Catch up!

Hey guys! Sorry for my looooog absence from the blogosphere! Summer happened, I guess! In short - very short - my sister who's living in Saudia Arabia came for about 10 days in July and we had a great time together. She got up every morning an went to Curves religiously! And I must say that, unlike me, she has lost quite a bit of weight.

The last month or so of Brad's hike for me was easier and harder at the same time, if that is possible. I knew it would be just a matter of weeks until we were back together (in Ontario), but I was also a bit apprenhesive about his return to civilization. I knew it would be difficult for him to get off the Trail and be thrust back into my arms and the arms of his family at his neice's wedding in Niagara Falls. In any case, everything worked out (as I knew it would). He met he at Hamilton airport on August 5 (full beard in tow), and over the course of the next week, we gradually reconnected with each other and with other friends and family.

We had a great week in Ontario actually. The wedding and reception went well, we met up with old friends (Javier and Terry) in Toronto, where they treated us to a great dinner at Marinella in TO's Little Italy. Do drop by if you are ever in the neighbourhood. Very tasty and authentic Italian food.

We spent the next day wandering around Toronto and taking in the sights. It was a hot and sunny 30 degrees Celcius. We ended up at a resto/bar (Milestone, I think) close to Dundas Square, where we had a couple of drinks and cooled our heels in the hot afternoon sun. We had another great meal at an Italian trattoria in Yorkville (Dimmi), and then went to a film (Another Earth, I think the name was - a good flick), and then returned to our harbour-front hotel for the evening.
Next day, we headed north to the family cottage of our good friends Shaun and Mary. To say that it poured on the way would be an understatement! I don't think I have ever seen it rain so hard in my life! I was actually scared that we would drive into a tornado! (What!? Stranger things have happend!) No matter, on we pushed, and we eventually drove out of the rain and connected with Shaun and Mary, who led us into the winding road to their cottage. We spent 3 great days there and then returned to Niagara Falls, where we spent 2 nights with Brad's sister and brother-in-law.

Now we're back. I worked last week. (Like a dog.) Brad starts back to work tomorrow. Let me just say that it will be very painful for him!

Here's a few random pics from the A.T. and from our trip to Ontario. I promise I will post more pics and fill in the details later this week! Stay tuned!

Clouds over the Appalachian Trail


Brad and Jeremy (aka Jedi) near the end of Brad's hike - dig the beard, eh!


The view onto the lake from Shaun and Mary's cottage


Mary driving the boat on a Bahama Momma booze cruise!


Dinner is served at the cottage!

Happy Monsoon Day!

Too cute not to post! More later on the goings on!

Random Stuff

Hey all! Just a quick post to keep you updated... Not a whole lot going on in this neck of the woods. It's been a week since Brad left again to get back to his hike and, of course, I am missing him. He's reconnected with his trail buddy, Jedi, and they are blazing through the woods lickey-split! They did 27 miles yesterday! In the rain! Yesh. Better him than me, I say.

I got up early this morning - shortly after 6:00 a.m. - and went to the weekly farmers' market. Got 2 quarts of fresh local strawberries, 4 bunches of basil (yuo know what that's for!), a half pound of Italian parmesan, beet greens, and organic lettuce.

I then came back and checked my lotto tickets (no luck, unfortunately, tho I did win $250 on Thursday!). Then I walked Jasper in the rain and came home and had breakfast. After that, I picked my new numbers, got groceries, and bought dog food for Jasper. Today, too, I actually went for a swim at lunchtime and could tell that it had been too long since I had been there - way out of shape! Something I hope to change this month - Sis, if you are reading this, bring your walking shoes!

This afternoon, I cleaned the house a bit and made a strawberry/rhubarb pie. To me there is no sweeter smell of summer than strawberries and rhubarb macerating in the bowl before I put them into the the pie crust. And I am torn as to which pie I like the best - raspberry or strawberry/rhubarb... Regardless, the pie came out great and perhaps my sister can be the judge when she arrives here next week! If there is any left, that is!

Till next time here are a few more random pics that Brad took of his hike on the Appalachian Trail:

The A.T.!

Hey guys! So finally a quick post about Brad's visit home and some pics from his travels on the Appalachian Trail! It's hard to believe that it was a week ago yesterday that I picked him up at the airport. His flight was right on time, and we were soon on our way back home. I have to admit that it was really strange to see him after all the time that had elapsed since he'd left. Of course, his beard and hair had grown and he had definitely lost weight and put on muscle (whereas I have gained a few extra pounds during his absence!), but just his being away for so long made us both a little nervous and apprehensive and there was definitely a little "let's get reacquainted" stuff going on. Certainly to be expected, I think, especially since he was doing something so vastly different from his regular life - and I had been here slaving away at work, looking after Jasper and the house, and doing the things that I normally do.

In any case, it really didn't take us all that long to reconnect. I poured him a glass of good wine and listened to his stories as I cooked supper - pasta putanessca with parmesan/basil oil/tomato powder toasts and raspberry pie for dessert! I think he was happy. (I also made him some garlic-free pesto, which we enjoyed as part of a potluck at Don and Marlene's place on Friday night along with freshly caught trout from their pond!). So we talked and ate and drank and had a great evening together.

I worked the next two days while Brad slept in and ate (and ate and ate). He went out to his dad's for dinner one night and then we also had a get together at Shaun and Mary's with George and Barb and Don in attendance. Great pizza, guys! As always! I took a bit of leftover raspbery pie for dessert and then we were off to yet another social gathering, this time with a few neighbours. I had made another raspberry pie for that affair.

The next day, we went out to Don and Mar's and had a great afternoon and dinner with them at their lovely countryside retreat. We were tempted to stay the night - and polish off a few more bottles from their cellar - but duty called and we had a lot to get done the next day before Brad left yet again.

On Saturday, Brad mailed off the last of his food drops to the U.S., took out his suitcase of good clothes (for the wedding next month) to his dad's (who is driving to Ontario), and packed his stuff once again to head back to the A.T. We had an early supper of baked salmon, beet greens, potatoes, olives, and tomatoes on the deck (with more raspberry pie for dessert!) before I drove him to the bus stop where he caught a bus to Moncton. He was flying out of there the next morning at 6:00 a.m., so that was the easiest option. He texted me later that the guy at the bus ticket office asked him if he wanted the adult or senior's rate! (That grey beard has to go!!) :) Once in Moncton, he went out to a movie and then walked to the airport! I couldn't believe it when he told me that, but I guess that's what he's been doing for the last month and half! He's actually walked farther than it is from here to Ottawa! And many more miles to go!

That said, it's a month from today that we attend his neice's wedding and then spend a week of vacation together in Ontario. We're going to visit Shaun and Mary at their cottage north of Toronto and hopefully have time to visit a few other friends along the way!

In other news, my sister from Saudi Arabia is coming back home on Saturday, so she will be spending some time here in the next few weeks. Will eb good to see her and we'll finally get around to sorthing through mom's stuff, which I brough back here in Apirl.

Phew, my hands are tired from typing... Here's some pics:

Day one - Arrival in Georgia!


Brad's home for the past 2 months!


A dude (Water Boy) he's been hiking with for a few weeks - they sometimes charge into a town and gobble down food - and man, is THAT a LOT of food!


Water Boy, Jedi, Chef, and ... I'm not sure... (Everyone takes on a Trail Name, which I think I have mentioned before)


Sometimes they play in streams!


Then it's back to the Trail


Chef and Jedi, Brad's most constant fellow hiker. Apparently they often get asked if they are father and son!

Halo

This too, doesn't have a whole lot to do with current events - just a tune I like. But I must say that I defnitely got a bounce out of Brad's visit and can still feel his Halo. Again, more on that later. For now, I'll just let the tunes speak for themselves

Twin Peaks

One of my fave tunes by Julie Cruise. Theme song from Twin Peaks.

Will post more about Brad's visit soon - and no- this song has nothing to do with that... We had a great time together, albeit too short. Nevertheless, I'll meet him in Ontario in early August.

Congratulations New York!

Yesterday, New York joined the ranks of other progressive jurisdictions and legalized same-sex marriage! Congratulations!!



In other news, it is yet another cold (10 C) rainy Saturday here in Eastern Canada. This is really turning into the summer that wasn't. A couple of nice days here and there, followed by cool, rainy or overcast days. I'm actually going to turn the heat on in a few minutes! Enough already!

Brad gets back on Tuesday (YAY!), and it looks like he'll be bringing the warm weather with him - at least for a day - it's supposed to be 29 C and SUNNY on Tuesday! (YAY again!). It will be great to see him and to reconnect (oh yeah!) for a brief 4 days. He heads back to the Trail on July 2nd. After that, I'll meet him in Ontario on August 5 for his neice's wedding, following which we're taking a week of vacation together visiting other friends in Ontario before heading home and BOTH of us going back to work.

On the menu for next week? (Well the stuff I can tell you about anyway!): Lemon squares, raspberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, pasta putanesca, garlic-free pesto (!), and all kinds of other yummy things...

Nice - it's thundering now and the rain is coming down in sheets... I'm signing off, turning up the heat, and having a nap! After which, I really have to clean the house!

It's Unnatural!

Interesting segment from CNN today. Kyra Phillips interviews former NY Giants dude about same sex marriage, which is being hotly debated in New York State at present. Props to Phillips for calling him out on several points! Of course, same sex marriage has been legal in Canada for over 6 years and in other countries for longer than that. Somehow, I don't see the mayhem on the streets or in society in general that David Tyree is pointing to.

Stay Cool!

Is it hot where you be? If so, you gotta stay cool. But be careful out there!

The Legacy of Brendan Burke

Hey all. I caught a GREAT episode of The Fifth Estate last night. It's a documentary-style news program produced by CBC. It was on the short life of Brendan Burke (son of Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager). Brendan was killed in a car accident at the age of 21. He was very involved in hockey and he was gay. The show originaly aired last November and it is exceedingly well done. I urge all of you to watch it. You can access the full episode here.

This and that

Hey all. Just a quick update to keep you posted, as it were. All goes well here on the home front. It will soon be a month now that I have been a bachelor! Brad left on his hiking trip on May 9. I've hired a company to look after the lawnmowing. We have a large backyard and I simply wasn't up to the task of mowing it all with our punny reel mower! The company is run by the son of a colleague - they just started up - and I wanted to throw a little business his way. After working all day, walking Jasper, and doing all the other chores around the house, I decided I just didn't have the time or the energy to look after the grass.

I met the usual gang for drinks after work last night and then had dinner with good friends Paul and Ron. It's always good to spend time with them and we had a good meal and a great catch up. Tonight, I'm also going over to friends for dinner - no rest for the wicked!

I gave Jasper a good long walk this morning (though nothing like the ones he gets with Brad!), and then rolled some coin to take to the bank in exchange for coloured paper. I rolled up $50 worth in dimes in practically no time. I have a HUGE amount of coins laying arouhd the house in various containers. The dime one was overflowing, so I tackled it first. I probably still have another $30 in the jar unrolled. Next comes nickles and then pennies - and more pennies, and more pennies! I probably have over $100 just in pennies. I also took a couple of posters to a local framing shop to have framed. That's another thing I've been meaning to do for a while now. Then I went to buy my luck lotto tickets and have a hair cut, something else I've needed for a while! Tomorrow, it's time to tie up my raspberries in my backyard patch. I may have to call on the assistance of a knowledgeable neighbour to accomplish that task properly! ;-)

Brad phones every 2 or 3 days and texts in between. He's been having a great time and has hooked up with two or three other hikers, so they are sort of hiking as a group now. His weather has been better than here, but he, too, has had some cool rainy days. One night last weekend they spent in a lodge and went tubing down a river the next day. (You can't hike all the time, apparently!) He finally has a Trail Name (everyone hiking the Appalachian Trail takes on a "trail name".) He had one before he left, but it didn't stick. He is now known as Chef-boy-r-dee! Which I think is because the other hikers are jealous of the meals that he makes with his own dehydrated food - he dehydrated stuff for months in preparation for the trip - took some with him, and I am mailing the rest at designated drop sites. I've really started to miss him, especially on Sunday nights when we always have baked salmon and usually baked potato and other vegetables followed by dessert. Most times, we watch a movie or something else we'd taped the previous week.

In any case, he'll soon be back for his 4-night furlough (he gets back on June 28), so till then, I guess I will just lie back and think of England! (Or something!)

Below is the current desktop background on our computer (I change the backgrounds religiously when I flip a page on the calendar). It was taken in 2004 at a cottage we rented on Prince Edward Island. That was Samson's last vacation with us. He died a few weeks after we returned. He's the golden retriver with the wite face. And Kaiser, too, we lost at the end of last August. So I'm missing all my boys at present! But Jasper and I wil keep the home fires burning and look forward to June 28!

Be well, my friends!

Whadda guy!

I've been a big fan of British rugger Ben Cohen for quite a while now. Here's why!

It's over!!!

Well, if Camping is right, there are just 20 minutes left on Earth for us Belivers! Ah well, I guess Camping was wrong, nonetheless, this is a good clip from Last Night, a superb Canadian film:

Home is a Fire...

I miss my Brad.

Bad Blogger!

Hey guys and gals,

Yes, I have been a very bad and derelict blogger. It's been, of course, in part due to mom's death, and also to all the activity going on around here in preparation for Brad's departure for the Appalachian Trail. He got away yesterday very early in the morning and is now somewhere in Georgia on day 2 of his hike! I tracked his flights on the computer and he called a couple of times yesterday to confirm that he had arrived safely and was on his way. Hopefully he'll call (or text!) a few times a week to keep be abreast of his progress. I put an exclaimation mark after text, as I have never sent (or receved) a text message in my life! He gave me a crash course (with notes) before he left and I am now responsible for his Canadian cell phone as he uses his American cell on his hike.

He bought the phone last month when we were in NYC with Don and Marlene and Shaun and Mary. We have a great 5 nights in The City and have vowed to return next Easter! The weather was so-so, cool for the first couple of days, then hot, and then rainy one night, but all and all, we had a terrific time. How can you not on the best city on Earth? It was good to get away and have a change of pace after mom's funeral and the attendant emotional and lifestyle changes.

Sunday was a bit difficult, being my first Mother's Day without one. Plus, it was Brad's last night here until the end of June, when he is coming home for a 4-night furlough. I continue to work at home and it has indeed turned into a permanent arrangement. They've given my window office at the office to someone else! YAY! She's welcome to it!

So for now, it's just me and Jasper minding the fort. I look forward to some quite time alone and to socializing with friends and neighbours as the weather (hopefully) get warmer. I put hopefully in brackets because today it's rainy and barely 5 degrees C. I actually lit a fire in the fireplace and am glad I did!

I'll end this post by saying that I still miss mom a lot and that I still find myself reaching for the phone to call her... This, I suppose, will pass in time. But I still feel her presence very close by. The orchid she had Brad buy me for my last birthday is blooming once again and the daffodils my brother gave her when she was in the hospital several years ago are blossuming in the back yard, where Brad planted them after a number of years of languishing in our basement. I'll post some pics of mom in the days ahead as well. I meant to do so on Sunday, but never got around to it. Stuff, eh. Today will mark the one month anniversary that I last saw her alive.

Be well my friends.

End of an Era

My mother entered immortality sometime during last night. She was 90 and a strong, forthright, and upstanding woman to the very end. She will be forever missed.


"The Last Rose Of Summer"

'Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone
All her lovely companions are faded and gone
No flower of her kindred, no rosebud is nigh
To reflect back her blushes or give sigh for sigh

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem
Since the lovelies are sleeping, go sleep thou with them
Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o'er the bed
Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead

So soon may I follow when friendships decay
And from love's shining circle the gems drop away
When true hearts lie withered and fond ones are flown
Oh who would inhabit this bleak world alone?
Oh who would inhabit this bleak world alone?

I confess

Sweet new tune from Canada's favourite songstress:

Key West and Miami

Hey guys! Hope you are all having a good weekend! After days and days of rain, the sun has finally poked through the clouds and it's quite mild - like +10 C. The snow is melting, but there is still a lot of it left to go! I have some windows open for the first time in a long time and I bought some tulips, so it's starting to feel a smidgeon like spring!

My sister and brother-in-law fly back to KSA (Saudi Arabia) today. They've been in Canada for a few weeks and it was good to see my sister. My bro-in-law was only in Ontario and I didn't get to see him. Today was supposed to be the "day of rage" in KSA, but it didn't amount to much. Hopefully, things will remain stable there.

Am going down to see mom tomorrow and get her stocked back up on her favourites. She was been basically pretty good lately with just her usualy complaints of arthritis.

Here's some more pics of Key West and Miami. We're still wishing we were back there. The other day Brad was pinning for the beach to run on rather than icy, slushy sidewalks! Oh, I just about forgot! We definitely could have gone back for another week or so had I had one more number in the lotto the other night! I was one number away from winning $35,000! As it turned out, I ended up with $700, so I'm not really complaining, but the 35 grand would have been much nicer!


One of the hosts on our Sunset Cruise in Key West. I don't think she had one ounce of body fat!


Our captain, Mike I think his name was. He didn't have a lot of body fat either!


Some of the wine on offer


Rigging the sails


The sun is setting


Ever farther


A place we stopped for lunch on our drive back to Miami - On Isla Morada, I think


Ahhh... South Beach.. and the boyz!


Probably the best beach I have been on to date. Beautiful water, great for swimming (and taking in the sights!)


The large white tents in the backgound is where the SoBe Food and Wine Festival was held. We went on Sunday and had a blast!


The rest are pretty much self-explanatory... Unfortunately for our straight male friends, the day that all the curvy gals were on the beach, we forgot our camera! Sorry guys!

Stubble

Oh the life of a male model!

More Tropical Pics!

A few more pics from Key West:

The sister ship of the one that we took the Sunset Wine Cruise on (Danger Cruises). Highly recommended!


Brad - sittin' on the dock of the bay


More cruise ship


Typical Key West architecture



A building down by the Old Dock

Beautiful Break!

Hi gang! We made it back from sunny and hot southern Florida early Wednesday morning (2:30 a.m.) after a 2-hour delay with our flight home from Toronto. We had an amazing time and the weather was sunny and warm each and every day - just what the doctor ordered! We landed in Miami just before 2:00 p.m. and we were on our way to Key West by 2:30 after picking up our rental car a few miles from the airport. It took us about 3 and a half hours to reach Key West and we arrived just after 6:00 p.m. How wonderful it is to leave winter far behind and stroll around in shorts and sandals and a light shirt where everything is green and blossoming! We thoroughly enjoyed the four days we spent in Key West and we met some friendly locals (who pointed us to a terrific restaurant) and some fellow travellers. We encountered a lot of other Canadians - I think the strong Canadian dollar is tempting an increasing number of us to head for warmer climes. In any case, here are a few pics to get started and I'll be posting more in the days ahead:

The pool area where we were staying. Most days, especially in the morning, we had it totally to ourselves


Our private patio just outside our room complete with hot tub, which we never used - I'm not big on hot tubs, having got jock itch from one many, many years ago


Our room - viewed from above. It was large and spacious and had a kitchenette


Down by the port where all the cruise ships dock


Yours truly with a cruise ship behind - they are really massive!

Endless winter...

Just a quickie to let you all know how sick I am of winter! We've had a very old-fashioned one here this year. Freezing temperatures, numbing wind, tonnes of snow... The last couple of days have been fairly mild and we had rain yesterday. Ugh. I literally can't wait for spring! But at least Brad and I will get a break from this bleak, dingy winter when we fly to Miami on Monday! I can't wait for that either! We'll be renting a car in Miami and then drivng to Key West for 4 nights. After that, we drive back to Miami for 5 nights! We're staying in great spots in both places and I've already got some restaurants picked out, of course! We're also going to take in a Miami Heat basketball game and an event at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. Should be a lot of fun, and I'll return with lots of warm and sunny photos to post here.

Then, before you know it, it will be time for Easter in New York City with Shaun and Mary and Don and Marlene! We're really looking forward to that as well!

I'll leave you with a couple of pics that Brad took at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine a few weeks ago. He and his did with on a 5-night ski vacation. Brad likes winter!

Rolling in the Deep

Man! I LOVE Adele and especially this song! She is one very talented gal... I've been listening to Radio Bruno (link in the sidebar) out of Italia for the last couple of days and it's getting lots of play on there and I've also heard it on Hit FM out of Moscow.

I'm dedicating this one to my good friend Marilyn in the US. Hope you like it, bellina!

Birds!

Pretty Amazing video of a huge cluster of birds. I think it was taken somewhere in Russia. Amazing. I'm not sure what kind of birds they are... Brad and I have seen a similar display put on by sandpipers along the Bay of Fundy. Just a beautiful and intricate ballet... Hope you enjoy:

Brand New Year!

So, it's been 2011 for 9 days now! Wow! Things are gradually getting back to normal after the holidays. We hosted our traditional New Year's Eve party for friends and neighbours. Don and Mar weren't able to make it as one of Don's uncles had died and the funeral was on Jan 1. We missed you guys lots! Many other friends and neighbours dropped by, however. Most people brought some nibbles to eat and I had made a raspberry pie, a gingerbread cake, and baked Brie. Brad made Swedish Glög, which is a potent concoction of red wine, port, brandy and a lot of warm and aromatic spices. It was quite a hit! Our very good frineds Shaun and Mary ended up staying the night with us (as we had suggested they do) and we all turned in around 3:30 in the morning!

Monday (Jan. 3) was a holiday, so I started working again on the 4th. It's been just over a month now since I started working from home and I continue to love it. I am also finding that I am WAY more productive at home than at the office. I guess it's because I'm generally happier and there are far fewer distractions at home than at work. Plus, work has picked up considerably since I started working at home. I am busy from the start to the finish of my day, which is also nice. Last fall had been particularly slow, and the workday goes by much faster when you have something to do.

Other than that, we are planning our trip to Miami and Key West next month. I totally can't wait for that and am going to try to drop a few pounds before we go, so wish me luck! And we've bought tickets for a Miami Heat game when we're there! That, too, will be exciting - my very first professional basketball game in person! I have to say, though, that the tickets were WAY more than I thought they'd be (I thought OPERA tickets were expensive!). Oh well, it's only coloured paper, right!? I'm also looking forward to booking some good restaurants both in Miami (South Beach) and Key West. So if any of you know these cities and some good spots to eat, by all means, let me know!

We are also heading back to NYC at Easter this year with Don and Marlene and Shaun and Mary. Should be a LOT of fun! We're renting two apartment and are staying for five nights! Then, of course, shortly after that, Brad will be off on his 3-month hike! And after that, we'll be going to Ontario for the wedding of one of Brad's neices.

So I think 2011 will be quite a travel year for us. And that, in my books, is a good thing.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Hey all - er... well, anyone who still clicks onto this blog occasionally! Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. This has been a crazy busy month with all the parties and gatherings. And I've spent the last few days buying things for my mother to give to people. My sister from Saudia Arabia was here for a few days last week. She had been taking the Cambridge English Second Language course in Halifax for the last month so she can teacj English when she goes back to the Kingdom. She had a good visit with mom and with me and Brad. She's now in Alberta for Christmas with all 3 of her sons.

Outside, it looks more like October than December. We've has so much rain lately that there isn't a flake of snow left on the ground. But we're supposed to get snow on Sunday and Monday, so it will probably be looking like December again just in time for January.

Brad and I aren't exchanging gifts this year. Instead, we're splurging on a 10-day holiday in February in Miami and Key West! Can't wait for that! Brad hasn't been south in ages, but he's agreed to go this time, since I have agreed to stay put and keep the home fires buring while he takes a 3-month leave of absence from his job next May to hike part of the Appalachian Trail! Can you imagine! He will come home after about six weeks or so for a conjugal visit, and I will go to the States and meet him some time after that for a few days. It's something he's always wanted to do and this looks like a good time to do it! I'll keep you posted!

The other big thing that has happened in our lives is that I have FINALLY started working from home!! I started on December 6 in fact. It has been absolutely wonderful! Brad works at home as well (for the last 14 years in fact!), but we each of our own office and so far, so good! We're not annoying each other too much at all! Officially, for me, it's a 6-month pilot project, but I don't anticipate going back to the office full-time ever again. I may have to go in for a few weeks or a month or so when other supervisors are away on vacation, but basically from now on, I'll be working from home. I haven't really gotten into a routine yet, because every lunchtime I've had to go out and run Christmas errands, but I generally get at least an hours more sleep every day and I sure do not miss the bus ride to and from work.

I'll leave you with a pic of new new workspace. Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Pardon my French!

Great song from Cee Lo Green (lead singer from Gnarles Barkley)