I'm excited. my sister booked a hotel for herself, my nephew(age 9), me and my two kids for the August long weekend- in Toronto, we will get a Toronto pass which lets you into all the sights for the price of 1( more or less).She has even mapped out an itinerary. Yippee!!!!!
Thought it would be more fun with company than doing it all alone with my kids and hubby doesn't want to go. It worked out perfectly and we will split the hotel bill.
I got my few errands done. Need to pick up DS in 20 min.
Hmmm...now I have the travel bug. Maybe during Delta Fair would be a good time to get outta town! Tranna, Oakville, Burlington, A.C. and Stratford! Hmmmm.
Shad will be here tomorrow! I can hardly wait! I'd love to do her whole North American trip. I'd even go to Graceland. All I need is a new knee and I'm outta here!
It sure sounds like the Toronto get-together was a major success for all concerned. Bravo to all of you for all the nice walking and chatting and just getting to know each other. As for Holly, as the saying goes, how will we keep her down on the farm now that she's seen Paree?? (Answer: we won't - she's already booked a return visit.)
Ruth, we'll probably all be calling each other tonight, but it makes the most sense that you ands Shad arrange her arrival in Kingston, after which you and I can negociate delivery or transfer of the precious package. I'll have to get busy with the duster and mop, and also a teensy bit of grocery/wine shopping to cover the extra morning with guest. Haven't made pancakes in an age, but if you fall down on the job I can give it a try. I have some maple syrup in the fridge. Then again, I do make a mean smoothie... I'll let Shad decide. But I digress. I think you have a lengthy list of activities for Ms Joy, so I thought we could either meet in Smiths Falls for the hand-off and a coffee or whatever early evening (I'd rather miss the after-work traffic, not that it's a big deal) OR I could head down a little earlier, meet you either SF or Delta, and spend a little time getting acquainted before heading back up here for a lateish dinner and a libation or two. As long as I can be off the highway before dark, and have my guest in place for a reasonably early start on Friday, I'll be happy.
Mel, spicy food? Or did you "get rid of" too much of the good stuff you had in your secret stash? Do take care, rest the eyes, and come back to us when you're feeling better.
Madcat, can't wait to see the photos of the great Toronto caper. One of these days, don't know when, I'm bound to end up down there for a conference, and will absolutely try to arrange a get-together. By the way, I had never heard of TO being called the Big Smoke... We always called it Toronto the Good. As for pronouncint it "Tranna" I remember being enormously confused at one point when Tirana (Albania?) was in the news. It must have taken me at least a couple of days to figure out what TO had to do with Albania...
Happy, I do envy you starting a new job. While I've been in the same field for a looooong time, I did tend to make a major move of some kind every 5 to10 years. In fact, I'm due for another change right now, but the only options are retirement or moving to another city. I know which one I prefer, just have to find the $$$.
I seem to remember reading that when we start using a pedometer it's good to spend one day doing your normal activity to get a base number of steps, and then start to increase gradually. If it's like running, best not to increase more than 10% per week.
I must go - Ruth and I have just spent an hour on the phone sorting out Shad's immediate future, and I have things to do asap. Sorry as usual to any worldly chicks I've missed...
* The Big Smoke, a name applied to various cities, including:
o Vancouver, British Columbia because of its heavy fogs and millsmoke ("smoke" in the old trade language there meant “fog” and “cloud").
o London, because of its smog (though these have declined, and the name with them)
o Toronto
o Sydney
* a character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
aaaaah - my poor feet. Two days on the road and the NZ Kumpfs are starting to state that they are not going to be comfortable for much longer. They need a break!!!
I've done the Eaton centre and a fair slice of PATH, then I walked down to the St Lawrence Markets and then back to the hotel - it didn't seem that far but I guess it was far enough for the feet. Can't see any improvement in the body yet. Only bought 2 tee shirts and some fruit. I've been missing the fruit. Ran into a woman in the market who comes from Auckland NZ. She has a NZ gift shop there. Interesting to hear the accent so pure again. Then I found the NZ honey shop and had to taste all the different honeys. I wish I had found the Rewa Rewa honey in AKL for Happy. It is so different. Even found some Maple and Walnut icecream and had to have a go at that.
Okay, that's about it for the day. Coffee is finished and the guy behind the counter is giving the girls who got here just before me a hard time, so my time must also be about up.
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Poor Shad,
Hope you get a chance to rest up the tired feet on the train to Ruth's. The Longhorn sounds like a place to sit and chat too. DH and I walked into our Fresh Market local grocer on Sunday and they had MANGOS for 50 cents each! I had to touch them to see if they were real. I have never, EVER seen mangoes for that cheap here. Pity that we missed them, I told DH that you are the only person in Memphis who could show us how to cut the silly things Darn, another thing we missed. **snaps fingers**
Your honey was divine. It's quite chilly in the new office so I broke into my stash of teas. Took along the honey today and liked it so much I had 2 cuppas. Definitely not sharing. I now know what I've been missing. Poor sad American bees Thank you, thank you for something new and delightful. And every morning I take a sniff of the white soap before I leave - my personal aromatherapy. Keeps me from swearing at the imbeciles on the commute in.
Ruthie - mum's got bad knees, some days I have bad knees. We can make accomodations - don't worry.
It really is lovely to see everyone rallying around such a joyous event. And Shad has not yet once complained that we've called her a parcel.
Carla - I hear you on moving around on the job. I tend to stay a long time at a company but get itchy feet about every 3 years or so. Actually by that point you start to get jaded, switching things up gets you enthused again although right now I'm heavily into the dazed and confused mode and I don't think I will ever remember any of this. Hope you can work things in your favor for future plans. If nothing else we can band together and create a "Camp Fun for Chicks" summer up north, winter down south. Whutcha think?
Best get to bed now, pleasant dreams to all. Happy treking up yonder friends.
Ooooh, it sounds like y'all had a wonderful meet-up. I did stand/walk rather a lot yesterday... and am barely toddling today. Tomorrow I should have time to walk. Thursday, DH is having a "procedure" that will take a fair amount of the day.. so maybe pacing will be the exercise I get. Friday we're off to California. Wheeeeeeee.
Shad will enjoy the triasn ride. It is thru beautiful Ontario countryside. I am only( okay a lot) envious. Need to plan another road trip.
My Sister jumped on my Toronto trip inviote and booked everything yesterday. Hotel, Toronto passes. We are all set!!
My allergies are terrible thins morning. My top eye lid is drooping over the bottom lid. Compresses and meds will help. Kids are launched.
I am taking this morning "off". Sorta. I have had a non stop whirlwind 8 days straight. I am feeling it today. I do need to make something for the gangs supper and then shower. I have payroll at noon.
I want to make a big To Do list for around the house to get my focus.
I need to buckle down about my weight and exercise as well. I have been carting around 30 lbs since DS8 was born. It just needs to come off. Bottom line. I need to commit to myself.
Happy - are you back to burning the candle again? I just looked at the times when you posted. After midnight???! and then again at 8.30!!! How do you expect to learn a new job when you brain doesn't have time to become unscrambled and de fried overnight??? (Shades of aigs there - howdya laike them aigs?). Get thee to bed early woman.
I had a fairly long chat with Ruthxxx last night. That woman has an evil laugh. I can see we are going to get up to lots of no good tomorrow. She already has the barcardi rum cake ready and the wine. The **** with food! I'll have to dig out the Aussie accent again so the family can get to understand the lingo. Can't really do West Australian too well, but I'll try.
Holly is bringing the family to the triple cities. Should I warn the natives now or should I let them be surprised???? Oh surprise them I think!!!
The man from Brampton (and possibly his wife) are coming to take me to lunch today - yeehah at last I get rid of Ned Kelly out of the case. So much more room to put junk into!
I catch the train to the Promised Land at 1510 or 1530. I'm told to sit on the right so I can see the sights. If we have a minute tomorrow, I will tell you all about the 'real Ontario' and the 'real manure piles, beer bottles and hay baling'. It will be a blast. I'll probably need a minute or two for laundry as well.
Painter - good onya for getting up and moving. A little bit done often will help a lot with the mobility. Go Girl.
Speaking of going - it's time I went. The man is getting that look again.
Till next time from Canadian Paradise.
GOOD MORNING CHICKLETTES
I SKIMMED THE POSTS. LAUGHED WHEN I SAW HOLLY IS READY TO GO BACK ALREADY! SHE WILL NEVER STAY BACK ON THE FARM CARLA!
HOPE SHAD'S FEET GET A NICE WARM SOAK BEFORE THE NEXT LEG OF THE JOURNEY! MY MAYOR IS STILL TALKING ABOUT US!! MAKING ME PROMISE TO NEVER GO ON THOSE 2 HILLS AGAIN HE'S TOO CUTE.
HAPPY YOU ARE TO BE FOR THE LATE HOURS YOU KEEP!!! YOU AND MADCAT NEED ALL YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU FOR THE 2 NEW JOBS. MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH MADCAT AND HER SISTER.
RUTH AND CARLA SOUND LIKE THEY ARE READY FOR THE PASSING OF THE NZ PARCEL AND I TOO AM SURPRISED HAPPY THAT SHAD HASN'T ONCE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BEING CALLED A PARCEL
AS FOR ME....EYES AND SKIN ARE IN FULL BLOOM BUT THE PAIN IS GOING AWAY. CORTISONE DROPS HAVE WORKED THEIR WONDERS AS USUAL. IF I GET ANOTHERT BOUT, I WILL HAVE TO SEE THE DR. I'VE RUN OUT OF MEDS! JOHN AND JIMMY CAME UP WHEN THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT MY SKIN. THEY KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT BEING IN PUBLIC AND HEARING THE COMMENTS SO THEY CAME TO BRING MY CHAIRS AND HELP WITH THE REST. WE MIGHT HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES BUT IT'S NICE TO KNOW WE ALL GO THE DISTANCE WHEN IT COMES TO TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER'S BACK. GOTTA LOVE THOSE GUYS. OK I AM OUT OF HERE. THIS IS NO TIME TO PUSH IT!!
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!
My kids argued this morning over who got to take what, from the gifts Shad gave me, for show and tell. DS this morning, DD this aft. So Jaffas will be the talk of Downtown Ailsa Craig. The pencil is a big hit. Too funny.
Hubby jokingly said the Jaffas were Aussie Smarties. He managed to eat a handful.
Just got a call from Shad who will be catching the 3:10 out of Tranna. I'll be picking her up shortly after five. I think I'll take one of the dogs - do you think she'll know me? It'll probably be Hershey because Lucy dashed out of an open gate (damned workmen!) and is snoring away after her 20 minute run through the village, terrorizing the natives! At least she comes back and barks at the door to get into her nice air-conditioned house!
Quote:
I'll have to dig out the Aussie accent again so the family can get to understand the lingo. Can't really do West Australian too well, but I'll try.
said Shad. My niece is marrying a guy from West Australia - a real hunk! - and my sister and BIL want to get a fix on Australia as they plan a trip there. We are going over to the Farm tomorrow afternoon for tea or a drink before we go on to Merrickville and a meeting for dinner with Carla49. We definitely have to take in the Long Horn - breakfast or lunch maybe - and will probably walk the Village a bit. I'm sure we'll manage to fill the time even if we don't find a guy with a manure spreader. (The excitement today was a guy with a helicopter moving a hydro pole out to Black Jack Island on the Lower Lake. Try to match that!) Oh yeah - and laundry!
I just put a Skor chocolate bar on Shad's pillow! I don't know how she made out on this trip but ....evil laugh! I'll try to get her rested up as Carla49 had some mountain scaling scheduled for Friday. At least we've been having real Australian weather for this Joyous Journey.
In other news......I managed to get out of the Mill Meeting last night without having to take on a committee! Like most community organizations, a few of the 150 people do all the work. The ones talking the loudest BS at the social hour last night were the slackers. So sad! Our Mill is a National Historic Site and a real treasure but it takes lots of volunteer hours to staff it.
It's definitely full summer now. I took the back road home from shopping this morning and the fields are just lovely with buttercups and daisies. You can also smell CLOVER How appropriate!
Time to give the Girls an early supper and get out of my garden grubbies ready to go to town. I think I'd better clear some crud out of the car too so there's room for La Shad's luggage. She's wearing black shorts so I don't need to get all the fog fur off the seats,
Full report to follow, of course.
Here's a pic of my soon-to-be nephew. If they are all like that in West Australia, I may join the family visit! He's sort of a movie Crocodile Dundee!
Unless she's been abducted by the bunch from Brampton, Shad is sitting in her train, just chugging out of Union Station, inching her way closer to Delta and then Otty. Ruth is setting chocolate traps throughout the house. And Carla is enjoying getting off work at one instead of 5... Also doing laundry and doing a very good job of reducing her expectations of how clean the house will be for Ms Shad and then the poor catsitter. I just hope everyone who comes in here is wearing a hazard suit, or at least a pair of slippers...
My fingers are crossed for a couple of beautiful days until Sunday morning's general exodus from my place towards western Canada. Merrickville is a gorgeous little town, the perfect place to meet up with fellow chicks. Having discovered that almost all the worldly chicks except me are, uh, down to earth, I think I'll just look around until I see two giggling munchkins of a certain age, and that'll be Ruth and the package.
Friday looks good for a quiet breakfast and then off to the woods, followed by a nice "refreshing" (= ice cold) swim in Meech Lake and either a picnic lunch or a nice stop at a café in Old Chelsea. The rest of the day can be whatever S wants, with maybe more laundry , a glass or two, a bite or a bbq, and an early night to accommodate that very, very, very, early trip to the airport.
Mel, how nice that the fellows realized you could use a hand. No one likes to be seen when they're not looking their best. I'm sure the people who ask the inevitable "Eeewww, what happened to your face/leg/hair/leg-hair?" aren't trying to be mean, but sheesh, do they think we don't already feel bad enough? By the way, Ruth and I are plotting to descend on New York one of these days. We'll give you plenty of notice so you can rest up, stay away from all your trigger foods, and charge up all your chairs to walk the streets with us. (Hmmmm, that doesn't sound quite right. For the record, I am not a streetwalker. Don't know about that Ruth, but she does have xxx after her name...)
That's all for now. Time to head down to the laundry room, and maybe do a little dusting. Maybe.
hey guys! Just a quickie (but not the bump nasties kind!). Spent all day helping my sister go through the rounds with the latest doctor visit. This one was all about Chemo... don't get me wrong, all the health care types have been very kind, but it was just SO MUCH information. She even broke down at one point and said "Don't tell me anymore. I just can't absorb it". It helps she has a technical writer as a sister since I was there, notebook in hand, being useful and scribbling madly. The notetaking put me in job mode and helped keep ME calm at least. She starts both Radiation and Chemo Monday. Good thoughts are welcomed, please.
Hope that by now Shad and Ruth are sitting on a garden chair somewhere with a glass in hand. Sorry I couldn't spend more time with you while you were here, Shad. I feel so bad about it, but, my how circumstances suck sometimes. I was a bit out of it and I hope you didn’t find me too tedious. But Monday really helped.
My DH is taking me out for a beer. It's not on the diet, but sometimes life happens. Take care all. Happy, get some sleep and I hope your new job still has that new job smell. Mel, watch your sweet eyes and yes, it is nice to know you can count on people when things are bad. Carla, don't waste all your time cleaning. It is too nice a day. Shad will squint and "avoid" seeing the dust. Holly is dreaming of her TO vacation. Ruthie, if you ever do make that S.Ontario tour, I would love to meet you for lunch. Hubba Hubba for the soon to be nephew. Shad, enjoy the Valley boys and I’m glad Ned jumped ship. Don’t overdo it, Painter. I hope your husband is quick to get over whatever he is having done. Love to everyone else since I’m afraid to go back a screen
Gonna go take a shower to wash the car sweat off and go revel in just being alive.
Darn, another thing we missed. **snaps fingers**
Definitely not sharing. I now know what I've been missing. Poor sad American bees 
Thank you, thank you for something new and delightful. And every morning I take a sniff of the white soap before I leave - my personal aromatherapy. Keeps me from swearing at the imbeciles on the commute in. 
and then again at 8.30!!! 
How do you expect to learn a new job when you brain doesn't have time to become unscrambled and de fried overnight??? (Shades of aigs there - howdya laike them aigs?). Get thee to bed early woman.
GOOD MORNING CHICKLETTES
SHE WILL NEVER STAY BACK ON THE FARM CARLA! 
FOR THE LATE HOURS YOU KEEP!!! YOU AND MADCAT NEED ALL YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU FOR THE 2 NEW JOBS. MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH MADCAT AND HER SISTER. 
AND I TOO AM SURPRISED HAPPY THAT SHAD HASN'T ONCE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BEING CALLED A PARCEL 
Also doing laundry and doing a very good job of reducing her expectations of how clean the house will be for Ms Shad and then the poor catsitter. 
, a glass or two, a bite or a bbq, and an early night to accommodate that very, very, very, early trip to the airport.
