Everybody's Got a Dream

So yesterday was very busy, but also a very productive day. I got my biking done and showered, had lunch, and made a lentil salad (a yummy one with sun-dried tomatoes in it) to have with rice for supper. Then Brad and I went up to the hospital to see his mom. I left after an hour or so and Brad stayed for a 4-hour shift to relieve other family members. Someone basically stays with his mom around the clock, with Brad's dad doing the night shift. I came home and took the dogs out, fed them and then had supper myself: the lentil salad with rice and feta cheese. (Hmmm... it just struck me. Feta cheese. I suppose that is something like saying tuna fish, as a lot of folks do in 'Merica.)

I did the dishes and went back up to the hospital to pick up Brad. I asked his father if he had purchased his 6/49 ticket, as the jackpot was $36 million. He said that he hadn't, but I told him I had picked up an extra insta-pic for Brad's mom. Soon after this conversation, I heard the other woman who shares the room calling someone in her family to tell them to go out and buy her 6/49 tickets! Alas, it was all for naught, as no one won the jackpot last night and it now goes up to $43 million for Wednesday's draw. Wow. Forty-three million dollars! I think that is the highest jackpot ever in Canada.

Brad shudders to think of me winning that much money, but I think it would be a blast. I would, of course, immediately hire a financial advisor and securely invest at least 10 million of it. I would also set up a charitable foundation and give generously to friends and family. But then I would also have some fun! We'd have a pied-à-terre in New York or Montréal and probably a property out West somewhere too, Vancouver, Victoria, Colorado perhaps. I'd also buy a home somewhere in Europe: Stockholm, Zürich, Lausanne, Rome? It would be a tough decision, but I'd have fun making up my mind...

After the hospital, Brad and I made a quick stop at the grocery store, where we ran into our friend George. He and his wife Barb have bought a new house and are in the process of renovating the kitchen and one of the bathrooms before they move in - in about 2 weeks time. We still haven't seen it yet, but will hopefully drop by after Brad's shift at the hospital tonight.

After chatting with George and picking up a few things at the store, we headed over to Paul's with a bottle of wine. We sat outside at his place until dusk, when the mosquitoes drove us inside. It was great to finally spend some time with our good friend. We swapped stories of Italy and his trip to Vegas and California. He was very taken with San Diego, which by all accounts is a beautiful city and one I will have to get to one of these days. If the planets align, we hopefully will get to spend some vacation time with Paul sometime this fall. A brief mention was also made of Paul and I going somewhere hot this coming winter (Brad doesn't like hot in summer or winter)... Miami perhaps, maybe back to Mexico... Who knows? And if not this winter, then sometime else for sure.

We also met Paul's new attendant, who seems like a very nice guy. He was born and raised here in the city, but his parents are both from India. He's handsome and very polite and well-spoken. I think Paulie's found a winner in this guy (Paul's had some rather odd ducks in the past when it comes to attendants).

Beh... still rainy and humid here. No raspberry picking today I fear. Here's some pics of sunnier days:

Ron and me and Paul in Mexico (Mayan Riviera)


Beach in Playa del Carmen


Dinner at Yaxche, a great restaurant in Playa del Carmen


The beach at our resort


Our favourite server at the buffet restaurant on our last morning there