Riding in the snow

Today was such a beautiful afternoon! It wasn’t that cold either. Still cool, make no mistake! The gloves, hat and scarf came in very handy, thank you! I’ve been wanting to get on my bike for the past week and I simply had to get out and enjoy the sun. Off I went!!

The weekend is supposed to bring some more pleasant temperatures before some more cool weather early next week. For now the sun is out, the snow is melting and you have a good grip on the tar. The ride was a short one, but a fun one! Thank you for the beautiful pics, sweet G ;)

Dear Gillette, we need to talk...

Dear Gillette,

It is with a heavy heart (and an itchy arm pit) that I write you this letter today. I have thought about this long and hard and I simply don’t see another way out of this. I am having an affair. NO! Please don’t stop reading! I didn’t have the courage to tell you face to face, but I need you to hear me out! Please, I beg of you... hear me out...

Since you left two shaves ago things have been tough for me; hair on my legs, hair under my arms. I didn’t know what else to do! I looked for you, waited for you, but you never came. I was desperate! I also have needs you know; I’m only a woman. I know it must sound like I’m making excuses, I know, but it is not as if I meant for it to happen – HEAVENS NO! – You know you’re the only one for me!

I’ve missed you, you know... your triple protection formula... your light scent... your soothing touch of aloe... You’ve always expressed the utmost care for my sensitive skin; you’ve always made me feel... safe. I’ve always been taken good care of; you’ve not once given me reason to be concerned for nicks and cuts, dryness or redness. I’ve always known an incredibly smooth shave. I’ve been more lucky than a whole lot of other woman out there. How could I betray you like this? What have I done?! *sobbing in hands – smudged mascara everywhere – peeking through her fingers seeing if it is having the desired effect of pity and forgiveness* (It doesn’t seem that way... she sobs even louder.)

I know things haven’t exactly been smooth gliding between us lately, but I’m begging you; please forgive me – give me another chance. Soap was nothing more than a cheap fling – a back-up plan, a convenience, I swear! He’s nowhere near as smooth a glide as you are. I’ve done nothing but itch to tell you to please come back; let’s work it out – the two of us. I know we can formulate anti-friction again! You’re the only safeguard for my skin, baby.

Some might not think it to be a big deal, but I can see the error of my ways now. My good friend, Teatree, tried to sooth me, but now I know for sure: You – GILLETTE – are the only cream for me!

Please forgive me. Please say you will...

Variety - The spice of life!

I don’t remember myself being a very avid reader during my youth. I studied hard at school and most of my reading was probably for that reason, but I really started reading books (and enjoying it) in my twenties. I think I’ve read a good couple of hundred by now (at least). No, probably more.

During my journey I have learnt a few things about myself as a reader. I bore quickly. I don’t have just one favourite author (probably for this very reason). I enjoy a wide genre. I enjoy books written by male and female authors alike. I don’t care if you’re on the New York bestseller’s list, or whether your name is on everyone’s lips or no one I know have ever heard about you; what is the story that you have to tell? I like thick books – the thin ones are simply too short; I don’t like to start a new book every second day, plus, it ends up costing you a pretty penny if you are an eager beaver.

I went through a season of trying to read multiple books by the same authors, the first being a book titled April fool’s Day by Author Bryce Courtenay. It is a true story about Courtenay’s son, Damon, a hemophiliac who contracts AIDS with one of the blood transfusions that was supposed to save his life. He passes away on 1st April, literally April fool's day. It was an amazing, gripping and heart wrenching story. I cried half the time reading it. Bryce Courtenay is a phenomenal writer in my opinion and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on another one of his books. I also read Jessica and Tandia. All of these were loaded with emotion; not a water pistol... a BAZOOKA. And all of the books ended in tragedy. It just broke my heart and after the third one I literally felt emotionally drained and depressed. I deliberately went on a hunt for the most light hearted, shallow and fun story I could find. (See! The world even needs those. *wink*) I needed to take a break and float back to the surface, not because Courtenay is a bad writer, on the contrary - just that intense. I simply get too involved.

Another one I tried was Rich Man, Poor Man and Beggar man, Thief, both by Author Irwin Shaw. One book is a sequel to the other. One word: brilliant!! A tale of two brothers growing up in the same home and yet their paths going in totally opposite directions, but even 'perfect' can be a mere deceitful illusion. I read these through the night! I cried, ranted, banged my fists, hoped and held my breath anticipating the best, but just as hope rises on the horizon, disaster strikes, and sometimes there is no second chances. I needed another distraction after this one.

Two more that I can think of is Author Jodi Picoult and Karen Kingsbury. I’ve read The Pact and My Sister’s Keeper by Picoult and Even NOW, Where yesterday lives, When Joy came to stay, On every side and Waiting for morning by Kingsbury.

The people that I have mentioned are all phenomenal writers. Yet we each have our unique style, and even though I couldn’t put the books down at the time, I did feel that I was becoming too familiar with the Author and in a way it became predictable to me. I needed a change; I need variety.

Having said this of authors who are renowned worldwide it is comforting to me to consider that people might get bored with my writing too, but it happens to the best of us. That is what makes variety so amazing! How boring it would have been had there only been a handful of authors to choose from? The same goes for the authors: who would they write for if there was only a limited audience out there? But if we mix them together we have a little bit of everything and it keeps it interesting and fun!

Thank heavens for different strokes for different folks! Each one to his own is EXACTLY what this world needs! So I’m going ahead and DOing my thing! Someone out there can’t wait!!

Media24(7)

My gosh, keeping up with current events can be a full time job!

I recently subscribed to a few things, including the digital format of the New York Times. It hasn’t been a month and I’m slowly unsubscribing one after another. I guess it is my personality trait of having attention to detail that makes it challenging for me to ‘scan’ through the articles, but I find that the amount of reading can be rather time consuming. I simply don’t have enough coffee, bacon and eggs to last me a whole morning paper.

I have found most of the articles in the New York Times to stretch across two pages and by the time you’re done reading the first subscription in your e-mail box, not only is it time for lunch, but two or three more updates have been delivered. If you let them stand over till later, they get buried under the next e-mail and that gets buried under the next and before you know it, it is old news.

I just find that we have such a vast amount of media out there today; television news, paper print magazines and news papers and the digital versions that you can subscribe to via e-mail, radio news broadcasts (sometimes every half an hour) internet news and video, etc. etc. With regard to the radio I’ve often driven from one location to another feeling like I’ve heard nothing else but news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising. Where did the music go?

If you dig in you can very easily get buried. You quickly find out that trying to stay on top of it all leaves you very little time for anything else much. Then one also has to be cautious that all the negativity doesn’t poison you, leaving you discouraged or hopeless. It certainly does not appear as if it is good news that causes sales to skyrocket.

I have discovered something that works nicely for me. I can view the main stories of the day via Yahoo in the form of video clips that are an average of 2 to 3 minutes long. I enjoy it being short and concise. I enjoy the video footage – sometimes it causes me to take in more of the information and to remember it not only better, but for longer. Plus, I can listen to these while making breakfast and during having breakfast. I’m forever multi-tasking.

At one stage the negativity was a bit too much, leaving me feeling rather depressed. Because of that I chose not to watch news or listen to the radio for a time. I still think, however, that it is good to be aware of what is happening around you. It is simply a question of balance, so I’m going to be selective and go with the shovel instead of the truckload... for now anyway! Who knows, maybe I’ll even have time for one or two of my favourite songs in between!

Arizona shooting & gun control

On January 8th 2011 the shooting in Tucson, Arizona shocked the world and has been headline news ever since. 6 People were killed, the youngest victim being a 9 year old girl (Christina Taylor Greene). 13 Others were injured, among whom congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, who took a bullet to the head.

It is no surprise that this tragedy has yet again highlighted the issue of gun control which is currently under the spotlight in America. Should we have stricter gun laws or not? In thinking about this, I can’t help but think a bit bigger than that.

Fire was discovered an estimated 1.4 million years ago. Fire – a friend: used to create weapons to hunt, used to cook food and boil/warm water, warm up a dwelling, protect from predators, etc. Fire – a foe: can be used to burn down things (homes, crops, nature – animal habitat, buildings, etc.), used in setting off fireworks in animal cruelty, as well as dynamite. Unattended candles have killed or deformed countless babies, or have been used as a deliberate means for abuse. Does this make fire a bad thing?

Alcohol – a friend: used as a steriliser, disinfectant, anaesthetic and cleaning agent (solvent). It can be used for cooking (or even as an ingredient in food products, e.g. vanilla essence). It is used to make perfume, as well as it is flammable. Of course the best known use is drinking it as a social affair. A little red wine on a regular basis is good for cholesterol and blood pressure. Alcohol – a foe: Alcohol abuse has destroyed thousands of lives - drunken driving, broken families, beaten and abused wives and children, even to the extent of death – if not death, then scarred physically, emotionally or spiritually for life. It causes health issues, e.g. liver disease. Does this make alcohol a bad thing?

Money – a friend: used to feed millions of hungry people across the world, to dig wells to give fresh water, sustain safe places for abused people to find help and hope for a future somehow. It buys blankets for the homeless who would freeze to death otherwise on a cold winters night. Money pays for organ transplants and medical treatment. It provides help for those struck by natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, etc. – it helps many who would never be able to help themselves sometimes. Money – a foe: The pursuit of it, motivated by selfishness, a hunger for power/superiority/materialistic things, and/or greed destroys families. People will kill for it. Others seek their identity in it and will stop at nothing just to feel a sense of worth. Some is addicted to gambling in pursuit of that one “lucky strike”. Money pays for sex, drugs and alcohol that destroys many other things that took years (or even generations) to build. Does this make money a bad thing?

So, what about guns? A friend: Guns are used to hunt and put food on the table. This is also part of managing herds and helping nature. It can be used for recreational purposes. It has saved the lives of many innocent people by using it to enforce the law. A foe: Guns are used to kill people, to take by force which does not belong to you, to kill animals carelessly without respect for nature, or the consequences of uncontrolled, irresponsible actions. Guns are recklessly left where children can find them and hurt or even kill themselves or others. Guns are used in family violence and for suicide. Guns are used in war, but sadly it also kills the innocent as much as it defends the innocent. Does this make guns a bad thing?

I am sure that in each case many more ideas could be added to each item, and even many items that I have not even mentioned in my writing. I do see a pattern though and I draw one conclusion: Maybe the problem is not the things.

Maybe we should start with ourselves; taking a real close look at who we’ve become. Maybe then we will realize that fire, alcohol, money, fast cars, drugs, guns, etc. etc are not our worst enemy; things are not our worst enemy. WE ARE!

A knife will serve you or cut you, as you seize it by the handle or the blade.

New Zodiac Sign: Help! I have an identity crisis!

A new zodiac sign has been announced in 2011: Ophiuchus (also knows as Serpentarius - the serpent holder). I don’t know which one is harder to pronounce. This sign is supposed to be Nov 29 - Dec 17 and has caused the dates for all other zodiac signs to shift too. On top of global warming, processed foods and cancer, war, crime and an obsession with flat tummies we might have a serious case of identity crisis on our hands.

One Tweeter responded saying "it's our identity!! ahh!! existential crisis!! postmodernism defined!!".

Tens of thousands of people (if not millions) read horror scopes every day. Many live by it like some live by the Bible, the Koran or the label on the back of a Whiskey bottle. For those who look to the stars for their identity, a hope and a future, where does this change leave them in 2011?

For starters, I didn’t even know that there were two different zodiac systems, but a TPI News Daily Update states that there are the tropical and the sidereal zodiac. The western world uses the tropical zodiac which is based on the seasons, whereas the sidereal zodiac is based on the constellations. Apparently it is the alignment of the Earth that has brought about this modification.

According to discussions on the Early Morning Show your sign has changed.

I have always pride myself in being a modest, shy, meticulous, reliable, practical, diligent, intelligent and analytical Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22) who can tend to be somewhat of a fussy worrier, overly critical, harsh, conservative perfectionist. In the new classification I become a generous, warm hearted, creative, enthusiastic, broad-minded, expansive, faithful and loving Leo (Aug 10 – Sep 16) with a touch of patronizing, pompous, bossy, interfering, dogmatic intolerance.

Hmmm... So... is that good or bad?

In gaining some insight on astrology I discovered that my fiancé, who used to be a Libra (Sep 24 to Oct 23) will now be changing to Virgo (Sep 16 – Oct 30). I read that Librans’ worst relationship match is Virgo. Has he just become his own worst enemy? ;)

Then, upon further investigation, I discovered an article and video clip on abc NEWS that the astrology community says that your zodiac has not changed, but the scientific community says it has.

That is enough to confuse anyone, so if you don’t know who you are, you might have some trouble, because no one else seems to be too sure either. As for the future - just in case the stars get confused - better go out there and make it the best future you possibly can - TODAY is your day. Go out there and SEIZE it!!

A word to the wise though, while looking for an image on the new sign - serpent holder - I encountered six viruses and two worms that were blocked by my anti-virus software. A serpent INDEED!! You might want to exercise cautious curiosity.

Note: Image abc NEWS

Movie review: AVATAR

His twin brother was the scientist, he the soldier who lost the use of his legs in battle. One’s demise meant another’s destiny. James Cameron is in for the ride of his life on a strange planet, with strange beings, who speak a strange language, whilst the humans is really only interested in the mineral that is at the core of their home. It becomes a battle for life and death... and love and money. The future that James is about to discover looks nothing like the past that he is leaving behind, one research logging at a time.

I was not at all motivated to go and watch AVATAR. Somehow I got the wrong impression that it was an animated movie, a sci-fi adventure for kids (maybe). It wasn’t until I heard increasingly positive feedback about how phenomenal it is that I finally decided to go and find out for myself! BEST DECISION EVER!!!

I went to see it in 3D – there is no other way to watch this movie. Much to my delight it was nowhere near an animated movie. Even though it is a sci-fi movie it exceeded my expectation by far!

What really had me excited was to find that it wasn’t simply amazing computer graphics – because it is REALLY well done! – but it also has a really good story line. The script is intelligently written and the characters were stunningly well rounded; they most certainly have you going on some breathtaking adventures with them. By the end of the movie they have evolved from someone into something completely different – in more ways than one – and it keeps you guessing.

I LOVE analyzing people’s character. In the movie I could, to some extent, anticipate what certain decisions would result in, but even though I was very correct in my assumption in essence, the full outcome was nonetheless unpredictable. It is a well paced movie - no time for dosing off because of boredom. It most certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.

Being a passionate movie lover the term it is just a movie does not apply to me. I escape with the characters. I become engrossed in their lives like close friends; I feel them. *grin* This movie certainly allowed me to feel – and to cry – not just for the characters, but also for myself.

The movie has a lot of depth – in more ways than one. It has a lot of dimension – the scenes are intensified with heights and depth. You wouldn’t experience the thrill if you had to watch this on a flat screen. There’s a tremendous amount of movement and it is best experienced as if you’re in the centre of it, moving with it!

The scenes are created with excellent brilliance and imagination. You become part of a world that certainly only exist in the imagination; pure and beautiful – a full circle of life.

I’m always a sucker for learning something from everything and many a lessons have been affirmed by a weekly Friday afternoon movie. The same goes for this movie – it gave me a new perspective on how everything and everyone has its perfect place in harmony – each serves a purpose and nothing exists in isolation. It creates the idea of life bigger than one. I loved the concept.

It deals with choices, pride / ego, it shows bridges being built, minds being opened to new ideas beyond the great “I”, humility, love, forgiveness, remorse, sadness, joy, camaraderie, selfishness, greed, exploring and learning, respect, survival and courage, to name but a few. WOW – definitely the kind of movie that I would watch more than once – I get the impression that you’d learn or notice something different every time around.

A thrilling (almost) three hours indeed, but well worth every minute of it! A pleasant surprise indeed! I had to go back and watch it twice more!

You can tell I loved it, huh? *giggle* Have you seen it? Tell me what you thought :)

Book review: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

This year Luther and Nora Krank are considering skipping Christmas all together. With their daughter, Blair, on her way to Peru for two years and having examined last year’s expenses under a magnifying glass, Luther is convinced that they can spend their money in a more meaningful way than buying fruit cakes, unwanted presents and hosting big, fancy dinner parties on Christmas eve. No, this year there will be no Mr Frosty, no Christmas lights and much less stressful times in overcrowded malls with last minute shoppers. Instead there will be trips to the travel agent, the tanning salon and a Caribbean cruise setting sail on 25th December. How delightful! Or maybe not.

The Kranks soon find out that it is not that easy to swim upstream, but they are determined to succeed until the phone rings on the 24th. All of a sudden the sun beach tan feels awfully ridiculous in snow and subzero temperatures. This is a Christmas that they will surely not forget. Whether it will be with laughter or tears they will find out soon enough, but the reader is certainly offered a hilarious look at the frenzy and chaos that have become one with holiday tradition. It is a heart warming reminder of what Christmas is really about.

This holiday (probably for the first time I can remember) I did a little holiday reading. This book was a splendid choice indeed! It is very witty - very intelligently written, while all along a simplistic story that most readers can probably identify with. (The movie Christmas with the Kranks is based on this book.)

Author John Grisham has a wonderful gift for telling stories and he certainly did not disappoint! At times I was crying, I was laughing that much! The characters are original and funny. He doesn’t just make you chuckle for their sake, but also for your own and the pain and suffering we put ourselves through so unnecessarily. You would imagine that breaking away from the hustle and bustle routine would bring relief, but you soon realize, just like the Kranks, that Skipping Christmas can be quite the effort. This book is a wonderful expression of the Christmas spirit as well. All is well that ends well and sometimes people can be full of pleasant surprises.

I found this book to be a very easy read. It is in a fairly large print and widely spaced, but the book is a size that fits so comfortably in your hand (or even your handbag – for the ladies), and it is easy to read bits and pieces whenever you get a chance, all awhile leaving you looking forward to the next opportunity you’ll have to get your hands on it. It is a very good topic to provoke fun conversation with friends and for everyone to share their memories and stories of Christmases gone by.

Skipping Christmas is a delightful read - especially at Christmas time. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Movie review: Frozen

A weekend of skiing / snowboarding turns into a life changing disaster for three friends, Parker (Emma Bell), Joe (Shawn Ashmore) and Dan (Kevin Zegers). Despite the dark and some bad weather on the way a coy look from a pretty girl and a hundred bucks is all it takes to convince a chairlift operator to let them make one more run - against his better judgement. They find themselves stranded all alone in midair and subzero temperatures. The resort is open Friday through Sunday; It is Sunday evening and no one knows they are there, except for the coyotes lurking in the trees nearby. Chances of them surviving get slimmer as the minutes tick by. Will they make it out alive?

The movie revolving around a chairlift didn’t – in my opinion – make for enough movie to fill an hour and a half. I found the movie to be slow paced. The only reason I kept watching was to see who (if anyone) would survive and even then felt a disappointing sense of “Is that IT?” I enjoy well rounded characters with depth, but these characters don’t seem to travel too far inwardly. Each one had an interesting response to the dilemma though and it did make me wonder what I would have done had I been in their shoes (or should I say their chairlift). Being from a country with a warmer climate it did give me a renewed respect for snow and subzero temperatures.

This thriller, directed by Adam Green, reminds me why thrillers are not my favourite movie genre. I thoroughly enjoy my movies but I also get very involved. For me it is like becoming part of another world, even if only for a short while. I care much more for the characters in the movie rather than the gossip about the actors themselves. I feel compassion, anger, sadness and joy as I laugh or cry my way through the story, but I don’t seem to do stupid very well.

Being somewhat of a perfectionist I struggle with the emotions that come when disaster strikes due to stupidity. A part of me wants to always be responsible and do the right thing. It is hard for me to watch others do the opposite and get the exact results that can be expected, but then the clock cannot be turned back and the consequences cannot disappear as if waving a magic wand. These kind of movies often leave me disgruntled even though I realize with my intellect that it is only a movie. For this reason I didn’t particularly enjoy this one, but then again, if they weren’t stupid there would be no movie to begin with, right?

I’m always mindful that stupid unfortunately happens in the real world every day and often affect several lives, not just one, and sometimes in heartbreakingly tragic ways. “Sorry” fix very little in terms of the consequences of foolishness. That breaks my heart.

In short I would have to sum it up as “They went. They got stuck. They got ‘unstuck’. The end. “ It is one of those where, if you've seen the trailer, you've pretty much seen the movie, with the exception of who gets to walk away from it all.

This movie provoked more irritation for me than it did excitement. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone and I wouldn’t really watch it a second time.

I give it 3 out of 10.

Cruelty or animal control?

WARNING: Content might be considered controversial.

I saw something on Facebook yesterday that made me feel rather sad. One man posted photo’s of (what looks like) a wolf to me. It looked rather fierce, but then again, my paw has never been caught in a steel trap before. Can you blame it?

I asked the man whether he kills these animals. I’m sure he is not putting these traps out for nature conservation. So what does he do with the animals once they’re trapped? Certainly it must be painful and I won’t be surprised if a foot gets amputated or bones crushed. If you were going to injure an animal like that and just leave it somehow I would consider you very cruel. His reply to me was “well if i get one alive il prob keep in a cage or sumn but i havn kept any alive this year yet”

My thought: If you’re going to trap them and injure them in such a cruel way you’d better kill them or tend to them medically but “prob keep in a cage or sumn” just doesn’t cut it for me! You don’t sound like someone who has thought through the repercussions of your (seemingly foolish) actions.

I do understand the issue that the US has in certain areas with an overgrown wolf population. I’ve read again this week of an area where the wolves are now starting on moose after having almost depleted the elk in the area as a food source. At one time the moose population was almost wiped out and it took careful management over time to restore it to healthy numbers. Now the wolves are laying into moose and threatening the area’s species again.

What is of greater concern is not just that the elk numbers are dropping, but the fact that the wolves are seemingly not just killing to feed anymore. In some instances the pregnant elk females are sought out, the fetus/baby torn from its body and the animal left for dead. I can understand how that is a concern. So I’m not saying that managing wolf herds is wrong, but I do think it matters how you do it.

What about other animals that get caught in these traps like this raccoon for instance?

Click to view BUT beware sensitive viewers

Yes, I agree, wolves are a problem and they need to be managed more strictly but is trapping an animal in this way the best way to do it? Should anyone be allowed to do this kind of thing or should it be done by a controlling body of some sort? Could it perhaps be compared to someone who takes the law into their own hands, thinking they’re doing everyone else a favour? And what if you do trap, but in other ways – a cage concept maybe, or a net that ties up – something that doesn’t leave the animal in pain or mutated, suffering? If you’re going to kill it, do so without causing the animal agony. What about rather being allowed to hunt wolves like you would deer, or having park rangers control numbers like they would in nature reserves? Level the playing field; make it fair.

Seeing these pictures made me feel sad. I do believe that humans have been given the responsibility to manage part of nature. I don’t think that hunting in a wise way, considering nature (and not wasting what has been killed, or killing senselessly) is essentially bad. But if you’re going to be an idiot about it – cruel, thoughtless, careless destruction – then it certainly makes me angry, as much as it makes me sad.

Homeless man with golden voice - UPDATE

Then... and NOW!

In just a day from his video having been posted on the net he has had a hair cut, a clean shave and shower, several job offers, a television interview and a second chance on life. He's flying to New York this afternoon! WOW! What a difference a day can make! Ol' Teddy boy ("Josef") has just been promoted from prison to palace! God IS faithful!!

Catch a glimpse of the new and improved Williams here:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifier/51933/golden-voiced-homeless-man-captivates-internet/

Homeless man with a golden voice

A whole 1 minute, 38 seconds of WOW! You won’t believe me unless you've heard it for yourself! This man was born for radio and he knows it.

"Radio is defined theatre of mind." (A radio personality from this man's childhood) - I can believe that.

I’ve heard it said jokingly that celebrities who are considered less – how shall I put this: attractive – have a face for radio. I have to agree that when you have the privilege of meeting some of the faces behind the voices it is often very different to what you might have expected based on what their voice sounded like.

Ted Williams has been fascinated with radio since he was a teenager. He went to college and worked in radio for a while before foolish choices caused him to lose much of what he had worked so hard for. What a humbling experience this must have been for him. I could only hope that, having the exposure that he is granted now with modern day technology, such as YouTube and the internet, he may find a second chance on life. I pray he does! He seems as if he would know what to do with second chances.

Some people just seem to be born for certain things. It's always great when you recognize what that is. I was certainly impressed! Let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f0T-9MqTO4

Note: The image is from the video clip on YouTube.

Wi-fi - my (MS W)indow(s) to the world

I decorate my coffee with a twirl of cream from a can and a touch of cinnamon to finish it off. I turn the bottle of spice absent minded to double check the spelling of ‘cinnamon’. What would we do without spell check? I can’t recall the last time I was up at 7am. I sit down at the kitchen table – the place where my laptop reside – the curtain still drawn. Day has not even broken yet.

WHAT? No wireless internet?! It says something about “local only”. I wonder what that means exactly. If it had a throat I imagine myself reaching across the table, “What do you mean local only?” while shaking it vigorously; enough to snap a spine (if it had one). I imagine I heard something, a faint whisper... Let the light in... “What do you mean let the light in? Don’t be daft! The lamp is right there in front of you!”

I scratch my head - literally – and get up to tie back the curtain. The window is fogged up with drops of condensation from the cold outside. All I can see is a vague glitter of two lights on someone’s porch. A car drives by; must be on their way to work. I wonder what it is they do.

I catch my breath: in the bottom right corner of my screen I see it – I’M CONNECTED!

Aaaah, that’s it! Internet wanted to watch the sunrise, (the morning sun, noon, the afternoon sun, the sunset and the moon, that is)! Haha

In the US I have been very fortunate to have access to wireless internet 24/7. It is freely available and has allowed me to do all kinds of things that I have not been privy to before now. However, it can be rather tricky to have a reliable connection. After days of heavy breathing and wanting to pull my hair out I finally discovered that my salvation lay at the kitchen table. Not a bad spot, I have to admit. The wireless connection is at its best right by a window, with the laptop at a between 80 to 90 degree angle. YES! It is that sensitive! haha

From here I see the sky, the sun and the clouds. From here I watch the squirrels play in the trees in the back yard. From here I watch the grass grow. In more ways than one it has become my window to the world.

If anyone was looking in they’d find me at the table, typing away (sometimes) into the early hours of the morning, occasionally staring into nothingness as my thoughts drift off to all kinds of places. Occasionally I would grab the camera and go outside and other times I just enjoy the beauty of a cold winter’s day from my cosy spot at the table.

I wonder if anyone is looking in, and if they are what they are thinking. Do they notice when the curtain is drawn, and would anyone even notice if no one was in the window anymore?