Tough Crowd.

I’ll have you know,  I went to several different stores,  even the ones that are all hopped up on perfume smells,  and I could NOT find any Old Lady soap.   OK fine fine,  I know it’s “Oil of Olay”.  

What. Ever.

I think I might have bought Dove the last time,  and Travelling Companion just thought it was….that other stuff?  Plus, I can’t for the life of me figure out what could possibly be wrong with Palmolive?   Well,  except perhaps that their stock is a bit pricey.  I mean,  ninety-five bucks with a P/E ratio of something like 19?  Gimme a break! Both those numbers are a wee bit too high for my liking.   Of course,  if the market continues to stink for the rest of the week the way it did yesterday,  Colgate may very well find itself in my comfort zone.  Meanwhile I’ll only be buying their toothpaste.  Well,  and maybe some soap.

I’m so easily distracted.  Sorry.

So I might get some Dove as a back up.  

We shall not speak of this again!

 

*******

 

Speaking of crowds, (see how I did that?) I see there are now 40 followers. 

Well shucks. 

I don’t really acknowledge followers.  Is that bad?  I suppose it’s nice when someone says something if I’ve decided to follow their blog,  but this whole internet thing is so elusive.  Here today.  Gone tomorrow.  Well,  maybe not the internet, but more like the people on it.  To me it’s like entering into some sort of an “agreement”.  Following seems like,  oh I don’t know,  a commitment?  Or maybe it’s the expectation that,  with more followers,  I actually have to come up with something to say?  *Yikes*.  No pressure.  What happens when you get up over 400?   You’ll note that I didn’t put in the exact number there,  since it could change. 

Hey,  some blogs have big followings.   I’m just over here in the corner.  Keeping an eye on the dance floor.  Hello.

So here’s the reason that I bring this up.   Stepping into our “way back machine”,   one of my very first followers happened to be related.  Not sure if it was either one of our daughters,  or her husband.  That’s not a stretch,  who else would read this?  It’s sort of like getting the “pity vote”.  Then there came a long a few others,  along with some guy from Brazil.   Ya, Brazil?  Like that made a whole lot of sense.  My impression was that he/she/it just went around the net and followed every single blog that came along?  

One of the cool little things with ‘followers’ is,  you can be done with them if you choose.   So after a time,  I punted him/her/it off.   Back then,  I think that one follower represented a significant percentage of the entire lot.  I mean,  if you only have eight,  and you get rid of one?  That’s harsh, but worth the sacrifice I thought.

Anyhoo,  it turns out that follower number 40 is ALSO related to me.   Cue The Twilight Zone music.   

Of course,  this little snippet has absolutely nothing to do with that TV show,  I’m just stalling.

See,  the brother that lives in the shack out in ‘Dog Plop’,  Nova Scotia has a couple offspring living out on the left coast.  I haven’t seen either of them since they were little ankle biters,  but they would be my niece and nephew.   Oh,  and note how I’m sticking with the “excrement”  theme there?   Pretty good, huh?

So “Alexandra Otis”,  or follower number 40,  turns out to be my niece.   Well now,  to quote Al from the Bayfield Bunch,  “Welcome aboard”.    I think secretly he always wanted to be a boat captain.  Just a hunch.

 

And as yet another crazy coincidence,  *as I chuckle maniacally*    there just so happened to be an article this very morning on MSN having to do with “Hoarders”.   I’m not sure how long that link will be up,  but I’ll only copy the title.   You can guess the rest.

Hoarding disorder making a mess of people's lives

 

Oh ya.

Remember how I said that,  when we went there (to Dog Plop)  for a visit back in the summer of 2005,  that it was a good thing it was a nice day,  so we could sit outside?

*I think it was 2005,  but seriously,  I could be totally wrong on that.*

I was tempted to put this in the other day,  and now I’m going to go for it.    Here we are…. outside.

 

It was a challenge coming up with a back drop without any junk,  but we did it.  Those are my siblings.  Possibly the last time we’ll all be together,  so we took a picture.

Hover your mouse over the picture….

I’m pretty good at describing most anything,  but I’m having some difficulty here trying to describe what the inside of the shack was like.   If you want to have an idea,  there’s now a TV show called “Hoarders”.   Probably best that you don’t watch right around meal time?   Just a suggestion.

Oh,  and when it comes to “reality TV”,  which I tend to look on as some sort of an abomination,  I want to tell you,  they are NOT making that sh*t up.  I’ve seen it with my own eyes, (in Dog Plop) so what you see on TV wouldn’t surprise me in the least.  It’s true.  People do this.

The word is lately,  and I get this from the other brother who lives up in the Annapolis Valley,  (he’s the one wearing the tie,  don’t ask) that they now have several “out buildings”  which have subsequently been filled up with junk.   I hear they even have an RV,  I think it’s a fifth wheel,  that my brother’s ‘charming lady friend’  has proceeded to fill with crap.   I (thankfully) haven’t witnessed this latest bit myself,  but I’m fairly certain that I can rely on the updates that I’ve been able to glean from up in the Valley. 

What is it again about “friends and relations”?   Right,  I get to choose my friends.

Also thankfully,  there are no animals involved.  That’s when it gets really well,  nasty.   Let’s leave it at that.

 

 

*******

 

Back to my world.

How’s your German these days?    Have you picked up anything?

 

Never mind.  I don’t expect you to.  Mine hasn’t improved, why should yours?

Got this letter in the mail the other day.  Since we receive absolutely nothing in the mail,  I was a little excited at first.  That was short lived,  to be at first replaced with trepidation,  followed by annoyance.    Even though they put my name on there,  it’s just a form letter from the local Councillor,  Thomas Blimlinger.   Something to do with planting outside.  No,  not “Planking”,  “Planting”.

They want you to.  Just to spruce up the city. They’re even having a “contest”.  Wow,  that’s exciting!   Can you sense my excitement?

*ahem*

I think our neighbours have done enough for all of us.   At first I though that maybe they had singled me out,  you know,  putting my name on the letter and everything?  Arial surveillance maybe?  We’re really not into planting too darned much here.  We’d only have to figure out what to do with any plant material when the time comes to leave.  Moving plants across borders is pretty much a no-no as it is,  even if anything were to survive sitting in a shipping container during the time it takes to cross the Atlantic.   See the problem?  

So nope.  Not much going on upstairs.   I don’t mean in my head,  although I certainly could understand how you would jump to that conclusion.  No,  I’m talking about our “Terasse”  upstairs.  “Patio” maybe?   Whatever you call it,  it’s a big open space.

 

And I’m OK with that.

 

You’d think I had taken that when we first moved in?  No sirree,  took that just the other day.  No need to worry about bumping into stuff in the dark.  Just don’t have that “Hoarder” in me I guess.  There are chairs that go with that table.  Four of them to be precise,  but they are hanging in a storage room just around the corner to the left there.

 

So fine.  MAYBE I’m a little anal.  I like for things to be “in their place”.  And really,  if I were all that anal,  the umbrella would be somehow hanging up too,  wouldn’t it?

Wouldn’t it?  *slow down your breathing there Bob*   I might go up later and try to figure something out.  No,  I’m just kidding.  I’d have to go out and buy some special hooks.  I’m not going to do that.

 

Well,  I see by my word count thingy that we’re getting well into snooze territory here.  I’d better stop while I still have ANY followers. 

 

Keep those sticks…..oh never mind.  Just keep them.

 

Thanks for lookin’.

 

 

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