Owner: Temporary? Insanity URL:http://kymburleev.blogspot.com Join Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:41:44 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: I'm a dabbler. A little of this, a little of that. Not extraordinary in any way except for the fact that I'm humble enough to realize it, honest enough to admit it, and egomaniacal enough to hope that despite it you'll all adore me. Go on. You know you wa Site statistics:Click here
A Decade of Dave - Part Two 2007-08-25 23:26:00 Part OneAs our characters played out their amusing storylines on the screen, Dave and I gradually got to know each other through private messages, and long emails. Handwritten letters and packages followed. There were even a few confusing phone calls during which we mocked each other’s accents and laughed a great deal. Laughter, after all, is universal. Dave’s accent? Barely intelligible. His hand writing wasn’t exactly stellar either, but oh how his letters got me laughing! Especially when he drew stick figure diagrams teaching me all about football. Within months, I was a staunch supporter of Everton, and would stay up into the wee hours watching Premiere League football.My parents were more than a little worried.I remember clearly the first packet of pictures he sent. My imagination easily steals back into that once locked vault, and plays them like a slideshow in my mind. I remember his pose, always with that cheeky smile, his red hair topping his lanky frame. I lo Read more:Part Two
Embarrassing Moment #2 2007-08-24 18:52:00 While pregnant with Emma I cherished the hope of having a red headed baby. There was a tendency towards red on both sides of our family, so I thought there was a good chance.Neil? Thought otherwise. And he all but rolled his eyes when I babbled cheerfully to friends and family about my hairy hopes.When they first put Emma in my arms, I felt a surge of triumph. Purple scrunched up face, and vivid red hair! If I'd had the energy, I would have gloated gleefully.Later, after she'd been cleaned up, they brought her to me again. Her squalling purple face had settled into that lovely mottled pink of a healthy newborn, and her hair? Brown."What happened to her red hair?", I asked dazedly."Kim," Neil replied, in an exasperated tone, "that was blood." Read more:Embarrassing
, Moment
Oh How They Redeem Themselves 2007-08-23 21:15:00 I am married to a notoriously unsympathetic man. I've actually been in the midst of a serious dizzy spell, clutching at the wall for support, and had him give me a skeptical look and voice aloud his opinion that it's all in my head.Which really? Is an accurate diagnosis, considering that's where the spinning seemed to be originating. Still. A wee bit of a pity please? A murmur of condolence? A pat on the back?So today, there were two startling incidents that made me wonder if "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was playing out in my very own home.Neil: How was your day, sweetheart?Kim: A bit rough, but a happy day regardless.Neil: Why rough?Kim: Haven't been feeling very well. Bit shaky and dizzy.Neil: Awww...I'm sorry sweetheart (as he walks into the other room).Kim: (calls after him) Now that was the right response!Neil: (infuriatingly) I know. That's why I said it.An hour or two later...Kim is scrubbing the kitchen table...pauses to clutch at her head...Neil: What's wrong?Kim: O
Out of Blog Auto Reply 2007-08-30 23:56:00 Kimberly is currently away from her blog. In her absence you may amuse yourself by reading through her archives, leaving bizarre anonymous comments, or making funny faces at the screen. She leaves this to your discretion.As she is feeling a little on the sad side (scroll down to find out why), please also leave comments telling her how brilliant, hilarious, talented, and/or beautiful she is.
Not Quite Sure... 2007-08-30 14:44:00 ...what to say today. I haven't been posting much in the way of substance lately. Probably because life has been anything but substantial. Yes, I know how vague and cryptic that sounds, but give me a moment. By the time I'm done rambling there's a wee glimmer of a chance that you might probably maybe have a clue as to what I'm going on about.Tomorrow morning we're going to load our two groggy girls into the ole station wagon and head out to Alberta (for those not geographically inclined - the neighbouring province to this one). I haven't mentioned it much because I wasn't sure it was going to happen. And I definitely wasn't sure I wanted it to. I don't like traveling at the best of times, and this is not the best of times.My Grampy (my dad's dad) is really sick. As in, has made his peace and is ready to go home kind of sick. And I'm being incredibly childish about it. I don't want to go say goodbye. Images of the open casket funeral for my mum's dad when I was t
Battle of the Bulge - A Special Report 2007-08-28 15:16:00 I've nothing especially creative or original to say today. Not that I mean to imply I usually do. Because that would be arrogant. And we all know I'm humility incarnate.I decided to strut my stuff and brag it up, because I've achieved a new weight loss low. Yep. I haven't weighed this little since the summer of 2003. Yesterday I climbed up the stairs. Two at a time. Back in the bygone days of yore, this used to be a standard for me. Run up the stairs two at a time. Jump down the last four or five. I haven't done that in years for fear of the gravity induced repercussions.It felt good. It felt really, really good. Read more:Battle
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, Special Report
Krazy Kim Resurfaces 2007-09-28 01:07:00 So I decided the other day that I'm going to write a book. And I'm not saying that in the far off dreamery sort of way that I usually do. I'm going to start. Soon. On Monday October 8th, to be precise.Not only is Monday the day after Neil and I return from his business trip to Las Vegas (I'll be posting an intinerary for those who want to stalk me at various airports), but it's also the day we crazy Canucks celebrate Thanksgiving.Poignant, n'est-ce pas?It's only the weest bit ironic that I've decided to announce this news at a time when I can barely string two sentences togther. I'm having to triple edit my posts lately because the oddest typos keep slipping in. Not just spelling errors, but random words keep popping up in the oddest aardvark places. I'm hoping this has to do with my recent inner ear problems and isn't bananas linked to some sort of neurological disorder.Word to the wise? When you're miserably sick and sleep deprived, don't watch several episodes of a susp Read more:Resurfaces
It Begins. Umm. Again. 2007-09-27 15:32:00 So as last night's post kind of hinted, I had a rough day. There was whining, screaming, spilling, throwing, strangling (I wasn't involved!), weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Add to that delightful program the build up of a fluid in my left ear that has me reeling around like a drunk person half the time and the fact that I haven't been to bed before midnight in days, and we meet a new element of my personality. You've met Kim, Kimmy, Kimberly, and Krazy Kim. Now, meet Kranky Kim.There's no internal dialogue with which to make you giggle though, because Kranky Kim? She can't exactly be classed as a "communicator." Although I suppose growling and glaring are forms of communication.Now, the surest way to conquer the beast is to clean the house. Cleanliness and organization are Kranky Kim's kryptonite. And so I'm launching a blog that's been rattling around for awhile, hiding in the shadow of my insanity (ha!). It's called Before and After, and it's a photograph based blog. Just Read more:Again
I Had a Bad Day 2007-09-26 23:27:00 And I'm not telling you why. Because apparently I'm feeling grumpy and petulant to boot. However, I read a post or two tonight that cheered me up a wee bit, and I thought I'd spread the cheer around.Blue Momma tops the list with her hilarious and insightful post about why Canada rocks. I grinned. I laughed. And I did not cry. That last is quite an accomplishment considering the day I had today. Oh yes.Wynne had me laughing hard enough to earn me a few worried looks from Neil. She's made her readers a gift. One that defies all description. You've no idea what delight you're denying yourself if you don't give that link a clickety-click.And Calamity Jane, one of the most truly inspirational bloggers I've ever encountered, almost had me wanting to go running after reading this post. This might not seem all that miraculous to you if you don't happen to know that I haven't run since I was fifteen.~Last Minute Addition~ And so worth the wait! Andi finished up my cheering process wit
Battle of the Bulge 2007-09-26 00:30:00 A few hours after Becca was born. Weight: 230 pounds. April 10th, 2001. Location: Seattle Temple. Weight: 130 pounds. It hit me rather hard tonight that there's a one hundred pound gap between my lowest and my highest weight. I'm teetering somewhere in between there, hopefully poised for another downward spiral (but, you know, the good kind). I'm actually at a point where I kinda sorta maybe am almost okay with myself. I mean, how can I not be happy with how this head shot turned out? I look sexy! (And you've no idea how much courage it took to say that considering my mum reads my blog. Hi Mum!)September 22nd, 2007. Weight: 183.6. Okay, so I'm not quite ready for full length shots yet, but I don't necessarily wince every time I look in the mirror either. Also, I don't have to suffer deep intestinal damage to wear a pair of size twelve jeans. And the joy of not having to shop at plus size clothing stores? Indescribable, my friends, indescribable.I have dozens of reasons for wanti Read more:Battle
Me Me Me Me Me 2007-09-25 00:28:00 I can't define myself as a Mommy Blogger. Rather, I'm a Mom who blogs. And my name? Does not start with an M. My name is Kim and I'm a person.I'm having fun reclaiming my identity. I've been soaking in the loveliness of my many hobbies, and now I've got that tingly raisin feeling that comes from submerging oneself for an extended period of time.It feels good.I may have gone a wee bit too far though. We were having a correlation meeting at church Sunday afternoon and it was suggested that we have a musical number at our next conference. And I volunteered. Apparently in my journey to "find myself", I've stumbled across a new facet to my personality. Let's call her Krazy Kim.The internal dialogue during the meeting went something like this:Me: Hmm...musical number, I wonder if Jamie...Krazy Kim: I'll do it! Me! Me! Me! Pick Me!Me: Don't be daft, you haven't sung anything other than You Are My Sunshine in months.Krazy Kim: Oh please, oh please, oh please? Me me me me me me!Me: O
Of Happiness and Eardrums 2007-09-24 10:49:00 You know, I'm going to have to ditch the "Woe is me..." act pretty soon and become one of the Happy People. I got seriously teary this morning when I discovered I'd received 23 sweet comments on my last post. I feel loved. And it's really hard to revel in that kind of outpouring of love without feeling just the weest bit loveable.Maybe I'm not so bad after all.A new friend of mine recently posed the question did I think dependence on internet friendships is unhealthy? I responded that my feelings on the matter had changed drastically since I started blogging. There's a depth of intimacy created through the sharing of blogs that seems to me to transcend phone calls or chats during play dates. I've also been blessed to meet many of my online friends in person, and real life friendship blooms quick and strong with the online friendship giving it nourishment. I now count some of my online friends among my dearest real life friends.I feel very, very blessed, and wish this past
Have You Ever... 2007-09-23 17:16:00 ...stood up suddenly and felt the room spin and then have to grab at something to stop yourself from spinning with it?...had this feeling last three days straight?...been playing the piano at church and nearly fallen off the bench?...been rushed to the hospital shortly thereafter, only to fall asleep in the waiting room and fall out of your chair in such a way that your skirt flips up?...had the doctor look in one of your ears, then look in the other and exclaim something along the lines of, "Wowza!"...wondered why on earth you're blogging when what you should really do is collapse? And hopefully onto something soft?I'm going to hazard a guess that most of your answers this week will be starting with the letter N. Good night.
Orchard Boy 2007-09-22 15:32:00 For previous Soap Opera Sunday posts, including the Prologue to this entry, click on the Soap Opera Sunday label at the bottom of this post.It started with a speeding ticket. I still giggle every time I look through my photo album and catch sight of the picture I took of the cop with his tripod mounted radar gun. It’s a fuzzy picture, taken as we were driving (oh so slowly) away. I don’t remember much else about the trip. Not the music we listened to, or the conversations we must have had. It was a five hour drive (and Jo’s speeding was balanced out by the time it took to receive the ticket), and however I poke and prod at my memory, I can’t conjure up those hours. We were late arriving to the orchard. Most of our church congregation had finished lunch and started drifting off towards the dense cluster of fruit trees, picking gear in tow. Jo grabbed a quick lunch while I allowed my aversion to mayonnaise to deter me. My poor starved self suffered little over this thoug Read more:Orchard
Recent Conversation 2007-09-22 14:13:00 Emma: "Can I have a muffin Mummy? I say pleeeeease!"Me: (Laughing) "You can have as many as you want, Emma. Muffins are good for your tummy." (Tickling said tummy)Emma: "Mommy? I love you. You make me happy in my tummy!" Read more:Recent
, Conversation
Fearless 2007-09-21 19:18:00 I decided to give Neil an extra nifty welcome home this evening. I wanted him to walk up the stairs and be dazzled by the shine of an incredibly clean upstairs (I don't want to talk about the basement, okay?). I tidied. I dusted. I scrubbed. And then? I vacuumed.Upon seeing me pull out the vacuum, Emma and Becca immediately became excited. Plugging in the cord is tantamount to saying "Wanna play a game?" They started squealing and running around the house, Emma shouting out gleefully, "Wanna get me, Mommy? You gunna get me?"I reflected on how happy I was to have taught my children not be afraid. Since they were very, very young, I would start grinning and laughing as I pulled out the vacuum each day. I'd use my "Now isn't this fun?" voice, and tickle them as I chased them around whatever house or apartment we happened to be living in.I realized tonight that despite being a wee bit on the paranoid/neurotic side myself, I've somehow managed to raise up two incredibly brave Read more:Fearless
The Other Side 2007-09-21 11:19:00 "The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears." - John Vance Cheney There's something about the above picture that captures my imagination. I took it a few days ago, and have been bringing it up on my screen sporadically ever since. It seems to me to be the perfect expression of the struggles that recently have had me feeling so very self-absorbed (well, more so than usual, anyway).I love the ethereal quality of the rainbow and the way its muted glow seems to be fighting back the dark of the encroaching storm. It is something more than beautiful, a sort of visual poetry, poignant and thought-provoking.My recent pondering about The Dark Side has yielded some interesting results. I had a happy day yesterday. And not just a few brief shining moments mixed in with the usual grey, it was the entire day. I smiled, I laughed, I danced. I baked muffins. I cleaned out my kitchen cupboards. I played playdough with my girls. I even sang, not just to entertain Emma and Becca, but f
The Dark Side 2007-09-20 01:03:00 Now this may come out sounding a wee bit whimsical, but in all honesty, I feel like I've been seduced by "The Dark Side." Perhaps I owe this sudden realization to Neil watching Star Wars the last three nights, but I'm going to pretend otherwise. Far better to strut my stuff and grin at you all, pretending I figured it out for myself.I'm all too familiar with the dark cloud of gloomidy gloom that sporadically attacks your average innocent bystander. It's a fact of life. Sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down, and sometimes we're doing the cha-cha in that lovely happy medium in between. My recent dark cloud though? Not your average fluctuation on the old life barometer. The difference? The fact that I’ve been enjoying it. Yep, you read that right, I’ve been enjoying it. There’s a certain glamour in lounging around being miserable and surly. Bitterness has a cool edge to it that can make a person feel, well, special. That’s right folks, I’m not your average
Have You Ever... 2007-09-19 15:38:00 ...accomplished so much in the space of one morning that it simply boggled your mind? And then been so disheartened by what this says about your usual productivity level that you proceeded to spend the rest of the day playing on the computer?...been distracted while eating your lunch and accidentally poked yourself with your fork? In the eye?...received a phone call in the middle of writing a blog post and forgotten what you were going to write next?For all those interested, I've a new section in my sidebar titled "Template Time." Here you'll find a list of links to free blog template sites, and other helpful resources for spiffing up your blog. Check back often for new additions!
The End of an Era 2007-09-18 22:22:00 As my regular readers know, I have an addiction. And it's one of those impossible to hide, in your face kind of addictions. It's been a great source of entertainment to you all, I know. Oh how you've giggled and rolled your eyes! I'm afraid the good times are coming to an end though.I finally found a template I love. When I first slapped it up it was just going to be another temporary template as I searched for "The One", but over the last few days, it's grown on me. Now I'm not saying there won't be a new one up next week. That's not a bet I'd be willing to lay odds on, but for now I'm kind of content. For those of you that aren't, no worries. I'm going to add a template section to my sidebar. Here you'll find links to Free Template sites, as well as an ever shifting list of some of my personal favourites.I only hope I don't lose too many readers over this.
One Leg at a Time 2007-09-18 00:44:00 Sometimes I have really, really strange thoughts. I mean, I can't even begin to pretend at normalcy when I have thoughts like these bouncing around in my all too spacious head.For example? When I dress my girls, I pull their pants up over both their legs. At the same time. And the expression "He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else" invariably comes to mind. Am I messing with the natural order of things or what? But I can't seem to stop myself because, hey, it's faster that way. And I'll even confess to putting my own pants on in similar fashion. When I put them on one leg at a time, I'm more likely to get tangled up in them. So much easier to sit on the edge of the bed and pull them both on at once. Am I alone in this? Am I a freak?Often when I'm at home alone, I feel like there's someone watching me. I remember having this feeling as a small child. I think it was linked to there being a ledge under my bedroom window and knowing, through my
Happy Birthday! 2007-09-17 13:55:00 For those of you as yet unacquainted with the wonderfulness that is my best friend, DeDee, please, allow me to enlighten you.Delightful: She has a sparkling personality. And I'm not saying that in the usual grasping for words and tossing out the old just-compliment-their-personality sort of way. Seriously people, this girl sparkles! Even in the midst of hard times (and she's had her share), she manages to laugh. And her laugh? It's so infectious. You can't spend an hour with her without letting out a good belly laugh or two.Enlightened: She's not content just to be a pretty, personality packed person. Not my DeDee. She's smart too! She actually takes the time to concern herself with political issues. She cares so much it hurts her at times. She reads voraciously, and is always stretching her mind by tackling new subjects. I admire the heck out of her for this.Entertaining: She could be a one woman show. She plays violin, piano, and has a beautiful voice as well. Read more:Happy
, Birthday
, Happy Birthday
Have You Ever... 2007-09-16 18:16:00 ...stood in front of a mirror and practiced your facial expressions, only to discover that your face rarely says what you think it's saying? Horrifying. Really, really, horrifying....noticed how a freshly mopped floor has a life span of about 2.4 seconds?...been on the verge of passing out before you clued in to the fact that you haven't eaten all day?...cut your foot on something hiding in the carpet, only to discover that rather than the carefully laid booby trap you thought it was it's only a dried up piece of shredded wheat?...stopped answering your phone, ignored the ever mounting pile of emails in your inbox, and then gotten annoyed because nobody phones or emails you anymore?...wondered why anyone reads your blog because boy oh boy, you sure have been grouchy and negative lately?Yeah. Me neither.
Orchard Boy - Prologue 2007-09-15 21:17:00 Previous Soap Opera Sunday EntriesSometimes when I’ve nothing in particular to do, which sadly is pretty darn often, I muse about my life, and the odd twists and turns it’s taken. Not that it felt twisty and turny at the time. Mostly it felt like I was ambling on in a more or less straight line. I’m looking forward to when scientists transcend GPS and get into all the funky trans-dimensional stuff. Then I’ll plot the events in my life and they will yield a print out full of zigzags and loopty-loops. Straight lines are for people who have some vague idea as to what they’re doing. Mine was always a fairly aimless existence. Being aimless, I was easily led. I lay no blame at the feet of those who did so, because really, I was irresistible. I was the human equivalent of a lost little puppy. I even have big brown eyes to complete the package.So when I hit twenty-two and my closest friend decided to have a “Talk” with me about something, the pattern of the conversatio Read more:Orchard
, Prologue
Worth a Thousand Words? 2007-09-15 11:39:00 I recently inherited the computer that my dear sweet wonderful magnificent fabulous father made for Neil last Christmas. To my surprise and delight, I discovered that my dad had loaded numerous pictures from my childhood onto it. So, to apologize for my recent burst of melancholy, here are some pictures with which to amuse yourselves.They also make a nice preamble to this week's Soap Opera Sunday, wherein I will finally trot out the story of how Neil and I met. Check back later for the first installment in that thrilling tale. Me and My MumI Called this Dress my "Great Dress" - It Was Perfect for Twirling"The Perm"Halloween - Always A Princess, Fairy, or AngelAnd I Thought I Was Ugly - Silly GirlNew Years 2000 - I'm On the Far RightThis Was Taken Shortly Before I Met Neil and Shortly After a Paint FightThe Last Two Pictures Include a Fellow Blogger. Can You Guess Who? Read more:Worth
, Thousand
, Words
Fiction Friday - Shades of Grey 2007-09-14 13:56:00 One of my favourite bloggers has a FictionFriday
segment on her blog. I've wanted to delve back into writing fiction for quite some time now, so I'm being a blatant copy-cat. Not only am I copying her idea, I'm copying my first piece from one that I wrote, oh, about nine years ago. I've tweaked it a bit, and plan to continue the story now that I finally have a clearer idea as to where it's headed. Either enjoy it, grimace over it, or skip it. Cheers!"We can't have much farther to go," I whisper into the dimly lit interior of the car. The lights on the dashboard flicker in greenish shadows. I'm vaguely aware that there are others in the car. Someone is driving, their breath rasping harshly in and out between nicotine stained teeth. Pearls cast before swine. Someone keeps watch out of the passenger side window, watching as houses whip by like dots of melting butter on the pancake fields. And somebody smells like butterscotch. It isn't Simon, curled up on the backseat beside Read more:Shades
, Fiction Friday
Never Assume... 2007-09-13 19:29:00 ...that the candy jar is out of reach....that the locked patio door with the board wedged into it and the curtains drawn over it is impenetrable by your three year old....that when you go downstairs to put a load of laundry in, your children will remain in the house while you do so....that having no socks, shoes, or coats will prevent your children from fleeing at the first glimpse of freedom....that a lack of rain over the last few days means that your deck is a safe and above all dry place for your children to play....that you're going to have a happy, sane kind of day.Let it come as a surprise. Read more:Assume
Warning: Whiny Travelogue to Follow 2007-09-13 17:14:00 I thought the beginning of my road trip was quite auspicious. In retrospect, I should have found that more suspicious. Far, far too much went right.• The girls played happily in the back seat. For hours. I didn’t have to pull over once.• The McDonald’s Drive Thru personnel were not only able to find the muffin flavour I requested, but managed to hand me the debit machine in a way that didn’t incline me to drop it or tangle the cord in my hair like I often do.• Becca fell asleep. For longer than the usual ten minutes. For a full hour even.• I was able to pick up a radio station or two. A rarity when driving through such a mountainous region. I even liked most of the songs. Also a rarity.• I did not once, not even the slightest bit, veer into oncoming traffic.• I didn’t even have to slap my face repeatedly to keep myself awake. • Despite doing the trip husband-less and with two small children, I made the five hour drive in four and a half hours.• I did n Read more:Travelogue
Allow Me To Ramble 2007-09-12 21:49:00 I promise that I will delight and entertain you. Tomorrow. For now, I feel the need for a quick ramble and an early bedtime. Check back later for an amusing travelogue. In the meantime...I had an incredible time last night catching up with an old friend. It was one of those conversations that leaves you feeling thoughtful and introspective, and hoping like heck that you can hold onto those feelings long enough to do something with them. There seems to be such a short shelf life on those sorts of experiences. Someone says something that makes you think, the dusty old light bulb goes bling-bling for the first time in longer than you care to admit, and then the light fades. Something goes fizzle and there's a funny smell in the air (okay, perhaps I'm taking the metaphor too far). And then, you forget.Then there's the moment, days, weeks, or years later, when you remember. And you feel like a bit of a schmuck for having lost sight of whatever vision or motivation had once grip Read more:Allow
, Ramble
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