Giddy Up It's Nyquil Time!

Cocaine Princess here.

For the past couple of days I've been feeling a little under the weather. A stuffed up nose, watery eyes and a little cough. I picked up a bottle of the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, achy, stuffy head so you can rest medicine. It comes attached with a little plastic shot glass. I had one shot early in the evening. I was on the phone with Valentina and cut the conversation short. The cherry flavored syrup began to take effect. I told 'A' I was heading up to bed. It was only 8 o'clock.

I woke up in the middle of the night. The wind was howling
mad. I turned on my side to see the time but couldn't see the green neon numbers. Did the remedy for my cold cause a sudden and severe case of night blindness? Or did I move the alarm clock and not remember? When the lights wouldn't turn on I peaked through the blinds. The entire street was pitch black.

In the dark I cautiously went down the stairs, made my way into the kitchen and opened up every drawer while feeling around for a flashlight. (Not too long ago we bought a dozen reactor lights. You keep them plugged in the outlets and automatically they'll turn on when the electricity goes. Had we bothered taking them out of the package, I wouldn't have been walking around the house with a flashlight). I go into the family room and honest to God this is what I did. I picked up the remote to turn on the TV. It wouldn't turn on. I assumed the batteries were dead. I pointed the flashlight towards the TV looking for the power button when a little bell went off in my head. 'What's wrong with me?' I said out loud. 'If the power is off the TV is not going to work.'

I returned back upstairs. Quietly opening A's door and tip toeing inside I stood by the side of her bed shining the flashlight in her face. I did this for several minutes believing she would wake up. When she didn't I nudged her a little. 'A' opened her eyes and then quickly shut them. 'Is there a black out?' she asked. 'How did you know?' I asked back. 'Unless you're training to be a cat burglar the flashlight gave it away. Do you know the time?' 'No,' I replied. My sister leaned over to the other side and grabbed her wrist watch from the nightstand and put it in front of her face.' 3:30,' I said looking at it. 'I can hear the wind, how bad is it outside?' With the flashlight in my hand I looked out the window. 'The snow is coming down hard,' I answered. 'I see your medicine has worn off. Did you get any sleep?' she then asked. 'Almost a full 8 hours. I don't feel sick anymore. That medicine really lives up to its' name,' I responded. 'How did you sleep?' 'I was in a deep slumber until you woke me.' 'I did no such thing. I merely nudged you so you couldn't have been in a deep slumber.' 'Are you not at all tired?' she questioned, 'Nope,' I answered. 'What are you going to do now?' 'There's not much I can do. Although I am craving for something sugary.' 'Still?' 'What do you mean still? I never did have a chance to take care of it.' 'Have a cookie,' she suggested. 'Nah. I'm in the mood for a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting.' 'Tim Horton's is open 24 hours.' 'Don't you think they're affected by the black out too?' I questioned. 'Try calling them up and if they are open you can strap on a pair of skis,' she answered before falling back to sleep.

The power decided to make a comeback at 5am. We're not out of the clear. Another big storm is set to punch through this weekend with the added pleasure of ice pellets.

I'm all snugly on the couch with my feet up and the fireplace is crack-a-lacking. There is no satellite reception but I have a stack full of unwatched DVDs.

ONE DAY EARLIER

I had one very essential Christmas present to buy.

Since the last week of November I have been going to various holiday parties. I attended a dinner party thrown by a couple I am close friends with. They have a little daughter who I refer to as a little lamb.

I call her a little lamb because whenever they visit or if I visit them she follows me around like a lost little lamb and will do whatever I do. If I sit with my legs crossed, she will try to do the same but has trouble because her legs are plump and short. If I casually brush my hair away from my eyes or something she will too. It's cute. I questioned little lamb's mama what I should buy the little lamb for Christmas. I was told all she had been asking for was Little Tykes Giddy Up Horse and visited nearly every mall Santa asking for it.

Little did I know the degree of difficulty I would have finding this particular item.

I went to where else? Toys 'R' Us. They were sold out. I went to three others, sold out.

I wasn't panicking. There were plenty of other stores I had yet to visit so off to the mall I went.

The mall is anchored by 3 major department stores. I believed one of them would have it on their shelves. And did they? No of course not. Sold out. Sold out. Sold out. At each department store I approached the customer service counter and asked if it was possible for them to check their other locations in and around the city. Two of the three stores didn't have any left and the third, the customer service lady was on hold for so long that in the amount of time I waited I could have driven there to find the answer. While I was waiting 'A' called to see how the shopping was coming along. I filled her in on my pony dilemma. 'What am I going to do?' I said to her. 'I keep coming up empty handed. Am I going to have to go on the black market to find it?' 'Perhaps darling,' she replied. 'Why don't you make a little stop a U. Station. You're convinced human organs are being bought and sold so maybe cooler guy's best friend sells hot ticketed Christmas toys.' I put the phone away from my ear, took a deep breath and said, 'not funny. You're not helping.' 'I was only kidding. Look, don't worry. We'll figure something out and everything will be fine,' she assured me. Before I left the house I checked a couple of online shopping websites. The ones that were selling the pony weren't offering international shipping. Waiting at customer service someone ultimately took the call at the other end. Like everywhere else, GONE! It wasn't until little lamb's innocent face kept popping in my head I started to panic. Her mama informed me lamb chop had already picked out a name for the pony and even dictated a Thank You note for Santa to be left under the tree on Christmas Eve. I was convinced I was single handily going to be responsible for not only breaking a little girl's heart but ruining Christmas all together. There I was at the mall and for the first time not enjoying it. It was at that precise moment I fully began to understand why so many shoppers this time of year are so frustrated and cranky. I suppose I was to blame. Had I planned this better I would have realized what a popular item it was and bought it early. Leaving the mall feeling oh so yucky, on the corner beside the Hickory Farms stand a confectionery store opened up just for the holidays. I went in for two reasons.

Flake and Whacamacallit. They're two of my favorite chocolate bars that are next to impossible to find here until December rolls around.

On the way home I stopped in at the local drug store to pick some medicine for my cold. I walk towards the cold and flu aisle and there must have been some type of spill moments before I arrived because a worker was mopping up the mess. I was forced to go around the other way and when I did what did my eyes happen to see? Little Tykes Giddy Up Horse! It was on display right beside the enormous dancing Frosty The Snowman.

I don't believe in coincidence. I believe things always happen for a reason.

If it wasn't for my cold there would have been no reason for me to go inside the drug store.
If it wasn't for the spill on the floor I would have missed seeing the pony.

And to think all this time the very thing I've been looking for was right under my nose.

It's Friday! I'm off to take part in a couple more holiday festivities later on.

My loyal readers have a great weekend.

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

DEER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Before you enter my neighborhood there are deer crossing signs posted along the road. The area is surrounded by a forest so it isn't uncommon to see a deer where I live especially this time of year. Once every so often they'll come onto the road. Residents have learned not to honk their horns because it doesn't scare them off. Instead they just stand in the middle of the road blocking traffic and taking their time to move away. When I came out of the house on Wednesday one of my neighbors alerted me about them. 'They're out and about,' she said. When I went to look they were over a dozen of us. I was able to snap a shot. They were staring right in our direction. See all the snow?