Glad I dodged THAT bullet!

Conditions at 6:00 am - overcast and16*
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and 23*

Once again yesterday it was a beautiful afternoon. It's hard to believe all this unseasonably warm weather but we'll take all that Mother Nature wants to give us. 
On Tuesday morning I was driving to work and thinking about the upcoming cooking class, and had the radio on to Magic 93.1, a local radio station here on the island.  I wasn't paying much attention until I heard them say something about "Abbey from Capital Honda".  That caught my attention.
They have this thing going on right now called "The Funny Phone" when they call a local business with a crank call, to see how the person on the other end reacts.  As I listen every morning, I think to myself, what if they called me?  My job when I'm in the office is to answer the phone, but Abbey or Craig, or whoever gets to it first, answers it when I'm not there.
Sure enough, Monday they called and I was out, so Abbey answered. The announcer disguised his voice to that of an old guy and he wanted to know who the owner was. Then he wanted to know how old she was and if she remembered what used to be in that location. Turns out it used to be a roller rink. This guy was telling Abbey that there was a time capsule buried under what is now the service bay. He was wanting to know who he should speak to about coming in and digging up the time capsule. 
As I heard Abbey talking to this guy I thought, oh my gosh, that should have been me and I'm so glad it wasn't. I was on my way to the store to look for basil, so while I was there I went to the bakery and picked up an eclair for her. When I got to work she was already there, so I told her I bought her a little treat for fielding that call, that should have been mine.

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I have to say I'm really enjoying my new job.  I'm really liking chatting with people. Most are quite willing to chat but once in a while you get one who just doesn't seem to want to talk, and that's okay too.  But most are quite friendly and I love hearing everyone's stories. Some stories are are not so happy and it makes you realize how lucky you are to have the life you have. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

I've gotten some positive feedback from a couple of places. One day a lady met the bosses wife at the gym and gave her some nice compliments on the new shuttle driver. Then earlier this week I had a lady compliment be on my efficiency and then yesterday one of the service guys told me he'd had a lady comment that the new reception person was much nicer than the last one. So I think I'm doing an okay job. I really think it's my dollar store clip board.  The second day I was there I got a call from a man stating "Hi, it's John. You dropped me off at work this morning and now I need a ride back"  Now in the first two weeks, it was very, very busy and I dropped off six to eight people each morning. I had no idea which one was John or where I dropped him off. So I decided I needed to get more organized. So I picked up a clipboard at the dollar store and printed off a form I'd made just to record the persons name, the address where I was dropping them, a contact phone number and whether or not they needed to be picked up. Now when John or Mary call, I know exactly who they are and where they were.  It's just my feeble attempt to stay organized and it's making me look good. I usually call the person ahead of time if we had set a particular time just to confirm I'm on the way. I don't think it's a big deal, but people seem to really appreciate it. It's just the kind of service I'd like to get as a customer. 

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Last night was the wine and cheese party. The turn out was not great, but those who were there enjoyed themselves. Brenda got there for a little bit at the end. Dave and Fay and Susan where there and I sat with them.  Margie was there singing and we chatted about guitar lessons. We're going to put it off until November so I think I will work on learning some basic chords and try to toughen up my fingers so I can start learning new stuff right away. I have the basic instruction book that Lloyd was using. Now I just have to set aside some time everyday to do that . It works best if I set aside the same time each day to do some practice. I took lessons many, many years ago (Patti was 2) and I used to practice after my husband left for work in the morning and before the kids I was babysitting everyday arrived. That was my practice window.  Now I just need to find one of those windows of time again.  I guess I could do it in the morning but I'd have to start getting up at 4:30 - not!

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Well, it's official. Our chapter of  IAAP is officially disbanding. It's too bad but it's hard for the same 6 people to keep it going. We can still belong to the association as members at large if we choose to.  Next year the National conference is in Moncton and I know the Cambridge girls are looking forward to coming over to the island.  I plan to have some sort of BBQ or maybe a lobster boil or something and last night I was thinking about it and I'd love to have sort of a kitchen party and I'd really like it if Margie could come over and sing for us. Maybe I could even convince Karl from the University to come out and play his fiddle. If we're not careful this could turn into a party! Fortunately I've thought of it early enough to plan something. Usually I come up with these great ideas after the fact.

Class #2 another success

 Conditions at 6:30 - 20* and clear skies
Expected later - 23* and a chance of showers



Last nights class was another hit.  We had lots to cover and I was a little afraid we might not get done in time but we did. Everyone worked really hard at the end to get the cleaning done and we finished with 5 minutes to spare.
Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera so I don't have any photos.
We started the class out by making pasta dough. We brought enough ingredients for everyone to make their own dough that they could take home with them. While we cut the noodles, we made the tomato sauce, and the pesto.  We cooked some pasta out of a box while we cooked the spaghetti that we made, then we sampled it with the tomato sauce  Then we cooked the noodles and mixed those with the pesto. Michaela, one of our students, didn't want to try the noodles with pesto but once she did try it, she ended up taking some home.  Every one really liked the tomato sauce and the lobster raviolli was a hit.

One of the girls brought in a manual pasta maker and now she knows how to use it. I'm hopeful that she will try it again. The recipes we made are as follows:

Pasta dough
4 cups flour
6 eggs
splash of olive oil

Put the flour on the counter and make a well in the centre. Put the eggs and the oil in the centre and slowly stir the eggs and oil and gradually incorporate the flour into the dough. This is the traditional way of doing it but you might find it easier to mix in a bowl, just use a little less flour and add more as needed.  The trick is to get it all mixed in before the eggs break through the flour wall. For those who might be visiting at Christmas, we can do this together one day.  It would be great fun. If you don't have a pasta roller, you can roll it out with a rolling pin, a small piece at a time until it's quite thin, then cut it with a knife. Most Italian grocery stores have manual machines for around $20 to $30 or you can get an attachment for the kitchen aid mixers that works quite well.

Simple Tomato Sauce

a splash of olive oil
1 large onion minced
several cloves of garlic (use a whole head if you like garlic)
one 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Splash some olive oil into a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until they just begin to turn a golden brown, around 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, and salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for around 15 minutes or so. At this point you can break up the tomatoes with a spoon for a rustic style of sauce or you can puree the sauce with an immersion blender.
(courtesy of Chef Michael Smith's " The Best of Chef at Home")

Pesto Sauce
a large bunch of basil
a couple of cloves of garlic
a couple of tbsp of pine nuts
olive oil

Put the first three ingredients into a blender with about 1/2 cup olive oil. Pulse a few times and if needed, add more olive oil until it becomes a medium thick sauce. The basil will all be chopped in tiny pieces. If you don't have enough olive oil, it won't break up so just add oil till it's the consistency you like. Add to cooked and drained pasta and stir well. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

What strange weather we're having. Yesterday afternoon it was 24* and this morning as I was taking out the garbage at 5:30, it's 20. It's like a warm spring morning. And last night was the same. There was a breeze blowing when I got home at 9:15 but it was a warm breeze.  Hard to believe 48 hours ago we had frost and 1* temperatures.

Exciting news - this afternoon the propane people are coming in to hook up my new stove. I had told them there was no rush when I called, as they were very busy so it's taken a while but today is the day.
Tonight I'm helping out at the Rec Centre. There's a wine and cheese party planned from 7:00 till 9:00 to raise funds for the playground.  Margie down the road, is going to be singing so I'm looking forward to it.
It's going to be another busy day - fly home, change and leave again. Nothing like the relaxed pace of life out here in the Maritimes!

We're ready for class # 2

 Conditions at 6:00 - rain and 13*
Expected later -22* and more rain

We're having such strange weather. This time yesterday morning it was 1* and then it got up to 16 and sunny in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day. They then predicted that we were to cool off overnight again but be up to 17* by morning. It hasn't quite made it that far but 13 is a far cry from 1. 

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Last night was spent getting ready for tonight's class (well, except for the time spent chatting with Lloyd on the phone and watching House).
I made a half recipe (the same amount I worked with on the weekend) and let it sit for half an hour but it wasn't ready to roll out. So I made another half recipe and decided that everyone is going to make their own half batch of dough and they can take it home with them to play with. Even if you don't have a pasta roller, it can be rolled out with a rolling pin and cut with a knife. It should be a fun, messy experience!
I looked for nice basil yesterday after work but couldn't find any, so instead I purchased a jar of ready made pesto. At least everyone can see what the texture is supposed to be like. I'll have another look this morning and see if I can find any but if not, I have the jar as a backup.
We're making a simple tomato sauce as well, and all recipes will be posted here tomorrow morning.

I think next week we'll do our beer can chicken and the crock pot stuffing so everyone has the recipe before Thanksgiving, in case they want to give it a try with turkey.

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This Wednesday there's a wine and cheese fund raiser at the Rec Centre for the playground equipment, so I called Agnes yesterday to see if they needed any help. I was going to go as a customer but that wouldn't be that much fun by myself but helping would be fine. So she called me back last night and said "I'll be honest with you, I never turn down help".  They have no idea how many to expect and I won't get there till at least 6:30 and it starts at 7:00 but at least I can help clean up after. She did mention that she was hoping that I can help on Saturday at the wedding and I assured her that I would be there.  I think Brenda said there's a wedding every Saturday in October.  It's going to be a busy month.  Of course I'll miss the long weekend as I'll be in Guelph.  Lloyd and I are going to have to think of something to do with the kids. I guess it will depend on the weather and everyone's schedules.

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I finally got my shirts from the cleaning company that supplies the guys at work. So now I have a "uniform" - gray shirt and black pants.  It's wonderful, I get up in the morning and never have to give a seconds thought to what to wear to work. Now I always look neat and tidy and very professional and the best part is I don't need pantyhose! 


Well, I'd better go and load the car, get my lunch made and dry my hair and get off to work. Tuesdays are busy days indeed.

Prepping for class

Conditions at 6:30 - clear and 1* (they had predicted a low of 6* and 3* in low lying areas)

Expected later - sunny and 16*

It was a quiet relaxing weekend. I worked on Saturday and when I got home it was very cold and damp both inside and out. So I lit a fire and within a very short time my kitchen was toasty warm. I love those first few fires of the year - they are so comforting.  I just puttered around and did some odd jobs around the house while I waited for a ham to cook. While it simmered, I sorted through some papers, filed some bills, etc. Then I made some squares to take in my lunches and while the chocolate set, I ate supper. I had cooked cabbage and ham.  Then while I was cleaning up I thought I should use the juice from cooking the ham. So I found some yellow split peas in my cupboard, and soaked them overnight. When I got up in the morning I followed the recipe in the Joy of Cooking cookbook and simmered the peas in the broth with the left over ham bone.

I've never made pea soup before so it was a bit of an experiment. I thought it tasted good but I'm not a big fan of pea soup, so I'm not sure what constitutes a great one.

Sunday morning turned out to be a pretty decent day. The sun was shining, although it was a bit chilly.  I baked some muffins and cookies to put in the freezer for my lunches.  Then I made a batch of pasta dough to try out a new recipe. But it's pretty simple - just flour, eggs and a bit of olive oil.  So after it rested, I called Brenda to see if she wanted to come over and give rolling out dough a try. She was busy doing bookwork but was ready to take  break. She arrived a little while later, just in time to help me put the tarp over the wood pile. I had earlier sewn two tarps together but last weekend I picked up a third one and yesterday I sewed the third one on as well, so now it's wide enough to cover the top and both sides. My goal is to keep the snow from blowing into the spaces between the piles and between the logs. Hopefully it will work.

Rolling the dough

Cutting the spaghetti

We set up the pasta roller on my mixer and after one brief demonstration, she was away. She was rolling like a pro, cutting out noodles, and spaghetti. We draped the noodles onto the noodle dryer (they don't call me the gadget queen for NOTHING!) and when we were done we cooked some to sample.  I prefer my pasta simply coated in olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese and a bit of garlic.  Brenda liked it as well but she prefers her pasta cooked a little longer.  It was a little too al dente for her but we determined that there's not a huge difference in taste from dried pasta, but there's something very comforting in making it yourself (or maybe that's just me!). We'll see how the class does with it on Tuesday.  We're going to make a simple tomato sauce and a pesto as well.

Sunday night we went to see Hairspray with Brenda's cousin Maureen and her husband George. There was a two for one ticket sale that George took advantage of. The show was really great. I had heard an interview on the radio and the fellow was saying that this is the most ambitious production the confed centre has ever put on. They did a brilliant job. The sets, the costumes, and most of all, the voices, where fabulous.  I was reading the program bio's and I was surprised to see how many of the performers were graduates from Sheridan College's  Theatre program.  Many had also performed in earlier shows at Stage West. Once again, it seems like my past is coming to life again. I graduated from Sheridan in 1972 and Patti worked at Stage West many years ago.  It all seems so long ago, for both of us, I"m sure.

What a great surprise from the Birthday boy!

Conditions at 6:00 - Bright full moon in a clear sky and 9*

Expected later -14* with a mix of sun and cloud turning to rain in the evening

Yesterday I was a bit late getting home and you can't begin to imagine my surprise and joy at seeing a new driveway. It is truly a thing of beauty.  I don't know if there is more work to be done as there is a large piece of yellow equipment parked in the driveway, but it is amazing. I have no idea what's been done but it looks great. It will be a huge improvement in the winter.  I called Brenda to see if she knew anything about it and she said she didn't, but Bernie probably did.

Speaking of Bernie, a huge Happy Birthday to you today.  It seems like I'm the one who got the surprise, not the birthday boy.  I don't know what they have planned for the weekend but hopefully something special, that they can celebrate both their birthdays together.



When I got home, I called Brenda but didn't get an answer. A few minutes later she called me, as she was on her way over here. It seems that Vanco Farms, who grow tulips out by the Trans Canada Highway, are planting acres of tulips just down the road. I didn't get out there last year but I did see photos, and the sight of all those lovely blooms is spectacular. First we had the Spirit Spring and now tulips. We could become a vacation destination here in our little corner of the island but we're not going to tell TOO many people.

Last night I booked my flight to Toronto on Thanksgiving weekend. I'll leave here at 6:20 and arrive in Toronto around 9:15. That should give Lloyd a chance to go home and have a nap and come back and pick me up later.  I fly back on Monday around 11:00 so I'll get home at a decent time and Lloyd will have half the day to do airport stuff.

I know the calendar tells me that fall is officially here, but I don't need it to tell me that. Last night was the first episode of the new season of Gray's Anatomy and Private Practice, so fall is really here. But Private Practice doesn't come on till 11:00 and that's way too late for me to stay up. I barely made it to the end of Gray's. I'll be really happy once my PVR is installed and I can watch those shows on the weekend. 

My secret is out!

Conditions at 6:00 - a very bright full moon shining and 13*
Expected later - Mix of sun and cloud and 15*

Thanks to an anonymous comment yesterday (but we all know who it came from) my secret is out. I have zero math skills. Scary to think that I used to reconcile the books for Lloyd's business.  Math was never my strong point, in fact it was a sore spot all through high school.
When I was near the end of grade 12, my math teacher called me in for a meeting. He pointed out that my final math mark was 29%. Quite frankly, I think we were both a little surprised it was THAT high.
So he sat me down and asked me what my plans were for the coming year. I told him I had already been accepted at Sheridan College to study Early Childhood Education. He suggested that I might not need a lot of math skills for that career and my response was "Gosh, I sure hope not". So in light of the fact that keeping me back another year because I failed math didn't seem like an option, he gave me a passing grade on my final. I will always be grateful to that teacher who recognized that not everyone is good at some things and they can still go on to be fully functioning members of society without algebra and geometry.

Each day when I drive into the Honda parking lot, I feel like I'm entering an episode of the old TV show  "This is your life".  At the back of the Honda building is a Cooperators Claims unit. I spent several years in the claims department at Coop in Toronto and Mississauga.
Then beyond the building and the back parking lot sits a church. Inside this church is a day care centre. So every day I see kids out on the playground and I have memories (not all of them fond) of cold days standing out on a similar playground in Timmins. The day nurseries act in Ontario requires that the children be taken outside every day, even on the coldest days. And of course the people who live there are used to being outside and expect the same for their kids. No keeping these kids in because it's -25* in the middle of the afternoon. But it doesn't have to be for a long time. Do you have any idea how much work it is to dress 15 toddlers in snow suits, boots, hats, mits, to stay outside for 20 minutes then bring them inside and undress them all. Now you have 15 wet snowsuits, hats and mits  because most of them spent their entire 20 minutes falling in the snow. At least the older kids could do some of the dressing and undressing themselves.  Then in the spring and summer it was the blackflies Timmins is famous for.  Can't say I miss those aspects of the job.

Then yesterday I drove a lady out to the Provincial Jail. I had no idea where it was located but now I know. We chatted about corrections (she worked in some aspect of parole) and she asked if I had ever considered returning to that field. I told her it never occurred to me because I've been out of the field for a number of years and I know they require a correctional officer training program before they hire you. But she suggested that was not always the case.  She seemed to think it was an  option.  Who knows, if this driving thing doesn't work out, it is another door to explore. But in reality I really like my new job and I think they're happy with me.  Although I am on probation for 6 months so we'll see at that time. But I'm not worried about it.

A successful night!

 

Conditions at 6:00 am - a few drops of rain and 13*

Expected later - 21* and a mix of sun and cloud

We made it through our first night, and at first I was quite nervous, but in the end it was a lot of fun.
They apparently didn't put our class on one of the flyers so not everyone knew about us. When 7:00 came we had four students and two observers. It seems the computer instructor wasn't there so the students from that class were invited to sit in on any class they chose to. So two ladies came over to our group. At the end of the night, one of them actually decided to switch from the computer class over to ours. I guess we must have done something right! I'm sure it was mention of a future chocolate night that pushed her over the edge.
Our friend Daralen is hoping to join us as well, but she was ill this week but I'll call her today and let her know we have room for her. So we have a total of 6 students - just the number we had hoped to have.

One of the students ( and the only male) is actually a professional butcher and is a great source of information regarding food safety and proper sharpening and cutting techniques.  We did our potato soup last night - two versions. One with onions and one with leeks.  Then we were able to taste both.  It was generally decided that the one with leeks had more flavour.  Everyone pitched in and helped clean up so it went very well.
We sat down at the end and discussed what we planned to do during the course and we shared some of the ideas we had and they seemed very enthusiastic about what we had in store for them.

Next week we plan to make fresh pasta.  I think we'll do a pesto sauce to go with it, and maybe a quick tomato sauce but we'll see what we have time for. I may do the pesto there, but bring in the tomato sauce pre-made along with the recipe.  I'll have to research the recipe first and see what kind of time is involved. We are very limited in time so we need to be very organized.  But I think it will be fun.

When we got back to Brenda's we had a glass of wine to toast our successful first night!

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Last night was the season premiere for Glee. It was on at 9:00 and I was afraid I was going to miss it but I found it at 10:00 as well.  I had seriously considered canceling my satellite as the shows I like to watch come on too late to stay up and watch. If I feel like watching TV earlier in the evening, I end up watching stuff I don't particularly like. It seems there is a solution!  On my last satellite bill, there was a little blurb about the fact that I've been a good customer for over a year so I can now rent a PVR for a mere $15.00 a month. I reviewed the budget and decided that I was worth $2.00 a day. Heck that's what I was spending on coffee at Timothy's. Now that I'm not going there in the morning, I can utilize that money more efficiently!  (Give me enough time and I can justify ANYTHING). So my PVR receiver is being shipped via purolator and then someone will come out to install it. The good thing is they do Saturday appointments so it will take a couple of weeks before it's in but then I can watch better programing while I'm eating supper and it's early in the evening. No more falling asleep half way through my favorite programs.

The first day of school has arrived!

 Conditions at 6:00 - high winds and 12*
Expected later - a mix of sun and cloud and 14*

I don't know about Brenda but I have to admit I'm a wee bit nervous about this evening. We are well prepared but we have no idea what to expect.  Tonight is registration so we're going to be there for registration from 6:30 to 7:00.  Then class starts at 7:00.

For our first night we are going to spend some talking about knife cuts, such as fine dice, course chop, brunois, batonette, julienne, (just to had that little bit of french cooking terms) mis en place (Lloyd just recently learned this one) and so on. We are going to slice and dice our way through potatoes and onions and leeks to practice cutting then use those ingredients to make Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup for those of us in the English speaking world). We're going to do two batches, one with onions and one with leeks so we can compare the two flavours. This is the very first recipe in Julia Child's first cookbook. It is the simplest soup in the world. While the soup is simmering we're going to talk about food safety. We figure it won't be news to most people but feel it's a good reminder and we would be irresponsible teachers if we didn't talk about it some.
Then we are going to eat our soup, along with some of Brenda's wonderful home made bread, and decide as a group where we would like to go with this class. It's very much a work in progress. We have no idea who  might sign up, what they are looking for or what their skill level is. It's going to be interesting!

Here's the recipe for tonight:

Potage Parmentier

(Leek or Onion and Potato Soup)

Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good and is simplicity itself to make.

3 to 4 cups peeled, potatoes, sliced or diced

3 cups thinly sliced leeks or yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 quarts of water

1 tbsp. salt

4 to 6 tbsp. whipping cream OR 3 tbsp soft butter

2 to 3 tbsp minced parsley or chives

Simmer the vegetables, water and salt, partially covered,  for 30 to 40 minutes, or until very tender. Blend with a hand blender, or regular blender ( or put through a food mill). Check seasoning.

Can be made ahead to this point and stored in the fridge,

When ready to serve, reheat and just before serving, remove from heat and add either cream or butter. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley or chives.

Makes about 2 quarts, serving 6 to 8 people. 

From: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by

Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

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Yesterday there was a great  picture on the front page of the Guardian of people on the bridge.  The news tells us there were approximately 10,000 people taking part. The fund raising total won't be officially announced until sometime in October as they leave the  sites open for more pledges for a few weeks longer but so far they estimate it to be around $200,000.  There was no registration fee, which surprised me and I;m sure some people didn't fund raise. I did hear that the people who run the bridge were donating one dollar for every registered walker so that would be $20,000 right off the bat. The three of us raised close to $1,000 so we can be very proud of our contribution. Bernie and Brenda took some great photos as well so I need to get them sent to me so I can do a small scrapbook.  I'll also get Brenda to save the newspaper article from yesterday. I tried to go on line this morning but it's not there. I went to the Guardian archives but that doesn't include the photo.

It's a very windy day today. I just heard on the news that the cruise ship that was in the harbour yesterday ended up staying overnight, as there were high winds headed for Newfoundland from hurricane Igor so they don't want to be out in the Atlantic under those conditions.  Can't say I blame them.  I'd be pretty grateful if I were a passenger on that ship. Good thing we're not walking across the bridge today.

Speaking of the bridge, there are still a few achy joints this morning but not as much as yesterday.

What a great day!

Conditions at 6:00 am - 11*
Expected later - 17* and cloudy with showers

Sunday was the Terry Fox run across the Confederation Bridge, and it couldn't have been a better day. The day dawned clear with cool temperatures, around 12* but as the sun came up, it quickly warmed up. We arrived at the bridge, a little behind schedule, at around 6:20 and spent a few minutes in traffic until Bernie took to the shoulder and headed to the parking lot of a nearby business owned by one of his relatives! The police suggested it might not be a great place to park as that was where they intended to park the cars waiting to take the bridge when it opened, but we said we'd take our chances.

We walked over to the area where we were leaving from and after a lengthy lineup for the porta potty, we lined up to start the walk. Those who were running went first, followed by the walkers. We have no idea how many were actually there but I'm sure it will be in the news later. It was a little breezy at first but once the sun came out full force, the layers of clothing started coming off. I spent most of the time walking in a short sleeve shirt - who would have thought we might be able to cross the Northumberland Straits in September in short sleeves! It was truly perfect weather.

By the time we got to the end, we were starting to get tired and were happy to see the Welcome to PEI sign. But it was lots of fun and we'll do it again in 5 years time! (if they do it again). Crossing the bridge was really great for me, as I've only ever crossed in a car, and you can't see over the sides in the car. On our way to New Brunswick in the morning, you could see quite nicely from the bus. I'm told you can also see if you're traveling by truck. Which now explains why high sided vehicles are prohibited in the wind. The sides of the bridge are really not all that high.

We were especially proud of Bernie. He only asked twice if we were there yet, and that was within the first 5 minutes. After that he just put on his hair, and sucked it up and did a great job. We were truly impressed. Next time he'll have Lloyd to walk with him. He hadn't seen that Lloyd donated to his site till I got there this morning and he was really very pleased. Needless to say, so was I when I checked my site this morning to find that Lloyd had donated enough to put me to my goal. It was a wonderful surprise and added to the excitement I'm used to feeling on walk day.

This one was different in that there was no opening ceremonies like we had in Toronto and at the end, you just go to your car and leave. But it was a great experience and we had fun, topped off with breakfast at a nice little place along the way home.

On the drive home I was feeling quite tired and seriously considered a nap but instead I stayed outside and tried to finish cutting the grass. I got partly done and the mower seemed to be running a but sluggish and I thought I might be running out of gas, so I headed back to the shed. The gas tank was half full so that wasn't the problem but when I looked underneath, there seemed to be stuff packed in there so I got a large stick and poked and prodded till I got it all out. I then headed out and it seemed to be running much better except that it wasn't cutting when I put the mower down. After bringing it back again, I realized that in my poking and prodding I had pushed the belt off one of the 4 pulleys underneath. I really had no idea how it was meant to be threaded on and decided to just let it be (I'm sure Lloyd is very glad to hear that!) and I put it away. I got most of the lawn cut, so it might be the last one for this year till Lloyd can look at it next trip. The good news is all fingers are still intact.

That was my cue to take a nap, which I tried to do but the house seems to be full of flies. It truly is fall and I guess they are looking for ways inside. I must have killed at least 20 when I came home and some were still around later, buzzing around as I tried to have a nap. So I got up instead and did some prep for our class on Tuesday night. All I have to do now is get stuff together to take with me and copy the notes. I went to the dollar store on Saturday and picked up binders and dividers for everyone so they will have somewhere to store their handouts each week. We'll make copies of the recipes, etc so they have a book to add to later on.

What an incredibly busy little place PEI was this weekend! Besides the walk, the International Shellfish Festival was on from Thurday to Sunday, the 70 mile yard sale was on, Hairspray is playing, and there were numerous other events taking place across the island. I'm always amazed at how much goes on around here. I remember living in Guelph and often people complained that there was nothing to do. That is certainly not the case here. The trouble with this place is trying to do as much as possible and there's always something you want to attend but can't be fit into the schedule.

It's getting better all the time.

Conditions at 6:30 - pouring rain and 12*
Later - 14* and more rain - lots of it

Yesterday Lloyd called me at work to give me the same recipe I'd seen online to rid Cooper of the skunk perfume. He got it from Jan, who claimed it works well. I'd read several accounts on the web and some said it worked, some said it didn't. I think there are lots of factors that may affect how well it works - length of fur, size of dog, degree of coverage, etc.

So I stopped at Shoppers on my way home and picked up three bottles of Peroxide, to give it a try.

After eating supper, cleaning up, and doing a few little things around the house, I finally put on some old clothes to give him his second bath in two days. He's usually quite good in the bath, and it's handy having the hand held shower to rinse with but the peroxide, baking soda, soap mixture was cold and he was shivering and not a happy puppy while I washed him with it. Once I started rinsing him with warm water, he finally warmed up then just sat down in the tub and let me pour the water all over him. Of course, there's no easy way to get him dried off enough not to get water everywhere when he invariably shakes himself once out of the tub. Good thing my bathroom is all ceramic tile.

Once he was sufficiently shook, I let him out of the bathroom and turned on the gas fireplace in the living room. He has a fuzzy blanket in front of the fire and that's his favorite place to be when it's cold. So he spent the next little while in front of the fire and by bed time, he was all dry. I have to say, it worked. He even slept at the foot of my bed last night.

Now this morning it's raining out and I thought he might smell a bit after getting wet, but he hates the rain, and doesn't stay out long enough to get very wet. So all is well out here on the hill. Now he's lounging, nice and dry and much happier.

It's Friday and only two more sleeps till the walk. I'm a little short of my goal of $500 but I think $325 is a decent amount. Brenda advises that she's near her goal as well, so we've done well. I found out yesterday that two girls from work are going to participate as well but they plan to run. I told them I'd wave as they fly by. I don't know if the girls from Advancement are participating or not. I know they were thinking about it. We'll see just how many people we know when we get there. (well, I know Brenda will know lots, but I may know one or two!)

They're still calling for great weather so I hope that forecast holds. A couple were in yesterday at work who are also planning to do it and they said it can be VERY windy out there on the bridge. One of the guys suggested that I carry bricks to help hold me down, but I assured him that I had enough natural weight that it wouldn't be a problem. I knew those extra pounds would be useful one day.

I received an email from Fran. She and the other two girls have made their flight reservations for their trip here to watch curling. In true Fran fashion, all flights take place late in the day. No 6:00 am departures for her! And why not, they're all retired, so there is no rush to get where they're going. They will be arriving on February 17th and leaving on March 1st. I hope the weather cooperates a little during that time and we can get out and do some touring around. We'll have to see how it goes. At least I'll have my new studded winter tires on, so that will make getting around much easier. The next time I'm in the area of the Civic Centre I'll stop in and see if the tickets are there yet. I know they are reserved but just don't know if they are ready to be picked up yet.

All is well - almost.

Conditions at 6:00 - light rain and 12*
Expected later - more rain and 17*





A big Happy Birthday to Brenda today!

Last year she was quite surprised when I called her on her birthday. She and Bernie were on their way to the States that day and she had no idea how I knew. But the calendar on the wall in her kitchen has the birthday and anniversary of everyone in the community. It's quite a wealth of information!

************************************************

The good news is I have water again. The bad news is it's not enough to wash the smell of skunk off Cooper. Fortunately it's not a direct hit, just a slight offensive odour. But it still smells. Yesterday morning I let him out at 5:30 as usual and he was outside for quite a while. When I let him in I could smell that he'd been into something but I couldn't quite identify it. But then, my sense of smell is poor at the best of times. Last night when Brenda and Bernie came over to meet up with Raymond, they identified the fragrance right away.

After searching the internet for remedies, it appears there are several but most have comments from people who say they worked and others who say they don't. After the water was up and running again, I gave him a bath with dish soap, and it did help but only ever so slightly. I talked to our groomer and she didn't highly recommend anything but said if it's not too bad, it will just go away on it's own. I can't imagine if it was a direct hit. From some of the accounts that I read online, it sounds like it could be a pretty nasty situation.

Bernie says that there are lots of skunks around this time of year, looking for grubs. It seems they do this twice a year - spring and fall. So needless to say this morning when I let him outside I went with him and he was on a leash. I don't want to push my luck!

Last night when I went upstairs to bed, he seemed to know right away he wouldn't be allowed in my room. He immediately went and laid down at the end of the hall and when I closed the door there was not a peep out of him, which is highly unusual if he can't get into the bedroom to claim his usual spot at the foot of the bed.

I feel ever so official this morning. I'm wearing my Honda shirt for the first time. It's a nice shirt but it's a white long sleeve dress shirt type of garment, that will be a nuisance to care for. I'm going to see if I can track down a source for golf type shirts that I can get to wear. It will make getting ready for work in the morning so much easier when I never have to think about what to wear to work. I think it also adds a bit of professionalism as well. Yesterday I was sent out to pick up a cheque from a customer and she had no way of knowing that I was from Honda, other than my say so. It would have been better, I think, for her to know that I was actually from Honda and not some stranger coming in and picking up her money.

It's cooler this morning and going to only be a high of 13 tomorrow so I might need to light a fire again tonight to take the chill off.

Here we go again.

Conditions at 6:30 am - cloudy and 12*
Expected later - showers and 18*

Once more I have no water. I put a load of laundry in the washer last night. I could hear the pump running but never paid it any mind until I realized that I didn't hear the washer running. It has stopped when water no longer flowed into it. Great!
So back down to the scary basement and turned off the switch. I called Raymond and he's going to come over tonight to look at it.

Later in the evening Brenda called and said "I hear you don't have water again". Boy news travels fast in this community! But it turns out she and Bernie were at Raymond's when I called.

I wasn't nearly as tired as I was on Monday. I think it just takes me a day to get back into the swing of things. At least I hope that's what it is. We'll see by the end of the week.

Got my first pay cheque yesterday, and just in time. Now I can do some groceries and pay some bills. I think it will be fine, even though it's less than the university. I'm still waiting on some money from my liquor store stints but I can put that to good use when it arrives as well. It's all good!

Not much else to report today. It's supposed to rain today again, (although they said that the past two days and they turned out quite nice). I doubt that much walking is going to get done this week, so I guess we'll just have to struggle across the bridge with what we have.
I received a nice cheque from friend Nancy in Rockwood, so thanks very much to all those who have so kindly donated.

I heard that Terry Fox's parents are supposed to be here on the island later this week but I don't know if they are going to still be here on Sunday. That would be very inspiring.

I think I've finally got it sorted out

Conditions at 6:30 - overcast and 12*
Expected later - 17* and showers

Since starting my new job it's been a challenge to get my morning routine worked out. I had a very set schedule prior to this job and it's amazing what a half hour earlier start can do to mess that up. We really are such creatures of habit.

In the past I got up at 5:00, showered and dressed and did any tidying that might need to be done (translation - if I didn't do the dishes the night before, I'd do them in the morning). Then I would leave the house by 6:15 to 6:30 which at that time of day gets me to town a little before 7:00. Stop at Timothy's to have a coffee and write my blog. Then a quick drive to the Superstore to pick up a salad for lunch, then across the road to the University.

Now I start at 8:00 but in reality I need to be there by 7:45. The first shuttle run is at precisely 8:00 and I need to get my computer turned on and signed in (so I can get paid) before leaving so there is no other option. I could just leave earlier in the morning, which would not be a problem but now I work until5:30, getting me home around 6:15. That makes just too long a day for poor Cooper so that doesn't work either.

So now I don't leave till about 6:50, which gets me into town around 7:30, allowing time for a quick stop at the store if I need it. Now I get up at 5:00 and shower and dress, make my lunch, cook some oatmeal in the microwave and write my blog while eating it. Then I leave around 6:50 (any later and I get caught up behind those pesky school buses!) which gets me into town around 7:30 with enough time for a quick stop at the grocery store if I need anything there (as long as they still open at 7:00).

It's taken a couple of weeks to work it all out but now it's becoming my usual routine. Now not only am I saving money, I'm eating healthier, but I do miss Timothy's a little. It was such a part of my morning for the past year. But life marches on, just not always in the direction we would like, but I suppose if that's all I have to complain about, life is pretty good!

It looks like I'm going to Guelph for Thanksgiving weekend. Patti and Greg are going away for their anniversary and I'm going to stay with the kids. ( I suppose we could let Lloyd stay with us as well!) I'll need a list of who needs to be driven where, as I'm sure they are as busy as ever.

I was going to call Brenda when I got home last night and see if she wanted to go for a walk but I was really crabby when I got home so I worked out my negative energy by vacuuming out the car - something that's needed doing all summer. I called Brenda later and she'd had a stressful day so we both decided to just go and pour ourselves a drink then go to bed.

Now it's another day and it's all good again. We get the chance to go out and do it all over again.

Another chapter closed

Conditions at 6:30 - overcast and 10*
Expected later - cloudy and 16*

This was walk weekend. Not the Terry Fox one that Brenda and I have signed on for (that's NEXT weekend). This was the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. It now has a new name but that's what it will always be for me. I realized on Friday night this was the weekend so I checked the weather network for Toronto. I thought about it often all weekend. This event was so much a part of my life for the past 8 year that it felt odd not to be involved in some way again this year. But change happens and that part of my life is over. I have many fond memories of countless hours walking to train for it and talking non stop with fellow team members, many hours standing outside the liquor store collecting money in the big bra, trolling the streets of downtown Guelph and hitting up all the bar patrons for loose change, and Patti and I selling 500 pink magnets. I will always be very proud of the team we had that raised over $113,000.00 dollars about 5 years ago. To be part of something like that was truly an amazing experience. Everyone knew who the Wellington Walkers were.

Friday night Brenda and I and her aunt went into town for a snack and a glass of wine. We had a lovely time and Brenda's aunt, Ange, really enjoyed herself. While there we ran into Kim from UPEI. I told her to say hello to everyone for me. On the way home, they dropped me off in Stratford to pick up the truck.

Saturday morning dawned cold and rainy - a perfect day to work inside. I went into town early and did a few things, then came back just in time for Daralen to come over to show me her new crockpot and the ribs she's bought at the market. She wanted to learn how to do braised short ribs so we decided we would do them on Sunday. While she was there, Brenda dropped by with chickens she got from her cousin. I told her I'd take some when they were ready. When they were both gone, I decided to roast a chicken for my supper. But they were quite big birds so I split one in half and roasted one half and froze the other. Then I cooked some potatoes and had a love dinner of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, cabbage and cole slaw. It was yummy. It was such a dreary day, that I ended up spending most of the afternoon watching television. It was a totally wasted day but relaxing at the same time.

Sunday morning was still dreary and it was quite chilly. Brenda called and we went over to Kristie's for breakfast. She went home to finish up some chores and I spent the rest of the morning putting my summer clothes away and getting out the warmer ones. I even lit a fire in my woodstove to take the chill off. It was lovely - I so love the warmth that comes from a wood fire. Then at 2:00 I picked Brenda up and took her with me to the Andersons. After getting everything simmering, Brenda and I went for a walk (in preparation for next weekend) and went up to the store, where Richard and Tony have done an amazing job of cleaning up the store. They were buffing the floor and putting a final coat of wax on it. You'd never know it's the same place. He plans to build his furniture there as well as set up a display area where he'll offer them for sale. When we got back he showed us what he's got under construction right now. He has some very interesting pieces. He's quite talented and seems to be really enjoying making it.

I talked to Lloyd last night, and it appears he's moving to Jana's. Lynn and Paul plan to put the house up for sale in the spring and it will save him trying to find somewhere to live then. He was also a little concerned that Lynn and Paul might feel as though they were evicting him. Jana also has been getting calls to rent the apartment and she would rather rent it to Lloyd so it's a win/win for everyone.

This will be a busy week. Tuesday we have our final IAAP meeting. It looks like our chapter is going to likely fold, as we have had virtually no response from the other members and the six of us who do show up, really don't want to continue to do it all ourselves. We can still be members at large and attend CDC if we want to, so all is not lost. I'm going to be teaching on Tuesday nights all fall anyway, so I wouldn't be going to meetings anyway.

I did spend some time yesterday morning actually writing down some ideas and now a bit of a plan is emerging. Like most things it has taken on a life of it's own. Once you start writing down ideas, they just keep coming and now it's to the point where I have to choose which ones we'll do as we can't cover it all. But we'll do our best to do as much as we can. I'm quite looking forward to it now that I've come up with an outline of sorts.

Don't worry Meghan (1), we'll fill you in each week on what we did, recipes included.

How did this happen?

Conditions at 6:30 - cloudy and 16*
Expected later - rain and 18*

When did I get this old? I received an email from my friend Cheryl last week. I had emailed her when I was moving and we don't keep in touch that often but she emailed to update me on what's going on in her life. She said she didn't want to lose that connection. I decided to respond the old fashioned way - snail mail. So I sat down and wrote her a letter and in it I mentioned our retirement plans and how soon we hope that might happen. As I put the words to paper, it struck me - where has the time gone? I met Cheryl in college and now we're talking about retirement? It just can't be! I suppose if I'd lived in the same place for any length of time I might have been more aware of the years passing by. But moving as often as I have, and reinventing my life as often as I have, you lose track of just how much time has gone by. But I must say, it's never been boring.

Last night Brenda and I went over to the school to see the home ec facilities. It's better than I could have imagined, now all we have to do is figure out some ideas. Registration is about a week and a half away so I'd better get my act together. I'll spend some time on that on Saturday. I have some ideas but I need to put together more concrete information. Brenda has given me some valuable feedback on what students might like to see.

Yesterday was not nearly as busy at work so it was really nice. The accounting department has given me some little jobs to do on a daily basis, which is great, but I had been having trouble finding the time to get them done. I think things were so busy as people were getting ready for back to school and probably some preparing in advance for the fall. I suspect as we get further into fall, it will get busier as people bring their cars in to get winter tires installed, and general preparation for the winter. I'm going to get a price from our parts department on studded winter tires. I think I'll feel much better driving into town every morning.

My chimney repairs have been completed. It was supposed to be a rainy day yesterday but it actually turned out warm and sunny. In fact it was quite humid in the afternoon and even though the temperature was only 22, it felt much hotter. Now my woodstove is all set up again and ready for the cold weather. But with any luck at all, I won't need it for a while yet. But it is nice to be able to light a fire when it gets damp outside, just to take the chill off.

Yesterday morning I went to Superstore to find a lunch bag as I gave mine to Lloyd to carry frozen fish home. I found a perfect bag! It's an insulated bag on the bottom and the small top is like a back pack where I can put my wallet, etc so I don't need to take a purse to work. I have everything all in one bag. It's absolutely perfect. So thank you Lloyd, for taking the other one home.

Well, I'd better go and get my garbage bin dragged down the lane.

Progress is being made

Conditions at 6:30 am - overcast and 18*
Expected later - 20* and rain


In spite of the rain, Mark was able to get some work done on the chimney yesterday. It didn't start raining hard till after lunch, so he wasn't able to finish the job. It's supposed to rain again today and tomorrow but hopefully he'll be able to get back to it soon. It's a little warmer this morning, 18* but yesterday morning it was only 10* and it was chilly. It will soon be time to start lighting the stove from time to time. But maybe this is just a short lived cold spell - we could still get some really nice weather.

Last night I had supper at the Van Gaals and we went on line after and registered Brenda for the Terry Fox Run. We haven't walked as much as we know we should, but I think we'll be fine. We'll just take our time. But from the looks of the crowds in the past pictures, I don't think we'll be moving really fast anyway.

Tonight we're hoping to go over to Donagh school to look at the home economics room to see what we have to work with. We'll also need to come up with a plan of what we are actually going to do. (Notice I keep saying "WE"!!!). It will be great to have someone to bounce ideas off and keep me on track, and just to help me remember what I need to bring or do and give some input. I think it should be an interesting experience

I talked to Lloyd yesterday morning and he was at work. It seems they got back to Guelph around 10:30 on Tuesday night. I didn't talk to him last night but it looks like they had a good trip.

Belated Happy Birthday, Greg

Conditions at 6:00 - clear skies and 10*

Expected later - rain and 19*


Before I go blathering on, I need to wish my son-in-law Greg, a very happy birthday. He turned an undisclosed age on Saturday! I know he had a very busy weekend coaching at a ball tournament.
They had a bit of an unfortunate experience when one of the kids was swarmed by wasps when the nest was inadvertently disturbed. The poor little guy was stung at least 16 times and several people in the vicinity (including Patti) were also stung multiple times. Fortunately this little boy isn't allergic to bee stings, but he was taken to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution. Needless to say, at Greg's insistence, no one played at that particular field anymore during the tournament. It could have been a really horrible experience (which I'm sure it was for the boy involved) had he suffered from allergies.

Lloyd and Jim were up at 4:00 on Tuesday morning and were on the road by 4:25. After being up since 4:00 am, I was quite tired by the afternoon. Tuesday was a very busy day and I just made time for a quick break for lunch at 2:00. By the time I drove home at 5:30, I just wanted to lay down and take a nap. Of course, that changed a little when I actually got home, but my evening wasn't terribly productive, although I did cross a few little things off my list. Some of the tasks on it will have to wait for later in the week.

When I got home Patti called. James was anxious to ask if I'd started learning the guitar yet, as he just had his first guitar lesson. He seems very keen but we'll see how it goes when he gets into the tedious business of learning music. He's just renting a guitar for the first while to see if he actually likes it and really does practice.

Then I talked to Brenda. She had a very busy and tiring first day. She got home quite late last night from the rec centre. She said that Justin Trudeau was a huge hit, a great speaker and quite charismatic I think, from what she told me. He was quite approachable and willing to get photos taken with people. It sounds like it was a great night, and I'm sorry I missed it, but I'm glad I chose to stay home and spend the evening with Lloyd.

Our weather yesterday really felt like fall. Now this morning with 10* you know it's definitely September. But we can still have some really nice weather as we get later into the fall.

If the weather holds today, my chimney will get re-built today. If it rains, it will have to wait, but we'll see.

Another visit over.

Conditions at 6:30 am - 16* and dry
Expected later- 21* and rain


It seems like he just got here, and now he's gone.
Lloyd and Jim arrived around 7:30 on Friday evening, and the weekend just flew by.
Friday night I was hoping to get home before they got here as my new stove was delivered Friday afternoon and I wanted to get everything back in place before they got here. I talked to Lloyd on the phone on my way home and he advised it would be a bit later when they got here. Perfect!
I got home and put groceries away and quickly removed the packaging from the stove and put everything in place. When he got here he looked at it and was about to make a comment and I stopped him in mid sentence - he has no right to comment on my "toys" as he has a LOT more than I do and his cost a great deal more as well. So, end of discussion. But he was totally okay with it, as we had sort of talked about it when I was in Toronto in August. Now I just have to get it hooked up. I'll call the propane people this week and make an appointment. There's no huge rush to get it done but there were a couple of times over the weekend when it would have been nice to have both working so I know it was a great idea.

He brought my new counter top down for my island. As you can see, it is perfect. I have a piece of marble that was on top of the butcher block table and it fits absolutely perfectly. Now I have the wooden top and the marble surface to work with. It was a really functional piece on Sunday night when we had company.

When they arrived Lloyd could barely move around. Every once in a while, he puts his back out and this was one of those times. He had told me about it before he arrived so on Friday I called around until I found someone who could give him a massage on Saturday morning. It was a tremendous help. It really improved after that. On Friday night I had just put supper on the table when the lights went out. So I scrambled around and lit candles so we could at least see what we were doing. While the power was out, Brenda and Bernie arrived. They had just returned home from Grand Falls. We had a drink together and after a while the power came back on. We were expecting a hurricane to possibly strike but it hadn't yet arrived.

Saturday morning dawned just like any other day. The sun was out and it was a lovely morning when I drove in to work. Gradually over the morning the clouds rolled in, the wind picked up and the rain started. By the time I was finished at 2:00 it was a very blustery day. I heard on the radio that parts of downtown were without power as a couple of trees had come down onto wires, but the power was still on at the Gahan House, where I was meeting the guys for lunch. After a couple of beers and some fish and chips, we headed home.

We spent the rest of the night listening to the wind howl, and monitoring things outside. Our biggest concern was the little shelter we'd put up for storage earlier in the summer. Amazingly enough, it held. We lost a small tree, that snapped in half, but other than that, everything seems to have survived. We didn't even lose power, although some parts of the island did.

I was making supper on Saturday night, and the guys were sitting at the table and we were chatting and I wasn't paying close enough attention to what I was doing and I managed to slice off half of the nail on my left index finger. Needless to say, it was a little painful. So I pressed on it for a while, till the bleeding mostly stopped, put some antibiotic cream on it and put on a couple of bandaids and continued on. But it was quite painful throughout the evening. Before I went to bed, I found a guard I'd bought a couple of years ago, when I did something similar up at Stone Tree. It helped a lot as it didn't hurt so much if I hit it on something. By morning it was much better and by afternoon I didn't need the guard anymore. It still hurts if I hit it, but not enough to send me through the roof anymore. Serves me right, I know better.

Sunday morning I called Brenda and suggested we go to Tracadie for the Pancake Breakfast. She thought that was a great idea, so she and I drove over together and Lloyd and Jim followed, and Bernie met us there. After breakfast I went home and worked on dinner. Brenda and Bernie, Richard and Darelen and Tony (our extended PEI family) were all coming over. I did a beer can turkey in the oven, and was amazed that it was totally cooked in about 3 hours. I did stuffing in the crock pot and it was a huge hit. We all sat around the table, a little bit crowded, but cozy, and we used the island as a buffet table. It worked brilliantly. A great evening was had by all, I think.

Monday was a bit of a lazy morning. Not up too early, a leisurely breakfast then the guys took the truck into Stratford Auto to leave it to get the brakes fixed. A late lunch, then a bit of a nap, then into town for some supper. It was a relaxing kind of day, not the usual "hurry up and finish a project cause I'm running out of time " kind of visit Lloyd has grown used to. I felt a little badly about bailing on the rec centre. Justin Trudeau was there for a fund raising dinner but I bowed out at the last minute. I thought I should really spend the last evening with Lloyd and Jim.

Now this morning, they've left at a little after 4:00. I tried to go back to sleep but that wasn't happening, so it will be a long day today, but I can turn in early tonight.

MOUSE WARS: 2 more caught over the weekend - total to date - 7

Congratulations Meghan!

Conditions at 7:00 - 19* and mix of sun and cloud
Expected later - 27* and sun - the calm before the storm

Short and sweet this morning as I slept in! It's so hot at night this week that sleeping is almost impossible.
I was crazy about horses as a young girl and acquired my first horse at the age of ten. I didn't have the opportunity to ever take any lessons of any kind but I thoroughly enjoyed my years of being a horse owner. I did enter a couple of shows when I got older and my grand total of ribbons won was 2 (and I think they were 4th and 5th place :-(
. Fast forward many, many years later and we have Meghan. She just turned 8 and she did remarkably well this summer at horse shows. She rides at a stable in Rockwood and took part in a summer series of horse shows every second week. Last night was her awards night and she was Reserve Champion , coming in 2nd place, for walk and trot, from a group of about 30 riders, I'm told. She was 4th overall for grooming, and everyone received an award for lead line. What a happy girl! I'm so proud of her. She's a very determined little girl. She might get frustrated as can be, as I found out when we went cross country skiing, but she won't give up till she gets it right. I'm not sure where she gets that from but I think she'll do well in life.

Her mom also sent a picture of her at the party after the awards and her mom's words were: "And once the awards were over, the party started! I think she'll be quite the party animal when she's older, must take after her grandma." Whatever could that mean???

It's Friday and Lloyd and Jim will be arriving this afternoon. Good thing the hurricane is waiting until tomorrow, as it could make the drive a little tricky. I have to work tomorrow so I'm very glad that he'll be here to monitor things during the storm.

The other great news is my counter top will also be arriving today - I can hardly wait. (It takes so little to make me happy!)

An emergency averted!

Conditions at 6:00 - 23* and the sun is just starting to come up
Expected later - 31* and sunny

This seems like a forcast for the middle of July, not the second day of September. It was so hot yesterday, and all I could think about when I got home was, I truly hope Raymond can get the water running because I really need a shower. I stopped at the Van Gaals and picked up a jug of water on my way home from work, so I could at least wash, but I was so warm, I just really wanted to stand under some nice cool flowing water. I worked around the house a bit, until Raymond got here and when he did get here he got out of the truck carrying a large red gas can. He was headed straight for the cellar when I went outside. I looked at the gas can and he looked me straight in the eye and said " I don't have time to fix it tonight, so I brought some gas, I thought we could just burn the whole thing down and start again with the insurance money". At that point the prospect of fire trucks with hoses filled with cool water sounded pretty tempting, but fortunately he was just carrying water. In a few minutes he came back upstairs and headed back to the truck with his gas can. I braced myself for the bad news. I asked how things were going and he said "You can run your water now". Seriously? That was the best thing I'd heard all week.

We chatted a bit about it and decided he will get a price on a new pump and put it in when he has time, rather than waiting till it dies and it becomes an emergency and a huge inconvenience for everyone.

I called Lloyd at Trish's and told him the good news, and then chatted with Trish. I can't believe it's over a year since we last talked. I'm sure she'll be glad to get the doll house out of her spare room. They are headed to Quebec City today and to stay over night. Then to the island tomorrow.

It appears we will likely have some pretty serious weather on Saturday. I'm not sure how my little shelter is going to fare, but we'll see. I suppose if it survives this weekend, it should be okay over the winter. But then last year we were supposed to get hurricane weather, but it was little more than a typical PEI rain storm. Let's hope this one is no worse.

I had one of those mornings yesterday when I had a moment when I thought out loud - I love my job! It was early in the morning so not quite so hot, and I drove a lady out to St. Peter's Road. Turns out she grew up in Sudbury. We had a grand time chatting about our northern Ontario experience. Her mother is from the island but married a main lander and ended up in Sudbury - as she described it "Not quite the armpit of the world". I agreed, adding that it might not be, but you can see it from there. Her family moved to the island when she and her sister were teenagers and they hated it. But she ended up staying and loves it. She mentioned that she went back to Sudbury for a school reunion a couple of years ago, and she absolutely hated it. But really, there is absolutely NO comparison.

I'm really enjoying chatting with people and finding out where they came from and what brought them here. The driving around is a bit tedious with all the construction but it's still okay. I'm quickly learning easier and faster ways to circumvent the traffic.

Is it possible I've gotten rid of my present rodent population? No new kills to report this morning. All traps and peanut butter remain untouched this morning. I'll leave them out for a few more days and we'll see if others come in from outside looking for their friends who never turned up when expected.

Yesterday was Meghan's final horse show so I can't wait to call her this morning and find out how she finished.

Ah, the joys of home ownership!

Conditions at 5:45 am - 18* and dark!
Expected later - 27^ and sunny

OOOPS - reopened this one to correct a mistake and forgot to publish it again!

Last night around 11:30 I got out of bed to investigate why the water pump wasn't shutting off. Going down into that dingy cellar late at night wasn't high on my list of things I'd like to do, but when I discovered that there was no water coming from the taps, there might be a problem. Lloyd had told me if that ever happened, to go down and shut off the pump. The only question is, how do you do that? Turns out to be an easy job, just flick the switch on the ceiling.

When Raymond installed the pressure tank, he mentioned that the bearings didn't sound good in the pump and it would likely need replacing sooner rather than later. In retrospect I guess I should have had him replace that at the same time. I'll call him later today and see what he recommends. Lloyd will be here on Friday night but I'm pretty sure he'd much rather have someone else replace it, as they would have all the proper tools, etc.

Yesterday was another busy day but already it seems I'm getting used to it. One thing I did differently yesterday was carry a bottle of water with me in the car. The day before I had a headache in the afternoon and I think it might just have been from the heat. So I brought a water bottle with me and kept if filled from the cooler at work, and sipped on it all day. I didn't feel nearly as tired when I got home last night. The phone was also not quite so busy, although I was out of the office a lot of the time. I suspect that Monday's may be a busy day as you get all the problems that have developed over the weekend. By Tuesday, some of those have been sorted out. It's also Honda's year end on August 32st so I imagine they were busy trying to get as many sales in as possible.

One of my jobs yesterday afternoon, made me think that perhaps I've run into another Balnar Management. It's the little things that they did for the staff that made such a difference, and yesterday this company did something similar. It was a little thing but it was greatly appreciated. The owner emailed and asked that I go out and pick up slushies for the guys in the shop. It was very hot outside, and even hotter in the garage. So I went out and picked them up and you'd have thought I brought them something amazing. But I guess an unexpected icy treat on a hot afternoon is pretty great. Those were the little things that Balnar's would have done. I think it speaks volumes about a company.

I talked to Lloyd yesterday and he and Jim are leaving today but instead of the car, they are bringing Jim's truck with the trailer behind. He has picked up my counter top and he says it's very heavy, so that's good, it sounds like it's exactly what I wanted. I can't wait to get it installed. I'm using the island all the time now and it makes my kitchen so much more efficient. I absolutely love it - it's turned out exactly how I envisioned.

Well, I'm off to the shed to try to find the water jug we used when we stayed in the bunky. I'll see if my good friend Brenda will be so kind as to fill it up for me on my way home from work tonight. It's not that big a deal - we used to manage in the bunky with limited water and hopefully it won't be too long.

Well, apparently I had more mice than I thought. I caught one last night and another was there this morning. I guess my $6.00 traps were a good investment.

Total to date: 5