Agenda love

Yesterday I told you about my obsession with obtaining a 2010 day planner aka an agenda. Today, I stumbled across this beautiful creation on etsy! It's made in Canada, but it's nearly $50 US. I don't know if I am willing to splurge out on such a thing given that my beloved EcoLogix planner is under $15 CDN. Still, I'm tempted. It's quite nice, no?

Pictures are from the Veekee shop page on etsy. To see more Veekee things check out the web site here. In the meantime, I will ponder whether or not splurging on a one of a kind, limited edition agenda is a smart move. Or at least, a not completely silly but somewhat self-indulgent one.

I love good mail

I ordered a few bits and bobs from Night Owl Paper Goods. I read about them recently and was intrigued. I liked their eco-friendly approach and the adorable illustrations on their cards, calendars and tote bags. I'm always so pleased to receive a parcel of goods that has been creatively or thoughtfully wrapped. They have their own packing tape!

And my purchases came wrapped in a re-usable cloth sack complete with personalized thank-you tag.

And a discount code for future purchases within a limited time. That's a great idea if you want people to keep shopping---and I'm very tempted!

I can't show you everything that I bought because most of the things were gifts, but I will show you these adorable name/gift tags that I couldn't resist.

Yeah. I'm a sucker for owls. I'm also a sucker for stationary and paper products. But aren't they just the cutest!?!?

(Sorry the photos are a bit dark. I'm at work all day, so when I get home the natural light is gone and I do not like using my flash)

My favourite sea mammal is the perrrrpoise followed closely by the nerrrrrwhal

On Wednesday afternoon my sister and I had a date. We went to Bellingham! Cross border shopping was on our minds, but first a little trip to Fiamma Burger in downtown Bellingham.

While it was tempting to go to Frank's Place to pick up some used rifles, we stuck with amazing french fries and the fantastic beverage selection at Fiamma Burger. Lydia told me about this burger joint a while back and it's been on my to-eat-at list since then. I enjoy a good burger, but I especially enjoy some good fries. Right off the bat I loved the decor at Fiamma.

The wood panelling was very nice, as were the chrome details. I especially liked the bathroom door was basically camouflaged by way of the wood panelling (maybe would have appreciated this less if I *really* had to go). There's a large drink selection including a number of sodas made with cane sugar, as well as juices and beers. Another drink on the menu is something called "Orange Bang." When I told the counterperson that we were visiting from Canada she insisted that we try a sample of Orange Bang, as well as the chocolate and vanilla frozen custards. Deliciousness surrounded us.

I had a bacon cheeseburger and my sister had a chili-cheese dog, which she said was very "manly." She had garlic fries and I had sweet potato fries with ranch dip. Both were super tasty and did not disappoint.

Besides the food, my favourite part about Fiamma Burger was their focus on using local meat, vegetables, dairy and buns. I like knowing where my food is coming from and I found this interesting and comforting. Also, they're committed to lowering the amount of waste produced at their restaurant so basically everything can be composted or recycled. The take-out dishes are all biodegradable. Who doesn't love that? Only jerks.

After eating our late lunch we went to Bellis Fair for some shopping at Target and Old Navy. I don't know if you remember, but my sister broke her leg a few months ago. She's since done quite a lot of physio, but she needs a cane (called "Pinky") to walk. She was adament that we should walk from one side of the mall to the other. This turned out to be fairly exhausting for her, but it gave us a chance to take in the mall atmosphere and chat. As we walked through the mall, I said to my sister "I've always thought of Hollister and Abercrombie as the "date-rape" stores: the overpowering smell of bad cologne, the dimmed lights and disorienting music and overwhelming feeling that you just gotta get outta there." She agreed and said "Now that's something you should write about on your blog!" There you go, sis, That was for you.

We both picked up some sweet deals at Old Navy. And then we sat on a bench and looked longingly at the Fiestaware display in Macy's At Home. Sigh. I fell in love with a green pitcher, but resisted it even though it was beautiful. While she was resting I ran into Kohl's to check it out. Major FAIL. It was like Winner's, but more disorganized and, given the selection and quality, over-priced. Oh well.

At Target I found some sunglasses as well as some Orla Kiely dishes that I plan on using at my birthday party this weekend. I resisted buying a bowl and did not see the apron pictured in that link, but if I had I probably would have fallen for its charms. I also bought some other party supplies and two boxes of Kashi Autumn Harvet Biscuits, which are ridiculously cheap in America (not so up here).

After Target we made our way over to Trader Joe's, the shop that prompted our cross-border sister date in the first place. I could easily spend hundreds of dollars on bits and bobs from Trader Joe's, but I have forced myself to show some restraint. My go-to purchase is always the frozen tamales and the dried cherries because there isn't much in the way of frozen Mexican food up here in Vancouver and dried cherries are inexplicably pricey. I also bought five different types of cheese, some fancy crackers and a stick of pinot grigio salami to serve at my birthday party. Again, I have to thank Lydia for pointing out to me that frozen treats can be kept frozen using the Trader Joe's insulated bag and this time I loaded up: strawberry mochi ice-cream, green tea mochi ice-cream and mango floes (essentially everything you want in a frozen juice bar, holy crap so good). Other things I bought included organic peppermints, olive oil popcorn, almond butter, instant Indian meal for two and a bunch of snacks for the party. Upon returning to Canada I was envious of my sister's bag of Iraeli couscous, quinoa and other grains. I think my mind was too focussed on snacks. Next time I'm loading up on exotic grains!

PS The title of this post is inspired by the time I made my sister laugh so hard she cried while we were waiting at the border crossing.

Holy guacamole!

Today I hit the jackpot. Well, I guess it started last night when Sean's friend arrived from London bearing the gifts that I begged him to bring to me: Mini Eggs, Creme Eggs and Picnic bars. All Cadbury's. Yum. His girlfriend did the shopping and this is my haul, pretty awesome:

So far I've only eaten a small handful of Mini Eggs. The are larger than the ones that you can get in Canada and they come in more natural egg-like colours. As for flavour there didn't seem to be a perceptible difference from our Mini Eggs, but I think that a side-by-side taste-test comparison will have to be done.

I haven't eaten a Creme Egg yet, but I can't wait. I have no doubt it will be delicious. And I have a dozen of them to eat! If you're lucky maybe I will share.

I love Cadbury's and I especially love the Cadbury's range of Easter chocolates. I am a very lucky girl to have friends who will fly with their luggage bogged down by my silly requests. Thank-you!

The treats that arrived today came in two parcels. One of them, from Handle & Spout, contained the flower hairpins I ordered for my Maid of Honour outfit for my sister's upcoming wedding.

I couldn't be happier! I love them and I can't wait 'til the wedding so I can wear them. In fact, it's hard not to just pop them in my hair immediately.

But I won't. I'm going to save them, so that it will seem more special when I do actually where them out of the house. Also, I will actually do my hair nicely instead of quickly tying it up and shoving them in.

The second parcel came from Amazon, lovely Amazon. I ordered the new book by Heather B. Armstrong (I think most of you know who she is), a posthumously released compilation of Kurt Vonnegut's essays and short stories and a new copy of "Southpaw Grammar" by Morrissey, a CD that I inexplicably lost at some point during my undergrad. I still have the case and it makes me so sad that it's empty. Now I'm happy 'cos I can listen to it anytime. It's one of my favourite Morrissey albums, so it was about time that I replaced it. It has one of my favourite Moz songs, "Southpaw," on it. I've read the Vonnegut book, but I loved it so much that I bought it. And Heather's book, well, she's like the queen of blogging and how could I not support her!

Finally, I was out on a walk picking up some crafting supplies (I am not super crafty, but this project will be fairly straight-forward) and I happened across these lovely rolls of tissue paper at Urban Source for $2 each. I snapped up my favourite colours and patterns.

Let's be honest, I'm a sucker for pretty much anything that is leopard print. And that, friends, is the story of my hitting the jackpot.

Open your heart

Soon I will write an actual post. Composed of more than a couple of sentences. Until then, know this: I bought three Madonna 12" singles within four days. Her first single, a mid-career single and the latest single. I dunno, it seemed a little weird to go on a mini-Madonna shopping spree. Oh well, I also found a copy of a Malvina Reynolds record in pristine condition. It was a record filled few days for me.

Feathers in her hair

There seems to be a running feather/hair theme in my life right now. My cousin had a feather tied into her hair and I teased her about it because I am old, bitter and insecure about my fading youth. Also, because it reeked of hippie and I am no fan of hippies. Fortunately, I love her so much that I can move past the feathers. Also, to completely write-off those with feathers in one's hair would be hypocritical because I just bought myself this:

I first saw these at a stall at the Portobello West Market in the summer. I should have bought one then, but didn't because I was attempting to be frugal. Well, no more! The woman that makes them is a local designer, A Farmer's Daughter, and I found out about a craft fair two blocks from my house that she was selling at. So, I put my boots on and marched right up there and fell in love with the above fancy hairband.

I don't deserve nice things!

When I was in San Francisco I nearly spent $25 on a stapler. I know that's a lot for a stapler, but it was a wooden stapler and it was beautiful.

I saw it at The Curiosity Shoppe, a must-visit shop if you're ever in San Francisco. I bought a couple of pencils, but not the stapler.

The primary reason for not buying this stapler is that for a large chunk of the year this is how my desk looks:

It's a disaster. Each semester my desk starts out looking quite nice and organized. However, as the weeks pass and the assignments become more intense the piles start. If you go to my Flickr page you can see all of the notes that I have attached to the above photo. I feel that until I can maintain a relatively tidy desk I do not deserve this beautiful specimen of stapler because it is too nice to end up buried under articles about ILS and old receipts.

The grand dame of comedy

Yesterday I spent some time with my grandmother, or "Nanny" as I call her. My grandfather is not doing so well, hence my zombie-like state of late. My Dad is over from the island to help them out and I, ever-faithful and ever-helpful granddaughter and daughter, went out to the 'burbs to help them all out.

I love my Nanny, but truth be told I don't think I've ever spent a moment of silence with her. As long as there is air to breath there will be words coming out of her mouth. So, in an effort to both spend quality time with her and give my Dad and Grandpa a break, I took her...bra shopping.

First things first, getting into the car. We took the Honda CRV because it's easier to get in and out of than my little, old Civic. Upon hoisting herself onto the seat she let out a little gasp and said "Whoops, got myself right in the crotch. Oh well, cheap thrills---you gotta get 'em where you can." She was having a lot of trouble with the seatbelt and it kept slipping out of her hands and sliding back into the wall of the car. I told her, as I grabbed the buckle, "I'll hold onto it and you can push it in." She reached over with the strap and said "Haven't heard that for a while." And, like any great comedienne, paused for my reaction which was silence and horror, before saying "Oh, I'm a horrible old woman! Bah-ha-ha-ha!"

We went to the HUGE new Walmart down the road from her house. I've only ever been in Walmart once and it was nearly ten years ago and not a sprawling shopping village. Those who know me won't be surprised to hear that I am not pro-Walmart; however, when you're shopping with your 85 year old grandmother you go where she wants to and arguing about globalization and rampant consumerism is not really an option.

There is a grocery store in the Walmart. An entire grocery store. We only made it about 1/4 of the way through the store, which was fine with me but had we wanted to we could have made a day of it, it was that big. After picking up some bits and bobs from the grocery section we found the bras. She hasn't been wearing one due to some back pain and trouble doing her bra up at the back. We were looking for a bra with a front-clasp. I found one and she started to try it on over her clothes. I honestly didn't mind because getting dressed and undressed is probably a pain in the ass when you're old and your back is sore. First she tried it on to see how it fit around. Then she said "Well, I had better see if I can sling by boobs into this thing." That's when I said "Let's find more and go to the dressing room!" It's not like she was going to bare all to the shoppers of Walmart, she's still pretty sharp and dignified, but I just thought that it would be more efficient to go to a changing room. Alas, none of the bras fit properly. However, I must thank her for providing me with great blog fodder.

After the bras we found the cat food and Robaxacet then made our way to the checkouts. I left her to sit on a bench while I brought the car around so she wouldn't have to walk to far. As I walked away from the bench I heard her immediately strike up conversation with the young, yellow-shirted security guard sitting next to her. That's my Nanny.

God Save The King

Saturday morning. I can honestly say that choosing to stick earplugs in my ears on Friday night was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life. I'm pretty sure I slept right through the night. I even slept in a little. After shimmying down the ladder from the top bunk (and by "shimmying" I mean practically falling to my death) I went to the bathroom to have, for the last time, not quite the worst shower I have ever had (thanks, but no thanks, hostel!). Huzzah! I was so glad to see the back of it.

I texted Erin, "running late, see you at table." And she texted back "Nine." Erin is new to text messaging.

After pulling on my leggings (forgive me Tim Gunn) and a long t-shirt I headed back to the conference hotel to load up on pastries and fruit salad. Saturday morning started off with a keynote delivered by three women: Stacy Morrison (Essence), Lesley Pinckney (Red Book) and Lisa Hsia (Bravo). It was interesting, but also sort of disheartening. These women were all clearly go-getters and forward thinking in terms of integrating blogs into their workplaces; however, and I credit Erin with this, they kind of seemed miserable or unfulfilled with their jobs. So, despite all their hardwork they were still hitting a big, fat, beaureaucratic wall.

Next up, a session I had been really looking forward to: Pursuing Your Passion Never Gets Old. I kept double checking my schedule because the name of the panel suggested to me that there might be old-timey talk about macrame and wooden spoons, but it was not. It was lively. It was hilarious. It was inspiring. It was THE BEST. Moderated by Maggie Mason, the panel consisted of Sarah Brown, Evany Thomas and Melissa Summers. I already regularly read Maggie and Sarah's blogs, and I've now added Evany and Melissa to my roster of regulars. Coincidentally, I was reading Evany's blog the week previous and marveling at her suggestion to conceal bra straps with ribbon---unaware that I would later be giggling away during this talk. There was a surprise appearance by Heather "Dooce" Armstrong, who I spied as I snuck out for a pee break. On the way back I noticed Jon Armstrong was wearing his clogs (I'm pro-clog). Anyhow, it was a great session. I asked a question about reconciling your blog-life with your real-life and how to deal with friends who just read your blog instead of calling or whatever (it happens...I even do it sometimes). Definitely my favourite session of the weekend. Following the panel I finally met another librarian/blogger who had been sitting in front of me, and whose dress I had been admiring periodically throughout the talk. And another blogger from Vancouver. Hello Miss Grace! Hello Dr. Beth!

Before heading down to the Grand Ballroom for lunch, Erin, Zoe and I popped into the Blogher swap meet to check out some crafts. We hit the jackpot at the Wexford Girl table where we each bought the same print. I love my prints and can't wait to frame them!


Lunch was good. We chatted with the women at our table, which was really nice. On the other hand, my conversational skills were at a standstill due in part to overstimulation on the first day of the conference in combination with rich and sugary foods.

I made it back in time to attend the photography session led by Me Ra Koh. This session was without a doubt the most informative session at the conference; however, it was very SLR-focussed. Being me, and being the owner of a good point-and-shoot with manual settings, I asked a question on behalf of my fellow non-SLR users. I have a SLR camera, but not a digital one and I have a feeling that a number of bloggers can't afford or just don't have a SLR---and I wanted to know how to take decent photos with point-and-shoot using the flash. The answer: "Get a digital SLR." Oooookay. I tried! Still, I did gather quite a number of useful tips and I think my photos have improved since I've started to pay more attention to my aperture and shutter speed settings. Also, Me Ra was an excellent presenter. It was very clear and the presentation was informative without going over the top of my head. My only complaint was that it didn't address us non-SLR users. If you're interested, check out the online version here.

Rather than go to any of the rest of the sessions in the afternoon (nothing really stood out to me) I used my spare hour and a bit to go to Nordstrom's lingerie department and stock up on bras. For the first time in forever I found more than one bra that fit me well and looked cute. I bought three plus three pairs of underwear. America I love the fact you have cute big-boob bras!

After my whirlwind tour of the Nordstrom undie department I met with Erin at the Blogher spa. I had been looking forward to my complimentary 10-minute massage since I first clapped eyes on the conference brochure. Erin had a seated massage and I had a table massage---except that I was lying on my back and the massage therapist was massaging my face. Boy, did it feel nice! 10-minutes is not long enough, but I take what I can get when it comes to free rubs. That sounds gross. I don't take free rubs off just anyone. Okay...now that that's cleared up...

Second Dooce spotting of the day. Erin and I were just leaving the registration desk after enquiring if we could somehow get Sarah and Lydia into the final keynote to hear Dooce when I heard a man's voice ask "Where's the Grand Ballroom?" Being that there were very few men at the conference I turned around to look at the source of the masculine voice and there were Jon and Heather. I elbowed Erin and she was all "Whaaaa?" and then she saw them. I gotta say, everytime I see those two in real life I'm taken aback by how tall they are. Also, if I were a less shy and more outgoing person I would have said "We're on our way there, why don't you come with us." But instead I just elbowed Erin and made a "huh-huh-huh" sort of noise.

The hotly anticipated closing keynote with Heather Armstrong and Stephanie Klein closed out the conference programming. As you are likely aware, I am a huge fan of Dooce. I've never read Stephanie's blog, but it's on my list of things to read. The moderated conversation with the two women was quite interesting and covered mainly how to deal with a growing web presence and the scrutiny we all face when we choose to divulge details of our lives on-line. When the moderator asked the audience for questions everyone sort of hushed up. That is when I shot my hand up into the air and a microphone was handed to me and I began, "This question is directed mainly to Heather..." I can't remember exactly what I asked, but it had something to do with her recent posts about the Quantum Wellness cleanse/diet and how she and Stephanie dealt with being put into positions of authority by their readers. I felt pretty good about my question and my lack of stuttering, but still got the shakes when I sat back down.

The big "controversy," of course, was Heather's mention of a certain blog post referring to her as being a mythical hobbit. The post is from The Bloggess (which I mistakenly heard as "Blog Ass," like "bad ass"). So, basically Heather said that she thought this was weird and that it was odd to read things like this because she's a real person. She also said she'd regret bringing it up because the woman who wrote it was likely in the audience. And she was. And she addressed Dooce and attempted to explain why she wrote the hobbit thing, but it all ended up a little overemotional and the moderator just sort of moved on. However, towards the end of the keynote another woman stood up and basically demanded that Heather address what happened with The Bloggess, who was no longer in the room. Heather refused saying something to the effect that it was a conversation she should be having with The Bloggess and not something she wanted to talk about when she wasn't even in the room. Some women started to heckle and some started to clap. There were a couple more questions and then the keynote pretty much ended. It was dramatic and it was uncomfortable.

I told Erin "I have to talk to Heather Armstrong!" So we waited. We also waited because there were hundreds of women leaving the ballroom very quickly in order to make it to the final cocktail party at Macy's and we had a baby and a stroller with us. I spied La Dooce leaving the backstage area and entering the ballroom and I made my move. And this is when I believe I shared a moment with Dooce (this is from memory, but I think it's fairly accurate):

Brie: Hi

Heather: Hi

[shaking of hands]

Brie: I just wanted to say that I thought you handled that really well, really admirably. I wouldn't have been able to deal with being put on the spot like that.

Heather: Really? Thank you so much! I had no idea what to do. Thank-you.

Brie: Seriously. I would have cried. No one likes to read about themselves being a hobbit or whatever. But it's an entirely different thing to have to discuss it in a room full of hundreds of people.

Heather: I know, right?! Thanks.

And then I mentioned that I had met her in Vancouver a little while back and we discussed the book that I gave to her for Leta. I wish I had said "I love your purple tights!" but then that might have been going over board. Gleefully I ran back to Erin and Zoe to tell them about what happened.

It's funny, 'cos to me Heather Armstrong is sort of rock star in terms of blogging. One of the things that I like about her is that she is pretty damn sincere for someone who is increasingly scrutinized as her success as a blogger grows. I think it's interesting how in some circles she's treated as practically mythical and, for all intents as purposes, as a celebrity. And in many respects she is. However, unlike most celebrities, she comes across (at least in my two brief meetings with her) as a fairly humble and approachable person. Once you get past that "ohmygoditsdooceomgiloveherblog" rush and talk to her, she's great---even greater than her blog. And this is from someone that's really only had two super geeky, fan-girl conversations with her. I can only imagine that a proper sit-down chat with her would be interesting and funny in the way a good conversation should be.

To round off this round post, I should mention that the final cocktail party was a Macy's. There were miniature 7-layer dips in the shoe department. It was sort of like heaven! It was weird because I had assumed the store would be closed, but it wasn't. So part of the fun was watching as baffled shoppers gawped at hundreds of women drinking champagne and drooling over handbags. I bought a bra while slightly drunk. My mistake was telling the sales clerk that I was tipsy. All of a sudden I was bombarded with bras. I ended up ducking out of the changeroom when she wasn't looking. I don't know if she would have let me go. She was really pushing the 3-for-2 sale. I just wanted 1-for-1.

The night ended with us going NOT to the hostel, but to our luxurious and comfortable hotel with yellow walls and a TV. Sigh! Busy, enlightening and bra-filled day.

Stay tuned for links to photos...And thank-you for making it all the way to the end of this post. You made it, right? No need to send out a search party, yeah?

Fake Ray Bans

For the last couple of months I have been coveting the Ray Bans seen on Hollywood starlets. They're called the "Wayfarer" and they're pretty much one of the most iconic styles of sunglasses...EVER! I think what clenched it was seeing Drew Barrymore in a pair of white ones, it really put me over the edge.

I have always loved sunglasses. The bigger the better. I've always bought cheap ones though because they tend to break (okay, I tend to break them). Plus, I like owning lots, so cheap usually means three pairs compared to one really good pair. So, I started investigating Wayfarers. My investigation led me to one conclusion: right now, I cannot afford to buy myself a pair. I looked on eBay and was tempted, but had resolved a while ago not to use my credit card for anything except neccessities and emergencies. Ray Bans, though I covet you, you do not qualify.

Today I was at The Bay. I happened to notice they had them! Only in black. I pressed my hand to the front of the display case and sighed at the $200 price tag. I turned and walked away...right into a stand full of Roots glasses. That is where I saw them...the fake Ray Bans. Ray Bans-lite. 30% off. So, I spent $20 that I probably should have saved for, I don't know, toilet paper. Here I am in my new fake Ray Bans:

Next up, a pair of tighty whities and Bob Seger's greatest hits. I'll be in business, risky business that is!

"A shirt you've only seen in pictures of a city that you've only seen in pictures"

Voltage on Main Street had a sale over the weekend. They carry some of the best t-shirts, including a whole whack of Threadless shirts. Anyhow, I have been coveting one particular shirt for quite a while now...and now I have it! Woo hoo!

$4.99

I think I must have a weird shaped head. At least, I think I must have a weird shaped head when it comes to wearing stretchy head bands---the kind that are a piece of stretchy fabric sewn together in a big circle. They tend to migrate towards the back of my head to the point where the head back resembles more of a crown than an actual head band. What gives?

I bought some slippers from London Drugs today for $4.99. They are little ballet-style slip-on's in bright pink. I don't know, I just felt compelled to buy them. I usually need something warm to put on my feet when I'm tutoring because her house is cold. So, now I guess I have something.

I also went to American Apparel. What a trying experience! I'm attempting to be more responsible with my money by curbing my shopping. Alas, today the desire for a grey hoodie won out over financial sensibility. I also picked up two longish tank tops. I think I'm ready for the spring-summer switchover! I've already had a sunburn and it's only May 19th! Ugh.

Last night, the softball team that I'm on divided into two teams and played each other. I'm happy to say that I scored the first run for our team. While we lost the game I still felt pretty good about making it to homeplate.

What a rambler...I'm completely distracted. I have been trying really hard to focus on the counting that I have to do for some stats at work, but I keep thinking of things that are far more interesting and doing those instead. It's one of those days...

Long live weird things...

I went shopping today and bought some stuff...Two things stick out though:

My Arnott's Iced Vovo biscuits at which my sister proclaimed "Vovo sounds like Vulva!". Little did we know that Vovos actually really look like vulvas too. Imagine a pink coconut enscrusted vagina stuck on a tea biscuit---that's a Vovo! I'm actually disappointed in these cookies. I bought them because I'm such a huge fan of Arnott's Tim Tams. Compared to Tim Tims, Vovos are a let down. I declare here and now that the most redeeming factor of Arnott's biscuits are that they have provided me with two new pet names for my lady business and my male friends' wangs.

The other thing that I bought was a "Expansion Rotary Anti-Spattering Machine" aka "Grande Risparmio di Acqua" made by the Professional Cantini company. It's one of those thingees that you put on your kitchen sink that if you pull it you get sprinkle water and if you push it up you get a regular stream. Anyhow, for $1.69 I knew I was taking a chance. Still, I figured maybe it would be one of those things that you get in a dollar store that actually turns out to be reliably amazing. This thing was not reliable or amazing. However, the instructions on the back of the package were great...Bear with me:

"Direction for use: Lan Yu multifunction straineris one latest of moden family. Column water will spout if you move silver cock up down and become sprinkler.If can turn around and transfer direction freely as your requests as it is made according to the carden theory design. so the functionof r-education water pressure can water from splashing Magnetized water has the effect tomake you healther. you can take out stainless steel strainer for cleaning after unscrewingthe middle of cock so it can not only safve water buy aslo use reliably and freely."

I wish that poorly translated English didn't make me so happy...but it does.