From Ian re-doing his cadet uniform buttons, I have a small pile of black shiny buttons on my desk. I keep catching sight of them out of the corner of my eye, and thinking they're candy and I should eat them.

Lucky I learned the self-Heimlich maneuver at the first aid course I took recently. If I'm going to take up swallowing non-food objects I'll probably need it.

Guitar Hero came back from our vacation, with the kids. I didn't buy it when I was Christmas shopping because I failed to see the point. I still don't see the attraction - I could stand it if they were legitimately practicing a musical instrument - God knows I lived through the "Ode To Joy on a recorder" days and the "Theme from Star Wars on a clarinet" days, at least that seemed to be an accomplishment. But Guitar Hero? Songs I didn't even like from the 80's are being played to the accompaniment of tapping on a mock guitar. I need new knitting needles. Because in addition to my button-swallowing fetish, I have the urge to plunge needles into my ears.

It's been blizzarding the last few days, and everything is all drifted over again here. Will spring ever come? Where oh where is Delia's global warming? (Just kidding).

We drove out on snowmachines to West Arm on the weekend so the kids could jump off the snowcliffs. We were just ahead of the storm, and when Kirsten and I rode back it was behind us, blowing hard. Bit of a wild ride, but fun. Tonight it's calm and cloudy, but the storm is done. It will be back to business as usual tomorrow. Which is good because we're almost out of water. I don't know if I've mentioned here that water and sewage are trucked to our house - we have tanks in the furnace room like everyone in town - and if the trucks don't run we have to go into conservation mode. Hard with teenagers.

Ian and the Cadets were shooting in Yellowknife this weekend, they came first in the competition and get to go to the Nationals in Vancouver in May.