tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270575972009-11-11T18:51:26.305-06:00My life...such as it is ...Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.caBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-70198634082408384122007-07-17T18:28:00.001-05:002007-07-17T18:34:16.950-05:00

Well, now that most of the hard work is done, I can finally announce my new "I'd Rather Be Blogging" blog. From now on, I'll be updating only over there, but Stale Coffee, as it is, will remain here indefinitely.Yeah, I AM that crazy.I moved the links.I moved the template.I moved some of the images.I moved most of the posts.I moved the comments (boy, THAT was fun...)But it'll be the same ol' me

Maureennoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-73309780108453083392007-07-14T16:01:00.000-05:002007-07-15T17:21:37.738-05:00

As usual, Saturday morning was spent with daughter at Starbucks and a jaunt around the mall. Now that she is driving, I can sit back and relax on the drive.It also gives me opportunity to spot interesting things to blog about.And so it happened that on our way home, I see a white fluff on the side of Bishop Grandin highway. As we pass it at 80 Km/hr, I realise it is a child's teddy bear, face

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-28661257738445429042007-07-13T21:09:00.000-05:002007-07-13T21:38:30.752-05:00

Ever hear the classic Abbott and Costello comedy routine, "Who's On First?"Well, here's a similar skit just waiting to be performed. I can see it now:Crisply-Uniformed Technician behind Automotive Service Desk:"Yes, sir we can repair your VW Beetle today. Licence plate number, please?"Customer: "What."C.U. Service Tech repeats request, a bit louder this time: "LICENCE PLATE NUMBER?"Customer,

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-67467615027827857172007-07-12T21:41:00.000-05:002007-07-12T21:57:46.996-05:00

... well, not MY ponytail (I don't wear one, actually).No, this was the ultimate excuse by a slacker co-worker to go home "sick" yet again a few days ago (perhaps she had run out of believeable reasons utilized on nearly a weekly basis).I was flabergasted.Amazed.Dumbfounded.And not at all surprised when she was fired today.

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-13665168305457204662007-07-11T07:11:00.000-05:002007-07-11T21:44:22.264-05:00

Okay, now there's a coincidence. I didn't even realise this was about to happen when I made the last post. Really.It was announced today that we (Winnipeg, Manitoba) are indeed the Slurpee Capital of the World for the EIGHTH year in a row! As today is Slurpee Day (7/11) and their 80th birthday, each 7-11 is handing out 1,000 free Slurpees. Woo Hoo! (as Homer would say).Gots me a free Slurpiccino

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-32221453284527866542007-07-09T18:05:00.000-05:002007-07-11T21:05:16.022-05:00

There are two important facts you should know about my home, Winnipeg:1) For seven years in a row, Winnipeg has been the official "Slurpee Capital of the World". We drink more Slurpees than anyone on Earth... no kidding.2) Winnipeg also has the distinction of being the birthplace of Homer Simpson. Yup, creator Matt Groening confirmed the fact. He even had an episode of the Simpsons take place

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-26717773817591014992007-07-08T22:12:00.000-05:002007-07-08T22:42:02.616-05:00

As hubby is a big Spiderman fan I felt bad we hadn't yet seen Spidey 3 on the big screen, so today I finally treated him to the movie. However we waited so long it was out of the regular theatre and only showing at the "cheap seats" theatre. With tickets at just $ 2 each, it seemed like a great deal....... until we got to the concession stand where they wanted over $ 8 for a medium popcorn and

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-297547934994851392007-07-07T19:07:00.000-05:002007-07-07T19:46:21.475-05:00

Did you watch?Will you change?I will. The concerts accomplished their goal. At least with me. I NEED to do more. Yeah, I recycle. I compost. I shut off the lights when leaving the room. I open shades instead of turning on the lamps. I open the windows or go into the cool basement instead of having central air. I turn off lights at work; I turn off my computer and printer every night before going

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-13368072814145164632007-07-07T07:07:00.000-05:002007-07-07T10:10:57.703-05:00

What was I thinking?When I got my new laptop, I offered to teach my technology-challenged hubby how to use a computer on the desktop system I moved downstairs. His first lesson was held last weekend. After showing him the basics, how to use the mouse, the parts of the CPU, how to open, close and minimize Windows, he ended up playing Space Invaders all night. * Sigh *(BTW, I totally whipped his

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-7873593787596921772007-07-05T22:10:00.000-05:002007-07-05T23:37:05.473-05:00

Each Saturday morning, daughter and I can be found at the local Starbucks savouring our favorite Venti Vices. We're not alone. Every week we are joined by many of the same patrons:There's Tall-Silver-Haired-Man.And Mother-With-Twin-Boys.Hey, there's Guy-With-Laptop!Yup, we worship together at the alter of High Caloric Sinfulness.But this past Saturday, strangers dared enter our Inner

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-16341761198086822632007-07-04T13:40:00.000-05:002007-07-04T22:15:05.072-05:00

...that I ROCK!Wooo! Thank you to a new bloggin' buddy, Vegas Princess, who chose me an' my ol' blog with this awesome award! Her blog is wonderfully written about life in Las Vegas; from "Fun in the Convertible" (one of my favorite posts) to her experiences at the Emmy Awards (that's right, I said "Emmy"....uh huh!) But I wonder; how does someone like me "Rock"? I don't think I've EVER been told

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-23789047720588214402007-07-03T22:58:00.000-05:002007-07-03T22:59:46.210-05:00

... never multi-task anything which requires strict timing while watching a marathon of your favorite TV show.Being a stat holiday yesterday (in lieu of Canada Day Sunday), I spent the whole afternoon watching multiple back-to-back episodes of one of my favorite shows "Little People, Big World" featuring the Roloff family. Unfortunately, my OCD kicked in soon after it started and I had to find

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-19533054250271444742007-07-02T21:12:00.000-05:002007-07-02T21:22:05.740-05:00

Okay, okay....paws up.Who here needs a DD?Please be assured that no animal was harmed in the making of this post. No alcohol, drugs or catnip was used... Sheba is just naturally goofy without any help from intoxicants.

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-84624891996263488692007-07-01T00:01:00.000-05:002007-06-30T23:09:49.004-05:00

And I am damn proud of it.Canada was ranked number one country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index 10 times between 1985 and 2006.And I know why. Not just because of our universal health care Not just because we're bilingual and multiculturalNot just because we have among the lowest population density in the world (3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre) Not just because we

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-45917795114128435892007-06-29T08:08:00.000-05:002007-06-29T11:18:47.678-05:00

Wednesday, June 20th. A day long-anticipated. A concert that will be long-remembered. Yeah, I am FINALLY getting off my butt and posting some of my photos from the Weird Al concert June 20th (I took over 100 in all).... what a great time we had! Nearly 2 1/2 hours of vintage and new Al.One word: Frickin' Fantastic! (Okay, so that was two; so sue me).Row 13 on the flooor; great view of the

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-64664028393208488042007-06-27T21:58:00.000-05:002007-06-28T08:51:19.372-05:00

I'm bored. Really bored. Really, REALLY bored. So bored, I actually looked up my horoscope today. But rather than being swayed by the overly-generalized advice/warnings/predictions, my mouse hovered over a new feature ... "Celebrity Compatibility"."Oooh" I thought. "This might be interesting."I enter my Zodiac sign (Libra). I enter the name of the celebrity I am curious about being "compatible"

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-35594719909423388972007-06-26T00:01:00.000-05:002007-06-25T23:47:05.963-05:00

I suppose you are wondering how I happened to get a photo of a banana at work yesterday (see post below). Well when I was in our lunchroom cleaning out my coffee cup, I saw it sitting there on the counter and laughed to myself when I saw "VD" on it. Then I thought it might make a funny post (as we Bloggers tend to do).So I go back to my office and grab my trusty digital camera.I return to the

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-5004235044557419652007-06-25T21:22:00.000-05:002007-06-25T22:15:24.424-05:00

Since moving to our new offices last fall, staff from two hospitals have been struggling to co-exist in smaller, shared spaces and not always with great success.Take the "Lunch Room", for example. Like many large offices, things tend to go missing in there. Heck, someone even had the audacity to steal my favorite blue Tupperware bowl and sealer last month.* So if you want to ensure you'll

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-34267288959747451412007-06-25T08:01:00.000-05:002007-06-25T10:51:53.676-05:00

I have recurring nightmares about tornados. Trying to escape them or hide from them. Trying to find family before they hit.Which is weird, as I have never really seen a tornado in real life. I did witness a funnel cloud when I was a teen, the greenish sky swirling above me. But that's it.I blame The Wizard of Oz. When I was young, I watched that movie over and over. I loved it, but those twister

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-4556554489098036852007-06-23T18:24:00.001-05:002007-06-23T23:37:27.157-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about the rare Mammatus clouds (see post below) that formed above our home last night. It was quite a sight, in a beautiful but slightly-scary way. When I researched these strange phenomena, I was relieved to read the following on Wikipedia:"Sometimes very ominous in appearance, mammatus clouds are harmless and do not mean that a tornado is about to form; a commonly held

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-39331190665795665562007-06-22T23:03:00.000-05:002007-06-23T00:57:58.341-05:00

My nieghbors must think I am mad.Truely.Certifiable.Why? Well, who else would be standing around in their socks on the driveway during a lightning storm, taking pictures of the sky?Well, me actually (um, you DID see that coming, didn't you?).Anyway, I HAD to, and I did't give a crap what they thought (well, as long as they didn't think I was trying to take pictures of inside their homes, that is.

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-44742800899011140532007-06-20T08:38:00.000-05:002007-06-20T09:31:38.313-05:00

You've probably read / seen in the news recently that the Vatican has issued the "10 Commandments for Drivers". You can read them here.They are very good and things we all should follow. However, calling upon my daily experiences behind the wheel, I'd like to present my OWN New & Improved 10 Commandments for Drivers1. Thou shalt not read thy newspaper whilst careening down the street at 60

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-35101129697755075402007-06-20T00:01:00.000-05:002007-06-19T20:38:28.979-05:00

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-20727748296714230732007-06-19T09:52:00.000-05:002007-06-19T16:23:29.051-05:00

A few years ago, I made the foolish mistake of signing up for the Columbia House DVD club. I fulfilled my subscription and then quit the club, finding their prices higher (especially with postage) than those at my local stores. And I didn't have to wait weeks to get my movies either. No, it just wasn't for me. Since that time, however, Columbia House has nagged, pleaded and cajoled me endlessly

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27057597.post-45213565173324620322007-06-18T16:20:00.000-05:002007-06-18T22:03:21.364-05:00

Since I was on a vacation day today I drove my daughter in to school to write an exam in the mid-morning. On the way home, I spot two City Workers, decked out in their finest bright orange vests and thick clipboards snooping around our neighborhood yards. "Oooh, this doesn't look good" I think. No. Not good at all. I drive up to the front door and pull an Official-Looking-Notice out of our

Maureenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145005899710394272kuppem@cc.umanitoba.ca2