Monday, October 31 - Happy Halloween!

Conditions at 5:30 am: light rain and 3'
Expected later: 5' and a mix of sun and cloud

What a wild and windy weekend it was. Saturday was actually not too bad but Sunday was brutal. We woke up Sunday morning to heavy rain and very high winds. It was a most unpleasant day to have to go outside. Unfortunately I had to work at the store. I was quite disappointed when I went into the store to work on Friday night to discover that I was scheduled to work from 12 to 5:00 on Sunday. I did my shift on Friday night which ended up being until 11:00 due to a scheduling mix up. Then off to Toyota on Saturday morning. I worked again at the store from 3 - 8 on Saturday as well. I was pretty tired when I got home but Brenda was coming over after a dinner at the rec centre. So I used my time in the most efficient manner I could. I had gotten home around 9:00 and my back was killing me from standing in one place for 5 hours. I know I'll get used to it but for now it's difficult. But being as we were in for a heavy rain storm on Sunday I thought I'd better load up my wood rack inside. That's always been one of my weekend jobs during the winter months - bring in enough wood to last for the week. But it proved to be the best thing to stretch out the muscles in my aching back. All that bending and stretching and carrying was just what I needed to work it all out. Brenda was later than she thought she would be - almost 11:00 but I had the wine chilled and ready to share as well as a plate of fresh cooked shrimp waiting to be dipped in some sweet chili sauce. Because I had to work on Sunday she graciously offered to assist by baking 10 cakes for Tuesday night's class. It was something we had planned to do together. So in the end it was a great way for her to spend the cold wet day. When I left the store I picked up a frozen pizza and something for  dessert and stopped in on my way home. All I have to do now is make a huge bucket of icing and we'll be all set.

Meghan was in a skating competition on the weekend. She was a little disappointed to come in 4th in most of her races (there were 4 skaters) and only the top 3 get to move on to the next competition. But she persevered and in the end she managed to come in 3rd in one of her races so she does get to go to the next competition. I know she's working really hard to keep up to her big brother, (who she really does admire although she'd never admit it to just anyone.) She just needs to realize that with hockey and skating lessons, he has way more skating experience behind him than she does so she's really done very well. But she is a little bit competitive and likes to win or at least place. So I was glad to see her succeed at least once in placing. Well done Meg!

Of course she's really good at laying on a bit of a guilt trip - she was sending me email messages from her mom's cell phone and one was especially heart wrenching for the grandma:

Hi grandma its me meghan I got last in my last 2 races I am sOooooOooo sad I have one more race till I am done I wish you were here you would make everything better and it would be even better if both you and papa were here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I am literly crying right now I love you SoooooooooooOooo mutch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.


I did get to see her skate once, on Saturday morning, as the Conestoga College media arts students set up a live feed so I was able to watch online at work. Unfortunately that was the only one I got to see.