You know what bugs me/I'm bored

I hate just about every motorist except myself. Why? Some go too slow. Like the idiot the other day going 60 on Hwy 2. In a 4x4. The roads were wet, sure, but there was no snow on 'em! It wasn't windy and it did not appear that anything was wrong with this truck. And the Caprice and the Tracker behind him had no designs on passing either. It's an all-together too familiar scene on today's roads. People driving too slow for the safety of everyone else. It causes accidents. It causes road rage (in me). "It's a maximum, not a minimum." True, but have some sense already! It's those same people who (in inclement weather) are driving says 20km slower than posted in the 80 zone, then when it changes to 60, slow down to 40. (I'm getting deja vu, Have I blogged about this before?) Wait a minute! 60 was just fine back there!! Are you going to slow down to 30 when we get into town!!

some drive to fast. I live 2 blocks from a high school and 1 block from a public school and there is no stop sign on my corner. Kids from the high school FLY down my street. Of the 3 intersections between the 2 major streets on my street, mine is the only one without a stop sign. And then there's the idiots from down the other street that zip up and down the street on their ATVs and Ski-doos with complete disregard for the N/S stop signs that are there.

I talk on my cell phone while driving sometimes. Not all the time. Ask anyone who has talked to me while I was driving and they wil tell you I am paying more attention to the road. "Sorry, what?" But it's not even the people on their cell not paying attention that drive me nuts. It's those who are talking to a passenger!! I know it's polite to look at someone when you are talking to them but, you are driving!!! I think they will understand if you watch the road.

Then there is the people who just plain suck at driving. Like stradling the lines, stopping where there is no stop sign, and vice versa, I saw 3 people in the last week alone blatantly run red lights. I think there needs to be a national program put in place to teach people the rules to who has the right of way (me. haha)

Anyway, I'm pretty much just ranting and probably coming off as a jerk. I never said I was perfect (I almost failed my G road test) but this isn't about me, it's about you. I mean them. Them. You're cool cuz you're reading this. And I love my readers.

See you on the road!!

Just because

Since I haven't blogged since last week I thought I should. Let's see. I picked up my new safety glasses this morning. They are those fancy brown and orange ones. I am wearing them at home right now. Just to get used to them. I was going to go to Kingston today to pick up my new safety boots but the copious amounts of snow have prevented me. Don't need them that bad. I could go Thursday or Friday.
I watched Mary Poppins for the first time ever this morning.
I am almost done compiling my list of the Top Albums of 2008. But them I have to put them in order and write a little blurb. I am so behind on listening to stuff from this year!
I got a new tattoo last Friday. it's awesome. It's a Tree of Life with my girls' initials around it.

I got it done at Skin Graffix in Belleville by Ken. He's great.

That's pretty much it. well, I went to a concert right after getting the tattoo. No-one you would know (Rozea Haven, Titan and Fuck The Facts) It was awesome. The word awesome is awesome.
I just might give myself a haircut this afternoon. It's a wee but shaggy. I though about letting it grow out but it's too much of a bother. Plus, the shorter the hair, the less grey you see.

I'm a wee bit excited.

At 6pm today, I shall converge upon Skin Graffix in Belleville to get my latest and greatest tattoo!! On the back of my left calf I am getting a Celtic style Tree of Life. Outside of the main tattoo, in the top "corners", I'll have the girls' initials. G on the left, A on the right. I was going to get them in the dead spaces on either side of the trunk, but just in case Becky and I go certifiably insane, and decide (?) to have another child ( I will jump out a window if it was twins) I wanted to be able to incorporate any more initials without it looking like an afterthought. I would put a third initial at the bottom-center. So the three would frame it like the points of a triangle. Or if we never have any more kids, I could put and M and  a B or the word Hinch or something on the bottom if I wanted.

At 9 tonight, I will find myself at the Autonomous Social Centre in Kingston. There, I will have my ears assaulted by the metal stylings of Kingston's Rozea Haven, Toronto's Titan and Ottawa's F*ck the Facts. The ACS is just a house, so you know it's going to be Intimate. I'll have a still bleeding tattoo, so the mosh pit will not be my mistress this night. I wam going to try and bring my (shitty) camera and maybe snap a few pics. I am not going to risk one of the good cameras in such a small venue. I will have to FIND the old shitty camera first.

I won't be home til after 1130 at least and then I have to come into work on a shift trade Saturday morning. I'll be plenty tired, but I shouldn't be bruised.

So yeah, I'm excited. A new tattoo and a concert all in the same day. Lucky me!!!

Amelia's funny sometimes

Amelia's first "real" exposure to hockey was the Winter Classic on New Year's Day (She is usually in bed before any games start). She looked at the screen and asked me what it was. I told her it was hockey. And now she is pretty much obsessed. Everytime she sees hockey on the tv, "Pockey! Pockey!" (sometimes she says hockey) But when football is on, it's "pockey!" So she hasn't really differentiated the two sports yet. But she isn't even 2 yet so I can understand if she just sees is grown men in shoulder pads and helmets playing a sport on a big rectangularish area.

The really cool thing is, she specifically associates hockey with the Chicago Blackhawks!! She'll see my toque and says hockey. She will see my hat and say hockey. She saw my jersey and said hockey. So to her, hockey IS the Blackhawks. Same with me. Well, it looks like I'm doing something right!!!

What the crap!!!

Something is wrong with my eyelash. It's like I have a hair hanging behind my glasses or something. But there is nothing there. I rub at it and it doesn't go away!! SO annoying. Anyway, I am gonna find a movie on my hard drive to burn and watch. I'll let you know how it goes. And if I am able to pluck out all my eyelashes.

The Diagnosis

Amelia has strep throat and an ear infection. And I forgot to call Zena last night to tell her. Oops!
She seems to be doing much better today. Still not 100% by any means but she slept last night which was pretty awesome.
I should be doing some cleaning and stuff but I have a killer headache and I am pretty tired. That's life I guess.

That was better?

I was able to sleep yesterday from 930 to 3. I needed it. Becky took Amelia up to the hospital and they were dicks. Test results tomorrow. She didn't really sleep well last night but I think she is over tired now. She slept on my chest, on the couch, from 1230 to 430 and 730-830 last night/this morning. Becky got some good solid sleep last night so I hope tonight can be my turn. lol

Joe fixed the roof on Sunday. A piece of steel lifted during the wind last week. He says we're gonna need a new roof within a year. I', not surprised. It hasn't been done in at LEAST 43 years. Steel is good that way. Don't know whether to go steel again (we love it!) or go with 30-year shingles. It will call come down to price.

Who wants to come clean my house? The sickies have held us back a bit. lol

What is this thing called "sleep"?

Here's how the whole sleep thing as gone down since Friday.
I have slept: Friday from 130-4pm. Saturday from 1145am-6pm and Sunday from 1215pm-5pm. So let's see, since 6am Friday morning, til
now, (510am Monday) which is almost 72 hours, I have slept a total of 13.5 hours. And I think I've got the better end of this deal.
Becky slept (and I use that term lightly) til like 9am friday, From 8isham til 1130am Saturday, and sunday from 730amish til 12pm. so
that's only 12 hours. She might have grabbed some sleep during the nights to bump her up over my 13.5 hours but it's hard to tell.
It's close. In any case, we are both exhausted. We should have had like 24 hours sleep by now. and when we are sleeping, it's not
quality. Sleeping in the day time is not quality sleep. Especially when the girls are noisy. And I am somewhat accustomed to being up
all night because of the shift work but Becky isn't. I can't imagine how she feels if I feel this bad.
I don't know how Amelia is still functioning. She has Becky up all night and then only naps for a couple hours. I really hope she
starts feeling better soon. Like REAL soon. It's one thing when it's the weekend and only one of us is working. But Becky has to go to
work at noon today. So if Amelia doesn't go to the sitter's (which she shouldn't if she is sick)then I will be staying up with her and
getting NO sleep today. Unless she lays down for a nap and I can grab a couple hours before Grace gets home from school. Only getting
a couple hours may just make me feel worse though. I will take any sleep I can get. I hope this fever of Amelia's has broken. Should
call the doctor anyway but there isn't much he can do if it's a virus. Nobody said parenting was going to be easy!!!
Wish us luck.

Some New Year's Resolutions

1. Yell less. At people.
2. Scream more. To nobody. (or to a microphone)
3. Stop being such a grumpy SOB. Even if I have to fake it.
4. Start playing bass again.
5. Get more tattoos.
6. Visit Todd and Adele and Jessalyn.
7. Drink less.
8. Lose some weight.
9. Somehow get rid of all my aches and pains. (shoulders!)
10. Make the lives of people around me even better.

It's not over yet!

The last week has been very busy. Runnin' around doing all the Christmas stuff and what not. I haven't shaved since Boxing Day. I got a real Ipod! Now I can look like all the cool kids.
Mom and Al flew back to Vancouver this morning. I hope they have a good flight.
The only dishes that aren't done are this morning's breakfast dishes. Oh, that makes me feel good. But then I look at the mountain of laundry and......
You can tell how hard I am working on that as I sit here blogging.
Guitar Hero: World Tour is out on PS2. 189 at walmart for the full kit. Oh, how tempting.
I got a sweet deal on some winter hikers last night. Regular 150, on clearance for 30!!! and they fit!!!
Amelia had me up at 315 last night. I put her back down at 4. Stared into the darkness til 430ish, on the computer til about 520, stared at the darkness til about 6 and finally fell back to sleep. Just one of those nights when the brain won't shut up.

Should make for an interesting day.

Taking down all the Christmas deco tomorrow. And hopefully getting the rest of the house back in order too.

Happy New Year!

Snow

I like snow. I really do. I like it better when it doesn't fall on my sidewalk or driveway. After I shovelled last night after supper, I sat in an Adirondack chair on the back desk and just sat. I listened to the wind. I watched the branches sway in the breeze. There is just something just so relaxing about snow. I was reminded of a line from the Neil Gaiman book, The Graveyeard Book, "a silence like falling snow" ( that might not be exactly the quote but I borrowed the book from the library so I can't refer back to it just now). I love that line. Luckily, I have a neighbour with a snowblower and he does, like, the whole block. I try to get my own done on my own anyway because I am not going to rely on someone else to do something I am fully capable of doing myself. Besides there are others in the 'hood that shouldn't be doing it for themselves, so I would rather he help them.
Out of Friday-Saturday-Sunday, there was only one day that I had to work and that was the only day that it didn't snow like crazy. On the other 2 days, I stayed home and missed a concert that I REALLY wanted to go to but it wasn't worth the risk, and the Hinch Family Christmas was rescheduled. So two things I wanted to do were affected and the one thing I didn't want to do (work) was not. Figures.
I don't have to work anymore this year. But, the kids are not going to the sitters for the rest of the year either. So that is like work. haha but I don't get paid. Well, I kinda do. Since I don't have to pay the sitter, it's more money in my pocket.
I really need to shave.
I really need to wrap the presents for Becky.
Amelia is destroying the tree. Again.

This is what I think about at 330am

I'm not anti-social really. It's close, but not really ANTI-social. I'm not
against being social. I just avoid it. At least in public. At home, shit,
I'll talk for hours with friends and stuff. But in public, I avoid people
like the plague. I just don't like talking to be people I don't know. And
often I don't want to talk to people I do know. For example: I use the
drive-thru, not for convenience, but so that I don't have to talk to anyone
in line. In a store, I will search for something for a half hour before I
ask for help. Or just give up. If I see someone I know in a store, I will
avoid them. Except for close friends. I avoid taking my kids to the park
because I don't want to talk to other parents.
I am sure there is a word for how I am but I don't know it.

By and large, people are stupid.

I judge people alot but I don't give a rat's ass what people think about
me.

F*ckin' baseball players. Honesly, C.C., what the HELL are you going to do
with $20+ million PER YEAR? It would take me 400 years at my current pay to
make $20 million.400 years!!!Let's see, 162 games a season, pitch in (for
ths sake of the math) one out of every 5 games, so roughly 32 games. That's
about $625,000 per game. Per game. That's over 12 years of my salary.
Nobody is worth that much money. nobody. anywhere. for anything. And there
is no loyalty left in the game at all. It's all about money. No "I believe
in this team and I think we can build a contender." no no no! It's who's is
gonna give me the most money? That's why I hate the Yankees. With the money
they spend, they should win the World Series, hands down, every year. But
do they, no. All they do is drive up the price of mediocre players and put
elite players out of the reach of many teams. The Yankees pay a luxury tax
higher than the entire payroll of some teams! and does the luxury tax
really help the other teams? No. The shitty teams are still the shitty
teams. The exception would be Tampa Bay but they will never be able to
afford all that talent in few years. (a la Florida Marlins). But I still
love baseball!!!

My feet hurt, I think I pulled a muscle in my calf,my shoulders, knees,
elbows and back hurt. My eyelids hurt. My lips are chapped. My ears need to
be flushed. I didn't shower today. I need to brush my teeth. My hands are
dry and always dirty. I need to shave. This is a long post. Listen to me
whine!! LOL
If you haven't stopped reading this post by now, too bad, because I am done
writing it.

In the news!

London, New York-

Earlier today, Hands Christian Sanderson was caught "pleasuring himself" in
the window of his high rise hotel room. When asked to comment on his lewd
behaviour, Sanderson replied that it was merely "research for his next
book" and "no man is an island". While that may be true, Mr. Sanderson, not
all books need illustrations.

Upstate New York-

Researchers at Durvalley University at Hampton have concluded a multi-year
study in which they have discovered that people who are restricted to a
total of 4 hours sleep in a 24 hour period may experience periods of
drowsiness and a lack of energy or focus. This latest revelation comes
right on the heels of the University's last study linking excessive food
consumption and weight gain. School officials are hoping that these studies
will help put Durvalley on the university map and teens at the local high
schools have taken up the mantra "Who needs MIT? We have DUH!!"

NHL All-Star Voting!!

I don't know why it's in French. It is supposed to be English. Just VOTE FOR BLACKHAWKS!!!!

20 minute tick-tock

i just took at sip of water.
I burped.
Twice. Second one was better.
My nose was irritated, so I itched it.
I am chewing gum.
I gave someone a thumbs-up.
10 minutes left.
Scratched the other side of my nose.
then both together, kinda. hard to explain.
Adjusted my glasses.
Tugged at my earlobe a few times.
Scratched my wrist.
Licked my lips.
Chugged some water.
Rubbed my upperlip and stroked my beard.
Resisted the urge to scratch the end of my nose.
Scratched my leg a couple times.
ah, 19 minutes is good enough.
bye.

Aw man!!

I thought my throat was sore because the air was dry. But now I am not so
sure. I have a headache now too. And, it wouldn't make sense for a "dry air
sore throat" to be accompanied by a phlegm-y cough. Of course, I left my
Advil and my Cepacol in my other backpack. Which is at home. I won't be
home for another 3.5 hours. Just pretend like you feel sorry for me?
Thanks.

I can't wait to get new work boots. I really hate the ones I have.

I wanted to get up around 1 and piss around on the internet for before I
got Grace off the bus this afternoon, but I think I will sleep right til 3.
I am so bloody tired.

"How can I be lost, when I've got nowhere to goooooooo? Search for seas of
gold, How come it's got so coooold? How can I be lost, in these memories I
relive? How can I blame you, when it's me I can't forgiiiiiiiiiiiiive?"
-Metallica

Napanee Santa Claus Parade of Lights

Apparently the parade was good. I wouldn't know because I wasn't there.
Becky was very emotional because Grace was so excited and it was snowing
and it was beautiful. But that is just what she told me, cuz I wasn't
there. I heard it, and saw some lights down Belleville Road way, as I was
leaving for work. I wish I had been there to see Grace. She told Becky she
could feel Christmas in her belly. What a sweet kid!
Christmas is going to be so exciting this year! But not without a few
"sharing discussions"!!!!

NEW BLOG

For all my metalhead readers (and new potential readers) I have started my new blog.

KINGDOM OF NOISE!!!

www.kingdomofnoise.blogspot.com

Not much there yet. But there will be.

The Grace Dilemna

We're really struggling with behaviour issues with Grace. We're running out
of ideas. Positive discipline doesn't work and neither does timeouts or
taking away priveledges. Punishment is lost on her. It has no effect. She
does feel remorse because she apologizes genuinely. But most of the time
it's only if she has done something by accident. For example, if she knocks
Amelia over by accident she apologizes profusely and is almost in tears if
Amelia doesn't calm down. But if Amelia has something Grace wants, she'll
push her down and snatch it without batting an eyelash. The snatching thing
has not extended to daycare and possibly school too.
She doesn't listen to anyone. Not me, not Becky, not her teacher, not
anyone. Trying to get her to do anything not of her own initiative is like
pulling teeth. Counting to three usually works but I have to do it for
everything. (Grace-Anne , you need to get out of the tub..1. Grace-anne you
need to get out of the tub...2) Her hearing is fine, we've had it tested.
And through our own observation we know she can hear just fine, she just
chooses not to.
At school, she had become "that kid". No one wants to sit near her, or play
with her because she doesn't play nice or sit still or listen to the
teacher or leave other kids alone or do her work or follow intructions etc
etc. AHHHHH!!! It is just frustrating knowing that there is a good kid in
there somewhere. Good Grace is in there somewhere, I know she is, but how
do we get her out?!
Attention is a big thing with her. In two ways. 1) she craves it. No matter
how much we give, she always wants more. Especially from me. 2) She has no
attention span. She can't sit and do anything for more than 5 minutes. She
says she is full after taking 2 bites. Meanwhile she whined for 20 minutes
that she was so hungry. Why? She's bored with it. No matter what we eat,
she takes a few bites. "I'm full!" Bullshit. We can usually get her to eat
a sufficient amount but it's a long painstaking process that only fouls our
mood. We have to play endless games to trick her into eating more or (much
to my shagrin) feed it to her. I hate having to do that but she has to eat,
right? yes, she does have to eat then. If we just let her go without
eating. otherwise she is keeps getting up saying she is hungry and then she
doesn't get enough sleep which makes the next day very rough indeed.
She is defiantly independant. Like if you try to help her with her boots or
coat, "NO! I can do it!!" And it's not like we are trying to rush her or
anything. Just trying to help! And if she does let you put her boots on
it's just because she is being lazy. I know this because it is accompanied
by " You do it".
She has great attention when it comes to TV. But that is not attention,
that's zoning out. All in favour of a total TV ban? "AYE!!" We need to make
TV a serious treat. She needs to EARN it.
What really frustrates me is her complete lack of focus. examples: "Grace,
I am going to go your water, I'd like you to have your jammies on when I
get back" and return to her jumping on her bed or something. No focus, no
respect. I have to tell her 15 times to get on the toilet, to brush her
teeth, to put her coat away. everything and anything. i just don't know
what to do.
With her lack of focus and zero attention span it makes me think ADD. No
hyper activity though. I don't want to give her drugs though. I am at a
loss. If we can't turn her behaviour around me may have to pull her out of
school. it's not fair to the teacher, or the other kids. But I don't want
to do that either. I just want to scream sometimes. Scream at myself
because I feel like I am failing as a parent. I've tried to hard to be a
good Dad and it's not working. At all. Not in my eyes anyway. I dunno.
I have a couple theories. Like things she doesn't express that don't allow
her to focus or remain clearheaded. 1) headaches. we've had her eyes tested
and she is a bit farsighted but she has another appointment to dilate her
eyes so they can get an accurate prescription. Maybe the eye strain is
giving her headaches so she can't think straight and she isn't or can't
express it. 2) conspitation. She is far from regular. She has had bowel
issues for years. Maybe the whole pooping thing causes enough anxiety that
is always on here mind and she loses track of what she is doing? YOU try
giving her a suppository! or forcing down Colase. I dare ya. Been down that
road.
Grace has told Becky before that her head was all jumbly. Maybe that means
something.
Any advice is greatly appreciated but please keep in mind that physical
discipline is NOT an option.

What a day!

I woke up on the wrong side today. Right from the get-go I have been crabby. (hold on, need to add Gojira to my winamp. ahhh there we go) I was not very nice to Grace this morning and I think that messed up her day. She wouldn't follow instructions at school today and actually refused to so some things and got timeouts. Very distressing. She is having some issues right now with authority, telling the truth, and defiance. We have some stuff to try.

I bought some Hemp Beer today. Made by Cool Beer Brewery in Toronto. It doesn't taste bad at all. Or like marijuana. And it's HEMP not marijuana so I am not getting high on it. lol. They use hemp instead of barley. German hops. Good stuff. At the LCBO. It's a red lager in case you want to know.

I made pancakes from scratch tonight. cornmeal pancakes with butternut squash to be exact. From some cookbook. God damn tasty, I'll tell ya that!!! Whole wheat flour too. Oh yum!! I have tons left over. Breakfast!!

I didn't end of watchin either movie from my last post. I watched Some Kind of Monster. The Metallica documentary. Loved it. I love metal docs. I might start watching Black Metal: A documentary tonight. That or Get Thrashed.