Water weekend

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Sherry

Over the weekend we decided to take advantage of three things: No work, beautiful weather, and living in a place surrounded by water.

Saturday found us at the beach, frolicking in the ocean. I’ve been in the Atlantic many times now and that was the warmest it’s ever been this high up the coast. Naturally the Atlantic is very pleasant for swimming down south but up here, well it’s usually on the chilly side and you just go with it because you don’t have any other choice if you want to get in there. However, the water was perfect and I had a ball swimming around (no rogue waves tried to drown me like last time, when I got slammed face-first into the sand by a wall of water).

The kids are getting braver, especially since we brought their lifejackets with us. They were both running all over the place, jumping over waves and having a great time. It was a fantastic way to spend a hot, sunny afternoon as a family.

A few dogs showed up (with their owners of course) and although there’s a sign saying that dogs must be leashed, they unhooked the leashes and all three dogs swam with their people. They didn’t bother a soul and no one complained (no lifeguards). I like that. As long as you aren’t actively upsetting anyone, things are fine. Not one dog went up to sniff anyone, they just swam, splashed, and behaved. It was awesome.

(Taken by George)

On Sunday the kids wanted to go to a nearby lake instead. Part of that was because although Hayley had a great time jumping waves, she wanted to go somewhere that would let her just paddle around. The beach at this particular lake is quite small and I worried that maybe it would be packed on such a beautiful Sunday afternoon but it wasn’t too bad after all.

The water was really warm so I was able to enjoy another day of swimming around and enjoying the day. Breanna had a moment of panic when she suddenly couldn’t touch the bottom and was cautious the rest of the time we were there but she had fun and is slowly learning to trust the lifejacket.

There were a couple of ducks there who are obviously very used to people and they weren’t scared at all. One swam all of a foot away right in front of Breanna and then two others poked around the beach, looking for dropped crumbs.

(Taken by George)

I don’t believe in daily horoscopes. They’re usually a load of crap and if they happen to come true it’s because it can be twisted to fit your situation. However, I do believe there’s a certain amount of truth to astrological signs. As a Cancer I’m a water sign and that couldn’t be more accurate for me. I’ve always been a water person and living in a place that has the entire Atlantic ocean up one side and hundreds of lakes dotted all over the place… well, I couldn’t live in a more perfect place, really. Even at work I can see a wee bit of the Halifax Harbour from the windows and even that’s enough to make me smile and feel relaxed.

Summer is wrapping up soon but hopefully there will still be time for a handful of beach runs before it gets too cold.

Working Wardrobe, week of August 15th

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Sherry

I’m about to start another week at work. It’s supposed to rain on Monday and possibly some showers on Tuesday so I’m full of regret that I left my nice new umbrella hanging on the back of a public bathroom door a couple of weeks ago. At least I still have a small one but I’ll need to buy a decent-sized replacement soon.

What I wore for the week of August 15th, although I inexplicably forgot to take a picture on Thursday. Oops!

Monday:

I also got photobombed by my own child.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

We were all asked to dress a little more corporate than usual (a lot of people wear jeans and whatnot for casual summer) because a VIP was coming by the office.

Friday:

And although this isn’t part of the weekly working wardrobe, I must say that on Saturday I got to wear my favorite outfit of all – favorite because it meant I was swimming in the ocean!

And a new week dawns. Giddy-up!

Oh my aching head…

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Sherry

Work is going very well but at the same time I still haven’t fully adjusted to getting up early in the morning and engaging myself in something as rigorous as a full day of training so I find myself tired a lot, especially by the time evening rolls around. This week we’re learning a lot of computer systems that we need to know and as a result I’m amazed that I’m sitting here in front of a computer at all, simply because I’ve had enough of monitors by the time I get home.

It doesn’t help that I didn’t get nearly enough sleep last night and have had a dull headache on and off throughout the day. I don’t think I’ll be up much longer. An hour tops (that will be 11 pm my time) and I’ll be in bed, but it’s highly likely that I’ll crash earlier than that.

Fatigue and feeling slightly overwhelmed aside, I do love what I’m learning and the place in which I am learning it.

I must say though, I am very much looking forward to the weekend. I’m not entirely sure why that is since I don’t have any big, spectacular plans at the moment but what I do know is that right now the forecast says it will be nice weather for both Saturday and Sunday and now that I’m working I can actually appreciate weekends again. I am anticipating being outside at least a little bit. I foresee drinking coffee on the back deck, breakfasts where I make home fries and George makes bacon and french toast, and maybe an outing or two to enjoy the beautiful weather while we still can.

Who knows, maybe we’ll even make it to the beach. And if we don’t, that’s okay too. As long as we can all relax and take some time to bask in the joy of the weekend, I’ll be happy.

Working Week, August 8-12

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Sherry

I’m already into yet another week of working and I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by. Sometimes it’s a bit of a shock to look at the calendar and see how many days have passed. Here’s last week’s working wardrobe. I’m really looking forward to slowly adding more pieces. I don’t really have a big enough wardrobe to bother to keep on giving the brand for each thing that I wear so I’ll just mention if I get something particularly interesting or new. I’m a big fan of thrift shops, so I’ll also mention if I get a good deal on something.

Monday:

That sweater is quickly becoming one of my favorite staples and I tend to take it with me daily in case the air conditioning gets to be a bit too much. I love the way it imitates a shawl along the back.

Tuesday:

My sister may have to beat me over the head with a brick to get this top back.

Continue reading →

Life near the ocean

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Sherry

Recently our good friends Dino, Nancy, and their daughter all came out to Halifax for their vacation time and we had such a great time. Obviously I couldn’t be around all the time because of when I started work but it was okay and I got to spend evenings with them. Two particularly fun times were Natal Day (August 1st), and the following Saturday, August 6th. We all headed out to Crystal Crescent Beach and having never been there either, I really didn’t know what to expect. Let me put it this way: Lawrencetown Beach was my number one favorite ocean spot for years, but it has now been bumped down to the second place slot. Crystal Crescent is stupidly gorgeous. The first time we went it was foggy and it was STILL amazing. Then we went back the second time and it was clear, and it was even more beautiful.

The real reason that we moved to Halifax was to have better opportunities, a fresh start, and a good future for our family of four. However, I often joke that I moved here for the ocean. It’s not too hard to believe that though, is it?

It also makes yoga feel that much more fun (and considering my love of yoga, that’s saying something!).

It’s within such a short driving distance that it’s almost ridiculous. This beach definitely falls into the category of, “Do I really LIVE here?! Seriously?”

I can’t wait to go back.

Working wardrobe, week two

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Sherry

Well, I survived my second week of work. I like the way the timing worked out. We started on a Friday, then had a long weekend, and as a result we then only had a four-day work week. It wasn’t really intentional, that’s just the way that it happened, but it really is a better way to ease back into working when you haven’t done that in almost a decade.

I’ve come to the realization that I need to do some shopping soon. Luckily I do love thrift shops so I don’t necessarily need to go drop a ton of cash, but I’m definitely going to have to get some more tops and maybe another pair of pants or a skirt to be able to create an actual wardrobe. I have a serious shortage but I’m doing the best that I can for now; it helps that George found a bag with a few more of my tops that are okay for an office so I’ll have a bit more selection. Since I love clothes but hate shopping, that’s a good thing. In the meantime, here’s what I pulled out over the past week.