We Don't Need No Water--Let it Burn, Let it Burn!

Peter took this of the girls.

Why is life like a roof on fire? Stress. Relationships are confusing, complicated and exhausting. I think that the longer you are in a relationship--the more complicated it becomes. Peter and I have been together all of our adult lives--we've essentially gown up together. We met at twenty and have never been apart since (except for the year I went to Fashion Design school in Toronto, and for a few months here and there over the years because of work).

I am at Starbucks blogging. I am waiting for Tabs. She is at a birthday party  until 2:15 at an art studio. I am taking this time to read the text readings for my first class on Critical Theory which starts Wednesday. I LOVE philosophy. Talking, reading and writing about it is like trying to piece together a fabulous puzzle on life.
I have so many errands to do today: applying for things, paying for things etc. etc.
Went on a big hike this am. I did not feel 100% on the hike. Perhaps I am harboring some intestinal problem from Malyasia. Or perhaps I am always harboring an intestinal bug that flares up when I'm feeling much stress.
My gym IQuest went bankrupt in August but no one bothered to tell me. The workers have been opening the gym as volunteers to work with their clients. Everyday it's been business as usual, "Hi Melissa...bye Melissa" No one bothered to tell me that, "Hey, the gym is bankrupt, we're just here until the building owner liquidates the equipment and sells the building."
Needless to say, my home gym is gradually taking shape. I will do my very best on a very limited budget. I will purchase a much desired "dual cable cross" machine as soon as I am making an income-- I can get a second hand one for about $1500.
Mist is at the Armstrong Fair today with her buddy Ashley.
When I left to drive Tabs, Peter and Pip were playing "Go Fish" on the chesterfield.
Watched Eat, Pray, Love last night with Peter, Miranda and John. I really enjoyed it--liked it better than the book as I found the protagonist came across as super self indulgent and immature in the book but less so in the movie. Julia Roberts, like all actresses of our time, is super botoxed.

The Wonderful World of Pippi

Pippi on her way to preschool this morning. She loves to ride Odo whose "real" name is Buddy according to Pip. Odo was made by my mom for my sister Miranda when she was about Pip's age. I told Pip to make Odo gallop or we'd be late for school. She said, "I tired mom. That why him not gallop." She also said, "Odo a lovely horse, isn't him mom?" As you can probably understand, my little Pip is the dearest little sunshine and so precious I hate to leave her at preschool and miss any of her preciousness.

Oh, what a day yesterday was...what a day. The morning greeted me with the Fernando school bus fiasco,the afternoon with the twins deciding to pick nearly every leaf off of my umbrella tree to decorate their sofa fort (I am praying the tree pulls though despite its nakedness) and then the evening found me shaking uncontrollably in an adrenalin panic. The story begins with Mistaya's very busy evening: after school she went to a social justice meeting at a friends house. Peter picked her up on the way home from work and she had supper with us and announced she had to be at the Rec Centre by 7 for a meeting to train to be a Santa's Elf volunteer for a Kid's Christmas craft event happening at the Rec Centre on Sunday. The entire family drove her down, and we planned to have a nice DQ treat while she was at the meeting and then go back and pick her up with a sundae to-go for her. All went well, except she insisted I take her coat with me and bring it when I picked her up. However when it was time to pick her up and take her home, Peter went in to retrieve her. She and he came out saying she was staying an extra hour to try out the gym at the Rec Centre with a few friends, her friend's mom would pick them up and drive her home at 8:45 (and she'd need $3 for the gym). I felt confused but since Peter seemed to have already said yes, I agreed and gave her $3. We left. I felt uneasy, she didn't have a coat, she was wearing only short sleeves and it is winter! Also, how did I know her friend's mom had agreed to all this? I waited at home until 9:15--no Mistaya. How had I been pressured into agreeing to this? I didn't even know for sure who exactly the three friends (she decided to stay with) were for sure & Mist had no winter coat! I called one of Mist's friends to get other friends' phone numbers. Then I called one of her girl friends mothers who was supposed to be at the gym with Mist. The mom said no, her daughter wasn't home yet either and that she was worried. That did it. My worries catapulted into adrenalin overdrive. I tried calling the mom's number who was supposed to pick them up--no answer. I got in the van to drive to the Rec Centre myself--telling Peter to call my cell if she came home. I drove down the street and realized I was shaking so badly that I was going to throw-up. I drove to Miranda's and asked if either she or John could drive down with me as I felt too sick to drive. Poor M and J were in their jammies but Miranda joined me and drove me down to the Centre. I got their at about 9:40 PM. The security guard said they were closed. I asked him about the girls--had he seen three little 13 year old girls? Yes, he had. Another worker joined us to say they were hanging around waiting for a ride that never came so one had asked to use the phone to call her mom. Then the 3 girls reportedly left through the front doors at about 9:30.  We raced home, I yelled into our house, "Is Mistaya home yet?" Peter said no, but she'd called from a gas station and was on her way with her friend's mom--the mom had arrived late to pick them up. I waited in the drive way with Miranda. She finally arrived home at 10 PM. I am still a mess because of this. I have decided no school night activities. And no more running all over the city with her girl friends--acting 16--when she's only just turned 13! I've decided if they want to go to the mall etc. I want an adult with them--at least in the mall having coffee while the girls do their own thing.
That is my adrenalin rant. Even writing this, my adrenalin shakes have returned. It's just me--my genetics are weird, whenever I'm super stressed or sick I shake.