Hello peeps! Thanks so much for all your well wishes!

I have moved and am feeling a bit disconnected from the world, which no doubt comes from moving so freakin often. I think I'm over this gypsy thing for awhile.

I've completed the tedious unpacking of a zillion boxes, the hanging up of pictures, etc. and all that other fun stuff that goes with a move. I am exhausted. We like our new home (apartment), and unless I move to a different city for a better job, I'd prefer to stay in this place for awhile.

The whole court battle thing with the "slumlord from hell" is progressing in my favour... and as I can track IP addresses of those who visit my blog, I've noticed that the whack-job actually reads my blog. Hmmm... I won't be writing openly too much about that anymore. (you can always email me for specifics).

My hatchling is all better from the swine flu, poor kid - she rarely gets sick and this flu knocked the sh*t out of her. And I must have a kick-ass immune system, because I thought for sure I'd catch it too, but thankfully, I am only tired. Exhausted from moving again, broke from moving again, and feeling a bit disconnected from the world, (my phone & internet hook up will have to wait another week or so).

I am currently at a friends house, feeding her kitty & bunny and treating myself to cable TV and internet access! woo-hoo!
My friend K. has had major knee surgery (ouch!), and I would love it if you all could keep her in mind with get-well wishes and healing vibes.

That's all for now. No creative juices flowing here....but I'll be back soon.

~ they come to your rescue when you are (again) being threatened by nut-job landlord while moving out.

~ they create diversions so the landlord from hell can't follow your moving truck to your new home.

~ they bring you a Timmie's large double-double because you can't find your coffee machine amongst all the boxes and you have to be in court in a half-hour.

~ they help you get your kidnapped cat back from your nut-job landlord (I'm serious).

~ they let you come to their house to hang out and get away from the maze of boxes and use their Internet because yours isn't getting hooked up until Friday.

~ they give you a ride even though your hatchling has been diagnosed with Swine Flu.

~ they make her little treat bags because she was too sick to go trick or treating and missed out on Halloween, our favourite time of the year.



Hatchling is recovering nicely, and we're gonna be fine, although I'm beginning to feel symptomatic. (I'm definitely having one of those "wish I was married" weeks).
Sometimes it's so hard to do it all alone and for this reason, I am so very grateful for all my wonderful and supportive friends....(You know who you are).

***The landlord/tenant hearing went very well - in my favour. Slumlord showed his true colours...he truly is an idiot. More of that to come. It isn't over.


P.S. We all know people who have horror stories about...
1.- Childbirth
2.- the H1N1 virus.

As my daughter has seen her pediatrician and is on the antiviral drug Tamiflu, and is thankfully recovering nicely, I ask that you guys please do not scare me anymore than I've already been, with knowledge about this flu....thanks.
I have ONE NERVE left and my former slumlord is on it!!

peace & prayers please for a healthy hatchling
xo

Do you ever wonder about those people who just seem to breeze through life?
Who seem to never have the problems you do, the responsibilities you do? The challenges you're up against, and the struggles you face?

I have accepted the fact that I am just not one of those people who leads a charmed life. My life has been much about struggles and lessons learned.

That said, I've never been dealt anything horrible or that I couldn't handle. I am grateful every day for my beautiful, healthy daughter and our life together.

I would just like to relax and enjoy life. I would like a car. I would like to be able to take my daughter places that aren't on the city bus. I would like a good job. I would like to not have to wait until payday to buy milk. And I would like to not move again for awhile.

Nuff said.
I'm signing off now, as I'm moving the next couple of days, also attending the landlord/tenant hearing, (which is just the beginning).

I am standing my ground. I'm going to do everything in my power to make the slumlord be accountable for the hell he's put me & my hatchling through.

Be back soon with happy pics of yet another new apartment.

wish me luck!!!
peace out

Never let anyone tell you that you can't...

~ be whatever you want when you grow up
~ make wise choices
~ do what's best for you
~ remain true to yourself
~ support yourself
~ defend yourself
~ wear ripped jeans
~ think outside the box
~ eat tofu on Thanksgiving
~ change your hairstyle
~ walk around barefoot
~ pick your own friends
~ fall in love with that guy
~ get married
~ not get married
~ have babies
~ not have babies
~ travel the world
~ live in the woods
~ sleep on the beach
~ wish on a star
~ believe in a god (or not)
~ adopt a stray cat
~ dip your fries in your chocolate milkshake
~ wear blue eyeshadow
~ watch your favourite movie 100 times
~ reach your goals
~ live your dream
...and kick some ass when necessary

peace & happy weekend

Since pumpkins are a common sight this time of year, it might behoove you to know that the early Americans believed that if half a pumpkin is left open or exposed in the kitchen, then negative energies are thought to arrive soon afterward. This dovetails with the idea of carving a face into pumpkin and leaving it to guard the outside of the home in order to frighten evil away on All Hallow's Eve.
Pumpkins are also considered a symbol of the fruitfulness of the earth as some cultures believe that they represent the womb of the Great Mother.
The meat of the pumpkin is said by many to attract money, so if you want to stay in the flow with the season's energies by making a pumpkin cheesecake, then be sure to add some ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg in order to get all the prosperity this tasty pumpkin dish can offer!


CHEESECAKE FACTORY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
If you've ever been lucky enough to eat cheesecake from THE Cheesecake Factory, you know you've tasted the best cheesecake in the world. Myself & my hatchling were recently treated to this scrumptious dessert by friends. After a yummy dinner, they brought out a $60 cheesecake they bought at the Cheesecake Factory - omgomgomg!!!!
I was lucky enough to find the following recipe on line.



Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
5 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Cup Sugar, plus
1 Tablespoon sugar
3 (8oz) Packages of Cream Cheese
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
3 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
Whipped Cream

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees .
2. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 Tablespoon sugar in a melted bowl.
3. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so much as to turn the mixture into paste.
4. Keep it Crumbly.
5. Put foil partway up the outside of an 8-inch springform pan.
6. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about 2/3rds of the way up the sides of a springform pan.
7. You DON'T want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake.
8. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside until you are ready to fill it.
9. In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 Cup Sugar, and Vanilla.
10. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
11. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue beating until smooth and creamy.
12. Pour the filling into the pan.
13. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.
14. The top will turn a bit darker at this point.
15. Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool.
16. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it in the refrigerator.
17. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the cake from the springform pan and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces.
18. Serve with whipped cream on top!

peace

Woo-hoo!!! I am loving Jamie's question today for our wishcasting Wednesday.

What do you wish to say yes to?
Well...ummmm....I wish to say yes to success in my upcoming hearing date with my slumlord.

I'm so used to struggling and going without things that this is quite a non-bohemian wish.....oh well....show me the money!!!
Yeah baby!! My crooked landlord owes me money for paying hydro unknowingly in a second apartment here. (his attempt at McGyver wiring). And for all the expenses and hassles of living here and moving again and putting my daughter through his crap. What a d-bag! When I think of the cops having to be called on him over a dozen times in the past 3 weeks, it makes me sooo angry. I have done everything, including staying out of the "dating pool", so that my hatchling could grow up without dysfunction and this kind of drama. And that criminal of a landlord has put a kink in our lives - screw him. It costs alot of money to move and I don't want to struggle through it financially. I want my money back and compensation for what we've been through here.
So there!!!

lol
peace & happy wishing!!!

Sending hugs out to all you guys who are reading and supporting me in my "landlord from hell extravaganza!"

As I sit here at my computer desk with it's emptied out drawers, surrounded by half-packed boxes all over my living room, I am officially 10 days away from my "hearing date" with slumlord and the tenancy board.
Through all of slumlord's threats, intimidation attempts. spying & stalking, his bullying and cutting off of hot water, his changing the locks on the communal laundry room, his "eviction notice" that FOLLOWED my noticed to vacate,(I know - wtf?)... through it all, I am calm and chillin'.

I am excited to move out of here, but not looking forward to the move itself - it's exhausting. So I'm packing my ass off, but not going crazy. Pacing myself because this is going to be an intense week. I've "lawyered up" (thank you if you're reading), and will continue to document every. little. thing.

My hatchling, who is taking down Robert Pattinson posters from her bedroom walls, and who is not yet sick of moving, is reminded that life is mostly wonderful and meant to be lived... and it really is all about the ride.







peace out

I cannot believe I am moving again. This will be the third time since last Halloween. Cripes.
I worry about my hatchling and how all this affects her. I've moved her around so much. Although I've always made it a priority to stay in and around the same area, so she hasn't changed schools in 5 years.
Besides, she has a gypsy spirit and loves moving. Every move she gets excited about the new environment, her new bedroom, our new neighbourhood. She thrives on adventure and I think that's a good thing. I just worry that she's going to grow up and not have that feeling of "home". She carries happy memories from various apartments and houses and even cities. For this reason, I have a fridge magnet that says...."When you're at peace with yourself, any place is home."

I have learned my lesson though. I'm done with trying to find cheap apartments. Yes it's very "bohemian" to live in a run-down, less expensive place and bring it to life with your own decor and paint... but these places have lower rent for a reason. This time... this apartment, a lesson in manipulative, threatening, idiotic slumlords awaited me and I guess it's just something I had to go through, another life lesson learned.

So I've found a new place. A more traditional, but not boring, apartment. Higher rent than I wanted to pay...(I may never get a car on the road again), but that's ok. It's safe, clean, and has a responsible landlord who fixes things instead of having threatening and intimidating run-ins with me. And it's the first apartment that I won't have to paint myself!!!

I am happy and relieved. My hatchling is happy and will be safe...and that's all that matters to me.

* Trying not to think about all the packing and hauling of boxes and furniture, and rounding up my wonderful, loyal tribe of friends with trucks and vans. It makes me tired just to envision it again.
Oh well, such is life, and all this loading and unloading of trucks helps keep my body in great physical shape. :)

peace & biceps!