Anniversary celebration!

September 2/11

6:45 a.m.

Haven't slept yet. That's OK. Who needs it? More important things to do than sleep!

One wild and crazy day! (which brings back memories of SNL's Two Wild and Crazy Guys, Steve Martin & Dan Aykroyd, who introduced those zany characters over 30 years ago!!)

Steve & Dan - (MAN, they were funny together!!)

Me in an ATTEMPT to clean out the basement and get stuff ready for Value Village and for "The Junkman Cometh" on Friday at 10 a.m. Ai carumba!

Sorted through literally thousands of teeny tiny items, collected over almost 20 years of living in this house. PLEASE - NOT JUST MY STUFF! (No matter WHAT I am told, or WHAT anyone says). Everyone thinks it's only MY stuff. Wrong!!! I live with three other busy people, all of whom have diehard interests, hobbies, collections, and yep, JUNK.

Because "I am Woman, hear me roar", (thank you Helen Reddy, 1971), this 95-pound, recuperating breast cancer patient, took on every bit of this crap, single-handedly, getting all the stuff sorted, dragged out to the back deck, prepared for pickup on Friday morning.

Prediction. These guys think they've got an easy gig here. OK then. Believe what you like buckos! Go for it! No matter HOW exhausted I am after mega-hours doing this job, I will be out there - camera-in-hand, snapping shots of how "EASY" it is for these guys - (or if it's just one guy?? - seriously, come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, - if it is ONE guy, THIS I HAVE TO SEE!!! LOL), - will be watching him drag this stuff from the back of our deck to the front of the house and into a truck. They quoted us $450 if the truck is full. Believe me, it will be be full, and THEN SOME. Only my opinion.

P.E.T.

You don't think so?? To quote our hero around here, Pierre Trudeau, "Just watch me!"

Waiting in anticipation to see what transpires.

BEST part will be witnessing them somehow disassemble the dresser drawers from the kids' rooms way up on the third floor, lugging them down three flights of stairs to the truck. This will be fun. And oh so simple.

But hey, what the heck? If I can do THIS, they can do THAT!

(actually, Max & I already carried all the dresser drawers from HIS room downstairs, but there's plenty more where THAT came from!)

Kate & Damian helped me get some stuff into the car for Value Village. I want someone else to get good use out of these things. After that, we drove to the bank, got money to buy Kate a TTC metropass for September and all her school travel, then to get a card for Kevan & Marilyn's 28-year wedding anniversary, and to the LCBO for a bottle of sparkling wine and a six-pack of beer, since Kev has been "deprived" for weeks now! He actually doesn't miss it at all, but thought I'd get him something to drink for when he gets home.

Third trip to Value Village in three days.

Things picked up considerably when Carrie dropped by to borrow a suitcase for her upcoming Tafelmusik tour to Montreal. She went into high-energy, help-me mode, kicked my ass into gear, and with Max's aid, got MORE stuff out of the house and onto the deck for collection. Wish she'd been with me all day!! Carrie rocks! (in case you didn't already KNOW this).

On top of working, she also showed us her painted toenails. She received a gift today of a a pedicure, (a first, I think), and wow!

LOVE this shot! (you won't EVER see a shot like this from me, since I HATE my feet and have NEVER had painted toenails before, despite watching Justin Timberlake's GONE video multiple times this week, where he painted his girlfriend's toenails!!)

Carrie and Max continued to help me heap this crap outside for a while, before I needed to race off to meet Kevan and Marilyn for their anniversary dinner. (I'll be helping Kev out as much as possible while his family is in Malta to visit baby Sienna's Dad, Mark and his clan, so I needed to go to get my "instructions." Not really though. All we did was laugh and have a blast together)! Not to mention, amazing food!

(left to right) - My beautiful cousin Marilyn, me, sleeping baby Sienna, (just two-and-a-half months old), gorgeous Mummy Sacha and "Grampa" Kevan (gak). You can't tell here, but he spent the entire time in his wheelchair. We all said, despite the circumstances, it was a fab celebration at Le Papillon on Eastern Avenue.

At first, I thought the best part for Kev was holding his granddaugter, Sienna.

But I later realized, that wasn't quite the case. Yes, he LOVES Sienna, but he has been deprived of REAL food for SO long, that the best part was actually getting to eat frites! He said they were SOOOOOOO delicious!

After almost 2 weeks of hospital slop, I can only imagine frites taste pretty damn good! Not to mention, the sparkling wine to accompany it. Kev was in heaven!! And I'm SO glad I was there to watch him being "treated".

Meanwhile, sweet as Sienna is, she got fussy, so we took turns walking her all around the restaurant, so Sacha could get to eat!!

"Gramma" Marilyn walks Sienna here, there & everywhere.

I tried to quiet Sienna down for a while, singing my daughter, Kate's favourite theme song, Bonanza, but it didn't quite work as well for Sienna as it did for Kate (when SHE was a baby). That's OK. It was a noisy place, so no one seemed to mind when Sienna cried.

I was SO happy to be part of this wedding anniversary - (my OWN 28-year anniversary is coming up in October), and it was GREAT to see Kev SO happy and relaxed, (even though Bridgepoint called Marilyn's cell to ask where the hell Kev was!!) He had already explained he'd be out for dinner, but by the 9 p.m. "curfew", they were freaking! Between Marilyn and I, we managed to get Kev back to Bridgepoint, open his wheelchair, get him into his room with new laundry, and everything else he needs and soon, I'll be "taking over," - (hope I'm nothing like Nurse Ratched!!)

""Beware Mr. Staples"!! I will NOT be ignored!" (Oh, sorry, wrong movie. Got Fatal Attraction on the brain!! LOL!)

Don't worry Kev. I'll be there to help with WHATEVER you need! That was one great party! Happy Anniversary. See you FrIIIIIIIIIIIIDAYYYYYYYYYYYY!