Life, The Universe and Everything

It's about time I whipped up a post for my blog. I've been working too much and haven't had time for knitting or drinking let alone blogging.

Since Allie moved away, I've been trying to cheer myself up by keeping our evening "wine" tradition alive. I have decided that drinking alone is not taboo. In fact, since my unemployment began in June I have designated 2pm my happy hour. Lately happy hour has been moved to 8pm, but that will change once I move and get settled back into unemployed life again.

Jealous of Allie's close proximity to my favorite border, I decided to also designate Thursday night at Fiesta Night. Tonight I tried my hand at making enchilladas - with marginal success!


In other news, Evan and I have decided to move to Sudbury (again). We got a cute little apartment, and moving days is just 20 days away.

In the heat of the moment, and due to an influx in our "cash flow", I also decided that it was time that Evan and I purchase our very own furniture (as opposed to our apartment full of hand me downs and mismatches). Always an eager little beaver, I posted everything that I wanted to replace on www.usedottawa.com and started selling.

I have had great success with www.usedottawa.com in the past, and this time also proved to be quite glorious. Within 48 hours I have sold everything. Now, this is a good thing... however, I still have 20 days left in Ottawa and am now reduced to one living room chair and a mattress on the floor. I am living like a student all over again!


A woman came today to buy my bedframe, and she nearly pissed herself when she saw my "toolbox". Rather, it is the L House toolbox (which I inherited when Allie moved to foreign lands). I thought it was quite fitting that an apartment of 2 women, should have a toolbox that is actually a shoebox full of IKEA allen keys, masking tape and twine. When Evan first saw this he hung his head in shame. I think he is going to shell out for a more manly toolbox when we move. I don't blame him.


As I was walking home from the Wine Rack (a staple purchase for me lately) I noticed that they had changed the quote in the church sign on the corner of my street. It used to say something about Dinosaurs and becoming extinct. It now says something about too many people having opinions and ideas leads to chaos and war. This quote really disturbed me.

What kind of freaks go to this church at the end of my street? Perhaps if I have a sunday off I should wander down and find out.

2 Things I Am Not Quite Ready To Live Without

My boyfriend and I recently made the decision to move back to Sudbury (our hometown) to pursue our goal of saving money to open a business. After securing employment, finding an apartment and working out some of the finite details of relocating, two things dawned on me.

1) The yarn store in Sudbury looks like the bargain rack at a flea market. Not to mention the lady who runs it is a total biatch, and I wouldn't give her my business if she PAID me!



2) Sudbury is behind the times, and is seriously lacking a Booster Juice (my lifeline). In fact, the juice bar craze is so far from Sudbury, I am not sure they even know what it is.




Tears are trickling down my face as I realize that the closest yarn store that sells great yarn (Fleece Artist - my other lifeline) is 6 hours away.

I suppose I could buy a Vita-Mix and a how-to book on making your own juice smoothies... however, I don't think I have what it takes to spin and hand dye my own yarns. I have tried and failed miserably! Perhaps if I asked the Fleece Artist nicely she will send me some yarn :D

Tulip Wrap

the following is the pattern for my Tulips Scarf as posted on Ravelry.















CO 40 sts

1) knit
all even rows are purled
3) k3 *yo ssk k6* rep, k3
5) k1 *k2tog yo k1 yo ssk k3* rep, k2
7) k3 *yo ssk k6* rep, k3
9) knit
11) k7 *yo ssk k6* rep, k7
13) k5 *k2tog yo k1 yo ssk k3* rep, k6
15) k7 *yo ssk k6* rep, k7
16)purl

repeat these 16 rows until desired length or the end of your yarn :D

And Then There Were Two

Yesterday was a bittersweet day. I said farewell to my last rescue kitten, Butters, as he left with his new mommy and daddy. My little dude is going to live the sweet, air-conditioned life with my friends Trish and Ryan and their Calico princess Thea Thumbelina.

Although I knew all along that Butters would find his new home, I still grew very attached to the little dude over the last 3 months. It's a good thing I can visit him any time I want!

So that is a grand total of 5 rescue kittens this year. Three of them found fabulous new homes, and two of them (the first two) will remain chez Cyr-Bampton with the Queen Mum, Jupiter.

Yesterday, after Butters had gone home, and the vacuum had been put away, I found this in my living room:
I call this our Family sandwich - PB & J (Penelope, Buttons and Jupiter). Say Cheese!

Can you imagine this amazing catball curled up with Evan and I at night... purring away. Glorious.

Take This Job and Shove It!

So I have been officially "unemployed" for 30 days. My EI claim was just approved (although I have yet to receive any monies) and I am starting to settle into my new life as a housewife. Well, sort of.


The first few weeks flew by - tons of errands, a wedding in Halifax, turning 29. However, now that I have my days and nights free to continue as established, I am finding it harder to keep myself occupied. Most of you know that I cannot sit still for very long - "relaxation" is not a part of my day to day life.


The number one question that I am asked by everyone I come into contact with is: have you found a job yet?


My answer is NO. And NO I am not looking.

I have always been an advocate for self-employment. In recent months I have even joked about "when I start my own company" or "I don't want to work for anyone else ever again". So when I (ahem) lost (ahem) my job last month I called my own bluff. If I am going to change my life, why not change it RIGHT NOW?

Brianne's Top 5 Reasons to become an Entrepreneur

1. I am eligible for Employment Insurance benefits. The government is going to pay me to stay at home for 9 months. What else am I going to do with my time?
2. Evan is moving in next month. More time together for planning and getting excited about our future together.
3. Evan and I have decided together that we need to leave Ottawa post haste. We have known since day 1 that we were never going to settle here. So why are we still here?
4. I will never be any younger than I am today.
5. Why not? If we're going to achieve greatness we better get crackin'!

Are we crazy? Maybe just a little.
Are we scared? Holy Shit!
Can we do it? Fuck Yeah!

Great risks yield great rewards. Being handed an opportunity is just step one. Taking it is a whole different story.

Hair Ethics

I got my hair cut for Carrice's upcoming wedding. My amazing stylist convinced me that he should do it straight.

Is it blasphemous to straighten curls???

New Friends

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Originally uploaded by briannecyr

Last week I found another kitten. This time the circumstances were much different. The kitten was very skinny and lying against the wall of the parking garage. The little muffin cried out, got up and staggered over to me, and then fell at my feet.

They call me the Cat Whisperer.

Anyway, the kitten was someone's abandoned pet. Abandoned cats do not fair well since they don't have the basic foraging skills that wild cats have. So they end up starving. Poor things.

I took this little one in, and began to nurse her back to health. I had some help from a very generous man in Evan's building who took her for the first 4 days while I was at a wedding out of town. And Tara who donated some high-cal Recovery cat food.

Skinny kitty - I call her Sweetness due to her extreme affection - is now gaining weight and is doing much better. My parents are adopting her, so she can spread the love freely throughout the Cyr family.

My skinny little mini has also made a new friend. It's like a mini Jupiter! Today I caught an almost-catball moment. I wasn't able to catch a picture of it, but I was able to get this picture of mini Ju trying to score some of that JLC.