I made biscuits last night, then set my alarm for 3:00am. I wanted to catch the wedding of William and Kate on the TV and thought it would be fun to eat biscuits while seeing the Royal Wedding. The alarm went off, and we turned the TV on. My husband caught someone mentioning the wedding was two hours away. We made the quick decision to reset the alarm for 4:55am and grab a few more hours before the event. Then again, we were woken. The TV went on, and we saw Kate being driven to the Church. I quickly ran to the kitchen to get my biscuits, and find the jam. But I couldn't find the jam. I was in a hurry, and did not want to miss a thing. I took one more quick look for that pesky jam. I guess I should have located it last night and had it at the ready. Oh well, no biscuits in bed I guess.
So back I scampered, in front of the telly to see the Wedding of the Year (or decade, or ...). We had a great view of Kate in the Rolls, with the large windows. She was waving like royalty to the crowds of onlookers, and she looked beautiful. Then the Roller stopped in front of Westminster Abbey and she got out. What a wonderful dress. We thought she would have a less fluffy dress than Diane, a puffy skirt, but not too puffy, and a simple form fitting top, with good coverage. Well done Kate, very good choice in dress. We approve of your wedding dress style.
Kate and William both seemed genuinely happy, and were both very regal during the ceremony. Kate had such poise after the ceremony, while sitting and listening to speeches. Then off to Buckingham Palace. The new Princess and her Prince got into an open carriage for the trip. Once at the Palace we saw them again on the balcony. A quick kiss, then another. The second was longer and seemed to have a bit more feeling. Then the planes flew over, and that was it. But what a great event. I'm glad I decided to wake up to watch it live.
While we were watching the wedding, we heard the sound of sirens from outside our window. And they kept going. It seemed like every 10 minutes there was another siren. Some were in the distance, and others were quite close. I don't know what was going on. I can't imagine the Royal Wedding Parties were getting that out of hand.
We ended up eating the biscuits this morning for breakfast as we caught the replays of the wedding. They were delicious.
As far as yesterdays events, I missed the big one. It happened in the back lane and the next street over. My husband was in the yard BBQ'ing supper. He stepped into the back yard to make sure the shed was locked, and everything was put away for the night while he was outside. Then he heard a commotion in the back lane and thought he would see what was up. It seems the tactical response unit went through the lane, then onto the next street. They were dealing with a group of youths the next street over. Who knows what was going on there.
My husband also got a quick update from one of the neighbours in the lane. It seems that Circus Boy's alleged dealer walked into the house of an elderly neighbour lady. The story was that he just wanted to use the phone. He said he used to live at that location. Not likely. The neighbour saw this going down, and removed the unwanted home invader from the residence. We have some great neighbours looking out for each other, and we all know to keep an eye on the actions of those "usual suspects".
As the circus goes on outside our house, we were still able to enjoy the big event of the day from inside our home in the North End of Winnipeg.
Showing posts with label Circus Boy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Circus Boy. Show all posts
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
How Much Is Too Much?
As you know, my van was stolen this morning. I wasn't even upset. After writing my post earlier today, I got to thinking. If my car being stolen didn't really bother me, then what is it that actually does get under my skin? What is it that really bothers me? And why doesn't it bother me when my van gets stolen.
So, why doesn't it bother me when my van gets stolen? I guess because there is a clear process I follow. I know the rules. They are clearly laid out. And after following the process, I sit back and wait 30 days, and my vehicle re-appears. It always takes 30 days. And I always get my van back. There is no question of what I should do, how I should handle things, or what is involved. It's clear and simple.
Now the other questions need a little more thought. What really gets under my skin? And, what really bothers me? I had to think about that for a bit, and I came up with two things that really bother me. The first one is garbage. That would have to be the whole garbage package. I mean, the scrappers digging through the bins, throwing garbage in the alley and not putting it back, the illegal dumpers tossing mattresses and construction material, the over-filled dumpsters that spill out into the lanes when they get emptied, the entire package. That's one of the things that just drives me crazy.
The other thing that gets me going is Circus Boy. I have never mentioned him before, but he used to be a tenant in my house. He was a tenant when I started going out with my husband a few years back, and he was a tenant when I moved into the North End. But he did not stay a tenant much longer. I was not about to put up with a criminal in my house who refused to pay the rent, and threatened us when we asked for money. He was a bad guy with a bad attitude, and he had to go. We finally managed to get him removed from the house, which was no easy feat. But we did manage to get him out. Then the guy moved into another house just a few doors down. That was just too close for comfort, but it was not against the law. The man has a right to live where he wants to live. As the years have passed, Circus Boy has stopped yelling at us, threatening us, and giving us the evil eye every time we crossed paths. But the sight of him still irks me. I know he is always up to no good. And I know it is always a circus when he’s around. We all know him around here, and we all know to watch out for him. Now that Spring is here, Circus Boy “spottings” are far too frequent for my liking.
I would have to say that Circus Boy gets under my skin far deeper than the garbage issue. But garbage bothers me with more regularity.
So, on to the next question on my list. How much is too much? I would have to say the swat team appearing on my street last August was too much. That's what pushed me to start this blog. That is what started me sending a copy of each blog entry to the Mayor, the City Councilors, and the media. I continued sending the emails to these people up until mid-January this year. Now I just blog. It is kind of therapeutic. I've gone through several stages since living in the North End. I have wanted to put up razor wire around the property, I have wanted to build a fence with broken glass along the top, and I have wanted to run screaming from the neighbourhood.
I know I just wrote a blog entry about the safety of the North End. I still stand by what I said. Have a look at the block, and be aware of your surroundings. My personal safety has never been an issue here. But I have had my share of problems. As far as property or vehicles being stolen, I have had that happen in other parts of the City as well, it is not unique to the North End.
But sometimes the Circus wears you down. And some days it does feel like it is too much to handle. And then the Winnipegger in me kicks in, and I tell myself I am not going to let some punks drive me from my home. After all, it’s just another day in the hood.
So, why doesn't it bother me when my van gets stolen? I guess because there is a clear process I follow. I know the rules. They are clearly laid out. And after following the process, I sit back and wait 30 days, and my vehicle re-appears. It always takes 30 days. And I always get my van back. There is no question of what I should do, how I should handle things, or what is involved. It's clear and simple.
Now the other questions need a little more thought. What really gets under my skin? And, what really bothers me? I had to think about that for a bit, and I came up with two things that really bother me. The first one is garbage. That would have to be the whole garbage package. I mean, the scrappers digging through the bins, throwing garbage in the alley and not putting it back, the illegal dumpers tossing mattresses and construction material, the over-filled dumpsters that spill out into the lanes when they get emptied, the entire package. That's one of the things that just drives me crazy.
The other thing that gets me going is Circus Boy. I have never mentioned him before, but he used to be a tenant in my house. He was a tenant when I started going out with my husband a few years back, and he was a tenant when I moved into the North End. But he did not stay a tenant much longer. I was not about to put up with a criminal in my house who refused to pay the rent, and threatened us when we asked for money. He was a bad guy with a bad attitude, and he had to go. We finally managed to get him removed from the house, which was no easy feat. But we did manage to get him out. Then the guy moved into another house just a few doors down. That was just too close for comfort, but it was not against the law. The man has a right to live where he wants to live. As the years have passed, Circus Boy has stopped yelling at us, threatening us, and giving us the evil eye every time we crossed paths. But the sight of him still irks me. I know he is always up to no good. And I know it is always a circus when he’s around. We all know him around here, and we all know to watch out for him. Now that Spring is here, Circus Boy “spottings” are far too frequent for my liking.
I would have to say that Circus Boy gets under my skin far deeper than the garbage issue. But garbage bothers me with more regularity.
So, on to the next question on my list. How much is too much? I would have to say the swat team appearing on my street last August was too much. That's what pushed me to start this blog. That is what started me sending a copy of each blog entry to the Mayor, the City Councilors, and the media. I continued sending the emails to these people up until mid-January this year. Now I just blog. It is kind of therapeutic. I've gone through several stages since living in the North End. I have wanted to put up razor wire around the property, I have wanted to build a fence with broken glass along the top, and I have wanted to run screaming from the neighbourhood.
I know I just wrote a blog entry about the safety of the North End. I still stand by what I said. Have a look at the block, and be aware of your surroundings. My personal safety has never been an issue here. But I have had my share of problems. As far as property or vehicles being stolen, I have had that happen in other parts of the City as well, it is not unique to the North End.
But sometimes the Circus wears you down. And some days it does feel like it is too much to handle. And then the Winnipegger in me kicks in, and I tell myself I am not going to let some punks drive me from my home. After all, it’s just another day in the hood.
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