Jungle Print dress

My latest sewing creation is a  knit dress, made with a cotton-Lycra jungle print, using New Look 6121. Love the print, love the feel of the print, and love the dress, so comfortable. 

Bear with me....

What I forgot to mention when going on about the Butane stove is that I finally bought some "bear spray".

Basically it's a form of hot pepper spray.

I had to sign a paper that said that it was to defend myself from bears in the woods, and not to use on humans in a crowded metro for instance.


So between my 2 bear bells and the bear spray I'm ready for camping anywhere...

Little Butane Stove

Yesterday I picked up a Martin Butane stove at LeBaron. It was $15.99, normally $20.99. I asked the clerk what the difference between the $20 model, and the $30 model. According to website the $30 was indoor safe.  According to the clerk, the $20 model cooks faster, which is what you want in the bush, and is just as safe for indoors. Says his son uses to keep sauces warm in his restaurant. They also sell butane, 4 cans for $8.99. I'm told to check out Asian food stores. Butane burners commonly used by Asians so they might sell the cans of butane even cheaper. What's for sure is you should stock up before going into the bush. The stores near large provincial parks mark up their cans of fuel big time.

The thing that amuses me is that on Kijiji there are 3 butane stoves for sale. One at $20, one at $30 and one at $40.  Research made me realize it was cheaper to buy my own NEW and the lower end model is more efficient for camping purposes.

It is kind of stupid to try to sell things 2nd hand overpriced on Kijiji. Most people who look for items on kijiji are looking for bargains. A stove more expensive used then NEW will never sell!!!

Big advantage to this stove is I won't be afraid to put the butane in the slot, whereas I was afraid to connect the propane to my propane camping stove.  Also this stove can be used inside the house during power failures. Apparently takes 4 minutes to boil a cup of water. Can't go wrong with that.

I cooked this weekend

Didn't feel I had much choice. After spending 4 days eating restaurant food, I needed real home made food.

I made some Millet and potato patties on Friday, that turned out really good. Looked more like cookies then patties but so good, ate them all during the day Saturday.

On Sunday  I made some eggplant & chickpea curry

Used coconut oil instead of olive oil, put some cock sauce instead of the red pepper flakes, and two small red onions instead of one large yellow onion.

I cooked a gluten free shell pasta left over to make 3 frozen meals, and cooked some gluten free brown rice fettuccine and made 3 more containers with that for my freezer.

Also made some 7-bean salad and some quinoa tabbouleh for the week.

Ziva warmed up to the kitten

Took her less then a month, took her 21 days. I did say that she would be cuddling with him within a month.

Ziva cuddling with Tobias

So much excitement, can I contain myself

Highlight of trip to Toronto has been jaywalking and taking photos of geese in parking lots.

You can tell how impressed I am.

We should be leaving today after lunch. 

HONK!

My colleague and I took a walk through the back parking lots of many of the companies next to each other and in back of a company called Lexis Nexis was a group of Canada Geese, just chilling....

Still there......

So I had someone take a photo of me in front of the building after lunch yesterday.

Toronto....Markham

I've been joking for years that after dark they should roll up the side walks in Toronto, and well, I'm still feeling it 30 years later.

We are in Markham which seems to be more like an industrial area. In fact around AMD, there is mostly other large companies, hotels, and restaurants and very little else.

For some reason it reminds me of Dubai. Between the smog, the wide open spaces and the high rises, and even the heat today...  The only thing is that it's never humid in Dubai. Thank God!

People at AMD have been very nice to us. I'm somewhat thrilled to visit ATI technologies even though I doubt anyone will give us a tour.

Sitting in their IT training room next to the Atrium, you hear the fountains running, it's kinda pretty.

Went for a walk last night and well this shows well the endless nothing.

Thrilled... not..

The idea was first thrown at me Thursday mid afternoon, that we were going to be driving down to Toronto, to visit one of the AMD offices.   It was confirmed Friday at noonish, that we were leaving at 6AM, now 6:30 AM on Monday morning.

We're hoping to travel with 15 LCD's, 2 PC's and various related peripherals and we're driving there..

So tomorrow morning I need to wake up at the crack of dawn and get my ass to work at 6:30 AM with estimated departure time from Montreal 7 AM.  Will probably be spending a lot of time online on my phone.

I wasn't really asked either, I was volunteered, and it was so short notice, that I don't even have the time to become incredibly anxious. Though the feeling is starting to hit me... AHHHHHH

Now have to pack, [made a list at least], dye my hair... it reddish blonde at this point, with too much grey/white and black showing.  I also want to shave my legs and look semi human.

I   want to bring patterns to cut out and dresses to hem. I just have to iron & pin the hem of one dress tonight, and then I"ll have plenty  to do to keep me busy at night. Dunno what TV show I want to bring so I have stuff to listen to.

ANd the worst part of going on this business trip is that I'm going to miss Tobias seen below on the top of the back of the chair where I stack my sweaters.

What do you mean I can't stay here?

Two time-lapse from Cape Breton trip 2014

One of my travel companions makes really nice time-lapses. These are two from our road trip to Fundy National Park and Cape Breton.

The video below is from the location that destroyed my tent last year. As you can see it was not that windy this year otherwise the tri-pod would not have been stable enough for this sunset.

A simple knit dress and head band

McCalls M6074

Knit dress and headband

Trial run for dress with 4 different fabrics

McCalls M6504 - with 2 fabrics

Trial run with 2 fabrics

Era Vans and Tobias

Today after getting depressed again at the Hush Puppies store I picked up a pair of Era Van running shoes, also with leopard print.

Little jean type skirt

Burda 8344

At PowWow wearing skirt July 13th, 2014

Look at me! Am I not the cutest?

3 Months later and finally I get more feedback

I ranted 3 months ago about a comment that I was 'too rough" during interviews. Turns out  after my boss went digging deeper, that there was ONE complaint made by a student I interviewed in the past 2 years.  Apparently the student felt intimidated and uncomfortable during the interview and felt it was cut short and he was not given a chance to prove himself.

I'm not surprised he felt uncomfortable. Most of the time I feel highly uncomfortable during interviews and I know that makes others feel uncomfortable. Nothing I can do about that.  I was asked to make sure I keep interviews no shorter then 15 minutes. So if I have nothing else left to ask student I can ramble on about the positions I have to fill and the job in general and in particular. I usually come off as passionate and heavily into my job and that should not make anyone feel uncomfortable.

If it was just the ONE student, who I didn't hire, presumably because he didn't meet my criteria, given I interview 50 students on average every 4 months, it's really not that big of a deal. Fact they made it out like a big deal at first is what upset me. I'm also presuming this student was not hired, probably why he complained.  Honestly though if you don't have a good fit with the person interviewing you and you will be working for them you might spend the entire time you're working there feeling like your boss hates you...

Also the other complaint is that I was not giving them enough work. However that's not my fault. If I have no work to give I cannot give it. I'm exceptionally good at inventing things for them to do including reprogramming all the boards in my rack.

So now the fall candidates have all been chosen by my male counterpart who runs  the hardware team, I'll be interviewing again for winter interns. 

The super Moon

This is over exposed, though I like the result. Was reading this blog this morning to improve my shots of the moon with my new Tamron 70-200mm F2.8 lens.

Meow Mania...

Or how to drive your little kitties nuts :) Click here.  I'm sure it would drive doggies nuts too :)

Tobias and his favourite toy. Must fine more before it's lost.

Favourite toy, favourite location to play with said toy.

Cutie kitty

I'm a desert Lynx kitten, hear me roar......

New Dresses I made.

Burda 7224 & fabric from Fabricland in Ottawa

Finally finished buttonholes and putting in buttons

Butterick B5317

It's got mistakes but it was just a trial run.

Awww Maine coon and kitten Frolic

Jethro and Tobias hang out

Tobias stalking Jethro

Tobias loves the Thinkpad....

Even when it's closed and turned off {not even warm}he loves to hang out with the laptop.

He's so CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE

Rayon vs Viscose

Some 20 something male tried telling me at Club Tissu that Rayon and Viscose was the same thing. Ummm. no, it isn't. Viscose can be made of Rayon but not all Rayons are viscose. Click here for more details

Say Hello to Tobias

Drove with a friend to St Justin, near  Trois Rivieres, to  pick up a Polydactyl Desert Lynx kitten . In keeping with NCIS theme, called him Tobias, after FBI agent Fornell.

Happy Canada Day

I finally got around to mowing my back lawn. It was in some places about 3-4 feet tall. I was dressed pretty funny to tackle the lawn because I am very allergic to the lawn. It was also 32C plus humidity. I was melting dressed as I was to mow that lawn

I also did several loads of laundry and dried it on the clothes line which is now more accessible with the lawn mowed.