Phil didn't hesitate to lay on thick - even going so far as to say he wouldn't be able to go to the office for several days.  End result:

The Honduran flag is blue and white.