A little hoarse, but who's complaining?

Andy and I just got back from one of the best weekend trips to date. Surprisingly, I can still look back through the fog of a beer-ridden haze and recall every last minute of one of the most fantastic cities I have ever visited.

Within the first few hours of arriving in Dublin I realized that one of the reasons I was probably going to love it so much was due to the fact that it reminded me of Halifax. It wasn't the scenery, with the river LIffey cutting a path between the north and south, it wasn't the old-world type pubs, or the teaming crowds of people -it was the feel - that friendly, laid back, we're not in a hurry, and boy are you welcome here feel. Anyone who hails from Halifax and appreciates its constant, almost horizontal state of laid-backness will understand what I am talking about.

However for all the ways that it felt the same, it obviously looked different as it is a European city after all. But it was gorgeous and I couldn't wait to embrace it like an old friend. (I will however say at this point that it did remind of me of Halifax in one physical aspect: some of the locals were wearing Crocks - one even had them on with socks. Crocks with Socks! They are in the stores here, but I've not actually seen anyone wearing them.)

We couldn't wait to visit the pubs of Temple Bar and try out Irish Beer, so that was naturally where we headed first. My first drink was Kilkenny - a dark reddish beer on tap that I thought was absolutely delicious and certainly drank my fill of in two days. We moved on from Temple Bar up to Grafton Street for a look around and to get our bearings. We wandered down Stephen Street where Andy pointed out a pub called 'The Hairy Lemon'. I loved its name immediately and hoped it would be as cool as it sounded. It was, with all its little nooks and balconies. We spent a fair amount of time in this pub.

Later that night we made our way back to the North side of the Liffey and headed up O'Connell street to the area of town where we were staying. We wandered into a little hotel and bar that I insisted we must go in when I saw it was entitled 'O'Shea's', a name that didn't mean much to Andy, or would to anyone else, aside from Stacy and Dawn, aka and Fern and Sage, as my alias during their trip here was Poppy Rose O'Shea. How I ended up with the Irish surame can be accredited to Dawn. Of course by the time Andy and I were situated at an old booth, drinking and chuckling at a few of the locals, I was already in full Irish mode. Andy kept laughing at my 'accent'. There was an old local in the bar singing and playing Irish tunes and it was while I was trying to drink the Guinness Andy had sneakily put under my nose, that I heard the entertainer strum out the first few chords of Sunny's Dream. This song always makes me nostalgic, for it not only reminds me of home, but of being at my Nanny's house in Newfoundland - it was the first place I can ever remember hearing it.

The next day found us up early and out on the tour bus with our three day pass. It was an informative mode of transport where we could hop on and off at anytime. We mapped out the places we wanted to see: St. Stephen's Green, The Guinness Factory and St. Michan's Church. We managed St. Stephen's, a few cathedrals (viewed from the exterior) and the Guinness Factory that afternoon, before heading into 'The Brazen Head', Ireland's oldest pub, for yet another brew. We decided after that to walk alongside the Liffey back to O'Connell Street and up to our hotel for a shower and change before heading back out. The night before Andy and I had tried some Dublin grub and we were looking forward to some more. I highly recommend Irish Coddle and Irish Stew (chased down with Kilkenny naturally).

The Guinness Factory was an interesting experience and I was more than happy to drink my complimentary pint of Guinness after the tour. Its not every day that you get something thrown in for free and hey, I was in Ireland and thought it befitting I should drink at least one full pint of Guinness, especially after I failed to the previous evening. I was amazed and slightly disgusted at the amount of people who left full pints sitting on the tables. Some of them hadn't even been touched, proving that those who had received them knew beforehand that they didn't like it. Andy was one of these folk. I thought I might be able to manage his as well as mine, but its a strong tasting brew and I could only manage my own. It is definitely a beer to be slowly savoured. I'm told many pregnant women over here have the occasional half-pint as its very high in iron and supposedly very good for you when drunk in moderation.

Friday night we headed back out to Temple Bar, where we happily drank and danced the night away with another couple we met from Bristol, Anna and Steve. I ended up drinking yet another pint of Guinness (on top of all the Kilkenny) as Steve graciously bought me one during the evening. After the live Irish Music ended for the night, we decided to head over to the North side again, to The Arlington Hotel. The cool night air came as a blessed relief to my throat; although I had drank copious amounts of alcoholic beverage, I had sang myself raw to the Irish songs I so adore.

Saturday morning we woke up feeling tired and a little rough around the edges. We showered, checked out, and headed out for some breakfast to a lovely little Espresso Bar that we had visited and enjoyed the day before.

We had some time to kill before catching the bus and I was happy Andy suggested touring St. Michan's Crypts, something I wanted to do, but we didn't get to the day before.

At St. Michan's we were able to get face to face with four very impressive mummies. In a very real crypt. The walls in the church's vaults contain limestone, which has kept the air dry, creating ideal conditions for preservation. Among the mummies on display are a 400-year-old nun, an 8-foot-tall crusader and one very mysterious body with its hands and feet severed. Visitors to St. Michan's are invited to touch the leathery hand of the giant crusader, as it is said to bring good luck, which I was happy to partake in. One family made me laugh as they were so creeped out by the dark, dank-smelling crypt that they had to leave. I must say, after visiting the second crypt, full of a family whose coffins have all collapsed in on each other, and the other belonging to the Shears - two brothers, who had a very horrid death warrant on display (the original.) I too was a bit relieved to get back out into the fresh October air. There was definitely a smell of decay down there, and one I had a hard time dispelling from my clothes. Or at least that's how it felt. We weren't allowed to take photographs in the crypt, and I'm not sure I would have felt comfortable doing so. I had a feeling of unease over me as I took this photo of the entrance, which doesn't even begin to portray the real thing.

I have posted photos of our Dublin trip here

His back hasn't been the same since...

Two Years Ago Today

We aren't doing much today as we leave for Dublin on Thursday morning where we will definitely be celebrating so hard we hopefully won't be able to remember things clearly.

'Pegging'

Until I came to live here, I'd never heard the expression 'Pegging'. This weekend I experienced it firsthand. Andy and I took the three kids and Molly for a long walk on Saturday through the farm fields to Wheelsby woods. Tasha and the boys decided to take their bikes while Andy and I were happy to walk along in the crisp, autumn air. The walk there took us just over an hour and after happily munching on ice-cream cones the kids were ready for the journey back. As we passed back out of the woods onto the track that leads through the farm fields we got the crazy notion to 'double up'. Connor jumped on Alex's bike with him and I jumped on the handlebars of a bike with Andy and off we went. I don't think I've 'pegged' since I was a kid and let me tell you, it was fun and sweet to be leaning back into my husband as we cycled along laughing. I'm sure it looked at least halfway as romantic as it does in the movies, however it isn't as easy as it looks, its very hard on the backside!

following in my Drunken Footsteps

On the weekend Stacy and I were on the phone chatting about Tawny's jaw surgery, which brought us around to text messages, and how convenient it can be to send a quick hello. We sent each other a practice text during our conversation to see how long it would take, and turns out it takes less than a minute. We were well pleased with ourselves because it is a cheaper and instant way of communicating with each other. I was pleasantly surprised at work this morning, when at 9:45 I received a text from her stating that she was 'very drunk' and on her way home. It was 5:45 a.m. Nova Scotia time. I have to chuckle at the thought of her keeping the hours I used to, especially when in a further text she mentioned she probably had to work at 9:00 a.m. Talk about time repeating itself.

Getting over the hump

I've been pretty slack in relation to posting because I just haven't had a whole lot to write about. I've been covering shifts at work solo over the past three weeks which hasn't been bad, and has in fact opened my eyes to the fact that I'm not as lazy as I had feared I was becoming. My job is not the most exciting position and often I find myself with a lot of time to spare, ultimately ending up surfing the net just to make the hours go by. I tend to let my work build up and put it off because I know that when I'm finished, I will have another lull. As a result I've been feeling very uninspired and have often wondered if I could still manage to cope in a more demanding work environment. Due to a few unforeseen circumstances, I have had a fair bit of work coming my way that I have been turning over quite quickly, not only impressing myself, but those that are requiring my assistance. Its certainly given me my confidence back and proved to me that I don't want to stay at a job where I feel my brain is turning to mush - that I indeed would thrive in a challenging and thought-provoking occupation. (Which ultimately I happen to be doing something about.)

My recent idleness has affected my personal life as well as I haven't been very inclined to attend to certain tasks that need my attention. My sister's birthday present if finally getting posted (sorry Tawny, but as you said, a late gift can give you something to look forward to!), getting pictures developed to send home to various people, etc.

Being locked down to a very tight budget due to a huge tax bill has certainly put a halt to our socializing, but Andy and I are trying to be inventive when it comes to activities that don't cost a lot, especially with our impending two night trip to Dublin fast approaching. We've taken the kids swimming last weekend to the local pool, which is inexpensive, or for long walks. This weekend Andy and I enjoyed some quiet time to ourselves (the kids were at their mother's) and took advantage of it to drive out to the North Sea for a brisk long walk along the coast with Molly.

A Little Retail Therapy

Considering we have not been spending much money since our summer holiday, other than the school necessities for Alex, or the occasional swim with the kids, I decided to treat myself to a few luxuries from my own paycheck (after paying for our hotel in Dublin - my gift to Andy for his 40th). And I didn't forget my husband, I picked him up a trendy shirt for our short break.

Although it was a little expensive, I loved this at first sight and in all honestly, I was in need of a new fall jacket:



but the shoes...

well I just couldn't resist. I've never owned anything like these before. Andy commented on this fact too, and didn't know what to think, until I tried them on with my new jacket (and nothing else) and strutted around the house.
Now I don't know who likes them more!



I'm looking forward to a night in Dublin City wearing these babies. I just hope I don't break my ankles whilst staggering around the pubs!

A Lesson in Sex Education

Tonight, after taking Molly for a walk, Alex and I got in the car to do a small shop at Tesco's. On the way there he was chatting about various things, namely how well he has been doing so far this term. Last year his behaviour was questionable at best, but in some ways understandable when compared with all the duress he was under,for reasons I won't go into. Anyway, this year he is back living with us and so far seems to be doing exceedingly well.

So anyway, I'm deviating from my point: in the car he was chatting about his various teachers and classes and I was doing the obligatory ahha's, and nodding, when he comes out with 'Next week we have to spend a day doing Sex Education'. I responded with a lighthearted 'oh yeah?'. What he said next almost sent me into convulsions: 'Yeah, we are gonna have to put condoms on plastic dicks'. Call me irresponsible, or un-motherlike, but I laughed so hard I thought I would choke. I was totally blindsided - its not a word he's ever used before. He kept saying 'what?' while I was laughing. When I gained my composure I probably should have told him not to use language like that but I remember what its like to be 13 . So I went with something more along these lines: I remember being taught Sex Ed too, but never like that, our lessons were much more boring.

Holiday Pics

John, Alex & Connor at Lawrencetown Beach

I've managed to upload three photo albums to my yahoo site. The first can be found here, and are of Mercy River. The other two albums are titled Summer 2006, Family and Friends and Summer 2006 Downtown & Around.

I still have a few more to upload, but will hopefully complete this task by the first of next week.

I can't believe its already been nearly a month since we've returned.

Birthday Girl



She's thoughtful and serenely beautiful; she's a woman who is strong and doesn't give up on the challenges and goals she strives to meet on a daily basis; when it comes to being the best sister a girl could hope for she gives it her all, and succeeds; She also happens to be a truly loving and generous Aunt to our children, who now love her as much as she loves them.

We miss you Tawn and wish we could have been there to help you celebrate!

Do the TESCO Dance!

The video you are about to view is one of very disciplined dancing, acquired only after years of study in the studio. The featured dancer couldn't help but show off her ability whilst shopping at the local supermarket. Bless her.



(This was at the request of fellow blogger The Ramblings of Globose Thought)

Satisfaction

This evening as I called Alex into the kitchen to get his supper, he made a quirky comment to me. As I was streching up to get his TV tray down from on top of the cupboard, he made yet another quirky comment that started us both laughing. As he was carrying his tray into the living room (a task I often do for him) he smiled and said 'Your the best Stepmom I've ever had'. I laughed and responded with 'I'm the only stepmom you've ever had'. He looked up at me all serious and said 'Well, you know what I mean, but there are some things I can't say'. I don't suppose I could ever ask for anymore than that. As far as sons go, I couldn't get any better than what I've been blessed with, not even if they were my own :).

Drifting

I haven't had much to blog about lately, not much is happening and my thoughts haven't strayed anywhere that readers would be interested in going. I have however been having some pretty strange and vivid dreams lately that I naturally contemplate upon waking, but don't give much thought to throughout the day. However I did relay the strangest ones to my friend/colleague as she is interested in dream interpretation and can sometimes put an interesting spin on things.

Over the last week I have dreamt:

that I have been tied down in a boat by a fine looking, native policeman during a civilian boat ride down a strange canal, while my friend Cat remained free (the phone ringing woke me just as I had gotten one hand free);

that while visiting a mountain resort with Andy was attacked by a cougar only to be rescued by a girl (and her husband) who I was friends with whilst growing up but haven't seen in years (Andy was down at the resort);

that a life long friend left his wife suddenly to be with me, taking me completely by surprise when confronted by his wife during a strange weekend getaway with said friends;

that (and I hate this one) Andy has died suddenly while we were visiting a foreign city with the kids.

The Andy dream was the first in these odd nocturnal films, and the most awful by far. Last night was the cougar dream and after some discussion with Desley, her thought was that I might be feeling a little 'boxed in, or out of control' by the occurrences of daily life. Hmmmm. Food for thought I guess. If you ask me, I just have an over-active imagination which results in some very bizarre dreams.

Body Talk

I have posted a picture of one of my favourite Lost characters on the side bar as I just think it belongs there. I hate when I sit down to watch an episode of the show and Sawyer doesn't make an appearance, luckily, a rare event. I think he is male perfection and I don't really care what comes out of his mouth as looking at him is reward enough. Its just an added bonus that his character is a smart-mouthed bad ass, who just happens to be slightly 'soft' underneath.

My point though is to have a little poll of sorts. When looking at a man as fit as Josh Holloway, I'm naturally drawn to my most favourite part the male species (but only if he is fit)the area of hip that is exposed at the top of jeans - beside the groin area. I absolutely love this area of skin on a man, but usually he has to be in great shape for it to really take my fancy. Next to this, my most favourite parts of the male body are his a) hands and b) butt.

What I'd like to know though is this: What are your favourite physical attributes on the body of the opposite sex?

Bad Girls

Today, amid intermittent rain showers, Alex and I took Molly for a much needed walk. We stopped along the way to pick up her best friend Abby. The dogs were running around chasing each other and being well behaved when I made the mistake of lingering too long down at the back of the field. The urge to run and throw herself in the 'Beck', became too strong to resist. Without a backward glance, Mol was up over the hill and down into the smelly stream, most likely thinking 'I know this field and I know where the water is - and you trying to stop me going in is like you resisting a swim in your beloved lake back home! Can't stop me now!' and naturally Abby, being the devoted best friend that she is figured 'What's good for her is good for me!' and promptly ran in after her. Nice. Molly wasn't loving it so much when we arrived home and Alex hosed her down to get the manky water out of her fur. She's just recovered from an ear infection that was the likely result of another dip in the Beck a few days before we came back from Canada. Time to get out the ear drops and hope her ears stay clean.

Molly and Abby  




Finding Time...

During our visit home to Nova Scotia we saw and did so much. I'm working on getting pictures posted to my Yahoo site but as I'm not one to have a fire under my ass for such things, it could take a few more days. Or so. Photos are however not the point I'm trying to make with this post.

We saw so many friends and family while we were home and we so appreciate the efforts of every single person. What saddens me though is that I didn't manage to find the time to see a few friends that actually called (for a number of varying reasons) and also that I only managed to see some of you for a very short time - not nearly enough. A family holiday is so different to just coming home and hanging out on my own. This trip was fantastic for us as a family and I don't regret it for one moment, the boys were feeling the abundance of love from those of you back home. I only have a small regret that I didn't get to see everyone, but these things do happen. I have to accept that we couldn't be everywhere at once and the boys seeing the best that NS has to offer was our main priority. I know this happens during holidays like these and I'm sure most of you understand. I did send out an email informing people of where we were staying and supplied the number. Most took advantage of this and got in touch and we managed to sort something out, even if it was just a visit to my mother's to say hi. To those of you who I didn't manage to connect with, I will be in touch personally, if I haven't already.

Disoriented



The latter hours of Wednesday night found us all down by the Halifax waterfront getting Henna tattoos and watching the Buskers. Being down in the city on such a warm night, with so much going on in such a relaxed atmosphere was a great way to end the trip. We had a lot of laughs but as the night progressed and the nostalgia began hitting me, I found myself sometimes holding back tears. I managed to hold up until they boys were hugging Dawn goodbye outside her apartment building. I listened as Andy thanked her for everything and then managed to get out 'what Andy just said' as I knew I would be overcome with tears if I said more. I think she understood. Alex asked me why I sounded like I was going to cry as we were driving away and Andy replied 'Too late mate, she already is', where upon I felt a soft touch on my elbow.

Thursday came and although I was glad to have the majority of the day to spend with my family, it was an emotional one to get through. My mother and I both had moments where we both tried hard not to cry (to no avail) and as I sat at the dining room table watching members of our family laugh and smile, I couldn't help but tear up once again. Watching our boys play with Wayne's twins, (especially how Alex loved taking care of them), and seeing my smiling Aunts and cousins as we all ate cake and laughed at the antics of the boys, made me smile. However at the same time it made me wish that things could be different, that my two families didn't have to be so far apart. By the time we said goodbye, I wasn't the only one teared up - both Aunt Marg and Aunt Shirley were shedding a few as we said goodbye and loaded into the van for the ride to the airport.

I suppose there are some who would find me silly and over-emotional, say it's not like I'm not going back to see them all again, which is true, but at the same time I am very close to my family and although I have found a new life here, I miss them all every day. I'll miss the constant care my mother took of our boys, the way she loves to 'mother' us all, the long talks we had, the joy my father found in taking the boys out in his truck, or showing them new things. I'll miss seeing the boys tease Stacy and wind her up to no end, I'll miss the smell of Nova Scotia. But I won't forget it, never had. And there is always the phone and email/msn.

Our time in Nova Scotia was the best holiday we could have wished for as a family. There were some of you we did not get to see, or didn't see enough and I am sorry for that. There are those of you who made an extra special effort to get to us and for that we are eternally grateful. I will blog more about what we did and saw when I get a moment.

Although I am back, I still feel as if my heart is back in Nova Scotia. I will feel this for another day or two, but I know from experience that in a week or so I will be back into the full swing of life in England.

I do, however know that this ss all worth it, especially when on the plane ride home Alex looked up at me and said 'I want to go back to Canada' and Connor later looked up at me during a cuddle and said 'I love you Jojo'. Being here with them is the right thing. I am blessed to have two such loving families in both countries and I loved taking the boys home. I can't wait for next time.

Home


The boys are in bed early tonight as the past several nights have been a whirlwind of excitement for them and today it has finally caught up with them. Being home with the boys has been everything I would have ever imagined it to be, the only difficulty being in the fact that I still haven't seen a few people I was hoping to see and I'm not all that sure I'm going to get a chance to at this point.

We've been practically going non-stop since our arrival. We've been swimming up at the lake on numerous occasions;

Spent two nights down at Mercy River camping and kayaking;




Spent the day at Crystal Crescent and Lawrencetown Beach (tried to drop in on a friend near there but she wasn't home! S where are you?);



Have had lunch with friends and family, have had a bang up night out at Pogue Fado's, been on the Harbour Hopper. I could go on forever listing all that we have been up to and have yet to do. Today we went to The Oven's in Lunenburg and enjoyed exploring the caves by foot and zodiac.

I've tried to download a few more shots but for some reason blogger is refusing and as I'm a bit tired myself, I will try again at a later point - these are only a few!

I did this for Tuna since she tagged me -
Will take a moment later hopefully and post a few pictures from our trip so far.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:10 am.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? Monster House
4. What is your favorite TV show? Lost, Prison Break, BB7
5. What did you have for breakfast? Nothing Yet
6. What is your middle name(s)? Margaret.
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Greek.
8. What foods do you dislike? Liver
9. What is your favorite crisp flavour? Dill Pickle/Prawn Cocktail
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I don't have one
11. What type of car do you drive? KIA Sportage
12. What type of car do you WANT to drive? A Hummer or a MR8
13. What characteristics do you despise in people? Two-Facedness, Bitterness.
14. Favorite item of clothing? Just about all my shoes.
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia.
16. Favorite brand of clothing? I don't have one.
17. Where would you like to retire? Kefalonia or the South Shore.
18. Favorite time of the day? Lunch Time.
19. What was your most memorable birthday? 29th (When I met Andy).
20. Where were you born? St. John's.
21. Favorite sport to watch? Olympics.
22. What's your favorite restaurant? Canada - East Side's, England - Beluga
23. How often do you wash your sheets? Not often enough.
24. What fabric detergent do you use? Tesco Colours
25. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke - England/Diet Pepsi Canada
26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Neither.
27. What is your shoe size? 5 1/2 (UK).
28. Do you have any pets? Molly my naughty, lovable golden lab
29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your family and friends? I ache like fuck after mud sliding yesterday!
30. What did you want to be when you were little? Major League Baseballer or a vet

************FAVORITES*************
Shampoo? Redkin All Soft.
Perfume? CK - Euphoric
Soap? Dove Macadamia Nut Oil
Day/Night? Either
Summer/Winter? Summer
Favorite commercial? Guiness Advert

*************RIGHT NOW************
Wearing? Stacy's pajama's.
Eating? Nothing
Drinking? Nothing.
Thinking about? Plans for today
Listening to: Not Ready to Make Nice - Dixie Chicks

*********THE LAST 24 HOURS*********
Cried? No.
Made a new friend? Only the little girl that was mud sliding along side us who I helped up the hill, lol
Cleaned your room? Nope.
Drove a car? Nope.
How many hours slept? 8 hours.

********DO YOU BELIEVE IN***********
God? Yes.
Yourself? Sometimes.
Your friends? Absolutely.
Santa Claus? Certainly the Idea.
Destiny/Fate? I'm not sure, but I think so
Ghosts? Spirits? Yes.

One More Sleep...

Our bags are packed and in the car ready for our journey to Gatwick tomorrow. We leave at 6:30 a.m. to ensure we make it to London in plenty of time. Connor is sound asleep but Alex, who is letting the excitement get the best of him, is listlessly waiting for sleep to overcome him. I suppose its a bit like Christmas for them really. I think it's hard for all of us to really believe that our much anticipated trip home is finally here. Finally our boys will get to meet my parents and all others who I hold so near and dear, as well as reunite with those they have already come to love. Finally they get to experience the fantastic place that was home to me for so long, and will always be home to me - Nova Scotia.

I have a feeling we aren't the only ones who are this excited.

One~more~sleep.

Party Party

To say last night was fantastic fun is an understatement. The restaurant was perfect - the ambiance, food, drink and company were all top notch. Andy received a multitude of cards and gifts but I think his favourite was from his family: two tickets to Dublin in October. I'm glad my name was on one of them!

My Birthday Boy
40 today!



This one was just too cute to resist:
Andy and Claire

I'm so impressed with the man this sweet little boy has grown into and I am proud to call him my husband.

Happy Birthday Andrew.

Spoiled? Well Maybe

On Saturday morning Andy and I took the boys shopping uptown to purchase the necessary clothing for our impending holiday. (Did I mention our holiday this year just happens to be Nova Scotia?) After finding them the required swimming wear, footwear, etc., we ended up browsing around as I was looking for some comfy flipflops for myself to take home.

Andy ended up buying me a pair of dressier black leather shoes for work, a pair of New Balance trainers that were so on sale it wasn't avoidable (even though I don't need new trainers) and a pair of sandals to wear with summer pants/skirts. It was when I went in Brantano that I decided I should probably by myself the next pair of shoes I found - a lovely pair of leather black flip flops that are dressy enough for work. All in all I felt very spoiled. I will say that I told Andy to put the trainers away for me for Christmas (he wasn't bothered either way) but I figured three pairs in one day was enough. Granted I won't be wearing the black patent leather flats until Autumn, but if I'd waited till then I would have paid full whack and when there is a sale on at Clark's you just have to take advantage.

Of course the quest for casual flops is still on - if I don't win my bid on Ebay for Rocket Dogs, I will just pick up a cheap pair along the way. I really can't complain.

Ah, the sweet smell of village living

Last night Alex, Andy and I were continuously sussing each other out to determine who had let the stinker off. Although it didn't quite smell like normal gas, it was an unpleasant scent and we are always quick to lay the blame on each other. Naturally, Molly was taking the majority of blame. When the smell continued on through the evening, Alex finally realized what it was:

We live in a village surrounded by farms. Every year at this time the farmers spread their fields with a coating of manure. Temperatures have been in the mid-to-high 20's.

Enough said.

Her Father's Daughter



A night with her friends... Prom 2006

Alex let me know this evening just before six o'clock that Tasha had told him where she was going to be meeting up with her friends tonight before heading to the venue where prom was being held, just in case we wanted to see her in her dress. We did. So we picked up Wendy and raced down to the church but had missed her by minutes.

We then decided to drive out to the place where her prom was being held, where there were lots of other families happily awaiting the arrival of the limousines, buses, and even the horse and carriage arriving with the prom goers. Tasha and her mates pulled up on the (outside) top deck of a double decker bus and I was happy to have taken at least a few pictures to show her father. They aren't the best shots, but at least her dad will get to see what she looked like on the night of her school prom.

Serenity

Last night I firmed up the final details with Tim, from Mercy River. On August 2nd and 3rd we will be sleeping in one of these:



I can't begin to express how much I am looking forward to going back to the most peaceful place on earth. To think that Andy is finally going to get to experience what this place 'feels' like, is almost as exciting as the place itself.

It's been a difficult month, as I have previously mentioned and it is with every passing day that I become more eager to get back home, back where the living is easy and where all the hassle will be left far behind. It's not only me that needs this break but Andy, and more importantly Alex. I believe this trip is going to be just the medicine this family needs. To show our boys my home is truly something I am looking forward to more than anything.

Just the other day I received confirmation that Tawny will be joining us for an extra long weekend, something that made me smile - an extra bonus. On her blog she mentions all the great things we will get to do, and I can't wait. I think we will will also need to have a little 'topple' down at Pogue's before finishing the night off with Venus Pizza. Any takers?

It's all in the presentation

Saturday morning found us in a major dispute with the woman next door. Now for the past year or so, I have kept her at a distance, only exchanging pleasantries, as things had become difficult last year while Alex was living with us. Her son and Alex just don't get along and as it was stressing Julie to the max, she ended up screaming an awful lot. This I can't take. So to save our tenuous friendship, I decided to keep my distance and just chat across the garden fence.

Saturday morning she came out and informed Andy that we need to start being 'responsible' dog owners and picking up after Molly's mess, straightaway. This ultimately got Andy's back up because if we are anything, its responsible when it comes to Molly. It was getting heated so I was called out and tried to calm it down a bit. I agreed that it is disgusting and we do try to pick it up as soon as possible. She was disagreeing with everything we said, besides she hates dogs. I will admit that over the winter months it would gather up a bit, and was gross, but not left for days as she was saying. Since the warmer weather has come I've picked it up every morning and evening - whenever I notice it, cause who wants to sit out in a shitty garden? Our kids play out there, we cook out there and I sun out there all the time. Would I really lay out in that? Not to mention the flies it attracts - gross, I know. The bottom line is, I can understand how she feels about seeing it - no one wants to see it, but sometimes you don't notice straight away, our back door is open all day and Molly comes and goes.

All she had to do was politely ask if we would mind cleaning up after her straightaway, instead of insulting us and making us feel as if we are dirty people. Andy was well pissed - we have done a lot for this woman in the past i.e. sort out her electrics, help her install her washer, remove a fridge, etc.

And isn't it ironic, but just last week we were trying to impress upon Connor the importance of picking up after his dog (Jane went and got them a dog two weeks after Alex left - don't ask). Apparently Alex says they don't take poo bags with them while walking it, and no one wants to pick it up out of the garden.

You just can't win for losing.

What the double F?

Saturday morning after all the stress, I took myself off out with Beryl. We ended up doing a little bit of 'Retail Therapy'. We went in to a little shop called 'Pretty Woman' as I was looking to have a proper bra fitting, in the hope of buying a much needed, well fitting bra. I'd had a fitting back at Christmas from La Senza, and wasn't surprised to find that I measured at a 38DD, a size I'd been wearing for years. Lately though, I've been thinking that this just doesn't seem right. I watched an episode of Oprah where they said most women are wearing the wrong size, and pointed out the right style bra for various sizes. And the big sizes aren't all cumbersome and ugly as in years past.

So off we went into Pretty Woman where the fitting was much more professional and 'real'. Was I wrong about my size? Yes. What made me happy is that instead of being a bulky 38 width I am a 34. Trouble is, my cup size is FF. What the hell? I didn't even know there was such a thing. So here I am, a 34FF. After dropping a lot of money on this one bra I liked the way I looked in, I took myself off home. To say that my husband is well pleased with the result is an understatement. It just makes me think that my more endowed sisters might need to take a trip to a lingerie shop ;)

Tarnished

After 16 years of having a clean driving record, I have gone and got myself my first ever speeding ticket. Be that hard to believe, but it is the truth ;). I've been driving here for 2 1/2 years and most often I don't speed, but on the off chance I do, I've always managed to elude the f**kers. Driving here is slightly different from home, where I will admit (and have done so before) that I'm heavy footed, but was always switched on enough to avoid a ticket. So, after nearly one year with my new UK license I was caught by the money making bastards. So be it. I screwed up and will pay the penalty. Or wait one minute, I screwed up but my loving husband will pay the penalty . I do however still get stuck with the points - as generous as Andy is, he isn't generous enough to take the points (the ticket came in his name as he is the registered owner of the Sportage :)

Pro's of the Actual Cop vs. Speed Cameras...

Actual Police Officer
1. You know then and there if you have received a ticket.
2. There is a slight chance you might be able to talk your way out of it...
3. You sometimes get to appreciate a nice looking Officer in full uniform.

Bastard Cameras
1. Your not even sure you've been issued a ticket until it arrives in the mail, so there is no chance of talking your way around it.
2. Its an automatic £60 fine. (I don't know what the fine is in NS - probably works out to a similar amount)
3. You are automatically penalized with three points on your license (I'm not sure how this works back home - if any of you have received a ticket recently, feel free to fill me in ;)

The only GOOD point of a Speed Camera: You don't have the opportunity to humiliatee yourself by trying to plead your way out of a ticket, only to be denied anyway. I, naturally have to exclude myself from this group as I have always managed to talk my way around the cops, even when I had let my vehicle registration expire - however as mentioned previously, I had never been pulled over for speeding.

Tagged By Tuna

5 Things in My/Our Refrigerator:
1) Diet Coke
2) Beck's (Beer)
3) Salsa
4) 1/2 Bag of Salad Mix
5) Greek Yoghurt

5 Things in My/Our Closet:
1) Shoes
2) Clothes
3) Handbags
4) Picture Frames
5) Gift Bags

5 Things in My Handbag:
1) Dental Floss
2) Lipstick
3) Mobile
4) Hand Sanitizer
5) Purse (Wallet)

5 Things in My/Our Car:
1) CDs
2) 2 Litre Bottle of Still Water
3) Molly's Lead
4) Sunglasses
5) Mini Road Atlas

5 People to Tag:
1) Valentina
2) Jeff
3) Jaime
4) Stacy (that makes twice with Tawn's)
5) Dawn (that makes twice with Tawn's)

The Nova Scotia Way

I just got off the phone with my NS bank and insurance company respectively. Both young women that I spoke to were customer representatatives and were very helpful. I was hit with such a wave of melancholy as I hung up with the second person, after she very warmly thanked me, infusing my first name into the sentence. I love the Nova Scotia accent, I love the warmth and famliarity most people use when talking to you, even if they've never seen you before.

I also recall experiencing this feeling when I was home at Christmas. Even in the rush of pre Christmas sales, or Boxing Day returns, the sales associates took a moment to say 'how are you', or 'have a nice Christmas'.

Its just not the done way here. Most business people don't take a moment to ask how you are, not over the phone anyway, and if you ask that question, people are stunned into silence, usually thinking you are going to try and sell them something. I do find the SA's at the local grocery stores rather friendly, and at some of the shops -it really comes down to the person working and in what shop. I've given up telling people to have a nice day after I've finished serving them at work, or have packed up all my groceries as I am often just met with a strange look.

People here are often much more formal than Nova Scotians, something I'm still having to adjust to, even after 2 1/2 years. When it comes down to it, just call me Jody, not Mrs. Allenby, or Ms. McDonald. It's just Jody, and that works for me.

Of course not everybody feels this way, especially the older generations, and I completely respect this. I suppose the whole meaning of this entry was to say that I'm feeling a litte nostalgic for home - however in just over five weeks I shall be there!

Crazy Crazy Days

The past two weeks have been absolutely chaotic, centered around Alex and serious emotional turmoil he has been experiencing as a direct result from a breakdown in his relationship with his mother. Needless to say, he is living with us and has already made much improvement. The school, and his therapist have both expressed great relief that he is back with us to live permanently. So much has been happening around this, including a rough moment when his mother, backed up by her father, tried to have a nasty confrontation with me in the street whilst picking up Connor, but as I am unwilling to enter into such matters, especially in front of the kids, I drove off and left her standing in the street. Needless to say, all communication between us is now over, and after taking a step forward, we have taken two steps back. I do however believe it is for the best - for reasons better left unsaid. I don't like to use this site as a forum to discuss issues that relate to the kids & their mom, but I'd like to think of this as more of an update on what is happening in our neck of the woods.

I haven't had much time to post and at the moment I am working on something blog related that might take me awhile as I can no longer work on blogging at work (they've blocked access once again).

In more positive news, on Saturday I received my passport with its new edition: My Unlimited Leave to Remain Visa. Looks like I don't have to leave until I'm good and ready. :)

Passing Time

Earlier in the week I had agreed to cover two shifts for my colleague, thus giving myself a ticket to remain installed in the clinic for two full days - yesterday and today. Wednesday afternoon, before I picked the boys up, was spent happily soaking up the rays in the back garden and I knew, just knew that I would hate being trapped at work if the sun were to still be shining. Just my luck, it is. However, I have turned working these full days into a positive thing, by not only catching up on the annoying bits of work that I have, but I took the opportunity to give my blog a good overhaul.

For some time now, my blogskin and comment box graphics have been acting up. I've been putting off trying to amend it myself as sometimes I can make more of a mess with my template. With all the extra time I've had to kill, I thought I'd have a go at it. I've surprised myself by doing the overhaul, and doing it half-way decently. It's not anything fantastic, but its a clean, fresh look (or so I think). I just this morning managed to revamp the comment section, as yesterday the skin I used automatically hooked me up with the basic blogger comment system, but I prefer the one I've been using for the past few years. Besides, its more comment friendly.

In Other News

I've become fanatically obsessed with Big Brother UK. During previous years I had refused to watch it over here as I thought it just looked too bizarre. This year, as usual, there was loads of hype leading up to Series 7, most of it occurring while Dawn & Stacy were here. Dawn asked if we'd mind watching the first show, the one where they introduce everyone, and of course me being the hostess that I am, readily agreed. And so began my rapid decline into Big Brother Madness. The North Americans don't have it half as good (or maybe bad) as those of us in the UK. I believe back home you get to watch the show 3x a week, and have to pay to watch the live feed. Not here. Every night there is an one hour recap of the past 24 hours, its also live over on E4 nearly 24 hours, and there are constant updates on the Channel Four webpage. If you happen to miss the daily recap, you can always catch it on the repeat the next day. Is there any wonder my life is often sad?

BB is different here for another reason too - instant celebrity status. Players in this house aren't focused so much on the prize, just being in the house gives them what they are hoping for, and so the longer they stay in, the better. I just can't believe how HUGE it is in this country.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Our Birthday Boy



Today our chatty little sweetheart warped into the double digits. Last evening, to celebrate, we went to Wendy's garden for a small party. Connor unwrapped his presents and joyfully bounced around on his new moon boots, only after he, Alex and his mate Charlie devoured a whole chocolate cake.





Ealry this morning Connor and I took Molly for a long walk through the fields and then I treated him and Alex to hot bacon and egg sandwiches before school. His mom is supposedly taking him to a movie and dinner tonight so here's hoping his 10th celebration remains as bright as his big blues.

Horseshoe Point


Here are a few pictures from Saturday, with the kids.

Paris



I have finally managed to post a few pics from our weekend in Paris, which you will find here.

It seems like so long ago now, but so many memories can be recalled so easily. Paris wasn't a place that was high on my list of 'must-see's' however my views have changed and I cannot wait to head back there with Andy for a romantic getaway. It definitely is the city of love. We were constantly amazed at the number of people 'french' kissing on the underground and even in the streets, quite unabashedly.

There were so many good things about the city, but I must tell you this (for those of you who know the story, I'm sorry to put you through it again, lol). For the first time in my life I was almost the victim of a pick pocket, and not only once, but twice, the bastards! However me being the switched on kid that I am, caught the assholes before they could get too far. On both occasions I was up by the Mulan Roug. The first night my husband was so excited over all the Sex for Sale paraphernalia, he didn't even notice what was happening. It took me a about an hour to calm down after that, I was a bit daunted, to tell the truth. The second time was coming out of the underground during our last day, on our way to Sacre Coeur. Dawn thankfully had my back, after I hollered (well made some strangely loud sound) at the fucker. By the time I caught up to Stacy, who letting some greasy street vendor braid some plastic on her outstretched finger, I was spitting fire - sorry mate, but we don't have time to be conned by you - I grabbed my sister and to the tune of 'I'm not fucking American so fuck you asshole' (the vendor didn't take too kindly to me pulling her away) stomped my way to Sacre Coeur. I suppose he mistook me for American because he didn't like my bad attitude!

I just wanted to relay that story because I was quite pleased with myself and also, because I find it amusing, looking back. I by no means hold Paris responsible for its thugs and it hasn't turned me off this amazing city. We did so much and ate some fantastic food. Andy, who had been a few times previously had warned me constantly of how he hated the French, that they were rude, etc. After storming through the city with five canucks, his tune has changed. And rightly so!

Beautiful Dawn



Today is the day our beloved friend turns 32. I know it must be a bittersweet time, for as we celebrate her life, she and her family are also celebrating the life of someone very treasured on her journey home to God - her Nanny.

Sending you all our love, hugs and support across the miles on this momentus day. We all can't wait to be with you in the summer.

xoxoxo

Have You Seen the Muffin Man?

This was only one of the more common phrases used by the girls and I during their stay with us as Drury Lane has to be one of the most popular street names in the villages and towns we visited. There happens to be one just around the corner.

The past 3 1/2 weeks have passed in a whirlwind of activity. I quite frankly have no idea where to start and know that I am going to overlook a lot of detail in my quest to give an update of one the greatest times in my life.



From Paris to the Lake District, Robin Hood's Bay to Conway, Wales, we have been and seen so much in such a short amount of time. A few places, like Paris were an adventure in itself as I was seeing it myself for the first time, but what I took great pleasure from was seeing places that I had been before, like Lake Windemere and Llandudno through the eyes of Dawn and Stacy. They too fell in love with the places I had so desperately wanted them to love, and now understand just what it is that makes these areas so special.



Running around snapping photos from the towers of the Welsh castle, and climbing the Great Orme of Llandudno with Stacy while watching Andy and Dawn pass by on the tram are some of my fondest memories from Wales... however the most amusing moment from the Welsh trip was the Old West photo op. I was going to post the photo, but as this blog has been in draft form for a few days, Dawn beat me to it. You can however, check it out over on her site. The three of us girls all piling into a small closet to get changed, as the photographer directed us to 'go in there and take your tops off' was priceless. We felt as if we were preparing for a photoshoot more akin to Playboy. There was a lot of amusing banter floating around the studio prior to being presented with the final picture. Everytime I look at that shot, I will remember all the laughter.

I've spent many a time on a lake, or ocean kayaking and canoeing with Stacy and Dawn, and never realized we'd be doing it again in one of the most beautiful places in England. The weather was absolutely perfect both days we spent in the Lake District and I was so proud of the way we found our way around. The B&B we called home for the night was fantastic and we couldn't have enjoyed our evening more down at the local pub, eating amazing food and enjoying a few drinks.



We walked to the local Co-op for a few more alcoholic beverages and snacks which we shared in the garden while the sun set and we listened to the countryside noises around us. A more tranquil evening I cannot envisage. We woke up energized and ready to canoe and hike through some of the most gorgeous scenery imaginable.



Throughout the trip the girls got to spend a lot of time getting to know our boys better and I believe there is now a bond forged between them that can never be broken. Now, even more so, the boys cannot wait for their vacation home to spend time with my family. It is going to be so good.



On Friday the 12th we spent the day in Lincoln with Tawny and Taylor, visiting the cathedral and Castle Ruins... It was yet another entertaining day out, not from just the amazing scenery, but from the company I was keeping.



(Read more about our antics and accompanying photoshoot over on Locobellatuna). Later that evening we had a family meal out at an Indian Restaurant and headed back to Wendy's to continue the party in her garden. Sitting around the garden having a few drinks, laughing at the antics of Andy's brother Adrian, but especially, watching the boys interact with both mine and Andy's family will be a memory I treasure forever. I was so relieved that Tawny and Taylor got to come visit us on the last leg of their trip as there had been some uncertainty surrounding their agenda. I hope they know just how much it meant to have them see a little bit of my home and I look forward to a visit in the future where they get to spend a little more time with us!



On the Friday before they left, the girls and I drove to Halifax, a picturesque town just outside of Leeds to visit with Dawn's mates she met while teaching in Korea, Jonny and his wife, Heeae. If Halifax, NS was given its namesake from this town, it should be honoured. Like I said to Heeae, I should be so lucky as to have my husband come from such a beautiful town (not meaning to knock Cleethorpes yet again, as my little grunge town does have a few perks i.e Legends, eh girls?). We were greeted with open arms by Jonny and his wife and treated to a cozy night out at the Shipton Inn, a gorgeous Inn at the bottom of a beautiful valley, and a home cooked breakfast the next morning. When you meet the two of them, you instantly feel as if you've known them longer than a few hours - they are so laid back and amusing. I look forward to seeing them both in the near future if at all possible.

For months my mate Helen has been planning to take us to the world renowned Bags Ball for Stacy's 21st.



I'd heard lots of rumours about this popular Wednesday night venue, as it draws both men and women in droves - both looking for love in all its variants. In other words, a bona-fide meat market. Dawn and I approached the evening with an air of caution, while Stacy was just keen to get there. We ate out at a local pizzeria before heading to a couple of bars. By the time we reached the Ball we were all happily tipsy, some of us (me included) more so than others, with all air of caution flushed down the drain. We walked in to the Bags Ball liked we owned the place and pretty much acted that way all night long. The drinks were cheap, the dancing great and if you can manage the Palace on a Sunday night, the Bags is a treat. I will however say that I can understand why the single girl would attend these nights out - the men were there in abundance and they weren't hard on the eyes. Dawn and I rounded out the evening by chatting to this adorable young thing who was thick as a tree. Bless him. It took a few takes to get Stacy off the dance floor and out of the joint and I've since come to realize over this past year, as we've been spending time in pubs/clubs, that Stacy is much more like me than I originally thought! (Kissy Kissy Staceface should be her name!) She certainly was the Dancing Queen that night. Imagine, spending your 21st birthday dirty dancing up a storm to 'Don't cha' with your aged sister! In all fairness to me though, my legs weren't the only ones aching for days after.

You will find more photos from Stacy's Party here

So, from all the alias' we developed over the past weeks - Fern C.W. Whimply, Stinkyhead, Poppy O'Shea, Sage Miller Longbottom, and Cowboy (given to Andy before that infamous picture) to all the funny comments, especially those 'Shanks Schtacy' Sean Connery references in the Peak District, and with all the music,laughter, tears, little tantrums, and even one down and out huge row over a skanky top, I have this to say:

'Don't Cha wish... it could always be this way?'

I will be posting as many photos as possible from our various outings over on my Yahoo site, as time permits. There are just sooo many!

Not much of a recap, but something is better than nothing.



What with a whirlwind trip through London and Paris and and a long drive to Robin Hood's Bay followed by a hard night of drinking, (and this is only the half of it) I'm not even sure where to start to try and begin to catch everyone up with what's been happening. So I don't think I will even attempt to do so at this moment, only to say that I'm estatic that the children got to see there Aunty Stacy again, and of course to finally meet their Aunty Dawn. Our boys have been proving absolutely engaging and hilarious and if you can sit in a car for three hours and listen to Connor's constant stream of inquisitive chatter, than you definitely have a friend for life.



Tonight we are all set to head across to our local where we are meeting friends for Quiz Night, where we plan to totally decimate all other competitors. It is the belief that us Canucks (Les Castors), with a lot of help from our English Consorts, can do just that. Our trial run on Thursday night saw us take fourth place, tonight we want first.

The girls have found a little time to tell our tale from their warped perspective over on their sites, which you can find here on Stacy's Blog and here on Dawn's Blog

Stacy has also managed to upload a few pictures from London and Paris which you will find here. I will try and upload more photos when I get a little down time. At the moment I have to run again as we are off to take in a few more local sites and make our plans for this week.

Running around in circles

This week has found all my best laid plans blown to bits. I had carefully planned out my schedule so that I would not find myself in the last few hours prior to our departure to London running around trying to sort everything out at the last minute. As usual my plans have a way of running straight out the door, with me chasing after them.

Last night I took the boys to see a film as life in their other home hasn't been going so smoothly these last few days. The rest of the evening was spent repairing Alex's school clothes. I'm definitely not the type of mother who can sew something from scratch, or even hem a pair of pants, but I can put needle to thread and work it so that there is no longer a hole(s) where there shouldn't be, nevermind how uneven the result. I do however know that I am the kind of mother who won't let her kid go to school with the crotch out of his trousers, so alas, last night was spent trying to fix a problem that definitely needed fixing.

I thought I had most of today and half of tomorrow to get the house ready before driving down to London but Andy's schedule has changed and now, after three weeks of working local he has to drive all the way to Liverpool for one meeting on the Friday we go away. So to save him having to come all the way back here for me, I'll get up and leave the house with him at 6:00 a.m.

A small sacrifice, considering what the end result will be!

I did manage to get most tasks done this morning and there are just a few things left to get through before I can pack my bag and make a few calls/emails to finalize our plans!

And then there was one.

Last night I went out for to dinner with the girls from work in honour of a lady who has left our organization. I personally didn't work with her, but had met her a few times, and of course never one to miss a party, especially where good food is involved, I went along.

The food, drink and conversation were fantastic and as the evening was wrapping up the gal whose party it was came down to our end of the table for a chat. It is well known that she has lost loads of weight and everyone is always telling her how great she looks now. I didn't know her before and when she proudly pulled out a magazine article to show us a picture of before, some of us were stunned. She had lost 12 stone 5 in weight! 172 POUNDS... Without surgery. At one point she made the comment that she must be a pretty boring person, as conversation often seems to center around her weight loss. Of course she's not boring. It's not every day that you meet someone who has lost the equivalent of a whole other person in body weight.

Dog coming up on you fast...

Today I spent over two hours with the hair stylist, having my hair cut and coloured in preparation for the big trip next weekend down to London to meet up with the gang from Canada (nine more sleeps!!!) I held out for as long as I could on the cut/colour as I didn't want to be between styles whilst trekking around London/Paris, but I doubt I could have gone even three more days without the little wiry guys taking complete control of my head.

The kids came down at teatime and noticed my new 'do' straightaway, God luv em. Despite the fact that my hands were sporting a french mani, and my hair was looking refreshingly good, Andy and I headed out for a walk with the boys and Molly, ultimately ending up on the back field. We had the tennis racket and ball with us (we use it to play fetch with Molly) and before long we were all playing a game of 'rounders', made all the more fun with Molly trying to outrun us for the ball.

Listening to your boys shouting with glee for you to outrun the dog in order to catch a ball, while at the same time not falling on your ass isn't a bad way at all to pass away an evening.

Honky Tonk Woman

Our Easter weekend was more reminiscent of days gone by, when nights were spent getting inebriated in pubs than spent in with the kids. Every now and then Andy and I have a good night out but it is seldom when we both live it up together, and even rarer when we both end up feeling no pain by the end of the night. To think that we managed to get into such a state twice in one weekend is what made it such a success because we sure needed it.

We spent Friday night in Nottingham with Alison and Scott eating fine food and drinking in a chic bar. It seemed that no time had passed before it was midnight and I somehow got the idea in my head that it would be fun for us all to do a few shots. A few turned into a few more and by the time we got back to the apartment I had moved into an new dimension altogether. By the time we went to sleep Andy had seen more than a glimpse of that 'handful' he had foreseen over four years ago at a bar in Halifax. I was semi-apologetic the next morning, but did point out that he knew what he was getting himself into when we got together. What you see is what you get with me! We spent the rest of Saturday lethargically making our way back home, and what should normally be an hour and 45 minute drive took much longer. For the first time in a long time I battled nausea, something I don't wish to experience again any time soon. Andy himself wasn't feeling in top shape, but luckily Sunday found us feeling better if not still a little tired.

Andy was fighting sleep early on Sunday evening when it was time to get dressed to go out with our friends Helen and Trev. We were heading to a bar called Bootleggers to hear a local band. We both said it probably wouldn't be a late night as we were still feeling the effects of Friday night. As it turns out, Trev was feeling pretty raw from the night before so I think we all thought the night might end earlier than expected.

Wrong.

As we made our way into the teeming bar I wondered exactly how long I would last as the bar was 6-8 people deep, you could barely move and when the band started they were extremely loud. Once we got our drinks and found a spot that didn't have you right on top of the room-sized speakers, we began to enjoy the music. When the band took a break we headed next door to Silk for a change of atmosphere and a few more drinks before heading back to Bootlegger. This time when the band came on we were all on the dance floor shaking it up. I couldn't believe I was actually in a bar in England dancing to Honky Tonk Woman by the Stones... When the band ended we went looking for yet another pub as none of us were ready for the night to be over. At one point I ran into someone I know, which was great, as Helen knows everyone when we go out, so I felt more connected than I have in the past. We had a great time chatting to people and as Helen and I have no trouble talking to people we don't know, we ended up having an amusing time, especially when they start asking me where I'm from. I think Helen likes how people are drawn over because of this and its like I said to her 'If we think its fun with just me having the accent, wait till Dawn and Stacy hit the clubs with us!' Cleethorpes ain't gonna know what hit it!

We finally called it a night and headed up to the taxi stand to call for a cab. Thankfully we could wait inside, as no one was sure exactly how long it would take. There were a few guys there ahead of us, and of course we all got to chatting and I was hit with the inevitable where are you from, which is always followed by what are you doing here. I coyly pointed my husband out to the young fellow questioning me, but was slightly surprised when he followed up with 'What's so special about him?' (You ask this kind of question, your gonna get a Jody-style answer). Which happened to put the biggest smile on my drunken husband's face, when I loudly proclaimed 'Well he just happens to be the BEST SEX I'VE EVER HAD...' I'm sure the taxi drivers must have heard me over the radio.

This was a picture of Andy and Trev, taken with my phone while we were waiting for the cab. Andy doesn't remember this, therefore I am publishing it in honour of the fact that I had never, up until now, seen my husband so pissed his memories are hazy...

What a difference a year can make...



Our Birthday Girl...

Happy First Birthday Molly!

I'll eat my humble pie with an audience...

When I began posting a few years back I made it a rule to never blog about the aspects of my personal life with Andy. In most of my past relationships I never hesitated to ring my one of my friends and have a right go at the latest thing HE had done to piss me off, upset me, or just leave me feeling drained. My relationship with Andy is very different from all others that I have experienced and especially now that we are married, I refuse to ring up a pal and have a proper moan after every little dispute. I don't even feel the urge most times.

I'm still sticking to my rule, but I'm bending it just slightly. This post won't go into much personal detail, but I do have to get something off my chest, more of how I'm feeling rather what traspired exactly between my husband and I.

Last night I went to bed just after nine to read and wind down as I wasn't feeling so well. I read until nearly 10:30 and thought I was ready to go to sleep. But last night turned into one of those nights where I toss and turn restlessly, fading in and out of bizarre dreams. Once again, I was awake more then I was asleep. I was up around 3 a.m. to let Molly out and as our back door tends to slam very loudly if you don't shut it with care, I took extra care to make sure I shut it gently as sound seems to magnify x10 in a dark house. Only trouble is, our handle sticks from time to time and unfortunately I had to jar it quite hard to get the key to lock. When I went back upstairs I will only say it was quite evident that Andy wasn't impressed. In my defense it wasn't as if I'd slammed the door, or made the noise on purpose. I wasn't going to get into it with him though at that hour of the night.

This morning, just after seven, when Andy came in to say good-bye, we chatted for a few minutes about the night gone by and how he had found me a bit tetchy, likely from not feeling the best. I agreed and stated that I was still feeling touchy and irritable and before I knew it I had waged a full-scale row with him. To say I feel like shit about it is an understatement.

I absolutely abhor falling out with him before he goes to work, hell I don't really like arguing with him much at all. All week though, I have felt a sort of disquiet that has been welling up in me and it was only a matter of time before it erupted. Andy unfortunately was the one who ended up being at the receiving end. I'm not saying he's completely blameless, we are still trying to sort out a few issues he's carried over from his 15 years with the Ex, but there was still no reason for me to rage at him in such a way at the beginning of his work day.

When it comes to husbands I honestly think I was right in waiting for Andy. He is the most considerate, loving and generous man I have ever come across in the long list of men I have dated. I never doubt that I made the wrong decision in choosing him to be my life partner and its times when I'm feeling the way I am that I like to stop and remember our first summer together in Nova Scotia where it was just the two of us, discovering who the other person was. Its an understatement to say that since we've made a life together here in England that we have had our share of stresses and naturally, as with any marriage, it won't ever be the same as it was in the beginning. I can say in all honesty that what we have now is even more special than what we had four years ago. It is, however, nice sometimes to reflect on those magical summer evenings and why I fell in love with this man, and continue to love him still.

It shouldn't happen like this...

Throughout the years I have always admired Dana Reeve for her remarkable strength as a wife and mother. I can't imagine the pain she must have suffered through in the early days after her husband's terrible accident and in the subsequent days when it was known that Christopher Reeve was to become permanently bound to a wheelchair, without the use of his arms or legs, having to breath with the assistance of a ventilator. Through the years that ensued neither gave up hope that he would move again, until tragically he died in October 2004, less than ten years after his accident.

I'm sure this hope is what carried her through all the hospital visits and physical therapy, hope, and her strong love for her husband. However I'm also sure that even without it she would have remained beside her husband until the end of his (or her own) days, how could she not? Marriage is to be honored both in sickness and in health, and although I know there are those out there who would not honour such vows, Dana was not one of these people. Her love for her husband was strong enough and by his side they not only continued to watch their son grow, but raised an enormous amount of awareness and money for others with spinal cord injuries. They fought the good fight, and it was a fight she continued even after his death.

Today as I was perusing People.com I read that Dana had died on the 6th of March. To say that I was absolutely taken aback by this is an understatement. I hadn't even realized that for the past year she has been waging her own battle against Lung Cancer. A battle that is now over for her due to a cruel twist of fate. To think that her child has lost both his parents at the age of 13 breaks my heart. It just reaffirms that nothing in life is certain and that at times it can be just damn unfair.

Across the haawwl and through the door

Work has been fairly busy for me as one colleague is off on annual leave and the other is on sick leave. So that leaves me to run the clinic. I'll be working a couple of full days but I'm not complaining, it just gives me time to take back when the girls are here. Today was a busy clinic day and I found myself repeatedly saying 'Go across the hall and into the Clinic Room'. Well I might have repeated that exact sentence twice, before changing my phrasing to 'Go across the corridor and into the Clinic Room'.

My friends/family back home have often called me up on the fact that my wording has changed and I tend to use more English words then previously. This is bound to happen, especially from a professional viewpoint. If you keep opposing it you just look like a, well... stuck up wanker. As they say: 'When in Rome'. I have never fought to keep my own Canadian speak, and picked up a lot of words rather quickly, especially since I'd been talking to Andy for two years prior to moving here. As time has marched on I think I've been using even more English words. I do however like to use a lot of Canadian phrases, especially as my colleague loves to hear the different versions of how we say things, and she especially laughs when we exchange swear words. She does a great mock of me saying 'Do you want anything at the store?' (The English say shop.) But there is no fear of me adopting the accent, I can't fake it so there is no worries of me being completely assimilated. If I lived London way, or further North where the accents are stronger than mine, it might be so, but not here in N.E. Lincolnshire.



Time to push on...

My legs feel like jello and my arms are a little sore, but other than that I feel gggreeat. Over the weekend I have surpassed 4000 steps on my Thigh Trainer, in two separate segments. Over the past few weeks I have made a concerted effort to use it at least five times a week. I was shooting for twenty minute intervals, however if I'm in front of a good show, I find that 40-45 minutes have passed rather quickly. I set myself some really good challenges and between the stepper and the armbands, I feel like I'm doing something to take me in the right direction. Andy has been having a go on it as well, and together we have agreed to shuck a few pounds (although our ideas of healthy eating are very different).

I had to put a stop to Ben & Jerry's being brought into the house because when its here, it gets eaten. A few weeks ago I had bought some as a treat only to eat after we had both lost 2-3 pounds but that failed when Andy couldn't resist. It just went too well with American Idol, and once he cracked his tub open, I had to eat mine. So last week while we were in Tesco and had picked up two tubs on the condition we lose 5 lbs before we could eat it, they had to be put back as Andy couldn't promise me he wouldn't eat it until then. I would love to have a committed partner in my weight loss program because when two people are following the same diet it makes things so much easier, however so long as I can point Andy in the right direction and stay away from the meals I cook for the kids, then I should be alright.

At the end of the month I will give a progress report on our weight loss challenge. Here's hoping we can shuck at least five pounds before the party begins on April 28th.

The Cost of International Marriage

It's hard to believe that June 12th marks the anniversary of my Leave To Remain Visa and I will have to apply for the time limit to be removed, thus allowing me to remain in the UK indefinitely.

The cost to apply will be £335 if I apply by post, and £500 if I apply in person to the Liverpool office (not counting the expense of travelling across the country). The only reason I believe anyone would chose to apply in person would be that you don't have the 4-14 week processing time. Now when I applied for my Limited Leave To Remain Visa I was told that the wait would be the same, but fortunately I was returned my approved visa within 3 weeks. I thought we could do it the same way this time around, saving ourselves £165, however with the trip home to Nova Scotia in July, added to the fact that the IND Office has been experiencing some difficulty, it would probably be safer if we applied in person.

Now we need to come up with yet another £500 to add to the big pile o'money that we have already spent in getting me into, and keeping me, in this country. When compared to all the great experiences that come with being an international couple, this is only small potatoes. And although we were expecting a fee of some sort, we weren't really expecting it to be so high. It doesn't alter the fact that we find it daunting, especially when we have so many other monetary issues at present: Legal fees for getting a court order to take the kids home in July as well as to adjust the contact order allowing them to stay overnight on Wednesdays, saving for a house, saving for our weekend getaways this spring, and paying for our trip to Canada (and these on top of all the regular payments).

However we are both gainfully employed and of course we could have passed on the few trips we have planned this year but you've gotta get some rewards out of life and you just have to prioritize in order of importance. Often our priorities tie in with the International factor: This year it is a priority to bring the children to Canada to meet my family, as well as enjoy our first family holiday together.

I know that Andy and I aren't the only ones who have faced these issues, and of course I have a few close friends who have experienced the same on varying levels.

Of course we only have to turn around and face this again when we return to Canada to live. Owell at least we have the knowledge that the cost of living in Nova Scotia isn't as high as it is in England. Not yet anyway!



Only if you have a moment...

Here's your chance to do a little something that would put a smile on this bloggers face. I have a very good idea of who visits my blog via comments left on my blog, or sent to me via email, however if you are taking the time to visit my site on a semi-regular basis, could you do me the honour of putting your mark in my Guest Book or Map located on the sidebar? I realize I get a lot of hits by the site tracker, however it would be a nice thing to find out just who comes to visit.

Thanks to those of you who find my (often daft) ramblings to be of some interest and keep coming back for more. Your support makes blogging worthwhile.

Crying to Sleep...

Last night was the first night that I've had more than two hours sleep this week. Granted they were broken hours, but after five nights of barely catching any shut eye, I'll take it rather than leave it.

I've been feeling rather stressed lately for various reasons and I think its all finally catching up with me. The past few days have been good though as I've seen two movies with my husband and have enjoyed a few good meals along the way. Not great for the diet, but at times like these, the diet has to take a back seat while I battle with this sleep deprivation. I have to win this battle as loss of sanity could likely be the end result. Last night during dinner with Andy and my mother-in-law I feared I was losing the war for my sanity as I began to break down and cry during a baby-talk discussion, however I did manage to pull myself together and go on to enjoy a big fat burger washed down by two glasses of wine. Needless to say, I slept like the ambivalent baby I'm in distress over. Granted, this sleep came at 6:30 p.m. and by 10:00 I was once again wide awake. However as mentioned previously, I will take the sleep where I can.

This morning found me wide awake and in the bath by 7:00 a.m. Not how I imagined I would spend my Saturday morning, but there you have it. Andy and I did however go on to enjoy our day. I was the recipient of a gorgeous pair of earrings that Andy spoiled me with from my favourite shop, In The Pink. We also enjoyed a long refreshing walk with Molls on the beach. This combined with yet another good meal and a beer should hopefully lead the way to at least a four hour sleep tonight. I might help myself to one more drink, just to help me along. Some of you might be wondering why I don't just help myself to a sleeping pill or two, but those of you who know me well know that I hate to have to resort to a drug for my monthly, never mind to sleep. Also, at this point I will be honest and say that on Thursday night after shedding a tear or 100 over my frustration, I gave in and let Andy convince me to take not one, but two of his sleeping pills (he has been taking them as his sleep has been disturbed due to a neck problem brought on by our accident last summer). I took the pills and waited for the hour to pass when Andy said they should kick in... I watched him slowly drift off to sleep after his pill kicked in, but those little bastards weren't doing a thing for me. I remember the same thing happening when I took his superduper pain killers for a toothache a few years back... Normally those pills make him as loopey as hell, but they did nada for me.

I'm glad that April is finally here and the flowers are pushing through. I'm looking forward to a drive out in the country side as I love watching all the new born lambs frolic in the fields. Also with April brings the arrival of my family and Andy and I are both looking forward to the time we will spend with them. The break will do us both a world of good. In the meantime we are going to try and spend our weekends on long hikes, the first lengthy one being next weekend when the kids come down.

I'm also very grateful for Andy, for the patience he has with me during my more difficult moments and for walking along side me when I need him most. I know he feels for me during my struggle to sleep and I'm sure he is as eager as I am to get me back into a normal sleep pattern as this problem of mine isn't doing much for his sleeping pattern either.