get ready for a crazy third quarter

So we have seen and heard all the news from the US democratic convention.

McCain chooses Sarah Palin as he running mate.

The Canadian Federal Government may very likely call an election.

How will impact our economies?

For a political junkie...it is going to be a very exciting time.

the last weekend

One long day of work and then the weekend.
Things to do include:

*Mr. and our son are going to the last production of Bard on the Beach.
*I will hang with the daughter.
*Double baby shower on Saturday morning.
*Dinner with friends to mark the end of summer.
*Litury Sunday morning - need to pay the priest and deacon
*Guide the son in cleaning his room. We culled his dresser and pulled out all the T-shirts and pants that are too small, thus creating space for all the clothing he has splayed out in his room. I,thought that would encourage him to take it one step further... but no... needs more guidance. So, that is something we need to do before school starts.
*Football game on Monday - against the last years League winner and apparently they are BIG.
*connect with the dance school and remove the daughter from one class that has been rescheduled to earlier time -we cannot get her there consistently- and book her into a ballet duo with another young dancer
*check into cell phone plans that will allow the young people to text but limit their ability to phone friends.
*we need new pointe shoes and new black leotards for dance class
*we are saving specific school supply shopping until after grade 8 orientation

The plan for the school year is to keep the young people busy. Busy is good. Busy means you don't have time to fart around and get into trouble. The more dance the better. The plan is to have the internet shut down at 10pm every weekday. That is just the way it is going to be. I cancelled cable in the summer - with the thought that we might hook it back up in the fall so we can watch hockey. I am still wondering if I will do that. We have always had strict guidelines for TV watching - restricted times and neither of my children are huge TV watchers. My son enjoys the Discovery Channel and recognizes crappe TV when he sees it. But, it just might be easier to not have the temptation. No one really misses it when we don't have it.

where did summer go?

It is pouring rain. Grey - dark - and wet.
Hmm. Seems a little drastic.

2 more days and then long weekend to celebrate labour day.

Back to school on tuesday. almost ready.

We have been relatively drama free for a record 5 days now.

football in the rain

My son played his first football game of the season. It was not just raining. We had a torrential downpour. The boys were soaked before the game started.

It was quite something to see. My son is fortunate to be swift on his feet and they are focusing on a running game... so he was kept very busy. He did well. I was a bit nervous to watch but he can hold his own on the field and was a delight to watch. He was smiling and having a good time.

Granted about half way through he said he realized that this was not their toughest opponent so he put his success in perspective. But, it certainly was a confidence booster.

hardcore

Apparently the mainland won the hockey game.
Mr. W and company missed the last ferry on Saturday night and had to sleep in a van at the ferry terminal. They are on the boat as I type. He will need some time to sleep in a real bed because we are off to the football field for 2pm - the first pre-season game is about to be played in the RAIN.

could the day be any more complicated

What a flippin' nightmare yesterday turned out to be!
A rather long time ago it was decided that mainland orthodox would play a hockey game vs the island orthodox. The original date didn't work for the majority of the mainland players so the date was changed to Aug 23rd. In the meantime one of the ferries was taken off the route and our "reserved" $17.70 sailing was canceled. But, not to worry - they will accomodate you on the next available boat - so our 8am sailing turns into the 9am sailing but you still have to show up between 7am and 7.30 for them to guarantee you a ride on... so just exactly what are you paying for...


Anyhoo... at the same time all this ferry chaos was happening my son declares they have a pre-season game on Sunday and they have a special practice on Saturday - so I guess he is not going to the Island.

a day at the fair

We spent a day/evening in the city and at the local Fair that happens every August.
What I noticed this year was all eating options.

Those Little Donuts are famous.


Gelato Anyone?


Kettle corn?


more donut options


maybe some curry in a hurry?



there were sand sculptures

and a ferris wheel


and options to purchase all sorts of things...

the end of the week

I sit with glass of wine and watch the sun set.

It has cooled off considerably.

I don't work tomorrow.

My son finally became motivated to put the contact lens in his eye. This makes me very happy as the football season is upon in a few weeks. We were not forcing him to wear contacts but, I was gently encouraging him to give it a try. Motivation is the key. You have to be motivated to stick your finger on your eyeball. He was quite excited about the new mobility and now he can wear "cool" sunglasses. His papa's wayfarers.

I am getting more exercise.

I have stuck to my one americano per day rule so far.

I am drinking more water.

I think I have been less critical.

day two

Yesterday was my re-entry into the corporate world.
It went fairly smoothly.
I had read and caught up on all my emails by noon.
No crisis' happened while I was away.
Time to get busy.

trauma and the breath of God

My son is feeling the effects of being tackled. Saturday was a hard day of practice. It was raining and his body ached before he even hit the football field.

He was thinking he might not go to practice. We discussed the fact that he was playing football and it was a full contact sport. He is bound to be sore. If he is truly injured then he should not go to practice - of course - but he was not injured. He pushed through his discomfort and he came home jubilant.

I researched and found Traumeel which he can take after the more physical practices.


********************************************

A cool breeze on a hot summer's day is the breath of God. I am convinced of it.

wrung out

I feel as I have been put through the wringer. You have no idea. I am spent. I love my daughter but she challenges me in new ways almost every day.

She passed her bronze medallion/ cross exams. We are very proud of her.

She then proceeds to make a rather stupid decision for which there must be consequences. Sigh.

photo from: pics.hoobly.com

change

I feel the need to make some changes.

I am going to drink less coffee. I usually drink a 4 shot grande americano every morning and then maybe another americano later in the day. Sometimes it is 12 oz - sometimes it is 16 oz. My goal is to just have the one coffee in the morning.

I am going to exercise more. We are receiving a delivery sometime today that will facilitate this endeavour.

I am going to write more.

I am going to criticize less.

I think that is pretty much all I can handle at this point.

stuff

I have been enjoying getting up just that tiny bit earlier this week in order to drive Hannah to her Bronze Medallion class. It is cool and quiet. I ventured outside and decided now might be a good time to water the gardens. I noticed my neighbour had their water on and since I am on the same side of the street - it is also my day to water... he is watering his lawn. Me, I am watering my flowers and my lettuce. Our lettuce has grown fabulously this year. We have reaped many salads. I did some pruning and I am about to plan some lettuce for the last part of the season. I will plant Romaine. We enjoy our Caesar Salads at this house. We have beets planted too. About 7 of them. Just enough to make one pot of borcsht this October.

I always feel so much more in control of my life when I do something productive in my garden. Or know that we will be enjoying the fruits of our labour. I wish I had more time to do more domestic type things. I have been working in a sketch book - just drawing and painting and thinking.

I have been reading too.

The thought of work has encroached upon me a little tiny bit - I keep shoving it to the back of my mind and suppressing the thoughts. Too soon. Tuesday will come soon enough.

I have been reading about metabolism and aging. Gah. Aging.

the adventure

the cast of characters:

*mr w and myself
*the in-laws
*one telephone operator of BC Road Assistance
*two very helpful young women
*one uncharitable young man
*dr. judy - neighbour to the inlaws
*one demon possessed HONDA CRV

The background:
Due to a scheduling mishap - We were voluntold to drive the inlaws to the airport to catch a flight to Toronto to visit their daughter and the husband of their daughter and their two young sons.
They offered up their new Honda CRV as they had just filled it with gasoline. After dropping them off at the airport we visited with my sister in the city and then drove to the park to see King Lear.

The father in-law drove the vehicle to the airport as it would be less stressful...

My husband took over after we dropped them at the departure terminal.

The lights were on. We had no idea.

This is a 2007 Honda CRV. you would think that if you leave the lights on in this vehicle there would be some king of sound - ting - ting - a beep or a blip or something... there are enough other bells and whistles... but apparently no.

So - the story goes something like this:

We dropped them off and wished them a safe trip. We hopped back into the vehicle and headed off to visit my sister. We shut the car off but we didn't turn off the lights because we didn't realize they were on. We visited for TWO hours... hopped back into the car and drove to our final destination. It is now about 6pm. We leave the vehicle - lock it and line up and eat our lovely deli sandwiches and visit with some rather lovely Texans who are visiting the city. After our picnic Mr. W walks back to the vehicle and puts away the picnic basket. Again not noticing the lights are on... and again no warning. Nothing - nada - zip.

After a rather odd production of King Lear we quickly departed the theatre and found the vehicle would not unlock using the little orange button on the key chain. So we used the actual key to unlock the door attempted to start the Honda. Low and behold the car would not turn over. We started to troubleshoot and ask ourselves the questions? How can this be? Oh, look the lights were left on? Yes indeed. So after a few expletives and comments about how unbelievable that a new car would not have automatic shut down of lights if they are left on or no warning system we moved on to how we would get ourselves out of this pickle. We called roadside assistance and were told - at least 60 minutes - gah!

OK - in the mean time we started to canvas the area for people who might have jumper cables. Two young woman had cables in their car and were willing to help... but they were concerned as to how long it would take as they didn't have much gas; it shouldn't take but a minute we said. They suggested we ask the young man if we could use their cables and his car. No. He was not interested in helping one bit. He really had to consider our request and decided after about 30 seconds he was not interested. No matter - the young women stayed and we quickly jump started the Honda and this is where the adventure gets very interesting.

The Honda is equipped with an anti-theft device - this came on full blast once the car was started - with a lovely message flashing on the dash "INPUT CODE". It is after midnight now.

The alarm is going on and on and on and we have no idea how to shut it off and we don't want to shut off the vehicle less we lose the charge and it is very tense and stressful... finally the alarm is silenced but the inside dashboard is still flashing a warning signal INPUT CODE. My husband is quickly explaining that we were driving our in-laws car and we had dropped them off at the airport and they loaned us their vehicle but didn't tell us about the alarm and we were really not stealing something that wasn't ours. I think they believed us.

We pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the freeway for home. The in-laws home. We kept wondering if the anti-theft would just start up again; or would the vehicle just shut down... how we would get the code?

We made it home. It is now almost 1 o'clock in the morning and we pull into our inlaw's driveway and shut off the vehicle and the bloody alarm starts all over again. Oh my God. How can this be happening? It is so very loud and obnoxious. Dr. Judy - the neighbour appears out of nowhere - she thought it might be us... and we scramble pushing this button and that button and finally the alarm shuts off. We grab our possessions and lock the doors and back away.

I will never borrow that vehicle again.

week 2

Bronze Medallion
Aim

To develop the level of knowledge, judgement, technique and physical ability required to carry out safe water rescues

Tomorrow my daughter embarks on the bronze medallion/ bronze cross Royal Lifesaving Society courses. She will be gone from 8.30 to 5pm for the next 6 days. Which means my days of sleeping in to 8pm are now over.




I cannot believe I have lived through one week of vacation already....
The weather turned yesterday and we now have full on sunshine and it is lovely.

We had a rather big shindig here last night... lots of people; lots of food and drink; good conversation.

Today it is a big party in town as BC celebrates it's 150 birthday. We will venture into town later today to see the sights - and finish up with a picnic/concert in the park.