Zoom Zoom Zoo!

It's official - my hubby is taking me to the zoo! And by zoo I don't mean just any zoo. I mean the big Metro Toronto Zoo.

If you are new here, you may not already be aware but I really like animals. My husband said it was one of the reasons he fell in love with me. Apparently when I see any sort of unexpected animal on my daily journey I start to squeal and get a big smile on my face. He has told me that it is one of my most endearing qualities.

Ever since before the holidays when Telus came out with those adorable hippo commercials I've been jonesin' to go and see them. I even entered an online contest and won my very own hippo! So it was a sign that I needed to go to the zoo.

A few of my twitter friends have also been talking about how much they'd love to go to the zoo too. Anytime it's been brought up I've been bouncing off the walls in excitement. Once it starts to sink in and I think about the reality of the situation, I honestly didn't think it was going to happen.

My husband takes his soccer very seriously and therefore would never miss a game - therefore Sunday's are out. Unfortunately he's so serious that he'd never want to go the day before a game or his legs might be pooched. As he just started a new job, we really couldn't take any time off during the week. It seems my dreams of the zoo were dashed.

It's not that I don't do anything without my husband, but something this awesome I'd want to share with him. It's been 10 years since I was there and he can't even remember going. I really wanted to share with him. I want to see what he likes and share those that I like with him.

Well my hubby came up with a fabulous idea. We're going to the zoo on Canada Day! It's a Thursday. As that weekend is a long weekend his legs won't be pooched and it might not be nearly as busy as it would be on a Saturday.

Now we just pray for nice warm but not too hot weather and no rain.

Hold on hippo! I'm on my way!!!!

Here Kitty, Kitty!

A little something has entered my head and I can't seem to move past it.

I really want a cat.

Most people would think that my dog would be the biggest obstacle to overcome. After all most dogs don't neccessarily get along with cats. The Dude however loves them. We had a cat come meandering in through our doggie door the one day and he just sat there looking at the cat and then at me with this happy drooling grin on his face. He was fostered with a cat and they got along famously. He loves cats.

Nope, it's not the Dude I have to contend with.

It's my husband.

I love him. And I knew when we got together that he had a cat allergy. But at the time, I had a cat and he had no issues with her at all. She was a bit of a bitch and really was only affectionate with certain people. They had an understanding was how he always explained it to me. She would walk right across the back of the couch past him and come to me. He never once had a reaction with her and even pet her on a few occasions. She was a really special cat and I was devastated when she passed away.

He knew how sad I was without her, and after a reasonable amount of time he decided he was going to get me a cat. He wanted to make me happy so we trucked up to the big cat adopt-a-thon that the local Humane Society was having at Petsmart. I instantly fell in love with this crazy black and orange calico. The cat was playing with the tab on my zipper and was so gentle and fun. I asked to hold it and it melted in my arms. It was so loving and gentle and yet playful at the same time. She was declawed and was perfect for my tastes. I would've named her chaos.

He had a different vision. "I'm a designer. I like things symmetrical." So he picked out this grey snobby cat that was incredibly elegant looking. She was at the back of her cage and showed big signs of being a complete bitch. He asked to hold her and they tried to warn him that she might not want to be held right away. He reached his hand in and she scratched him. He pulled it out but tried again slowly and the bitch bit him. We decided she wasn't the kitty for us - even if he did want to name her Kennedy. We walked away to talk about things and that's when he told me to look at his arm. He had broken out in hives.

In that moment I looked into his eyes and I saw how much pain was there. I decided then and there that we would have a dog and that I'd have to give up on getting a cat.

It broke my heart, but I do all I can to get kitty love whenever I can. Friends and families with cats know that I love when their cat comes up for pets and love. I practically fall all over myself just to get close to them.

I chose to love my husband. I know that a cat cannot be part of my house.

But then my husband does something remarkable. He starts looking up what the causes of cat allergies are. He discovers that the cat allergy doesn't come from the fur or the dander but from the saliva. Of course the Kennedy kitty made him break out - she bit him. This gets him wondering if there is any cat breeds out there that are better for people with allergies - in particular breeds that actually have fur or hair.

He does all this and comes in and completely shines a light on my life. The hope that there is a way that I could have this man that I love and this pet that I love has brightened my skies.

Of course looking into it further we were able to see that the cats that are best for those with allergies are really expensive and not that common around here. Going to a breeder would mean spending nearly $1000 for a cat and that's before all the vet bills, food and kitty litter.

My hopes aren't completely gone. Cats are a big responsibility and many people don't really want them when they grow up. They get bored of their pets or they move where they can't take them. There are so many cats in shelters all around the world, that there has to be some that fit the bill for what we'd need.

So here's what they recommend:
- female, spayed is recommended
- cat breeds such as the LaPerm, Sphynx,Oriental Shorthair, Devon Rex, and Cornish Rex
- Siberian and Russian Blue breeds may be naturally hypoallergenic (I'm leaning to the Russian Blue)

With that said, time will tell if my kitty dreams come true. In the meantime - I have an awesome husband and loving pup. I'm a pretty lucky lady.

The politics of being me

Recently one of my twitter followers described me as someone they enjoy following because I'm not political.

It isn't that I'm not political. As I am and I do have strong opinions on certain things. But I've taken a page from my parents note book. Don't talk about anything like that in writing. Save it for face to face contact. Even then, I know that I need to hold my tongue.

I have certain people in my life that take great offense to people opposing their views. These are generally those that are extremely political to the left or the right. They have views on nearly everything and it's easier for me to remain their friend if I just shut up.

I also don't like to talk about issues when I don't know all the facts. I like to think I'm well read but I'm not that knowledgeable on everything. It's better to leave the debate out of things and get to know the people that I'm talking to.

A few months ago I was having a wonderful morning with a fairly new friend who has very strong views on the environment and city living. I could've expressed my dislike for the way in which he talked about his views but chose instead to talk to him about his life and where he came from. I wanted to know more about him as an individual. I asked questions and got to know him. Soon he was expressing his feelings about life, his childhood and his family. I heard about family pets and the great loves of his life. By talking and listening I did what I do better than most. I had him open up to me like I was Barbara Walter.

That expression has been used by my husband on more than one occasion. It seems by not getting political, or rather looking past the political views of others, I am able to easily make friends and get people talking. Everyone has a story and I love hearing them. Every person that I talk to - I give a little of myself. You'd be amazed how much you get back in return when you do that.

Back when we were only dating, my husband introduced me to one of his more outgoing best friends. This friend was normally the life of the party and constantly coming up with ways to have people look at him. He wanted everyone to laugh all the time and sometimes went to extremes to do so. Within a 10 minute conversation with him I had learned all about his dreams and his job and where he wanted to go with it. My husband didn't have a clue that his friend had feelings and interests like the things he was telling me. He was amazed that in such a short period of time I had gotten to know his friend in ways he had never imagined.

I like to think it was my love of people, and my love of animals, that truly made my husband fall in love with me.

I like people. I like to try and keep people happy and when they aren't I want to understand why and I want to try and help them.

So to my twitter follower who thought I wasn't political. You are wrong. I just like people more than I like being political.

C'est Finis!

I finished.

wow. Never thought it would end but here we are less than 5 months later and I am the proud owner of a new scarf! How did I get here. How did I become a person who can knit?

I've made some great friends since I started knitting and even before. And without them I really couldn't have made it here. I've listed them in no particular order below.

Really - I owe everything to Wendy. Without her teaching me how to get started and how to finish there wouldn't be a scarf. She was patient and kind and encouraging and I really feel blessed for knowing her.

Jodi helped push me along too by telling me that it was possible to finish and then even to move onto other things.

Sue Sturdy was a help without even talking to me. Her starting the project to Knit the Bridge in downtown Cambridge really was an inspiration.

My husband helped out too. He really thought it'd be a neat thing for me to learn something knew and potentially make some new friends in the process.

My future children were an inspiration too. I envisioned them going off to school all wrapped up in scarves made with love by their mother. (of course I also envisioned mitts and hats too because I really didn't think I'd stop at just doing scarves.)

Lindsey, my sister-in-law, also helped out with inspiration. She tried knitting and had some fabulous books for me to look at and admire. Her knitting was more about yarn she fell in love with and wanted to try making something. She has since given it up - but it was nice to know that she tried and that I could try too.

Growing up there was knitting all around me. My mother learned how to knit from her mother. She made two absolutely gorgeous sweaters among other things around the time she was quitting smoking. With three girls of similar sizes living under the same roof - we all took turns with her sweaters.

My main inspiration and truly the person who's kitting I have admired the most is my grandmothers. My Grandma Hyde was always knitting growing up. I got some wonderful mittens and sweaters when I was smaller and hated growing beyond them. When grandma was getting on in years she made the decision that before she was unable to knit anymore, she wanted to knit all of her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren sweaters. It took over a year but finally she was able to give us all a wonderful Christmas gift. My sweater was green and white and I still cherish it to this day.

It is so fitting that I've finished my first scarf in May. May was the month my grandmother was born and it was the month that she passed. Nearly 7 years ago to the day from when my grandmother left us, I've finished my first ever scarf. She tried to teach me back when I was in my early teens but I just had so much going on that I wasn't dedicated to the task.

It is with that in mind that I dedicate this first scarf to an amazing knitter and an amazing person - Grandma - I love you.

Thursday Night Television

A few years ago, or maybe more than a few years ago, television came up with this crazy concept - let's put a bunch of people that don't know each other and make them live together as castaways in a strange environment. No electricity. No family. No friends. And they made them compete for a chance to win a grand monetary prize.

If you haven't guessed it, maybe you've been living in a cave or under a rock.

The show I'm talking about is of course - Survivor.

It started off innocently enough. The people came and made some friends and all had the hardest time voting someone off. But one player was manipulating the game. He saw that this was a game and a chance for cunning in order to win. He played everyone and it caused some drama. I know I'll never forget Sue and her speech. To watch it - go here. It's pretty awesome.

What happened with the final four of the first Survivor changed the way the game was played from then on out.

Sure I wasn't that into all the subsequent seasons, but there is something really special about this season.

It's Survivor Heroes vs. Villains. The heroes were selected for the way the chose to play the game and the "good" choices and integrity they had when playing. The villains were selected for their cunning in the way they played. Maybe they switched allegiances and ultimately screwed someone over, but they earned their stripes and were proud of their choices.

This season was different in that the alliances were all laid out very early. You could see the people voted off one by one and if you weren't part of the "in crowd" you were going home.

It's true that I haven't watched the entire time, but I've seen enough to know that certain people are being held in the game over promises that are truly not worthy. Russel for instance has gotten so strong that this needs to ultimately lead to his downfall. I have to keep wondering how long they will keep him in the game before they realize he's playing each and every one. I think everyone is afraid to make decisions for fear it will bite them in the ass later. Russel gets to make all the tough decisions.

I'm currently in the middle of an episode and I can see that this is very tricky. Who goes home? Who stays? Too soon to tell. All I can say is watch Survivor on Thursday nights.