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)

More France

Grape vines on a building


Rouisillon


Ile-sur-la-Sorgue - Great little town where we went to the market


Garlic graters - we brought some back for our friends


Free-run French eggs









Gordes in Provence


Murs (the "s" is pronounced) a little town across the way from where we stayed


Gorgeous Gordes


Oh, and Brad and I celebrated 20 years together this week! Here's to at least 20 more sweetie!

Signing

This has been all over the Internets lately, so why not here too? Very cute.

More Dordogne and Provence

The beautiful Dordogne River


Hot air ballons above the Dordogne


Near the caves where prehistoric drawings were found at the beginning of the 20th century


Foie gras and truffle shop in Sarlat


On a walk in the Dordogne


Me, Mark, and Kathleen on a 2 and a half hour walk during which we ended up in the middle of a wild boar hunt. We never saw any boars, but we heard lots of gunshots and dogs baying


A beautiful house we came across during our walk. We decided we could easily live in France!


I petted the horses and got quite a shock - the fence was electrified!


Pastoral France


Our home base in Provence - about 6 km outside of Gordes


One day while in Provence, we took a cooking class from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It was on this beautiful property owned by the descendant of a French viscount and his partner, the latter of whom gave the cooking class. The place was actually occupied by the Nazis during WWII, but they took pretty good care of it.


After preparing our meal, we dined al fresco under the plane tree in the warm sun


The reflecting pool


The servants quarters

Sarlat and the Dordogne

So after 2 nights in Bordeaux, we rented a car and drove to the Dordogne, which is sort of in the middle of France. We stayed three nights in Sarlat, which is where the film Chocolat (with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp) was shot. It is a dapper little town dripping with charm and beauty. We basically had an apartment there as well, though it was connected with a hotel. We had a huge second-floor terrace where we soaked up the sun and ambiance over a bottle or two of wine. One night, we cooked a big vegetable stew and ate al fresco on the terrace.

This was one the way from Bordeaux to Sarlat at a quaint little town where we stopped to have lunch, Mouleydier


Mouleydier


Sarlat


Our private terrace





A river in the Dordogne


A sweet little town called Saint-Geniès


Market in Saint-Geniès - Terrific cheese!




Nightime in Sarlat - we were lucky enough to be there during European Heritage Days (September 18 & 19). This night the entire old town was lined with candels and there were numerous outdoor shows and exhibits. Serendipity!


Shot of the church across from our terrace.


A well-trodden road in Sarlat