Things we did before we left

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Sherry

I was in Halifax for three weeks. Originally we weren’t sure we could even go and I was considering the fact that I might have to fly out by myself, stay for three or four days so I could attend Amanda’s wedding, and then come back home. I wasn’t looking forward to flying alone and I was sad at the thought of George and the kids not being there with me (not to mention being sad about the whirlwind visit). Then it worked out, I took my work with me, and we got to spend three great weeks in a place that I love tremendously.

It wasn’t long enough but as far as getaways go, you can’t really ask for much more than that.

After the wedding we were very tired and just lazed around with Breanna napping and even I fell asleep beside her for 20 minutes. I was abruptly woken up by George who told me that it was the final day for a ride on Theodore the Tugboat, something we really wanted to do with the kids. After Sunday it was going from daily outings to weekends and we were due to leave on Wednesday so we had to rush to catch one of the last two rides out that day. It was crazy but we made it in time for the 3:30-4:30 outing and it was so worth it.

(That picture cracks me up because only George looks happy, but Hayley was just mid-blink while Breanna was temporarily nervous when we started to move; she was fine once we got going!)

He’s a rather pleasant looking guy isn’t he?

The whole trip takes an hour and a guide gives a history of the harbour and all the boats and whatnot in it. She does it in a way that is interesting for adults but still fun for the kids and they were all laughing. Hell, even I laughed a few times, like the time she warned us all to duck as we approached the MacDonald Bridge because Theodore had “bumped his head on it” last week, and the way she told us all to try to touch the bridge on the way back with the caveat to avoid sticky spots because people like to leave their chewed gum up there.

On Tuesday I had to pack everything up for our Wednesday morning departure but before I did that I asked George if we could go back to Point Pleasant Park one last time. I needed to see the harbour-turned-ocean once more before I could leave. And so we did, and as though we didn’t already have enough shells, we combed the beach for more, then we bought amazing fries and sat to eat them overlooking the water.

I wasn’t happy to be leaving on Wednesday but by 8:45 we were off, stopping quickly in Truro for breakfast at McDonald’s, and then we drove to Grand Falls, New Brunswick where we had decided to spend the night in a nice motel. The drive out had been too much for one person to deal with so stopping was a better idea. It was quite nice there, with comfortable beds, a nice standard of cleanliness, free continental breakfast, and a play area for kids which was nice after seven hours in a car.

We left at roughly the same time on Thursday. I don’t sleep well the first night in a strange place so I got very little sleep (and it was broken to boot) so I was too queasy to hang around for breakfast; George and I downed a coffee, the kids drank juice, and we took our muffins to eat in the car. The drive felt longer than it was, but we actually made excellent time, managing to avoid all traffic and arriving back in town before 3 pm. I hadn’t wanted to leave Halifax but by Thursday I just wanted to get the hell home already and it was good – or as good as it can be – to be home.

I had the best time in Halifax. It was the perfect blend of excursions, relaxing downtime, and fun. I’d say I’m hoping to do it again next year but frankly I’m hoping our next drive out will include a U-Haul trailer hitched to the back of the car as we journey off to our new Halifax home.

Keep your fingers crossed, okay?

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.

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!

Blogathon Challenge – My workspace

Posted on July 25, 2009 by Sherry

Over on the Blogathon page they issued a fun challenge to give us all something to do – they want to see our workspace!

Alas, it would have been more fun to show you my laptop alongside a fruity beverage on a deck overlooking the pool at my friends’ house, but for the time being this is my workspace right here:

This is my desk where I am frequently found when I’m working or at night when I’m playing with photos or browsing Flickr. My desk is in the corner of the living room. My lifestyle is such that as much as I would appreciate a quiet room with a door, it’s more practical to be in the living room. This is the room where my kids play most frequently so I get to be where they are, the dog is out here, and at night I can watch TV while I’m on my laptop so it all works out.

If you click through on the image I’ve included notes over on Flickr explaining some of the stuff on and around my desk.

I fully admit it – I cleaned my desk quickly before taking this picture. I had a big pile of papers on the left hand corner and a plate from lunch. It looks much better now!

And yes, you may have noticed I have a huge fondness for New York City. I still haven’t been there, but I hope to go one day!

Completely off-topic, if anyone could go back to this post of mine from earlier today and make me feel better by sharing an equally embarrassing story, I’d be most grateful!

(Thank you to my recent sponsors, you are all totally making my day!)

Please consider sponsoring me while I do the Blogathon for the UNHCR!

Keeping me company at the moment

Posted on July 25, 2009 by Sherry

Right now I’ve got a little bit of company. First off I have Pearl.

Pearl is a purebred Beagle that we got from the SPCA last September when she was just under three months old. Now that she’s just over a year old we’re still waiting for her to CALM THE HELL DOWN. For the record, when people say that Beagles are “stubborn” they’re being polite and toning it down because in all honesty, stubborn is not a strong enough word for it. Hyper and overactive combined with years and years of genetics which make them ignore you completely while out on a walk makes for an interesting dog. She’s lucky she’s cute and is having more good days than bad ones lately because for awhile I had considered trading her in for a nice quiet goldfish.

(Pico, my Blogathon monitor, has a Beagle too, so she inspired me to share!)

Swimming doesn’t look like it’s likely to happen today which is too bad since I was looking forward to blogging poolside, but on the other hand it might have ended up really tiring me out so maybe it’s not so bad. Hayley’s still over there since she slept over but Breanna is keeping me company too.

George put a computer together for the kids not too long ago because we didn’t want them using ours (I need mine for work and George needs his for work and for creating music) so now they have their own. It blows my mind how well my three year old child can navigate her way through games.

Who’s keeping you company today?

Please consider sponsoring me while I do the Blogathon for the UNHCR!

Picture post – pool day!

Posted on July 25, 2009 by Sherry

So yesterday we finally got a chance to go swimming. It was about time seeing as how it’s already nearly the end of July, but the weather had been so crappy that we hadn’t had a chance until then. Even yesterday wasn’t all that hot or sunny but it was warm enough to warrant a dip. Our friends just got the pool that week so the water was still quite chilly for me (76F, brrr!) but I was so desperate to swim that I willingly got in twice and then went back a third time out of necessity when Hayley was stuck and couldn’t get out of a giant inflatable star.

Since neither of the girls can swim we got them some nice life jackets yesterday. Breanna looks so big in hers! You can also tell that she had absolutely zero interest in getting her photo taken – all she wanted to do was get in that water.

Then again, I think you can tell I was kind of eager too!

Hayley is starting to trust the life jacket and swims around a lot but she still prefers to hang on to the side when she wants a break, rather than just floating around. Then again, she could also just stand up, she’s tall enough to reach the bottom.

Breanna does not want any part of floating freely so I hang on to her while she’s in the pool. Once she gets out to take a break then I take my turn to actually swim around a bit.

Twice when we were all thoroughly chilled through we went across the street to the neighbors’ house to sit in their hot tub. There was a 20-degree difference – the water was 96F! It was so nice to sit in it and warm up. I wish I could put one of those out on our balcony!

(No, Hayley didn’t need a life jacket in the hot tub but she was so cold she didn’t want to wait long enough to take it off, she just hopped straight on in to warm up!)

I can’t wait to go back today!

Please consider sponsoring me while I do the Blogathon for the UNHCR!

Chaos Theory

Category Archives: Photos

Things we did before we left

We are gathered here today…

This is why

This is my perfect vacation

East coast girl

Getting as much enjoyment out of the weekend as possible

Oh, there you are summer

Blogathon Challenge – My workspace

Keeping me company at the moment

Picture post – pool day!