We are gathered here today…

Posted on September 8, 2009 by Sherry

We turned our time here in Halifax into a three-week vacation because we needed it, but the original reason we were coming out this way at all was because my sister was getting married. I don’t want to talk about it too much because it’s her story to tell more than mine, so she’ll eventually get the details up over on her blog when she gets a chance. But suffice it to say that the entire thing was beautiful – the bride, the ceremony, the reception, the love, the happiness, all of it.

I can’t wait to see all the other photos!

This is why

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Sherry

There are many reasons that I want to move to Halifax. The Maritimes are a friendly place to live; people talk to you and acknowledge you on the street, unlike Montreal where most people try to avoid even eye contact. The seafood alone is a good reason to move out this way. It’s still a city but it’s smaller. It feels like a community. Between my sister and George’s cousin and aunt, we have family out here which makes it less scary than it would be to move to a random place. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the ocean is a big part of it too. Even if we didn’t live right beside the ocean, just knowing that it’s there would be enough. I blame my sign. I’m a Cancer, I’m a water sign, and I’ve been too land-locked in Montreal. And for me, the mountains out West are gorgeous but there’s nothing like the Atlantic for me.

A visit to Lawrencetown Beach.

This is my perfect vacation

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Sherry

The nice thing about our vacation is that it’s so extended. When you only have one week to be somewhere on vacation there’s a little bit of an urgency where you want – need – to do as much as you can in order to make the most of it. It’s fun of course, but it can be especially tiring as well. With three weeks to be here (dwindling down now though) we’ve been able to have a nice mix of going out to see and do things as well as just hanging out here and relaxing.

What he have gone out to do has been great though. For instance, one day we went downtown to check out the Discovery Center. It’s full of science fun for kids but what’s really nice about it is the fact that it was interesting for me as well. Obviously when you take your kids out it’s most important for it to be suitable and interesting for them, but when you can have fun as well, that’s always a bonus.

They both had a blast and it was cool to watch them learning and experimenting with things. We may go back again if there’s another rainy day ahead of us because it’s easy to pass a few hours. Too bad the parking meters only let you reserve an hour and a half at a time so that George ended up having to run out to refill it.

On Thursday we had a perfectly beautiful day. The skies were blue with very few clouds and the breeze was gentle. We hopped in the car after lunch and drove out to Peggy’s Cove. The last time I had been there was about ten years ago so I had almost forgotten how beautiful it is. Thanks to my camera I won’t make the mistake of forgetting ever again.

This photo from Peggy’s Cove is currently my wallpaper on my laptop so that I can always see the ocean:

There are a few more of them in the full set.

Needless to say we enjoyed the day.

Friday we had a BBQ and some friends came over. I quickly learned that I love Cranium. I’d seen the game and wanted one for years but we’ve never played board games with our friends before – I’m not sure any of them like to. It’s a lot of fun.

On Saturday we were invited over to my sister’s house for supper. It was weird to be there because I’d seen all the pictures before but had never been there in person. It’s strange to recognize something you’ve never seen for real before. It’s also the first time that I’ve ever been in a home that is hers because when she moved out of our parents’ place it was to move out here four years ago. Then again I went with Amanda to the store to get some dressing and realized it was the first time I’d ever been out driving with her ever. I don’t know why I never had before!

We had a nice afternoon there and a delicious supper. Neal grilled up some burgers and chicken for supper and Amanda had some mussels for appetizers, a big salad, and apple pie for dessert. It was a great time. It was unfortunate that Tropical Storm Danny was on its way up the coast when we left because we were pounded by heavy rain the whole way back to George’s cousin’s house and many of the highways around here have no lights so that was… an experience I’d rather not do again thanks very much.

The tropical storm wasn’t very scary in and of itself but strangely the winds seemed stronger than the ones for Hurricane Bill last week, at least in our area. I went to bed around 1:30 am and woke up in the middle of the night because the whole house was shaking. I’ve never experienced wind like that before. It wasn’t scary but it made it almost impossible for me to sleep for a few hours. At least it was entertaining.

Then I woke up this morning and the sun was shining – a totally beautiful day. I guess it’s true then, what they say about the Maritimes: If you don’t like the weather, just wait. It’ll change.

Very true indeed.

East coast girl

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Sherry

It’s been, uh, more than a few days since I’ve updated, hasn’t it?

Sorry about that. See, a few days ago we handed a spare key to a friend who is house-sitting for us, showed him where the dog food and cat food can be found, offered up all the contents of our fridge and pantry, and then the next day we got in a car. At 3:30 am. For roughly 16 hours.

Yes, the driving sucked. And I don’t even drive. I’m so sorry that I don’t have a driver’s license because I felt bad for George who had to drive all 16 of those hours. The kids were really great up until the last three or four hours, and honestly you can’t ask for much more than that. We stopped frequently at rest areas, ate too much junk for one day (alas), and plied the kids with portable DVD players until they passed out.

And we drove. And drove. And stopped at Tim Horton’s for coffee because both of us had droopy eyes. And then we drove some more. And then…

We hit Nova Scotia. And roughly two hours later we arrived in Halifax and let me tell you, I already know it’s going to be hard to come home. I wonder if our house-sitter would like a cat and dog. And all our crap. Because I’d like to stay.

The first real day that we were here was very quiet. The last thing George (or any of us) wanted to do was get back in a car to drive around anywhere. Instead we hung around his cousin’s house and I took the kids to the park. The biggest drive was when George went to the grocery store for steaks to BBQ that night. It was quiet but fun.

Today we headed into downtown Halifax where I surprised my sister by dropping in on her at work. The surprise was almost on us when we found out she had gone for a walk after lunch, but she arrived five minutes later and there were tears from each of us. I miss my sister.

After a tour of the law firm she works in, we took the kids down to the waterfront, ate some insanely delicious burgers, and watched the boats – the kids desperately want to go for a ride on Theodore the Tugboat, so we just might go back and do that while we’re here.

We drove around the Citadel but plan to go back on a day when it’s not so hot. We did drive out to Point Pleasant Park though, and the kids were very excited to see the Atlantic Ocean. Let’s be honest – I was excited too.

We have many more plans in store. I’m updating my photo set over on Flickr regularly. In the meantime, I had to smile the first morning I was here when I pulled out a mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee only to notice what it said:

Yes. Yes, it certainly is.

Why I'll be steering my kids towards the Jonas Brothers and away from Miley Cyrus

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Sherry

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around something for several days. The 2009 Teen Choice Awards were taped on Sunday night and they aired on Monday. However, this is the Internet world with YouTube and Twitter and Flickr, and so long before the show aired I had heard that Miley Cyrus did a pole dance during her performance.

I was confused when I heard this. Miley has made some mistakes in her short career but overall she’s a pretty good girl, an average teenager, and at least one of her parents (usually both) are at all her shows to keep her head on straight. I thought that certainly someone was exaggerating something innocent. You know, like maybe Miley had grabbed a support pole as she skipped past and lost her balance or… something?

Well, no.

miley

No, Miley wore short-shorts, high heeled boots, and danced on top of an ice cream truck with a POLE.

I need to state for the record that I am not now, nor have I ever been a prude. Not even close. And I will admit that her routine was tame. It wasn’t a re-enactment of Showgirls with Miley twirling upside down on a pole, legs spread in the air or anything. That being said, she is SIXTEEN YEARS OLD. She is an underage teenage girl. On top of that, she’s an underage teenage girl associated with Disney and a role model to very young girls.

If Miley wants to break free from that, I don’t blame her, I get it. But she needs to remove herself from the whole Hannah Montana phenomenon first. When you have fans as young as four or five years old, gyrating – even for a moment – along a pole in an itty bitty outfit and hooker heel boots is inappropriate. I’m so glad my kids were in bed, so I would have to explain that no, they can’t dance like that on the poles that hold up the play structures at the park because it’s (as I said) INAPPROPRIATE.

The thing is, I can’t really blame Miley herself. She’s gotten herself into so much trouble before that you’d think she’d learn by now (hello, stop taking half-naked pictures of yourself and maybe avoid racial slurs that you think are funny) but she’s still 16 years old. She probably thought she was being cool. I remember being 16, and I probably would have thought so too.

But did I mention that her parents are at pretty much every performance she does? Also, her manager is HER MOTHER. Her mother approved that routine? Seriously? Well apparently, because Billy Ray and Tish stood up and applauded their little girl up there, proud as all hell. Makes you think they just really like the money Miley brings in with her massive empire of products. Well, you know who else liked the money her daughter was pulling in? Dinah Lohan. Have you seen what’s happened to Lindsay Lohan over the years?

The truth is I think the Jonas Brothers SUCK. I’ve admittedly never heard any of their recorded albums, I just know that every time I hear them live on some awards show I can’t get past the fact that they’re constantly out of tune. But you know what? I’ll get their albums and some posters and see what Hayley thinks of them because three boys with purity rings are better role models than a pole-dancing teenager.

Dude, just say no.

Sincerely, John Hughes

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Sherry

This post about being a pen pal to John Hughes (RIP) is AMAZING.

Getting as much enjoyment out of the weekend as possible

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Sherry

Sunday was a rainy day, so luckily we had big plans for Saturday instead. We were up at a decent hour (especially for a weekend) and we headed up to Saint-Sauveur, a charming area in the Laurentians outside of Montreal which is a tourist haven year-round, but especially in the Winter thanks to its numerous ski hills and chalets.

George is in more than one band, and one of the drummers was having a party at his house up there. He asked the band to come and play – no pay, but lots of food, the use of his (fabulous!) pool, and a good time. He also told George to be sure to bring his family, which was really nice since I had spoken to him on the phone a few times but had never actually met him in person.

We had a great day. It started off a bit rocky because Quebec is an idiotic province that figures it’s a good idea to do construction on every single possible route to a major destination. What should have been a one-hour drive North ended up taking us two and a half hours, complete with cursing and muttering. We grabbed a quick lunch just outside of Sauveur, then made our way to the party.

The upside was that we didn’t have to figure out how to entertain ourselves in town while waiting for the party to start – by the time we made it there, the band simply set up, the kids and I hopped into the pool, and the live music started.

They played several sets, with a few other people joining in on guitar, harmonica, and vocals – the guy playing harmonica found out that Breanna loves that instrument and gave her a spare that he had. She was in heaven. Meanwhile, we swam until our lips turned blue, ate tons of corn on the cob, grilled hot dogs & burgers, salads galore, and had a wonderful time.

At one point when the sun was hitting that magical “golden hour”, I took the girls for a walk and took a few shots along the way. After the sun set I expected to be attacked by mosquitoes, but for some reason they didn’t bother us at all, even without bug spray (chlorine maybe?), and when the band finally called it a night we had even more food when the hostess brought out platters of cheese, crackers, fruit, and pies.

We left a little past 11 and got home (after dropping George’s amp off at his parents’ house) around 12:30 a.m. Breanna had passed out within five minutes of driving. Hayley managed to hang in for about 20 minutes before she fell asleep too. Neither one was impressed to be woken up when we got home but we got them upstairs and into bed fairly easily.

It was a really great way to spend the day. Everyone was so nice, and I spent a lot of time talking to one woman in particular who also had a Canon dSLR camera (the 40D) – that was really nice because usually I’m the only one with a “big-ass camera (TM)” and people sometimes look strangely at me when I’m lying on the ground or climbing up on stuff to take pictures. It was great to spend a lot of time with someone who does the exact same thing.

I can definitely go for more weekends like that. You can see the full photo set over here if you’d like.

Oh, there you are summer

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Sherry

After spending most of July cursing the near-constant downpours which killed most of my flowers on the balcony by the way, summer finally woke up from its leisurely nap, raised its head, and sleepily drawled, “Oh hey, were you waiting for me? My bad.”

And the it whacked us with a ton of humidity. I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see the sun and the park after supper is very comfortable after a humid day but it was almost insane – there was no normal buildup, it was just *thunk* humid.

Ah well. We’ve spent some time at the park this week and that’s just been really bloody nice because the kids had gotten kind of stir crazy. Not that you can tell.

Last night was particularly nice. A husband and wife who own my favorite dog in the whole neighborhood showed up late in the evening and we got to pet the little guy. She even took his leash off and he ran around with us. He is ADORABLE.

Then another woman that I had seen but never met showed up with her three dogs and it was just mayhem – the good kind – with four happy dogs running around, not to mention my two equally happy kids. No one else was there so no one was bothered by them. Hayley was ecstatic because she got to hold the three dogs on their leashes (even though they didn’t really need to be held, they were happy to stay close by).

It’s something she can’t really do with Pearl, which is unfortunate. I’ve been working with that damn dog since last September and no training has ever put even the tiniest dent in all the genes bred into her that make her so desperate to sniff that she pulls over and over again. The Halti collar worked but Pearl CHEWED her regular collar; the Halti attaches to the regular flat collar for security reasons, so we can’t use it until we get around to buying a new one. Right now I walk Pearl using a choke collar and let me tell you, that stubborn Beagle does not give a hoot how many times you yank on that thing. Sometimes she sounds like she’s going to strangle herself when we’re walking.

So when Hayley got a chance to “walk” a whole herd of dogs around the park, she was beside herself with joy. Even Breanna got to walk one around.

It wasn’t an easy task convincing my kids to come home considering the dogs were still running around when it was time for us to head home to do snacks and bedtime.

Despite the humidity, I am so much happier now that the sun is making a semi-regular appearance and we can get out more often and for longer periods of time.

Between reading my book on park benches, zoning out while pushing swings, or just sitting in the grass, it makes for a more zen-like me, that’s for sure.

*******

In trademark stereotypical Canadian fashion, I also bitched about the weather letting us all down over on Canada Moms Blog, drop on by and feel free to comment with your own weather woes!

Thank you (REALLY) and good night. Um, morning. Whatever.

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Sherry

Blogathon 2009 is now officially drawing to a close. I survived the 24 hours of blogging every half hour and am proud to have raise almost $600 for the UNHCR.

Thank you so very much to every single person who pledge money to the cause, it’s very motivating when you know that you have people counting on you to finish something.

And thank you just as much to all of you who encouraged me whether it was by email, in comments, over on Flickr, or the crazy (and awesome!) bunch that stayed up all night with me over on Pittwatch.com. You guys are all amazing and you have no idea how much harder this would have been without your support!

Now it is time for me to retire for at least a few hours of sleep. Although I ended the Blogathon feeling more pulled together than ever before I am most definitely ready to drift off. So on that note I leave you with this:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Thanks and good, uh, “night”!

If you’d still like to sponsor me for doing the Blogathon for the UNHCR, it’s not too late. You can sponsor me anytime during the next three days. You’ll receive an email sometime this week, telling you how to go and donate the amount that you pledged. Thanks!

Dream sequence

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Sherry

Look I’m still awake! And there’s only half an hour until I’m done!

22/365 - Just about finished the Blogathon

Now that I’m on the brink of finishing up and getting to go to sleep, this seemed appropriate…

Some things I wouldn’t mind dreaming about when I collapse into bed:

I won the lottery and bought my dream house in my dream city.
I’m visiting Prague. I actually did dream that once and was really ticked off that it wasn’t real.
I’m on a nice sandy beach, swimming in the ocean.
I’m sleeping. 😀 Ever dream that you’re asleep? It’s really surreal!
Anyone from that celebrity list earlier tonight can feel free to pop into my head while I’m asleep! 😉

Almost done! Holy crap!

(Note to self: Sherry! Do NOT fall asleep now! That would be supremely laaaaame.)

Chaos Theory

Author Archives: Sherry