Olives

(Memories of Olive by Alberto Vargas)
http://home.comcast.net/~flickhead/OliveThomas.html
I think it is beautifulpiece... I love Vargas' work
I was making a pizza tonight, for dinner. Fidel came in to snitch some munchies as I was slicing and dicing. Doing his usual perusal of the activity, he picked up the jar of olives.

"I know you don't like olives, but I do so I am putting some on"

"On your pieces"

"No - on all pieces.You're lucky I'm not putting anchovies on... I'm having anchovy withdrawl."

(no- I'm not pregnant)

Funny this distaste of olives in NA. I've come across it many times before, including me. I don't know if it is olives in general or the olives most of us are accustomed to - those salt brined manzilla types, stuffed with pimento, which most of my NA born and bred generation first came to know as "olives".

Up until I was about 6, I hated olives. One night, staying at a hotel, Dad had a drink with an olive in it. Conversation ensued, involving a few " ewwws" on my part I am sure, but I remember him saying:

" I never liked eating them. But the way I learned to like them was to eat a bunch all in a row."

I was game and I did. And I have been hooked ever since - on all olives. But my love is the pickled manzillas with pimento stuffing from that fond memory.

(*lol*That hotel was just being constructed - not quite finished, then. My next stay was 35 years later on business)

I love them so much that 20+ years ago, I was hanging at my best friend's house; her folks had a party the night before - so we were rummaging the fridge for eats (being a couple of bored growing 15/16 year olds).

A jar of olives...

"May I have a couple?"

You can eat them all if you want, because none of us are going to eat them."

*snarf*

The jar disappeared.

They were good !!

Maybe I should tell you about my raw oyster adventure ...

... someday.

Edmonton

Okay - I have a really kwel picture of downtown Edmonton and a tale to tell from last week's trip.

(this pict is an aerial view of the West Edmonton Mall)

But !!!

I discovered Facebook Monday, 2 days ago..... :0 before a chance to write and now I am totally engrossed and consumed.

(give me another few days and it'll wears off ~ maybe)

AGGGGGGGG !!!!

Its addictive, especially as I am reconnecting with old friends.

I have friend ?

Stay tuned buoys and gulls.

No Dogs Please

I wish I had a camera in my hand given what I saw a couple of days ago....

But to lead up to the verbal picture, I must give some background.

A zillion years ago I moved into an apartment. Not that pets were allowed, but the lease implied certain restrictions including cats and dogs and birds ( noise factor ??).

Then *poof* a couple of years later, dogs (don't know about cats) were the " de jour", and allowed (or not enought "man-power" to enforce the lease).

How did I miss that band wagon ?

This same phenomenon has happened to me twice more as I have moved over the years, the latest being here.

When I moved in here, not that pets were banned, but again the lease implied that we couldn't have any (other that snakes, snails, muted birds, fish). Either people have pushed the boundary, the landlords are not enforcing, or I just read the lease wrong, but we now, just of late, have a building full of lovely dogs.

And now grounds with a new set of signs ~

"No Dogs"

So my visual picture...

A couple,with a grey kittten on a cat harness/lease thingy, playing on the grass by one of these "no dog" signs.

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Wondering why I haven't posted lately? (like anyone reads this blog)

Just to dang busy. Work has been brutal, so much that when I get home I am poopeded.

And the summer volunteering work is ramping up.

It's all good, but priorities are shifting.

Today is actually a nice break. I'm up normal time, but don't have to be at work until "later" as I am flying out West to to have a meeting to solve an issue....fly in today and out Thursday. I think it will go well as I sense I have the commitment and buy-in from 3 very distinct entities (jurisdictionally) on this one.

I've learned to use travel time (days) as a fluid work/me resource, so thus I blog today in a lazy crazy sense.

Man, I have to loose some pounds - inside voice speaking

Farewell Olga ...

We'll miss ya... I can't begin to say how much we've enjoyed your company.

(Now I have to do all the dang housework again)

Your off to places unknown and adventures deep. Drop us a line will ya'- pleezzeee

~~~

We'd like to introduce and thank the support staff Olga had during her stay in Paradise:

Security Coordinators: Mountie Stan, Fang the Wonder Dog, and Dimitrios the Greek Detective



Stunt Double: Miss Bali




Bra Model: Annie




Best Boy and Main Man: Fidel





Chief Cook and Bottle Washer: Medstudentwife

But she's not going home yet ...

US Embassy in Paradise

... Or is she ????

SURPRISE !!! Its Sunday

"WAAAAAAAAAA... They sold me like they promised... WAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!

And ... ewwww... I'm all dirty and sweaty......"

Actually - we ( Fidel, Olga et moi) did some volunteer gardening with Jesse. Rather than trying to explain it all, check him out here at Vegetable Patch.

Olga thinks Jesse and what he's promoting is pretty kwel.

Am I sore today !!!
Fidel isn't up yet, but I bet he's going to be one hurting puppie.

But we got most of the beds done at this particular garden.

(Thanks to Olga for all her help!)

Below has to be the most g-d aweful picture of me, ever taken..... I really need Olga's BM to help me with a makeover !

Talk about heavy duty fish fertilizer !!!!

A Big Surprise for Olga...

... Sunday

*snicker*

Check out Olga's blog to see her latest adventures...

Fur-Liners.. At Last !!

To model for us today is Annie - the world's foremost bra model and Miss Bali - Miss Olga's body double.

Note the bra warming qualities of these DDD liners, which are just as beautiful worn outside of the bra, as we are modeling today, as on the inside.

In fact, theses liners are reversible as well, for a totally different look.

Note the quality hand stitching, the exquisite bead
work, the doux, doux, doux fur.

And like any quality fur coat, you will find Miss Olga's initials, "OTB" hand embroidered on one of the liners.

Need we say more ?

MBM is pleased because Miss Olga is pleased.

(the dang bra sleeps with these now)

All the hip, and trendy fashonista bras are going to want theirs now.

Here's Leering at You

You beautiful bra, you !

At the Centrepointe Theatre for the Savoy Society's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers.

One of These things Is not Like the Other

.









A. Atlas rocket at the Science Museum
B. Peace Tower chiming noon
C. Just hangin' at the stray cat sanctuary (the Museum of Civilization is waaaay in the background)

Olga Has a Following

Remember this man?

Well here he is again, while we were doing some sightseeing (or is that bra-seeing?) with Olga.

Coincidental ? I think not. I think Olga has a new fan.