Shad, why not head up to Otty after TO, then fly to Cowtown from here? You could even share my cab to the airport on the 16th if we have flights around the same time! I'm available to play from the evening of the 13th to the 16th, and would be delighted to show you around. (You're welcome to arrive sooner, but I'll be nose to the grindstone 10-13 June.) Bring your hiking boots (I have 2 pairs of size 11's, but have a feeling they'd be too big for you... no shoebox jokes, thanks anyway...). We could go for a lovely hike/picnic in the park, which would go a long way towards burning off the Toronto excesses... I can lend you poles and any other hiking gear - I have stuff in many different sizes... And of course I've already started inflating the Aerobed. You could also do a stop at the "real" Ontario en route - I think your hostess from there would have to pick you up from the train in Brockville, and I might be able to come and collect you from wherever the town was. Maybe Westport??
Anyway, think seriously about it. The Ottawa area is gorgeous in summer (assuming good weather, of course), and I've got lots of ideas for things to do. Of course if you do come here, I'll have to accelerate my diet to meet my goal a week early...

I CAN'T TAKE THE CREDIT FOR THIS BUT LAUGHED MY HEAD OFF TONITE...........

Subject: Good filler for staff meetings

The boss of a Madison Avenue advertising agency called a spontaneous
staff meeting in the middle of a particularly stressful week. (This is
one pretty sharp boss!) When everyone gathered, the boss, who
understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt out staff the
purpose of the meeting was to have a quick contest. The theme: Viagra
advertising slogans.

The only rule was they had to use past ad slogans, originally written
for other product s that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight
variations were acceptable.

About 7 minutes later, they turned in their suggestions and created a
Top 10 List. With all the laughter and camaraderie, the rest of the
week went very well for everyone!

The top 10 were:

10. Viagra, Whaazzzz up!
9. Viagra, The quicker pecker picker upper.
8. Viagra, like a rock!
7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
6. Viagra, Be all that you can be.
5. Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.
4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.
3. Viagra, Home of the whopper!
2. Viagra, We bring good things to Life!

And the unanimous number one slogan:

1. This is your peepee. This is your peepee on drugs.


SHAD~ THANK GOD HE WON'T BE THERE LOL GLAD YOU CAN SPEND MORE TIME IN CANADA. GREAT TIME FOR A VISIT TOO. NEITHER TOO HOT OR COLD!!
DOING THE RAIN DANCE OVER HERE FOR YOU
HOPE THEY ALL WORK!!! WE'LL BE SENDING CASES OF WATER OVER TO YOU IF IT DOESN'T RAIN SOON!!
FIRES ALL OVER THE USA TOO ON EVEN IN NJ STARTED YESTERDAY. SAD REALLY. ALL THOSE TREES AND WILDLIFE.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

TO CEEJAY FOR DROPPING IN!!

ROSEBLUSH~ SORRY TO HEAR THE NEWS BUT WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU IS IMPROTANT. HAD A STRANGE M'S DAY HERE TOO. CHANGED ALL THE PLANS FOR OTHERS AND THEN THEIR PLANS WENT SOUTH ALSO
SORRY ABOUT THE VAN. I KNOW THE FEELING. WHEN ONE OF THE CHAIRS LEAVE I AM SO DEPRESSED. IF ONE HAD TO GO PERMANENTLY I WOULD CRY MY HEART OUT. I GET ATTACHED TO EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY....WE ARE BOTH SAD!! SENDING HUGS

I'M GOING FOOD SHOPPING TOMORROW IF IT DOESN'T BEGIN TO RAIN AGAIN. WE HAD A BEAUT OF A THUNDERSTORM. WILL TRY AND SEND IT OVER SHADDIE'S WAY!! HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT AND THURSDAY!
PS~ Fran's party was great but I found her in the office bathroom crying by herself. How pitiful was that? Then we both cried. I felt so bad for her but her new job will get her more money and better experience in the real world. It's nothing but BS here and you learn nothing but hatred and gossip. She is well rid of the place. I'll see her Friday when she comes to pick up her last check. More tears I am sure She loved the lavender stuff. Talked to Fran and this weekend I am definitely making that phone call to dump the Arts & Craft's responsibility. I'll still teach the seniors but that's all. Feeling good about this already!!!MORE DANCING!!

Oh Mel, thanks that was so funny I loved it.... wish it would rain here too....take care. You are so sweet. Shad thank for the kind words..... he is hoping to take another shot at it but I need more time......am having a house full of company I don't know this weekend just offering my floor to a friends rafting buddies. Will be fun I am sure.
Take Care all,
Nae

Do not get pushed into something you can't handle Rose. It will only make things harder the next time around. Talk, talk and more talk. He may get tired of it, but it does help mostly (sometimes there is too much of it and not enough action)
Enjoy the company - hope they leave the wet rafts outside.

Fun Mel - sorry that the friend is leaving, but she will find that life is totally different in another place - maybe even better.

Gotta go, talk to the travel agent.

Just checking in to let you nutcases know I'm still around. I'm in the middle of kitchen renovation which is behind schedule. It's a damned good thing Norm is cute! He's here every day but his so-called boss, Mike, seems to have bailed.

I have blocked off Shad week in June. I agree that there is more to Ontario than cities and think I may just grab Shad for an overnight and then drive her to Ottawa and pass her over to Carla.

Big Hi and hugs to everyone. I pop in to read but seldom have time to post (snoop) because the darned South Beach Forum and another website keep me too damned busy.

Argh. Well I did have a long post and lost it. Been having trouble with this site hanging A LOT lately. Don't have time to rewrite things so I'll just say hello. Off to work I go.

HELLO MISS RUTHIE!! SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU POP IN.
GOOD LUCK WITH THE RENNO AND NORM!!! IS HER THE SAME NORM ON THE TV PBS CHANNEL....CARPENTER NORM ABRAHMS,

SHAD~ HOPE THE CHAT IS FRUITFUL WITH THE TRAVEL AGENT!

HAPPY~ FOR THE LOST POST! DONTCHA JUST HATE THAT???

CARLA~ I NEED MORE FUNNY MATERIAL.

OK I ADMIT THAT I OVERSLEPT THIS MORNING. SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO GO ON TOMORROW'S BUS OR TAKE A ROLL DOWN THE STREET TO THE MOM & POP STORE. THAT'S IF THE SUN IS SHINING!! DAMN CHILLY OUT TODAY AGAIN AND A STIFF BREEZE. MAYBE MOTHER NATURE TOOK THE VIAGRA!! FIESTY WEATHER! NOTHING IS NEW. SAME OL' SAME OL'
HAPPY THURSDAY!

Morning all,

It's RAINING out there this morning and is meant to last all day. Amazing! Not that it will do much good for our dams and water situation, but the garden will just love it. I can see all the plants stretching out their leaves to grab as much as possible. Wunnerful, wunnerful

Ruth - good to see you. It's so wonderful that so many of you are willing to give your time to see me when I am there.
I have spoken to S the Travelman. I have cancelled the hotel for the nights of the 14th and 15th of June. Holly has indicated that she is free on the Monday and Tuesday 11th and 12th so I'll be in TO for that. That gives me time to see and say hello to Madcat as well. Then we can disappear into the wilderness - did you say train? I love trains. And eventually end up in Carla's neck of the woods. S is still debated the great airplane issue. I'll just tell him to book a flight to connect with the other flight. Thank you all so much.
Love those spring flowers you posted on the SB forum Ruth. Are they from your garden?

By the way, talking about Canada in general and Ontario in particular - does anyone know where Brampton is? I have to drop off a parcel from a friend to somewhere who lives there and I can't find it on my map! At least I have a telephone number.

Happy - what a shame that you lost your post. It's so annoying. That's why we copy everthing before we post - right?!! Yes there are some strange things happening from time to time on the site. I just hope the problems are not expensive ones for the 3fc to solve. It's beginning to sound a bit server-like to me!

Mel - I doubt whether Ruth's Norm is the same Norm as in This Old House. For one thing she used the word cute! No one would call Norm cute would they? Talented, yes. Smart, yes. Rich, probably. Cute????!!!!
I like fiesty weather. I'm strange in that I like the wind and I like the rain. Just not together. I have to admit that the weather in the tropics gets very boring in the winter - blue skies, trade breezes once in a while, warm temps, no rain. Boring, Boring, Boring.

Okay, better go let the cat in. She's feeling miserable out there - I think her tail got wet! and it is no use telling her that she wanted to go out there in the first place. She just gets louder and louder. Sometimes our conversations remind me of that reporter from the BBC and the Scientology director who had a bit of a barney on the telly the other day. What a farce.

Holy Cannoli!!! Less than a month to get the backs of my toilets cleaned!!!
Shad, Ruth can tell you your best option for getting to her place. She may have a better solution than the train, but I doubt it. And it's terrific that she's up for delivering you to Otty - or I could meet the two of you half way and bring you here from wherever that might be. I hope she'll bring along one of those Portugese Water dogs of hers - they are so fluffy and cute. (Please don't tell the cats I said that.)
I looked on the Internet, and it seems you can get to Brampton easily from TO's Union Stn by GO train (commuter train). Maybe Madcat can confirm that I'm right. I've never GOne on a GO train myself.
There won't be a lot of time to see the Ottawa area, I'll try to put together a good plan with lots of choices depending on weather and your preferences.

Mel, how perfect that you were demanding a funny at the exact time I was sending you one!

Rose, so sorry that things have gone awry with the BF. I hope the final outcome is what you truly want. Maybe a little time apart will make it all clear. Meanwhile,

Gotta feed those cats - and that Carla - before we all start gnawing on the furniture. Ta ta!

Ruthie. Here is a thought... I could take Shad as far as Kingston maybe... and we could meet up there... and then you could wisk away. Again, depending on what she wants.... I have to admit to a certain love of trains as well.

Shad, Brampton is a suburb just to the NW of Toronto (and the place where my sister lives). You can GO train there but transit inside Brampton sucks. I am sure we could arrange something.

We will talk.

BTW Shad check out Westjet for cheap flights from Ottawa to Toronto....

POST 2: I have had better weeks. I got a call from my SIL this morning telling me my sister had had a seizure and collapsed last night. She's in a hospital here in Toronto now and resting comfortably - but they are saying they have found evidence of some sort of brain tumor. They won't know the details for sure until the biopsy on Tuesday. She is 58 and just completed her first 42K marathon Sunday.

Sorry if I’m not really up to being much use here today.

Madcat, so sorry to hear about your bad news. Very scary indeed. I'm sending all the : I can find, and am pleased to find the more : I share, the more there seem to be. On a positive note, a friend of mine had a grapefruit-sized brain tumour removed about 10 years ago and is 100%, or even better than before. So there can be a positive outcome. And the fact that she's a distance runner should stand her in good stead if she does need surgery. But it really is a bummer. I think it's time we voted to abolish the month of May. Too many awful things happen.

Madcat--What horrible news! Prayers for your sister and hugs for you.

Hi Miss Ruth.

Yard work is great therapy for me. I'm much more relaxed today. I had a bad week at work. Tried my new hedge trimmer but I'm not sure its going to be strong enough for what I need. However, it hasn't been of the charger very long. I'd hope that it would have a place to where I could plug into it.

Driving to Jonesboro tomorrow to pick up samples at the doctor's office for the different osteoporsis med. I can't take the Actonel.

Shad- be safe on your travels.

Madcat, so sorry to hear about the sister. My thoughts are with you at this time. Thanks for the information regarding Brampton. I will have the phone number of the person involved and they may just come to meet me in Toronto if it is not too far, otherwise I can post it probably. Anyway something will sort itself out I'm sure. Meantime concentrate on your needs and those of your family.
Righty ho, I'm off to pick up tickets, hotel vouchers, insurance etc etc etc. Carla, I have cancelled the hotel bookings, but according to the travelman to get to Toronto from Ottawa by Aur Canada will cost me another $300. So I will need to get from Ottawa to Toronto on the 16th early since my flight to Calgary is 9am. I'll go check out Westjet as Madcat says.

Shad, when I looked at the AC website yesterday, there was a 7 am flight Ott-TO for $79 plus tax, which should come to about $120 (I'll check again later to be sure.) That would get you to TO in time for a 9 am flight. Is there no way he can turn in your TO-Cal flight and use the credit for Ott-Cal direct? I'll see what I can see - I think you were having trouble booking on the Internet, but I could do it for you if necessary. Back later!